Last Glimpse of Winter 2014

Farewell, Winter 2014

AnnieMae

The Sibs

Sing-a-long at the old player piano

Winter Moon

Susan and Jonathon

Let's go for a walk!

Lovely Snowfall

the Sled Run out back

50 year old 6-man-tobaggon

drying off the boots and gloves

Bene's Place in the sun

Luce in her favorite spot

the russian hat

Maceo

Good bye Winter 2014

Spring!

When is the first day of Spring?

Astronomically speaking, the March equinox occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic.  In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is known as the vernal, or spring, equinox, and marks the start of the spring season.

In the Southern Hemisphere, this equinox is known as the autumnal, or fall, equinox and marks the start of the fall season; the vernal equinox for the Southern Hemisphere occurs in September.

The March equinox happens at the same moment across the world but is converted to local time. In 2015, it falls on March 20 at 6:45 P.M. EDT, 5:45 P.M. CDT, 4:45 P.M. MDT, and 3:45 P.M. PDT, for example.

Meteorologically speaking, however, in the Northern Hemisphere the official spring season always begins on March 1 and continues through May 31. Summer begins on June 1; autumn, September 1; and winter, December 1.

Weather scientists divide the year into quarters this way to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendar. Using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem because these dates can vary slightly each year.

- from The Old Farmer's Almanac

It definitely feels like spring here in the woods! The last few days the temperatures have been in the high 30's, 40's and even 50's!!! Today is suppose to reach 64!!! We are taking our 3 mile walk each day and it feels so great to feel the warmth of the sun on my back. The air is pure and crisp and the snow is nearly all melted. Water is even running in the creek!

Who would have thought that someone who has lived in the Arizona desert nearly all her life could adapt so quickly to winter in Wisconsin? Actually all 4 "desert dwellers" who arrived here in October/early November made a very successful transition. I think two things were mainly responsible for our success: Proper winter clothing and boots and lots and lots of layers! AND I think we braced ourselves for something comparable to moving to the North Pole  (which to a desert dweller's imagination seemed a likely scenario).

So, we were pleasantly surprised when we stayed relatively warm and comfortable in our layers and managed not to break anything by falling on the ice or spinning the car off the road!!! And, quite honestly, winter didn't seem that long to me.

I remember when the 30's and 40's seemed so cold! And now it is a welcome, warm temperature. Today I even went looking for my shorts and capris!!! I will have to search the garage for my sandals, however!!!

We say goodbye to winter and welcome the warmth and the new life that is about to happen here in our woods.

eye to eye, heart to heart

I often think about how attached we are to our phones, tablets, i pads, etc...

When I'm driving I notice people walking along the street, heads down, phone in hand, oblivious to their surroundings, barely remembering to check both ways when they cross the intersection. Now it seems that we don't even talk on our phones; we text. Our first choice of communication is a brief text message or an email. We are moving farther and farther away from truly connecting with one another. 

I can remember when we first had e cards and Kindles and I thought to myself; I am never going to stop sending a specially hand picked card that I send through the mail nor will I ever replace my precious books with a hand held device. Two great loves throughout my life; books and cards. I've spent hours in book stores and Hallmark and in the post office pouring over all the newest stamps to put on my envelopes with my handwritten cards tucked inside. I've always loved the smell of books and the feel of them in my hands. I love the jackets, the weight of them, the fonts, turning the pages. I love the sound of my friends voices and laughter. A text message seemed such a lame substitute. And yet I have gradually altered my way of communicating. Over the years I find that I send fewer cards through the mail and make many more text messages than phone calls.

I have a few friends who still send cards through the US mail and oh, what a treat when I receive that special envelope! I love seeing the handwriting that I recognize as my friends. I love knowing that the card was chosen and the note written inside just for me. A love note. A reminder that I'm thought of.  A beautiful connection.

I still send the occasional card and I do still call my friends. I appreciate these connections now, more than ever. And, yes, I also appreciate the texts I receive and how quickly I can send  a word to someone I love. These little messages have also become dear to me, but nothing can ever replace hearing someone you love tell a story or say, "I love you", or share laughter or tears. My sister has started calling me almost daily and I look forward to our visits no matter how brief, no matter what we find to talk about. 

So, when I saw the following article on onbeing.org,I just had to share it: 

Less iPhone Spirituality, More Recharging Our Hearts' Batteries

BY OMID SAFI

People in many traditional cultures used to refuse to have their pictures taken, thinking that each photo takes something of their soul. We used to laugh at them, mock these foolish simpletons. I’m not laughing anymore. We do seem to have lost something of our souls to these… these things.

We keep saying that these devices are actually neutral, and it’s just a matter of how we use them. I am less and less sure. Yes, we need to have wisdom in using them, but somehow staring into a screen (as I do in writing these words, and you do in reading them) does not give us the same sustenance as staring into each others’ eyes.

Eye to eye,
heart to heart,
gentle touch of a hand,
There is a subtle exchange of energy that nurtures us.

We crave connection.
Our souls need intimacy.
It is the very sustenance of our hearts.

I wish that we had the wisdom to pay as much attention to our hearts and souls as we do to our devices. I wish we knew our selves, our hearts, and our souls well enough to go into that same kind of cosmic and existential panic when we begin to run on fumes. I wish we knew our own selves well enough to know how to sustain our own hearts and souls.

For some of us, it’s through prayer.
For some, it’s immersing ourselves in nature.
For some, music.
For some, the gentle touch of a loved one. 

So many of us walk around with the “battery” of our hearts showing red. Would that we were as kind to each other, and our own hearts, as we are to these devices that we are so quick to recharge.

iPhone spirituality? Not quite. What we need is less of iPhone spirituality, and more rejuvenation of heart and soul.

Let’s leave the last word to that sage of intimacy, Rumi:

There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives,
the touch of spirit on the body.

Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.

And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling.

At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face against mine.
Breathe into me.

Close the language-door
and open the love-window.

The moon won't use the door,
only the window.

Thin Places

Thin Places are places where the eternal world and our physical world meet and mingle.

The term is widely used by mystics and those who write about Celtic Spirituality. The term thin place comes from the pre-Christian culture in western Europe - particularly Ireland - and refers to a place where the veil between this world the "other world" or the "eternal world" is thin. Old tales tell of people and beings of the other world being able to pass back and forth between worlds in thin places.

Why would anyone want to visit a thin place?  Because it exercises your spirit, makes you more in tune with your own spirituality.  Prayer seems more powerful.  Answers come more readily.  The sense of peace is overwhelming.

Santa Fe, NM

Tent Rock, Santa Fe

Many of us have had a personal experience of a thin place and, if we are really lucky; several thin places in our lifetime. I remember back to some of mine: My retreat in Old Snow Mass, Colorado, sitting alone sensing God talking to me. The Grand Canyon in winter. Oak Creek Canyon in the fall.  Summer hikes in the woods of Flagstaff.  A meadow in Greer on a  brisk winter  night; perfect silence, stars so close you could touch them.  Spying a herd of elk at sunset in the White Mountains of Arizona.  Summer rainstorms in  Flagstaff.  Thunderstorm rolling across the spacious skies of Cave Creek.  Walking the beach in San Diego. Breathing the freshest, sweetest air at the top of Haleakala in Kawaii. Snorkeling in Belize. Sunsets in Marco Island. The sacred Redwood Forest. Sedona RedRocks. The Arizona desert in springtime. Attending a concert, eyes closed, music filling my entire being... Contentment.  Wellbeing. Peace.  Breathing in.  Exhaling.

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could go back and forth between the thin place and visit our loved ones who have left this world? I would give anything for a moment with my sister, Beth or with my Dad....

Tent Rock, Santa Fe

I often remind myself of this thin veil between us. I want to believe that my sister and dad are right here,  closer than breath. Sometimes I'm blessed with a dream-visit. When I feel their  presence, happiness washes over me. 

Happy Birthday, John!

Yesterday was my father-in-law's birthday. He is quite a remarkable man and has led a very full and interesting life. I've always been impressed with his intelligence and his ability to do absolutely anything he set his mind to.

He is a retired orthopedic surgeon and has helped countless numbers of patients over the span of his successful career. In addition to his work here, he made several trips to Russia where he brought medical supplies and taught surgical techniques to doctors there. 

He loves music and learned to play classical guitar, violin and dabbled in the drums and piano. He has painted beautiful water color paintings. Years ago he was interested in sewing so he made a lined jacket with zipper and pockets! In his lifetime he has been a doctor, pilot, sailor, fisherman, musician, diver, runner, skier, tennis player, artist and author. 

His book on shoulder pain (sold on Amazon) teaches how to heal and maintain the health of your shoulder and possibly avoid surgery. You only need to read the reviews to see that many people have been helped by John's work in this area. 

Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention: Fou… (Kindle Edition)

by John M. Kirsch M.D.

His family all have memories of John sharing a quote, a poem or a line from a song... his mind so quick and the words always accessible. How could he remember all those beautiful lines? He'd stroll in while we were all sitting around the table and say, "listen to this..." and then read from a favorite book or quote something that was sure to make you think or touch your heart or make you laugh. We  also have memories of his favorite music blasting from the stereo, filling the house (and the woods!) with Billy Joel, Elton John, Cecilia or whoever was his current obsession. 

He designed and built the "bistro"; a boat family and friends have enjoyed for years where a group can sit, enjoy a drink and a bite to eat while listening to music and cruising down the river! His kids have memories of early morning fishing trips, camping adventures and road trips with their Dad. I have memories of the best salmon dinners I've ever eaten! 

I remember John rousing us all from sleep many years ago, in the wee hours one very chilly morning to go outside and watch the meteor shower. No one but John wanted to get up at 2:00 a.m. but his enthusiasm couldn't be stopped. We threw on coats, grabbed mittens and hats and headed out to the sled hill behind the house laying on our backs looking up at the sky. That night we did see the meteorite shower and we also saw shooting stars and the magnificent northern lights. 

John enjoyed bringing home a fresh Christmas tree that stood in the living room each year, the tree was always so tall that it had to be hoisted with a pulley and secured at the ceiling, ladders were needed to hang the lights and decorations. One year to surprise us when we came for Christmas he draped the tall pines surrounding the house with twinkle lights.  In the summer he adorned the lawn and garden with giant pink flamingoes and huge butterflies that moved and twinkled at night.

It's a combination of so many things that make a house a home, establish childhood memories that are talked about and shared for generations and create a place where people want to gather together to celebrate  and share all the seasons of life. Thank you, John, for creating magical memories for your family, for instilling a love of beauty and art and learning, and for contributing so much to the world with your medical knowledge and research. You are very loved.

                                                   

Love is More Divine than Hatred

There is a hopelessness that comes when we hear the news and learn about the crimes of hatred and senseless murders of innocent people. We feel anger, outrage and deep sorrow, but what can we do? I was so deeply moved  by the following story from onbeing.org by Krista Tippett, as well as the story written by her colleague, Omid Safi; "Letting Our Suffering Speak and Be Public", that I chose to share them. I think the message from both Krista and Omid are important for us to remember. It is a choice each of us can make; to live by the light in the darkness as did these young people or to focus on evilness and hatred.  

Omid Safi reminds us that the best way we can honor the lives of these young people, is to commit ourselves to loving one another, suffering together, working together so that we always remember that:

Knowledge is more luminous than ignorance
Justice is more beautiful than tyranny
Love is more divine than hatred." - Omid Safi

The Quiet Lives That Ennoble Us All

BY KRISTA TIPPETT (@KRISTATIPPETT),  HOST / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

It’s strangely tricky to make goodness seem relevant, or at least as perversely riveting as evil. I’m aware of this as a journalist. But, in recent weeks, the most terrible of news has simultaneously introduced us to lives of extraordinary beauty.

Kayla Mueller. Deah Shaddy Barakat. Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha. Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. They were ordinary people, and members of a young generation we often blithely dismiss as self-absorbed. Their short, exuberant lives ennobled us all. How, I’m asking myself, can I honor more than their memory. How can I take in my newfound knowledge of their lives as a gift, and let it speak to the life I’m privileged to continue?

Full confession: I’m as overwhelmed as anyone by the tragedy of these events. I’m inclined to turn away in pain and with a sense of powerlessness — even from the gorgeous meditation on the lives of Deah, Yusor, and Razan, which my friend and colleague Omid Safi lovingly pulled together.

His column brings me a photo of Yusor dancing, radiant in her wedding dress, just weeks before her death. It tells stories of Deah and Yusor using their vocation of dentistry to provide relief to refugees in Turkey and to neighbors in North Carolina.

It takes me to a haunting but profoundly nourishing video by Razan, featuring the smiles, courage, and hard-won hope of dozens of other young Muslim Americans, presumably students at UNC who are still with us now. They exude the messages they carry:

“It would be absurd to believe that my generation is apathetic and lethargic.”

And...

“In the future I will be part of a community that is of my own making.”

Kayla Mueller’s letters home to her parents are likewise remarkable testaments to wisdom and grace far beyond her years. On her blog she’d written:

“This really is my life’s work, to go where there is suffering. I suppose, like us all, I’m learning how to deal with the suffering of the world inside myself... to deal with my own pain and most importantly to still have the ability to be proactive.”

Following this calling, she’d started a local chapter of Amnesty International, volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and a women’s shelter in her hometown, and served in places of desperation from India to Guatemala. She was walking out of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Syria when she was taken hostage in 2013. Her letter to her parents, sent while in captivity, reminds me of my reading of mystics and saints across the ages, including Julian of Norwich and Mother Theresa:

“I have come to a place in experience where, in every sense of the word, I have surrendered myself to our creator b/c literally there was no else … + by God + by your prayers I have felt tenderly cradled in freefall.

I have been shown in darkness, light + have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am grateful. I have come to see that there is good in every situation, sometimes we just have to look for it.”

A letter from Kayla Jean Mueller, a 26-year-old American captive of the Islamic State whose death was confirmed on Tuesday, that was smuggled out of Syria last year.

To be clear, Kayla’s letters home would never have been published in the Guardian and the Washington Post had she not died in Syria, with or without that Jordanian bombing. We would not be watching YouTube videos of Yusor, Razan, and Deah had they not been murdered in their apartment in North Carolina. And here is the larger realization this moment brings home to me: our world is abundant with quiet, hidden lives of beauty and courage and goodness. There are thousands, if not millions, of people at any given moment, young and old, giving themselves over to service, risking hope, and all the while ennobling us all.

To take this in and let it matter — to let it define our take on reality as much as headlines of violence — is a choice we can make to live by the light in the darkness, to be brave and free like Kayla, Yusor, Razan, Deah, and all their kindred spirits. We meet a dozen heart-breaking, heart-opening students in Razan’s video alone, and they are still with us.

I will look at their faces, and read their words, and ponder the world they are asking me to help them make. I invite you to ponder with me. How can we — and I use this “we” lavishly and presumptuously, challenging myself as much as you — now be present and supportive of all the beautiful lives which have not been extinguished, as a way of honoring those we have lost and found at the same time?

Thank you

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

- Meister Eckhart

Breath

Life

Friends

Family

Snow falling outside my window

A warm house

Cozy slippers

Hot tea

A good book

Buttered toast

Sound of my husband singing to himself

Hearing my sister's voice on the phone

Good health

My five senses

The smell of coffee

Chicken soup

Music

Memories

Beauty

Art

Laughter

Mom's smile

Fruit

Poetry

Trees

Warm blankets

Wool socks...