corner view~light

This Christmas I got Gary a tiny Tiffany lamp for his nightstand that he loved.  I decided I wanted one too, and was lucky to go back a week later and find a matching one at the store.

I love stained glass and mosaics and especially these types of lamps.  I don't collect much but if I were to collect something it would be these lamps.  I would love a larger one.  Does anyone collect anything?

taekwondo accomplishments

Shawn, age 8, red belt.
Annabel, age 12 1/2, brown belt.
Skylar, age 15, brown belt.

flora

God is a wondrous sculptor.

corner view~january

Hey everyone, look it's heaven! - Shawn, age 8

January brought some cooling clouds and refreshing rains, and with them some happy plants, some incredible sunsets, a couple of day trips, some gatherings that inspired me to try a new French desert with three different types of berries, a good old fashioned bingo game, and a gift from a friend of a flower ready to bloom.

And best of all, we saw heaven.  How was your January?

retreat

This was a whole week ago but I am taking a dip back into the feeling of peace and traquility I felt while on retreat.  The fun time I had touring the botanical garden, sampling the chocolates, watching Raji cook, and Lucinda make tea, sitting in that big still room, all to myself, the biggest room I have ever slept in, listening to the koa trees rustling in the gentle breezes.

So here is the clincher everyone...once we get a glimpse of serenity we need to figure out how to keep that feeling even though life speeds up and stresses us out and requires so much more out of us than vacations and retreats with all of our meals taken care of do.  I know it has something to do with the value of silence, and remembering to really breathe.

Here is a quote from a wise elder that Gary and I had the privilege of talking with last month.  We were discussing the experience of meditation and the part of us that seeks the Truth and inner peace.  He said:

Sit and listen to this voice.  How often do we sit and listen to this voice?  Know that within yourself you are at peace, so what throws you off?

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong, he reassured us, so we knew he wasn't talking down to us.  This is something to contemplate.

sometimes you just have to go to the woods

And hike for two and one half hours and fight some monsters and find several sticks perfect for walking and swords to take home and breathe the air and marvel at the beauty and listen to the silence, the utter silence of it all.

Because your girl wanted to and you had the time to spend and you were closeby.

Please Mom, can we go to the woods?

What a great idea.

retreat

I got to unplug from my life and duties for three nights and three days and hop on a plane for a trip and have some chai at Starbucks in the airport and stay with friends at their gorgeous botanical garden and home and get spoiled and treated for all of my meals cooked by loving hands from foods picked from the land and rest and meditate and think and wander and take photos and pray and laugh and help out a little and make new friends and think positive thoughts...

...all the while knowing that my children were in good hands back home with their daddy.

It was just what I needed.