Murmurations

Life is filled with wonder, mystery and awe, and it is filled with infinite cycles of beginnings and endings.  There are ceaseless Murmurations of breaking and healing, dancing and grieving, loving and losing, birth and death — seasons turning like a wheel that never stops. Life is impermanent …one of the ideas shared with her group was that “the teacup is already broken,” a meditation on how the death or ending or brokenness we fear is inevitable. We will die, everyone we love will die, the organization will end, the nation will come apart, the system will collapse. The teacup Read more…

Hidden Light

There are days when listening to the news is too much for me. Talk about feeling like we are living in apocalyptic times—seeing and hearing about record heat waves, poor air quality, fires, drought, war, famine, floods and senseless shootings—is overwhelming. The drumbeat of doom goes on and on. At times like this I spend time looking for the Hidden Light that can be found in everything and everyone. And I say lots of silent prayers of thanks to nature and the earth while holding those who are in pain with love and compassion in my heart. So this is Read more…

Grace Notes

The weather this past week has been magnificent! Not too hot, not too cool, with sunshine, low humidity and green growing things everywhere I look. I treasure these open window weather days in mid-summer. Days like this feel like Grace Notes in summer’s lush symphony of color, warmth, beauty, and thriving colorful burgeoning life. This week I have been captivated by the seas of green that I see as I look out my windows, swing on the deck, or drive down city streets. Everywhere I look, it seems, I see green things growing. I soak in the sights, scents, and Read more…

Joy Whisperer

Last night we went out to see the Plymouth fireworks display. Though I love watching fireworks and it was an easy close drive to a place where we could view the fireworks beautifully without crowds of people, I almost didn’t go. As the evening progressed I became more and more comfortable in my chair reading a good book and for a moment or two it didn’t seem like it was worth the effort to go out to see the fireworks. But Jon was my Joy Whisperer softly reminding me how I had wanted to go see the fireworks and how Read more…

Instructions for Traveling West

This morning I came upon a poem that reminded me of why I took my long trip to Hawaii in 2012 and why yet again, I headed north to a cabin outside of Ely, Minnesota to make photographs and explore for almost three months. The poem is called Instructions for Traveling West Instructions for Traveling West First, you must realize you’re homesick for all the lives you’re not living. Then, you must commit to the road and the rising loneliness. To the sincere thrill of coming apart. Divorce yourself from routine and control. Instead, find a desert and fall in. Read more…