The earth has changed once lofty maple leaves have become a carpet.
The light flows down unfiltered Bird songs echo further Autumn is here.
Perspective broadens Resilience bounds up Adaptation to change once more
So my week began. This morning in place of my usual devotional time the poetry kept flowing. And I kept writing it down. No idea how and when my writing muse shows up. Not a clue. Wish I could get her to arrive on command. My writing does not happen that way.
Bob fed the birds. The front feeder right next to my desk is a flurry of high activity. He feared they had not found the Bird Buddy camera/feeder set-up when he recently moved it. Trust me, they are doing their best to empty it now!
The nasturtiums continue to push more and more blossoms. Just when I think their glory might end, suddenly there are half a dozen blooms!
Oh wonders of the earth, your entertain me and delight me. I will not complain about a gloomy drizzly day. We SO need this rain.
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it, for he has founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers. Psalm 24:1-2 NRSVUE
Here and now is the present moment, the only life we have, RIGHT NOW. When we don’t like what we see most of us tend to avoid looking. Like a child on a stormy night who takes little peaks from under the covers, we only glance occasionally at what is going on.
This used to be me. I am trying to pray for the strength and courage that I need to face my life. The quote below got my attention.
When we are willing to be intimate with what actually is here now, to look directly at all of our experience, we might recognize that this is our life, however different from our thoughts and ideas about it.
ROSHI PAT ENKYO O’HARA ( Molly has no idea who this is)
“Look directly at all of our experience,” and by doing that the writer showed a discovery. Our thoughts and ideas about what our life is or is about to become usually differs from reality. Isn’t that strange? We think we are so advanced and educated and civilized. Then suddenly we discover that our thinking is faulty, wrong, ideas all askew.
Sometimes the reality is better, sometimes worse. I believe the thrust here is the difference.
As I write this Bob is baking my favorite birthday cake. I know he is taking it out of the oven because the timer just rang. The sound I am hearing is him poking holes in the white cake so the cream of coconut that he pours over the batter will soak into the cake. It is so rich and sweet that each year I only allow myself a smaller and smaller piece or my glucose levels go wild. But the taste of this cake is delicious. Yes, like it or not I am a Type 2 diabetic. Nothing will change that. I can lengthen my life somewhat by monitoring what I eat. I can shorten it by years if I choose to ignore the dietary guidelines and eat whatever I want.
When I was first diagnosed I was terrified. I began measuring portions for almost every single meal. I learned to count calories and carbs for the first time in my life. Eventually I calmed down and began to find the meals and combinations that are ‘safe’ for me, appropriate portions without being so very frightened about it. (Pizza and beer is not a good low carb combination!)
This year I turn 76. I take lots of medication and even insulin injections for the diabetes. So far, I do not need to test and inject at every meal. There does not SEEM to be an insulin pump in my future. Looking at my overall health gives a much better picture of reality than a single day or evening.
“Be intimate with what is actually here now.” Are you? Rick Hansen, wrote in his book Just One Thing, that there is power is saying to ourselves, “I am okay right now. I am okay right now.” Some of us tend to awfulize about what MIGHT happen. “Awfulize refers to an irrational and dramatic thoughtpattern, characterized by the tendency to overestimate the potential seriousness or negative consequences of events, situations, or perceived threats.” https://psychologydictionary.org/awfulizing/
We can also catastrophize. “Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion that prompts people to jump to the worst possible conclusion, usually with very limited information or objective reason to despair. When a situation is upsetting, but not necessarily catastrophic, they still feel like they are in the midst of a crisis.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/catastrophizing Are you prone to jump to despair?
Is life a catastrophy? Is it truly awful?
But what about right now? This very minute. Are you okay right now? To me one of the most important things that Rick Hanson, phd, wrote in his book Just One Thing is the idea he gained through his psychology practice of directing patients to the present moment and asking them, to take a “close look at this moment, right now. Probably, you are basically all right: no one is attacking you, you are not drowning, no bombs are falling, there is no crisis. It’s not perfect, but you’re okay.” He goes on to suggest, “In daily life, it’s possible to access this fundamental sense of all-rightness even while getting things done..”
This video is from years ago, same author, same message.
He goes on to write, “The fear that bad things will happen if you let yourself feel okay is unfounded; let this sink in. You do not need to fear feeling all right!”
If you have not gotten this book yet, please do. Purchase it for yourself or check your local library. He also gives advice for when you are really NOT all right.
When we traveled recently we made it a point to stop in Columbus, Ohio at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum for their newest exhibit “Portraits of Courage.” These paintings by former President George W. Bush were on tour in Columbus, Ohio. He features men and women who served and were wounded in combat.
The exhibit runs through Dec. 31 “and includes 66 paintings and a four-panel mural honoring 98 post 9-11 veterans. Each portrait is accompanied by an essay, written by Bush, which visitors can find in his Portraits of Courage book.” Regardless of your politics this gives a tribute to those who serve our country in the armed forces and suffer injuries in the process. I pray that those who govern the country will ALWAYS give Funds to support those who have served and especially those who were wounded during their service. My generation was not good at supporting those who served in teh Vietnam war. Perhaps we can amends on that by supporting those who need us in their fight for survival and recovery from the wounds of war?
The following are a few of the paintings. My photos did not turn out very good due to the lighting in the exhibit.
If the exhibit tours your area make an effort to go see it. It was quite inspiring and moving.
I have been reading a book my 93 year old friend, Myrtle, loaned to me. It has tales about growing up in Corbin, Kentucky. Some of the things the author relates, I too, can remember from my childhood. These stories are contained within a cookbook that is no longer in print. When I read the quote below it made me think of this book.
Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted – a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul. RABBI HAROLD KUSHNER
“See holiness in the things you take for granted.” And oh my, how Americans take things for granted!
A paved road. Automatic washing machine in contrast to that scrub board or the later wringer washer, (Yes, we had a scrub board and a wringer washer. I can still smell those suds!). Rabbi Kushner says we should concentrate on finding what is good in every situation. One recent lecturer said, “Focus on what goes RIGHT instead of what goes wrong.”
“Gratitude can sneak up on me and drive me to my knees with awe, mystery and love.” -Thayer
Can you spend ten minutes in wonder? Are you willing to humble yourself and find things that can “drive you to your knees with awe, mystery and love”?
That brilliant blue sky beyond the curling oak leaves. This computer that helps me get the thoughts of my heart into words and out to all of you. Electric tumble dryer making short work of those wet clothes. The eye drops that help damp down the itching in these autumn eyes. The huge collection of quotes, photos, drawings that I can tap for this blog. The Tylenol I forgot to take earlier – ‘cuse me while I go get some.
That only took me a few moments. The mail truck just zoomed past the window .. delivery to each of us from all over. It has been said that if we look for things to be grateful for we will find more and more things to be grateful for. I hope this will help you to LOOK for the things that go right today and find ‘holiness in the things you take for granted.’
We were driving through Columbus, Ohio and stumbled upon this mural. No, it is not a little thing, but look closely! At first we were mesmerized by how perfectly the yellow Swallowtails were captured. Then the perfect goldfinch.
And the plants on the outside of the build!
Taken of a wall facing the mural, so light not the best.
And then I startled Bob when I cried out in my amazement, Look! Look at the hands!!
We had been looking at the features of this mural, but we had not seen that there were hands sheltering the goldfinch at the center. My eyes were able to overlook the windows in the wall, and the plants were lovely. When I spotted the hands I was amazed! If you are a regular reader you might remember I just wrote last week about the Goldfinch on the “volunteer” sunflowers along our front walkway. https://treasuresinplainsight.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=23792&action=edit
It is good, every once in a while, to let ourselves be stupefied by gratitude, to cast upon ourselves a spell against indifference by moving through the world with an inner bow at every littlest thing that prevailed over the odds of otherwise in order to exist.
MARIA POPOVA
I left home the morning of our travels with this quote in my mind and heart. Have you done this? Have you turned life into a festival of statuettes. Has “every littlest thing that prevailed over the odds of otherwise in order to exist” captured your attention? Can you bow at this thing? The blade of grass growing through a crack in the pavement. The crickets singing in spite of rain and drought and mowers, prevailing over chemical treatment of lawns and the supposed decline of the lightning bugs.
“Stupefied by gratitude.” What a glorious stance towards life! I am going it try this today and hopefully for several days.
“Cast upon ourselves a spell against INDIFFERENCE.” In these weeks of preparation for Halloween and All Saints Day this a reminder every time we see a “play” witch to cast upon OURSELVES – that spell against indifference. Powerful concept. We usually walk about in a stupor, numb against the obvious blessings that overflow our lives. Can we imagine the many angels that walk with us?
Moving through the world with an inner bow .. yes! As the hardware store slogan goes, “Let’s do this!” So grateful for each little thing.
We made a little short trip to get us out of town, break up the routine and see the area of Holmes County, northern Ohio where many Amish dwell.
Found the pattern for this quilt that my Grandgirl has been wanting to make. They called it a rag quilt. It was made with strips of flannel that have the raw edges exposed. It was so soft I almost bought this one. But it was only a lap size and I would want a big one!
I bought some flannel for a new pillow cover for myself. At another fabric shop I bought a piece of fabric to cover the sofa since that beagle sheds so mightily.
We saw so many motorized bicycles! Even the grannies were riding them! And many, many houses with solar panels. It seems that Amish and Mennonite families are now allowed to own solar panels as long as they are not connected to the electric grid.
Photo by rm dutina
On our last trip we asked a young Mennonite lady where she charged her bike. She said many employers are nice enough to let them charge the bikes at work. Now with so many solar panels I guess most of them charge at home.
One of the hardest things we had finding was a cup of coffee to go! We missed our afternoon rest for several days in a row, so coffee kept us from getting too grumpy. Once you are out of the metropolis, it is hard to find Starbucks, Dunkin’ or the other chains. When we found this coffee shop that served good coffee and lunch we were especially blessed as they had this delicious dessert. I chose the mantra “Eat dessert first!’ while we waited for our lunch to be served. My friend, Dana, mentioned that she needed a slice of that. The next day since we were on our way home, Bob drove back to get coffee and a slice for her!
Yes that was fudge-like between the layers!!
Forget the soggy Oreo on top. Just give me the chocolate!
We stayed at the Inn at Honey Run. It was a new one to us. Upscale, set in the woods, very quiet. We would have liked a fridge and microwave to make tea and heat our leftovers. Evidently they are remodeling the rooms and those amenities are coming. Guess we are spoiled. First world problems…
Such a sharp contrast between our lives and the simplicity there. Seeing this photo I can still hear the clip/clop of the horses’ hooves.
On our way home we visited my favorite cheese shop, Pearl Valley Cheese. Oh man, I will never tire of that award winning Colby! Before we left we took orders from friends for Smoked Gouda, Smoked Horseradish, Hot Pepper. We decided to try their Swiss cheese with almond spread. Guess we should have bought one neighbor a bucket full! Shared ours with her and she went wild.
Lucky with S’Mores
While we were away Lucky got to have a sleepover with S’Mores and Noodle at Lizzie and Drew’s house. She slept for several days after that! Someone mentioned she is looking out the window as if to ask us “Where did you go?”
A quote from the series “The Hammond Family Farm,” “He knew that teenagers thought everything that happened today meant that was how things would be forever. Boone knew far better than that.”
That is so like our thinking. Even in my 70s I often think like a teenager, grasping things as if they will be this way forever. Good and bad things. I forget things change, whether I like it or not.
Then there is this:
In 2018 I journaled the following. “Change is inevitable. Come to expect it.” If only I had that tattooed on my hand, I could see it daily and perhaps remember that when I am strolling in my comfort zone, that too is subject to change. Perhaps the seasons changing so dramatically are our reminder from God that nothing remains the same except God.”
Life is full of mystery. The mystery is our invitation to let go and to embrace uncertainty with the fullness of our being. This is how hope becomes our bearing. It’s how it becomes our compass in uncertain times. Joe Primo
“Hope becomes our bearing and our compass”
“Joe Primo is the CEO of Grateful Living. He is a passionate speaker and community-builder whose accomplishments made him a leading voice on resilience and adversity. Gratefulness for life, he believes, is foundational to discovering meaning and the only response that is big enough and appropriate for the plot twists, delights, surprises, and devastation we encounter along the way.” https://grateful.org/joe-primo/
I have come to regard Joe with high praise. He was a Hospice Chaplain for many years. That gives a person a unique insight on the best ways to LIVE. The bold text above summarizes his embrace regarding the importance of gratefulness. Please read it one more time slowly.
The purple quote above says let go and embrace uncertainty with the fullness of our being. I am not there yet! Indeed, I have not arrived. Yes, Lord, I need hope for my compass.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.“ Emily Dickinson
Right after I noted this Dickinson quote for the blog it showed up in a TV show. Just like God to send me a reminder. “Let go and to embrace uncertaintywith the fullness of our being.”
Are you willing to try it this week? And the week after that? And the week after that? I am praying that the next time you see a feather you will remember Emily and Joe, see the hope that perches in your soul, embrace uncertainty with the fullness of your being.
Peace is an invitation in daily life to breathe deep, right here, in the uncertainty. MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS
Peace. Hope. Uncertainty. They are our companions. “We Can Complain Because Rose Bushes Have Thorns, or Rejoice Because Thorn Bushes Have Roses.” No one is certain who created this sentiment, but many encourage us to be grateful for life and embrace the changes that come our way, uncertain though that way may be.
Bob Dylan is quoted as having said, “There is nothing so stable as change.”
As seasons change I am noticing the change in sunlight and find myself anticipating the daybreak. Then I read this quote –
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
Some mornings I actually awake before dawn! Turning the clocks back help me eventually get up earlier. “Reawaken with an infinite expectation of the dawn.” Our neighbor Chuck is dying from the leukemia he has fought for the last 12 months. The doctors say there is nothing more they can do for him. He is not responding to treatment. From listening to his heart’s desire to go be with Jesus, I imagine he only has an infinite expectation of waking in the Light of Christ, not the dawn of the sun, but the Son.
Those of us less aware of our dying are called by Thoreau to reawaken and KEEP ourselves awake by an infinite expectation of the dawn. How are you at this admonition?
When was the last time you looked towards the east while it was still dark on the earth and had an expectation of the dawn? A new start! A new day! Another attempt to enjoy life. Life in the here and now? Perhaps you can arise early tomorrow and be like the watchman in the Psalms?
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:6 NIV
To be astonished is one of the surest ways of not growing old too quickly. SIDONIE-GABRIELLE COLETTE
Around our neighborhood we are each looking for this elixir, ways of not growing old too quickly. Oh Lord, help us find soul-filling healthy astonishment this week! There has been a lot of death around here for the past year. One gal wondered if we should walk around burning sage and praying?
When was the last time you were astonished?
Bob and I decided not to go to the beach in September. It is just too soon after my foot surgery. Instead we will likely go to the Amish country in northern Ohio and visit our favorite cheese shop, Pearl Valley. Yes, I ran out of the very large order we placed some months ago. Besides, for reasons unbeknownst to us they do not ship sliced cheese? Good excuse for a short get away.
I heard the monarchs are making a comeback. That made my heart skip a beat!
The Butterfly Connection reports “According to a recent report from the World Wildlife Fund, the eastern monarch butterfly population has increased by 64% during the 2025–2026 winter season.
Remember the severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that caused many to lose power in many parts of the country including ours? Now that Bob is serving on the HOA board again, he made a call to the folks in charge of our retention pond and the fountain that keeps the water moving. The timer was out of whack. She said that fountains all over town are messed up due to the power outages. That never crossed my mind before! I imagine they are running from subdivision to subdivision resetting timers!
Not our actual pond, but you get the idea!
I saw Ed walking down the sidewalk. He is a neighbor who is suddenly father of two lovely children. When we first moved in he and his wife were trying to train their large black Doodle dog, Maverick, to walk calmly on a leash. They were having a time of it, but finally prevailed.
Maverick is VERY well behaved now. Then they had their first child and Maverick had to learn how to walk alongside the baby stroller with Keegan. Then they were gifted with sweet Ember girl. Maverick then had to navigate alongside a stroller for two!
Ed just walked past pushing the newest stroller which allows Keegan to stand on the back while Ember rides in the seat. He was moving at a fast clip. And there was Maverick sedately keeping pace with the family parade. Those sorts of this bring me awe. This young family has blessed us many times over. When I had to miss Ember’s first birthday party because of the foot surgery they came to see us afterwards. Ember used to cry when she saw me, but even with my foot elevated and iced she just smiled and cooed. Keegan was well behaved as he marveled at being inside our home.
I am in awe at how blessed our lives are. I do not fully understand it. I do adhere to the tile plaque in our hallway declaring people are more important than things.
What brings you awe? Try to come up with one thing, then go for two!
You have stirred in us the desire to praise you, for you have made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it comes to rest in you. Grant me, O Lord, to know and understand whether first to pray to you or to praise you; whether first to know you or call upon you. Augustine’s Confessions https://augustinesconfessions.com/chapter1.html
Which do you do first first? Pray or praise God? Call upon God or know God?
Have you been seeking those experiences? The 5 ways in short are 1. what makes you say “whoa”? 2. Think small. 3. It can happen on a screen, (nature, short lab videos, etc.) 4. Awe is a reset button and 5. Pay attention to goodness.
Our deathly ill neighbors have large flower boxes on either side of the front walk. Last spring, a healthy friend of theirs planted annual seeds in the boxes for them. Ginny has since passed away. I went clumping over in my orthotic boot one day and could not get through to the front door as the sidewalk was overgrown with flowers blooming and falling all over the place. Zinnias that were over 3 feet tall, sunflowers falling down, and under it all a riot of marigolds. I am still trying to offer meals to Chuck. Last Sunday I asked Bob to go with me bearing clippers and a bucket so we could cut back the jungle to get to the porch. We disturbed a parade of butterflies and bees. As I cut one stem I noticed a lovely bug. At first I called it a leaf hopper. (See opening photo) On closer inspection it was more likely one of the zillion kinds of grasshoppers. And as I marveled at its intricate body I realized I was holding my breath for a moment in awe. There it is!
From the bedroom window this morning I could tell the weather has finally changed with lower humidity, MUCH LOWER, and cooler temperatures. Then my eye was captured by the sunlight through the elephant ears. No rabbits lately, but this was indeed a delight. Breathe in the awe with me.
We attended church this morning with me in sandals, left one had top one strap entirely unfastened, no boot! Though the day held delightful weather our outdoor service was changed to indoor due to other issues. After being spread out in chairs under the towering oak trees in the parking lot there was an enhanced sense of intimacy once indoors. I was amazed how many people greeted me with well wishes for thorough healing. The arms of Christ were certainly all about me. The doctor had said he still wanted me to wear the boot in public. I admit I was a bit nervous with all those other feet around me, especially the children. I look forward to serving at the altar again as soon as I can climb the stairs.
What a glorious day of awe and wonder. Instead of rainstorms right now there are small, pure white, puffy clouds floating slowly past in an incredibly blue sky. Life is truly a wonder. The TIME article suggests taking a 15-minute “awe walk.” Just look at the world with fresh eyes, pay attention to the details around you, and engage your senses.” Slow down for the details and let awe capture you!
Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked?
In the day of prosperity, be joyful, and in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that comes after them. Ecclesiastes 7:13-15 NRSVUE
