Falling into Autumn

I am ready for fall and from all of the posts I am reading, it seems others are too.  I am excited for a little crispness in the air and being able to open my windows to let in the fresh air without constant air conditioning.

I am; however, trying to embrace the late summer beauty, knowing that soon the leaves will fall and the flowers will fade.  With all of the rain we have had this summer, there is lush greenery everywhere.

I saw this on my walk this morning growing at the foot of a tree.  It was so delicate and complex.

I am transitioning my decor to more late summer/early fall colors.  Made a trip to HomeGoods this week and found these fabulous pillows to refresh the sofa in my sitting room.  I love decorating my home with muted greens, browns and creams in fall.  In Spring and Summer I tend to use more creams, whites and pinks.

The patina on this urn found at a yard sale adds to the cozy, natural ambience I love.  It stands on its own in my living room.  I'd love to find some silk hydrangeas or dried ones for it.  I haven't had any luck drying hydrangeas myself.

I went to a party last night and this beautiful arrangement was on the table and I got to bring it home!  Perfect late summer bouquet!

Found this great metal tray at a garage sale for $1.00.  I am perusing Pinterest for ideas to make it into a pretty fall centerpiece for my breakfast room!

I am making myself wait til Labor Day to do more transitioning but couldn't resist these little refreshes.

How about you?  Are you making any changes in your decor yet?

Finding Peace

FIRST OF ALL - I have to apologize for the weird formatting of the text of this post.  I have spent the past hour trying to make it look better with no luck.  I don't know what in the world I did to make it have this shadow - so I am sorry it is difficult to read.  Please bear with me...

We are in troubled times – the earth has always had troubled times, of course, some worse than others, for different people.  In my lifetime, I have always felt safe where I live and work but lately there seems to be so much anger and division – the media is blaring it and sensationalizing it to the point that it seems everyone hates everyone else and it creates fear. 

When all I hear is how terrible everything is - and I am certainly not minimizing the awful events that have been going on around the world, I have to step back and reconnect with my spiritual side.  I immediately say prayers for those who have been affected. The victims and their families could be me or my family and I never want to take life for granted.  I do my best to send love out into the world and the people I come in contact with.   I still believe there are more good than bad people – most of us just want to live our lives, love our families and friends and live in peace.  

Have you ever seen the photograph named The Pale Blue Dot?   Here is one I found - Google it -- you will find even better quality images than I could upload here.

This narrow-angle color image of the Earth, dubbed 'Pale Blue Dot', is a part of the first ever 'portrait' of the solar system taken by Voyager 1 several decades ago.  The spacecraft acquired a total of 60 frames for a mosaic of the solar system from a distance of more than 4 billion miles from Earth.  

This picture stunned me the first time I saw it.  We truly are a tiny speck in a vast universe.   Sometimes I wonder if the people who are fighting and hating and terrorizing could simply be taken up into space to view our precious planet from afar would it make a difference?  It seems so preposterous to fight each other when we occupy such a speck of dust. 

When I feel overwhelmed and burdened by the sadness of the world as I do right now I have to turn away and connect with God through the natural world.  This is something I have done all my life, even as a little girl. I have always loved camping, hiking, backpacking – anything to get out in the woods to refresh my spirit.  I get the same affect at the ocean shore. 

Nature heals.  I think one of the problems with the world today is there isn’t enough communing with nature and experiencing the healing power of being outside in the natural world.  Not just walking on the asphalt of the city, but being enveloped in the wilderness, contemplating the rhythms and heartbeat of our planet.

I love to read books by nature writers.  Terry Tempest Williams, Henry David Thoreau and Anne LaBastille are all wonderful authors who capture the essence of nature, but my favorite and the one I relate to the most is John Muir. 

Muir, was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His environmental activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. He also founded the Sierra Club, 

He was a prolific writer and his stories and quotes speak to me like no other.   He lived much of his life in the Yosemite Valley.  He was entranced with the beauty of that land and his writing brings that area to life.  My 60^th birthday is next year and I plan to visit Yosemite – the #1 place on my bucket list.  I can’t think of a better place to celebrate my 6^th decade than hiking in the same areas that influenced such soul stirring quotes as these:

“When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty.” 
― John Muir 

 “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...” 
― John Muir 

“In God's wildness lies the hope of the world.” 
― John Muir spiritual quote

I believe part of the problem in our society is that we need to connect to our planet – this pale blue dot that is floating in a universe so vast it is impossible to comprehend.  Healing for body and soul can be found in the woods, at the seashore, in an alpine meadow or anywhere that we can actually tune out man made noise and really hear and see the rhythms of creation. 

Another favorite of mine is a book co-written by Christian Pastor, Louie Giglio entitled Indescribable.  It is full of pictures taken by the Hubble Telescope from some of the darkest reaches of our universe and he blends these wonderful discoveries with scripture about the power of God.  It is an inspiring read.  

I hope I don't offend anyone about finding peace and hope through God and Christian Faith -- this is MY path -- it may not be everyone's and I understand that.  We all find our own way.  Each morning I start my day with a bible reading and meditation.  I have lots of flowers and wildlife in my yard to enjoy and I get outside in the wild places as often as possible.

An annual trip to the beach is healing for my spirit as well and my granddaughter makes me even more aware of the importance of spreading love and healing to everyone I come in contact with for her sake and for the sake of the whole world.   

How do you bring yourself back to center and find refreshment when you feel sad, burdened and anxious? 

P.S.  I will work to get my formatting back to normal for future posts but wanted to get this one out..... :) 

Savor the Freedom!

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!  It is a day to celebrate our freedom and remember all of those who served to enable us to enjoy it. 

This morning as I sat on my front porch gazing out onto my freshly mown yard and the beautiful, bright sunshine through the trees, I am reminded how thankful I am.  Sitting quietly outdoors has always been how I connect with God and my center.  The outdoors refreshes my soul. 

When my daughter was little, we would take hikes in the woods, find a place to sit, close our eyes and simply listen for a minute and then say what we could hear.  It is amazing what you can hear when you close your eyes and get still for a moment.

When I close my eyes right now as I sit on my porch, I hear –

-the rustling of the breeze in the trees.  The dogwood tree has a lighter sound than the broad leaf maple, and the needles of the pine tree create a whirring that adds its own distinct sound to the symphony.

-I can hear the wind approaching – blowing in from the southwest – starting in the trees up the street and moving its way into the ones in my yard. 

-At least 5 different bird sounds – chickadees, wrens, cardinals, crows and finches.  The wrens, in particular seem to be having a lively conversation with each other.

-The crickets’ high pitched song from the grass.  Funny – I didn’t even notice them until I closed my eyes!

-The buzz of a bumblebee enjoying the daisies and coneflowers planted next to my porch

.

And some man made sounds that are also very calming and pleasant to my senses

-the soft tinkling of my little glass wind chimes.  I have always had wind chimes around my home to catch the soft breeze and lift up their music.

-The soft flapping of the American flag on a pole in my neighbor’s yard… representing the Land of the Free…….

Have a lovely holiday and remember to take a moment to savor life and freedom.

The view from my front porch.  Freshly mown lawn, my beautiful dogwood tree and flower beds.  Such a nice place to relax and enjoy my coffee in the mornings.  Most mornings - there is a rabbit family sitting under the tree dining on clover.

White wicker makes me happy!  This chair was bought at a yard sale for $5.00 and it is in perfect shape.  Sitting here in the mornings and enjoying my yard and flowers is a great way to start my day.