October

The stillness speaks to those who listen

and to they

who listen not.

Delicate mists settle in the valleys

Hover in silence

Heavy with knowledge

of tomorrow

of brilliant splashes of glory in the form of leaf ponds

swelling under trees.

Stillness speaks of snowfall on the horizon

of leaves caught in rushing waters

caught on rocks

caught in our hearts as we remember

Relive

Recall

Remain in awe

of the turning of the wheel

the blending of the year

into the beauty of seasons,

the promise of Octobers to come.

~ddm

Just when you think things couldn’t get better…

Life is a cycle.  Life is a circle.  You just get settled in good and  take a deep breath and sigh at the wonder of how perfect it is and …BAM.  Life throws you a curve ball, just to keep things interesting.  Thank you, Life.  You ROCK!

So my wonderful hubby and I had a disagreement last night.  It got ugly.  And of course, I’m all “Hold the phone!  Aren’t we deliriously happy here?!”  …i says in my head.  On the OUTSIDE of my head there was a LOT of noise.  Me no likey.

I decided to back off because NOTHING is worth such a stupid argument.  I was not very happy, but I kept my mouth shut (yes – it happens) and went about my business.  “My business” being picking up the house a little, vacuuming, unloading and reloading the dishwasher.  …blah blah blah

I have a cousin who SWEARS BY “when you’re angry, clean something” and I must say, it is a FABULOUS strategy!  I could have done much more – because there is never a lack of things that need doing at our house – but I wanted to get in bed a little earlier to see if it helped me get up at 5:00 a.m.  (I”m showered and at my desk by 7:00 – I call that a success!)

It can be difficult to disengage from an emotional catastrophe.  I have learned that the best thing I can do is let it go.  I have worked on this for many, many moons.  Season after season after season.  I guess you could say I’m a seasoned veteran.. har har har… I jest – but it’s true.  If, after 22 years I have not figured out how all this works and when to lay low, well… then that would make me as dumb as some say we blonds are.  I’m a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.  I know – I’ve used this phrase before.  But hey, truth is truth.  Slow on the uptake?  Yeah, maybe sometimes.  Doesn’t change the fact that you need to pay attention to your life and see what the patterns are.  The pattern of the seasons are quite evident if we are paying attention.  The trees are the big indicator with their budding leaves, beautiful blossoms, gorgeous greenery, stunning color changes, dropping leaves, and bare branches.  We know those by heart.  Your life has patterns as well.  LOOK FOR THEM.  LOOK AT THEM.  PAY ATTENTION.  BECAUSE BAM!  Sh*t happens! When you learn to see the patterns, you learn how best to act in response to them.  Notice:  ACT.  Not REACT.  Acting is a conscious decision, a choice of behavior.  Reacting is not.  Reacting never makes me feel better.  If I can remember that, the outcome might not be so bad.

The situation is not resolved.  I am planning to remedy that asap.  Perhaps a different approach.  All the same, I win because I recognized the pattern and acted accordingly.  No hard feelings.  It’s all good.

Have a great Thursday!  ❤

 

[image found here:  http://bamfitnesscoaching.com/%5D

Misty morning

Tis a beautiful, brisk morning here in Maryland.  The chilly air is fabulous… as long as you have a sweater.  The leaves are just starting to get a tinge of color.  Soon they’ll be leaping to their death and we will delight in the beauty of their demise.  The seasons trudge on…

As I drove in this morning, there was a light mist hanging in open flat areas.  Nestled in among groupings of trees.  Hovering a foot or so off the ground.  I love misty mornings.  Everything seems so dreamlike and untouched by time.

The mist speaks to me, of stillness and silence.  The mist calls me to patience and faith.  It settles in and waits for the right time.  My memory is jarred and I recall knowing that all is well, regardless of circumstances and outward appearance.  Though the sunshine will absorb the mist, I am happy to have seen it.  Happy to have enjoyed its beauty and simple stillness.  Today I will be still, be patient and have faith.

Good things come to those who wait.  I’ve waited many seasons and the timing still doesn’t seem quite right.  I do have faith that when the time IS right, I’ll know.  For now I’ll bask in the beauty of the seasons as they come and go.  Just like the mist.

Today, may the beauty of the season bring you the gifts of stillness, patience and faith.

~ Diane

Time to do work!

So the weekend is finally here!  So glad to see Friday.  Lots to do around the house tomorrow.  Gotta get it in gear and make plans for Fall clean up.  It is probably worth noting that I skipped Spring and Summer clean up.  Yeah.. It happens.

Maybe it’s easier for me to get motivated at this time of year.  I think of bonfires, falling leaves, hummingbirds fighting for feeders as they prepare to make their long migration southward to finally cross the Gulf of Mexico for the winter.  We’re all gearing up for something.  Now is the time.

Fall is nature’s planting time.  I like knowing that.  It helps me settle in and think about what I’m planting for next year.  Not so much planting “in the yard” but more in my heart and in my intentions.  You MUST have a plan.  The adage, “People don’t plan to fail.  They fail to plan” is not just a cliche phrase.  I am hoping that with the entrance of the fall season, I’ll be able to make a plan for next year’s garden.  The secret garden that is known only to me, the one hidden behind a locked door to which only I have the key.  Noting that I have the only key is an important detail.  Only I know what I want.  Only I know my heart’s desire.  Only I have the spiritual wherewithal to plant a garden for next year.

The harvest time of fall is perfect to reflect on what you want your harvest to look like next year.  At the end of the summer.  At the end of another season of growth.

Have a beautiful weekend.

[Image found here:  http://www.cartoon-clipart.com/cartoon_clipart_images/clip_art_image_of_a_woman_wearing_boots_and_gloves_pushing_a_wheelbarrow_with_yard_tools_0521-1103-1322-0438_SMU.jpg%5D

Fall is on the way…

Fall is in the air here in Maryland.  Chilly mornings, perfect evenings.  The harvest of summer is at hand.  The seasons give us a forward looking heart, I believe.  Fall is my most favorite.  The leaves turn to their glory.  They leap, and float down to their Mother, the Earth, to snuggle in and protect the roots of their original home. The greenery of spring will come in due time.  One season away.

I love fall for the relaxation it offers.  A time to rest and reflect.  Not too hot.  Not too cool.  A moment to just “be” – though all the while Old Man Winter rubs his hands together in anticipation of cold North winds and snowflakes.  They will surely come – to those of us in seasonal climates. I will adore their arrival, but for now.. Just for today… I will bask in the knowing that fall is upon our doorstep.  And she brings with her the colors that inspire love and warm the heart.

As we look at the seasons of our lives in the next month, ushering in the dropping of leaves and the smell of woodsmoke, I urge you to find a few minutes to be still and breathe.  The preparations for winter will be urgent all too soon.  So for now, take a breath of fall air and say a silent prayer of thank you.