Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Changes

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Like the rest of the world, I am stuck here at home these days. C-19 has turned us all into semi captives of our own making.  It is a very interesting  and often unwelcome place to be. At first, it seemed a rather fun spot to be in. Now, at a couple of months into the isolation, I don’t like it quite so much. I miss people, hugs, sitting down in a restaurant to have coffee and lunch. I miss so much of what is the physical, touching, connecting part of a life…friends families, and coworkers.

Thank goodness for our pets and gardens. Thanks for the internet allowing us to at least connect with videos and posts. Oh my! How grateful I am for drive ins and drive thru. There is not enough love in this one heart that can express the gratitude that I have to care givers and first responders. I have lost two people I’ve loved so far with this d___virus and I pray every night that there are no more. I am grateful that someone was holding their hand as they went Home. One was my best friend and travel companion and the other a young friend about to have his first child and begin his life and family. He was only 42yo. One cannot make sense of it.

We will all be changed when this is over. Normal will have a new definition. Our lives will be sweeter and we will be more kind and considerate with one another.  Hopefully we will never go back to the excesses we had fallen into and we will truly look at each other as family.

Be safe. Be well. Be renewed. Be the Light and Love that you seek.   Peace!

Gratitude, Poets, Uncategorized

The Legend of Saint Valentine

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Over a few centuries there have been several different stories about how Valentine’s day came to be. Here is just one of them.

I hope that you have a truly great day spent with those you love.                                                                  Happy Heart! Happy Day!
Be sure to eat lots of chocolate!

Happy Valentine's Day

We are told that Valentine was a kind hearted physician who practiced medicine out of a small room in his home. He always made a special effort to offer his patients medicines that taste good. He would take care to mix bitter tasting medicines with wine, milk or honey to make them more palatable for the sick or injured. He cleansed wounds with wine vinegar and would use freshly ground herbs and roots to relieve pain.  Religion was a significant part of his life and he would lead others to prayer. He often prayed for the health of his patients.

One day a jailer for Roman Claudius knocked on Valentine’s door, clutching his blind daughter, Asteruis, in his arms. He had learned of Valentine’s medical and spiritual healing abilities and appealed to Valentine to treat his daughter’s blindness.

Valentine knew that her condition would be difficult to treat, but he told the man that he would do his best. The little girl was examined, given an ointment for her eyes and a series of re-visits were scheduled.

Several weeks passed and the girl’s sight was not restored. One day, Valentine received a visit from Roman soldiers who arrested him, destroyed his medicines and admonished him for his religious views. Knowing his execution was imminent, Valentine asked the jailer for paper, pen and ink. He jotted a farewell note and handed it to the jailer to give to his blind daughter. Valentine was executed later that day, on 14 February.

When the jailer returned home, his little daughter opened the note and discovered a flower inside. The message said,” From your Valentine.”. As the little girl held the flower in the palm of her hand, she saw brilliant colors for the first time in her life! her eyesight was completely restored!

It appears that all of the Valentine stories eventually convoluted into one. Who knows which is correct?

In 496AD, Pope Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries, the holiday became a time to exchange love messages. St. Valentine became the patron Saint of Lovers.

Living with Grace, Uncategorized

Just thinking……..

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It occurs to me this morning that this is one of those days when I am “feeling older”. I can’t be certain what that means. I don’t think I am old yet. Exactly when does one get old?? When the years are added up? When your children start having children..or heaven help you, when those children start having children?

Well, that has all happened to me. Am I old yet??

My daughter and I were having lunch in a restaurant over the weekend and sitting at the table next to us was a group of folks who looked to be about my age. They were all talking about their various illnesses and doctors and just as I thought to myself” I hope that I never get that old”, my daughter looked at me and said ” I hope that you never get that old!”

Are you old when you start talking like that. When there is no longer anything of interest in your life except your last doctor’s appointment!!  God forbid it!!

I have to tell you that seventy years is hot on my tail, but I am still outrunning it. The day will never come when I cannot take my camera or my notepad out to find an exciting and beautiful moment to write about or take a picture of. Even if it is only a bug on a leaf or the morning dew on a flower. There is a moment to cherish.

Image

Like this iris from the garden where I live.

As I look in the mirror every morning, I am surprised by the person who looks back at me. I no longer color my hair. Most of my chin is traveling to South America and every time I look, there seems to be a new wrinkle someplace that I didn’t notice before!
Who is this person looking back at me..cause this isn’t who I see in my mind’s eye at all! The experience of finding this person in the mirror is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of changing to age. Most of us just never imagine ourselves at this stage with so many different looking body parts. Well, it is real and it is me and I am trying to learn to live with it. I guess that not living with it wouldn’t be any fun on so many levels. Guess I’ll just go with it for now.

Since I can only blog on things that I know about, We will be speaking about aging a lot here, but many other things too. I will be sharing my own and often lopsided wisdom. I love and adore words, lots of words used in lots of ways, consequently, I will be rambling a lot….be forewarned.

I leave you today with these words from Suzy Toronto,” Personally, at this moment, I have no idea how old I am. I do remember a few milestone birthdays–you know,18,21,40….but in my head, nothing ever changed. I keep wondering when everyone is going to catch on to the fact that for the last thirty years I’ve been masquerading as an adult. Perhaps we are, like the old saying goes, ” Only as old as we feel.” In that case, I’ll stay lost in my bewilderment….’Cause really, life is what we make it and age is nothing but a state of mind.