Reading “The Alchemist” by Paolo Coelho

The current winter storms in the Pacific Northwest prevented my usual flurry of activities and opened a window for relaxation, reading and meditating. The phrase Personal Legend sent me on a personal search.

I’ve revisited my childhood to search out my favorite dreams and activities. This is a difficult task but I remember hungering for love, truth and a friendship with God.

God and I talked often … or I should say I talked to Him. His communication back to me was a feeling, or help with a decision.

Or letting me drop off a cliff.

But in my earliest memories I knew all people were equal and were not to be judged.

Enjoy the nostalgic photo. Hugs

 

 

 

AUTUMN MEMORIES

The color of Autumn

FAMILY DUCK HUNTING RITUAL  IN THE FALL.

 I clamored to join the hunt every other weekend.  Mom, Dad, my two brothers and I would drive from our home in Sparwood, B.C and head for my grandparent’s  wee house in Claresholm Alberta. Gravel roads back then in the 50’s, winding through the Mountain Pass and then into the Alberta harvested wheat fields.

Wish granted. Dad let me join the hunt.  When he hauled me out of my makeshift bed at 4:00 AM I thought “What have I done?” The gas heater in my grandparent’s wee house hadn’t kicked in yet. I shivered with the cold.

Dark outside. Gravel pinging on the underside of the car. Then bumping along  tire-rut trails. The headlights shining on the ground frost. Once out of the parked car,  I struggled to keep up, climbing over frozen grain field furrows and stubble. Reaching the slough, we hunkered down between weeds and browned grasses for cover.   My father sat me on a frozen mud clump. “Wait until I tell you to shoot.”

Ha. I didn’t worry about killing anything. I was too cold to move.

But the best part? Feeling like the only folks in the whole world awake at that hour.  Seeing the sunrise. The sound of the ducks flying, their wings flapping in rapid-whispers. Being with my family.

I  joined the hunt twice. Then finally admitted I wasn’t much of a boy.  From then on, I hung out in the cozy kitchen with Grandma.  No contest.

Wishing you all a great harvest season, and great memories.

Gratitude List

Autumn Trees in the Pacific Northwest

On those days when grumbles surface, catching them before they rule the atmosphere, challenging the negative with the good things often brightens the day, lifting me out of a funk into a different place. While blogging tonight, the list got longer and longer, so I’ve left many big and small things out. Had to quit somewhere!

Below is the gratitude list I could think of tonight …

-Husband, Children, Grandchildren, Brothers and their families
-Friends and Freedom
-Continuing Community Education
-Continuing Writing Education
-Kindness received and given
-Reading and writing
-Music
-Social networking with readers and writers, Connections
-Imagination, Problem Solving
-Walking
-Logical mind, even though one tracked & at times absent

Fresh nutritious salad

-Fine Doctors to keep me ticking … and walking … along with access to great health care
-The Internet, Computers, Printers
-Universities, Colleges, and Libraries
-Telephone calls, and long conversations with loved ones and friends
-Cell phones.  What ever did I do without one?
-Television, especially PBS, and Radio
-Relatively good hearing
-My Prius automobile, and my husband’s Highlander 4WD ( we usually keep cars for 15 years)
-The dogs, King & Buddy (Yellow & Chocolate Labs)
-Gasoline
-Food, fresh, organic when available, Good well water
-Vegetable garden provided by husband in the summer
-The 24 minute drive through beauty to get to the outdoor swimming pool
-Pain medication, Vitamins
-Minimally invasive Surgical techniques to solve many problems
-Memories, Bird songs, Breezes, Boat rides
-The present moments
-Large bodies of water, lakes, oceans, rushing streams
-Photographs that quick start memories

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau AK

-Mountains, Glaciers, rain forests
-Trees, bushes, berries, flowers, grasses
-Autumn colors, Sunsets, Clouds, Blue sky, Rain, Snow
-Crocuses signaling the arrival of spring, and Pussy Willows
-Change that challenges
-All the senses, taste, smell, touch, see, hear and the 6^th sense, intuition
-Compassion given and received
-Love, given and received
-Hope, Faith, Trust, Destiny and believing there is a purpose to all things, as in order in the chaos
-Freedom from practicing religion and respect for those who do

-Struggles.  Ouch.  Hate to mention this one, but all internal change, spurred by struggles, provided learning, an increased capacity to feel, to love, to reach out.  Didn’t learn much while having fun.  The hard times had a purpose.  They did pass.  Often understanding followed. But didn’t understand when in the midst of a struggle so eventually learned to wait it out.

The entire gratitude list is woven into the evolution of my soul.
Would love your comments and additions to the list.  Have a good week all.