order

On my first day after the last day, the plan was to take a breath and ease into a day of nothing in particular which meant no straightening up. Hardly. I was up making order of the hurricane that had breezed through my bedroom as I dressed all week leaving the floor space heaped in piles of sweaters, shoes and purses. The main kitchen counter was full of mail, receipts, catalogs, and the like that after some attention disappeared. My living room needed minor adjustments. I finally stopped myself when I realized I had sprung from my bed hours before without doing my meditation, so to the boudoir I returned. It felt good to stretch out amongst the pillows knowing order prevailed all around bringing peace as I closed my eyes. 

I still have to unpack the boxes and bags that I brought home from my office, find spots for the artwork; there is a start date for that on my calendar and it’s not today or tomorrow for that matter. And so the order for this Sunday is to get out in the sunshine, stretch towards the sky to drink it in like the sunflowers do. Move about without direction, purpose or order as the wind guides me, all the while taking breaths of fresh renewing energy, camera in hand of course, so…

keep your peepers open!®

my practice

I often talk about going out in the morning for a mindful walk with my camera. I’ve also mentioned my enjoyment of the magazine Spirituality & Health and once again thank them for acknowledging and supporting me. Please visit www.spiritualityhealth.com and click on the photo I took of an iris that is above an article titled My Practice: Picturing the Moment. 

And while you’re there, scroll down to a previous feature…

…then...

keep your peepers open!®

peacocks

There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes when one is able to figure out how to do something on their own. I have to admit that I’m intimidated when it comes to anything IT related; technology has given me pause on so many levels. As I waited for a friend to come help me finish setting up my home office, I decided to open the box with the modem for in house wireless service just to see what was in it. I began to read the instructions and maybe 15 minutes later, all connections were made, my MAC synced so all I had to do was sign in to activate the service. Feeling more confident, I headed to the wireless printer/scanner/copier and successfully changed the address for WIFI, something I also did for my iPad. By the time help arrived, I was feeling like a little peacock! (The one thing I had not been able to complete many months ago was getting my Chromecast properly connected which thankfully the calvary resolved along with a couple of other small things I needed addressed.) 

And so this week marks the last days of going to an office where someone is always there to handle IT issues as I transition to working at home where I will need to first rely on myself to take care of business. My victory over tech intimidation marked an assurance that I’ll be just fine so…. 

keep your peepers open!®

out & in

Starting out on a new venture after 15 years has forced me to take an assessment of everything. I replaced use of an office Dell and portable WIFI with my own MAC, wireless service in my home, and will soon have a hot spot on my cell once I actually get a new one. Speaking of phones, I have the FIRST version of an iPhone which has served me well since purchased. I've been perfectly happy with it however, my 3G just demanded an upgrade so it too can step into the now. As of this past Sunday, it no longer turns off to reboot and for some reason, it won’t transfer almost 2000 photos to my MAC; I will spend hours going through years of memories to send myself the pictures I want to keep. Regardless, I am ready to swap out this model for a newer version which admittedly will allow me to know who is on a group text along with many other advantages I've yet to discover. 

I welcome in the many changes as I move out what has served its purpose. The renewal I've felt from this type of cleansing has ushered in an unexpected energy that leaves me feeling satisfied. That said, there is still much more to do, so...

keep your peepers open!®

heart center

Valentine's Day is the day of love that is either embraced or ignored depending upon how you view it. Each year, I find myself reminding folks on both sides of the view that this is also a day to think about taking good care of what beats in our chest, signals life, allows us to love. 

I just read an article that stated that the heart was the only organ ancient Egyptians would bury their dead with; their belief was the heart is the center of the soul. Actually, heart center CV 17 is a calming, nurturing, and emotional healing point known as the Sea of Tranquility in acupressure protocols. It is the exact location where I place my fingertips during meditation and as part of my self-Reiki practice. In fact, placing hands at heart center and taking a minute to take ten breaths is the thing I suggest to those who tell me they don't have time to devote to a mindful, self-care practice; we all have a minute so take a moment to try this...you and your heart will feel the difference.

Wishing all who stopped by lots of love and a happy, healthy heart on this Valentine’s Day. Be kind to yourself not just today but everyday and...

keep your peepers open!®

heart is from clip art

just fab!

When you arrive at a place on your way where everything aligns, affirming messages also arrive to provide a cushion on which your feet rest with a sureness that feels so fabulous, all you can do is nod in thanks to spirit, embrace the confidence surrounding your soul, move forward with a smile in your heart, and continue to always…

keep your peepers open!®

super

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Though I am not nor have I ever been a football fanatic, over the years I’ve enjoyed going to parties, have actually hosted a few happily cooking a pot of chili as the guys cheered their team to victory or defeat. Truth be told, my preference for an afternoon where nachos, chicken wings and pizza now dominate the festivities is to pop a super bowl of popcorn and turn to a good black & white movie. I never grow tired of a Betty Davis flick or seeing Joan Crawford play Mildred Pierce; The Women, also with Joan Crawford early in her career, is a movie I can watch over and over no matter what day it is on. I must admit, I do switch channels to catch half time and some of the commercials and am always knowledgable about what teams are playing and who’s favored to win (which means I’m rooting for the underdog and prepared for water cooler conversation). However, give me a quiet afternoon with super stars from the big screen of years long gone and I’m a happy camper. So as the Panthers and Broncos hit the field, I’ll be cheering from another channel as millions of you tune to another to eat, yell and…

keep your peepers open! ®

ps - cheers to my glaurieous friend who’ll be watching from above 

cabbing it

With no place to park after the snow, it was just easier to let someone else drive me to my appointments which allowed me to take in a view from the cab…

…on a clear day you can see if you…

keep your peepers open! ®