Ceramic Christmas Tree by Mother

Whee! Cold (60) n my cottage this morning - but warm now. How fortunate I am to live in a warm house with plenty of food, clothes and everything, literally everything I need and in a practical sense, every thing I want! Yesterday I unpacked my ceramic Christmas tree Mother made many years ago and plugged it in. This one is a small white tree with lights in the shape of red birds. Each day now I'll get out another Christmas item and enjoy seeing them again for a few weeks. I like this process rather than getting everything out at once. It will be interesting to see how many days it takes, probably no more than four or five since I've pared down my belongings.

It's what you are thinking.

Spiritual practice is not what you are doing, it's what you are thinking. This really spoke to me this morning. Comes from Satchidananda's The Golden Present which I read daily. It fits with my present understanding that spiritual practice is all-pervasive - it is how I am thinking and living - or at least some of the time it is! At other times, I seem to have forgotten who I really am as I am distracted by worldly activities and my thinking descends to such as well. What a powerful concept this is - how beautiful it will be when I learn to control what I am thinking!!!! If I could just keep the thought of love uppermost - that is my goal. By the way, I, as usual, am already thinking of the new year and setting goals and developing mantras, etc. Somehow Thanksgiving always inspires me to become more of my Real Self.

Strength training to begin today

What a beautiful several days we've had! Now we'll return to more seasonable weather and being inside more. And that's not bad. I love the fact that our weather is changeable. One of the things I disliked about living in southern California (MANY years ago) was the unchangeable weather - it seemed to always be summer. The beautiful thing about where we live is we enjoy all four seasons of almost equal length. What a blessing. Today I'm meeting with a trainer at the Y to begin some strength training. Done this several times before, but not in many years. Be interesting to see how rapidly my muscles will respond! For sure, I'll feel it but perhaps the regular yoga will soften the effect a bit. Stay tuned.

Leftovers and Renewing Friendships

Thanksgiving is over - Family all left Friday evening after doing a superior job of cleaning up. I spent all day yesterday just goofing off - mostly reading romance novel and napping and eating leftovers. Today the remains go into the freezer before I stuff myself another day. Had a call from Bob's cousin, Evelyn, in Charlottesville last evening. Just reminds me that there are more with whom I will connect over the next month and what a delightful time it is - hearing from those I only hear from at this time of year. I LOVE the notes that come with info about the goings-on in their families. Time for me to compose my annual letter - maybe this afternoon I'll do that. Last year I collected all that I've written over the years - found 13 of them, a few missing, but what a nice notebook it makes - we can check when special events occurred and have already done that several times. So, now it's off to church - again very special times this season.

Thanksgiving at the Pond 2011

What a happy Thanksgiving! Tate caught the biggest fish - one even bigger than this one! We all enjoyed hot dogs and s'mores Wednesday evening (Nathan's beef wieners are delicious!!!) Luke read stories around the fire from Ghosts of the Carolinas. We all ate on the cottage porch - weather was totally cooperative! What a great family time - all ten of us together!!!! Later I'll put more photos on fb. Hope you and yours all had a wonderful gathering together as we did.

Grateful Hearts

Well, the housecleaning is done. What a joy it is to have guests once in a while so that I do dust and mop! Now I can enjoy it for a long time again - till I have guests again, probably. Now the cooking can begin - cranberry relish is first on my list - nobody eats it, but me - but they insist on having it since we always have. Then there's the sweet potato souffle, dressing and gravy, and I found a beautiful big lamb roast - much nicer than last year's. The butcher at Bi-Lo ordered it for me. And, of course, the turkey is thawing. Luke and his family are arriving tonight so I'll have company helping me cook an extra day - what fun! The whole experience is fun. Tate's family will arrive on Wednesday afternoon so we'll then all ten be together again - the only time we manage this is here at Thanksgiving and at Luke's Christmas Day morning. So, this is a precious time for all of us. I'll share with you the short prayer from Simple Abundance for today: O beloved Spirit, truly you have given us so much, an extravagance of riches. Give us, we pray, one thing more. The gift of grateful hearts. Hearts that will not forget what You have done.

Thanksgiving preparations and anticipations

Whee! Big progress on book the last few days. Shutting off that project now to get ready for invasion of family for Thanksgiving. Must clean bathroom, mop floor, etc. All those things I ignore when I don't have guests. Talked with Harriet yesterday - Albany, NY friend - a shame it's been so long! I must do a better job keeping in touch with my loved ones. With Christmas coming somehow it jumps to the top of my wish list - keeping in touch with friends. For the next few weeks, I'll spend much more time doing just that. ...........Got the chex snack mix made - left out wheat chex this time so I can eat some too....getting groceries together now a daily adventure....I don't even attempt to make a complete list, just whatever comes to mind for whatever dish I'm working on at the moment...knowing I'll be going to the store each day before Thanksgiving. That's just the way it works. Ordered a leg of lamb at Bi-Lo - will see if it's there when I go in for yoga class this morning. Already have a turkey thawing. Sooooo eager for the family to be here with me!!!!

Chex mix - highlight of the day

Yesterday was a day of writing and I'm happy with what is coming forth right now. Some days it seems it flows easily and other days the well is dry. I must learn to both write and fill the well each day. I tried last evening - baked chex mix - standard holiday fare in our home - and watched a tear-jerker movie. Distracted by my writing thoughts so came close to burning the mix - didn't set the oven low enough till I smelled toasting too quickly! Should be ready to go again today. We'll see. For now, it's tea time.

Education - the Magnificent Inheritance

This morning I'm thinking about my yen for learning. And, wondering where it came from. What is it that keeps me searching for more answers to questions that arise in my head. This is the thought process I'll concentrate on today. I know myself well enough to know that learning is one of my greatest joys and I have spent all of my life going to school of one sort or another. I presume it comes mostly from my Mother's influence. She was one of seven children, all of whom graduated from college in the 1920's and 30's when the econonmy in the South was far worse than it is now! Her father insisted on that happening. I remember her youngest sister, the last of the children, took cans of milk from their farm to Lander College as part of her tuition payment. Of course, she lived at home. Where does this love for education come from? No doubt from my grandfather's mother or father or both. What a magnificent inheritance!!!!

Quiet as the rain falls

It is so warm! Can't believe how the weather changes back and forth now - I started putting away summer clothes and then the next day had to reach back into the bag for a shirt! In a few days I'll be back into sweaters, of course. Today, the rain is singing to me. This promises to be a delightful day of staying in and listening--no obligations, just joy. This is Wednesday. Several months ago I came upon the notion of allocating Wednesdays for stay-at-home and just be. So, that's what I'm doing. I am so very fortunate to be able to take a whole day off from the world--the world of busy humans--and dedicate my time to joining the world of God--rain, wind, blowing leaves, ripples on the surface of the Pond, gray sky, the carpet of brown leaves under my willow oak tree, patches of green grass, and especially - the quiet. I think people stay home when it's raining. I don't hear any cars or trucks. No one seems to be in this world except me. I am excited! Today fruitful thoughts must arrive! There is nothing to interfere. Time to write and read and save chores for another day.

Checking in

Off to Atlanta this morning. Tomorrow I'll be manning a crafts table with Sydney, my 13-year-old granddaughter who is truly gifted at creating unusual items. This is a first for her - we've been trying to talk her into selling some of her things so maybe this will get her started. Too much to do to get ready to leave - just wanted to say Hello! To let you know I'm thinking of you!

Life - a splendid torch

Whee! It's raining! How I love watching the drops hit the surface of the Pond and make hundreds of little circles. And, the rain on the tin roof is mesmerizing - somehow the music seems to add to the silence and stillness, rather than detracting. Savasana following our yoga this morning will be delightful - I'll open the windows so we can hear the rain on the metal roof a bit more clearly as we chill out. I wonder where that expression came from - chill out? I do know I'm getting very good at doing it--chilling out. Amazing how healthy it makes me feel. All the things that seemed urgent suddenly don't any more. Nothing seems urgent. Everything seems OK just as it is. I'll share a few words of wisdom from my calendar - Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I've got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible.....G.B.Shaw.

Outside - leaves, snow, etc. - reviewing

Good morning! It's gonna be another glorious fall day! The yellows this year are unbelievably bright! At the road I have a sassafras, a yellow maple, a dogwood, and a persimmon. What a lovely variety of colors all in one spot! I'll bet my Mom had something to do with that. I know she was always partial to sassafras trees. She got really angry with Dad when he cut one down that was in the way of his mowing, Kind of like I got mad when Bob cut down our pear tree in the back yard at Clemson - the only thing that bloomed - other than the magnolia. It was a scrawny little tree, but I loved seeing the blossoms each spring. Oh well, now I have daffodils to look forward to - thanks to Ray! ---- I had my previous blog posts printed and just received the book yesterday. What fun to review last year - just in time for writing my annual Christmas letter. I had forgotten what a really nice snow we had - hope we get another one this year - snow covered surroundings always seem so CLEAN!

Feminism

Some book research yesterday surprised me. It was fun re-reading The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan's 1963 book. I particularly enjoyed noticing the passages I had underlined. according to my Google sources, "The first wave of feminism ran from the 1860's to the 1920's. The Second Wave of Feminism began in 1960's and continues into the present. Perhaps the first highly publicized event was the 'bra-burning' that took place when 400 women demonstrated at the 1968 Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City by placing bras and other feminine paraphanalia (sp?) in a large trash container and came up with the idea of burning it. Turned out they couldn't get a permit so bra-burning didn't get publicized (as near as I could find) until 1970 at Berkeley - in a wastebasket. " Somehow all of that mostly passed me by - I was busy taking care of two small boys born in 1964 and 1966. I admit, I did subscribe to Ms., the Gloria Steinem magazine, and read it from cover to cover. But, I somehow convinced myself that I was at least as good as and perhaps better than most men. Whatever good as and better than mean. Equality, somehow, didn't appeal to me. Femininists somehow seemed weak. I need to think about this more. I'm not sure I remember correctly how I really felt fifty years ago! I do know that I am very happy with the more equal opportunities for women now and I'm grateful to those who made it happen - along with me! Did I mention I burned my bra (literally) in 2005?

Constructing a Happy Life

Yesterday was a quiet one - beginning with a yoga class at 10:00 and filled with much reading, knitting, and pondering. Primarily, thoughts of how fortunate I am to be living here surrounded by nature's beauty with a huge window to bring it inside even when it's too cold to be out in it. How I hope we get snow this year at least once - just enough to cover the ground, and without ice, of course. I have been reading "Walden", a freebie from Amazon's Kindle, and will move onto "Walden Pond" from here. Strange that I've never read Thoreau's writing before - at least not that I recall. If I ever finish writing my "Constructing a Happy Life" (the latest proposed title) book, perhaps I'll write about the joys of living here. I'll be going to Atlanta next weekend for a couple nights at son Tate's home to help Sydney with her crafts table at the community holiday sale on Saturday. Besides the joy of being with family, the return to the Pond is always a reaffirming of my decision to live here. Being in the Atlanta area is a good thing--the contrast is a good thing--I would not be happy CONFINED here! Or, anywhere, for that matter. Too much wanderlust in my heart.

Connecting with Friends

The wind is keeping the wind chimes singing almost constantly yesterday and again this morning. Strange how easily I forget them when they are not singing and how much pleasure they bring when they do sing. Friends are kind of like that. It's easy to forget them when I don't see their faces or hear their voices. For that reason, I keep photographs of my friends beneath a sheet of plexiglas on top of my counter where I see them several times a day. However, I have to make time to stop and look at individual faces to truly connect with them. It's in the pauses that my friends speak to me.

Connecting

Wow! It's cold in my cottage this morning! But, I'll be going up to the Yogatorium in a few minutes and it will be warm by the time I get back. At noon, I'll be getting a massage - for the first time in a very long time - much too long. ....... Mildred, one of my yoga students, has just opened her business in Greenwood - I am eager to enjoy her work.----Yesterday was a fun one cleaning out my herb garden of the dead pepper and basil plants - the okra has roots much too deep, wide, and firmly implanted! I'll have to get a shovel to dig them out and was too lazy yesterday for that - besides, there are a few more pods on the plant that may grow large enough to eat. Who knows? Not this novice gardener. . . . . It still amazes me how spiritual working with the earth is for me. There's something truly refreshing, renewing about digging into the dirt with my fingers. I think it might be called connecting - one of my strongest needs. In this case, connecting with the Universe.

Living or Dying - take your pick

Good morning! It's almost noon - been writing this morning. Trying desperately to get all the snippets I've written into some kind of order. Fun, but hard work. ......One more food shot - last of the tomatoes in my window sill - picked them green and letting them ripen. Can't believe it's already November and we still haven't had a frost. Close, but not quite 32 yet. This afternoon when it warms up a bit more I'll get the dead and dying veggie plants out and get my pansies out of the pots and into the ground or maybe my BIG pot where the lantana is dying. There's something refreshing and renewing working with plants - makes life seem more like living than dying. Even though, I know we are always in the process of dying, it's nice to counter that with we're also always in the process of living! Or at least we should be. If we're not, it's our own fault!!!

Fruit of Persimmon Tree - a moral

Yep, I missed a couple more days - life is just soooo full right now. Thought you might enjoy a story of persimmons. When I was a forestry student in a dendrology (tree ID) class standing out in the woods one class lab, the instructor asked us to name the tree he was leaning against. We all stared at the bark trying to decide but none of our guesses was correct. By the way, we had learned that foresters always learned to ID trees by the bark since it saved time when cruising timber not to have to look up. Finally, he said, "Look up." We did, and what we saw is what I photographed yesterday near my mailbox. A tree with no leaves, but lots of fruit. There is a moral here. Never judge a tree (or a person) by its skin when the fruit is so visible.