the red squirrel

At sunrise this morning I watched a red squirrel climbing up one of our maple trees in the front yard.  We don’t often see squirrels except for the occasional glimpse of one back in the woods.  The rest of the property — near the pond and in the meadows — is too open for them, and the hawks would likely find they make a tasty meal.  This morning’s visitor lives across the road near the old farmhouse.  I watched as she scampered up the tree, easily and quickly making her way from ground to top, following the sun from horizon to sky.

I hope she made it home safely, back to the trees across the road where the sun makes its first appearance during winter mornings here in the Bogs.

Attitude adjustment

immersing myself in melancholy
(a pity party with whine and cheese)
life gives me a sudden chiropractic treatment of the mind
(an attitude adjustment)
pulling me out of the muck of my own making
opening me up to possibility
and joy

Day 25.

As I mentioned on my other blog yesterday, we are sailing into the January Doldrums, the passage to the February Funk.  That’s winter.

thursday’s rain

the steady drip of rain
against the window pane
ice melting, drizzling
pouring downhill
merging with the pond
one drop, one body
of water
at a time

Today’s small stone.

Citrus-y morning

Citrus-y Morning

Peeling the clementine, fingernails digging into the bumpy skin
Orange-y scent rises up
My body POPS! awake
Caffeine for the nose.
I place a segment in my mouth
and smile at the burst of citrus-y pleasure
that washes across my tongue.
The scent stays with me for hours
Released from my hands and into the air with a gesture.

I joined a river of stones for fun and challenge.  I originally thought I might post my small stones (if I posted them at all) over at Life in the Bogs, but now I’m thinking Bountiful Healing will be a good place for these little moments of life.  It’s sort of a safe space, with fewer followers.  I can hear a voice in my head calling, “Chicken!”  This is a different type of writing for me so, yes… call me Chicken.  For now.

this morning’s passing breeze

Moths in the meadow on a breezy morning

All beings are encompassed within one all-encompassing great energy:  So I understood from the coolness of this morning’s passing breeze.

~ Mumon Ekai

The land of heart’s desire

I look back with gladness to the day when I found the path to the land of heart’s desire, and thank Fate ceaselessly with a loud voice that she did not permit town to sap all the years away while the heart was turning to wind-voices and flower-faces and the hands of kindly earth.

~ Mrs. George Cran, The Garden of Ignorance, 1913

The first drops of rain

The first drops of rain always bring a smile on our faces.  The smell of wet soil, the damp grass, and the slosh of puddles under our feet makes us want to dance with wanton joy.  Rains make a heart go romantic.  Ever danced in the rain?  The feeling is inexplicably beautiful.  Hold your sweetheart’s hand and walk in the rain while the clouds play cupid.

~ G. K. Chesterton

The time is now

It’s hard to remember that this day will never come again.  That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no second chances at a single moment.

~ Jeanette Winterson

The art of being happy

(Terraces.)

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.

~ Henry Ward Beecher

If you subscribe to Bountiful Healing, you have probably noticed the occasional flurry of activity regarding new posts that turn out to be old posts.  A while back I switched most of my posts to private for a variety of reasons.  I’m slowly bringing them back as public posts which is what causes you to get the email notification of a new (old) post.

My apologies if the notifications become too much.  I’ve been limiting them to a few at a time and not too many each week so hopefully it won’t be too much of a bother.

lotus leaves

on lotus leaves
this world’s dewdrops
are warped

-Issa, 1819