When I decided to embark on this year long exploration into Emily Dickinson, I knew that it was not to be an academic exercise. Nor am I trying to uncover all of the hidden meanings of her poetry thus offering a new twist on her life story. No, I just want to let her poetry… Continue reading locked
In an earlier post I wrote about the significance that bluebirds have played in my life during the past several months. As my word for 2019 is DELIBERATE, I decided to try to make bluebird sightings less happenstance by setting up a bluebird house in our yard. It sounds simple, and it is on most… Continue reading Making a home for happiness
"Happiness is rarely absent; it is that we know not of its presence." ~Maurice Maternlinck I live on the east coast, and we do have a fair number of eastern bluebirds here. Still, it is not often that I have seen them up close. In fact I can count the number of times I have… Continue reading bluebird through my window
No, this post is not the ten steps on how to be a narcissist. Last summer, I was "a little unwell," to quote the old Matchbox 20 song. Looking back, I feel so much compassion for that woman who was letting every emotion and thought, (my own and everyone else's) suck me into a vortex… Continue reading It IS all about me
"It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to take a great leap forward only to stumble backward." ~Chinese proverb Making small changes is so counter culture in a society which embraces the notion that doing and being are the same thing. How often have you heard sayings like "… Continue reading many small steps
For several years now I have prayed the Morning Prayer of the Optina Elders regularly. It is a way of starting my day with a bit of openness that has deepened and shifted over time as reflected in the portion below: At every hour of this day, direct and support me in all things. Whatsoever… Continue reading two prayers
You might say that small living has become my overarching philosophy over the past few years. By small I do not mean insular, but being deliberate in learning to live from the true self. The belief that this mindful way of life can transform us and have a ripple effect is why I started this… Continue reading a vocation of small
When I was in high school, one of my favorite possessions was a large poster with a line of Robert Frost's poetry. "Before I built a wall, I'd ask to know what I was walling in our walling out." I was an English major in college and have always felt a kinship with Robert Frost.… Continue reading mending wall psychology
