Pausing to Wonder

When I consider the wonders of the universe......

What an incredible beginning to a thought! Yet I often forget to notice the mysterious, the wonders of the universe, the miraculous moments that exist in every moment I'm alive. Einstein's observation that when we miss the emotion inherent in awe, we are as good as dead. We have no true life within us.

The subtly greater issue is that we still walk and talk and eat and work and breathe as though we are real.... we miss the truest moments of beauty and life. We miss beauty and passion.... true, living passion .... as well as wonder. I continue to move forward to recall the passion I've experienced in my life.W

On the Road Again....

Today was my final vacation day. I packed most of my stuff last night… barely slept [4-7 a.m.]

We packed up, checked out, & went to breakfast at Becky's on the waterfront. Tasty, home style cooking... fairly simple fare.

Then we went to Exchange Street because it was on my current trip bucket list. Calm & fun; ended with buying a Starbucks soy green tea latte.

Now as I wait at JFK for the final leg of my trek, I am extremely grateful for these past three weeks.... time with my brother, with new friends and with the friend I visited for the most extensive segment of the trip. Grateful for the job that provided the money, for family left behind, for friends keeping good thoughts heading my way.

Moral Principle

From the Dalai Lama:
As human beings we are all the same. We have this marvelous intelligence, which sometimes creates problems for us, but when influenced by warm-heartedness can be very constructive. ... In this context we need to appreciate the value of having moral principles.

Sometimes, after incidents such as what happened in Aurora, Colorado, I begin to think that our intelligence can take us in different directions ~~ toward the good or toward the evil. We create problems in different ways. Does it matter that he planned it out? Would it be less evil if he'd just spontaneously gone there and shot up the theater? What is the moral principle here? Whose more principle matters?

Bangor's Famous Son

Today I drove past the house of Stephen King. I felt odd taking pictures of it.... then decided to just go for it!

It's a big beautiful place with an unusual gate ... spider web at the bottom (really well done!) and the gate posts have gargoyles, or maybe bats, on them.

Dreaming of Sailing

Yesterday morning I woke from sleep in the midst of a dream of sailing.... not something I do in real life...

I was alone on a sailboat in the middle of a river or perhaps in a bay or cove, there was land nearby though not within easy reach. The water was mildly rough, nothing overwhelming, but not like glass. I stood on the deck of the boat, checking the wind, feeling the sway of the boat and getting my 'sea legs'. I felt calm, joyful. I was beginning to unfurl the sail, everything was perfect.

A song was also playing in my mind: Sail On by Lionel Richie
Sail on, honey, good times never felt so good.....

And that's literally how I felt! It was as though Spirit was confirming in every possible way that I'm on the right path at this moment. I knew I was paying attention as I needed to do in the way I needed to do it. At least in that precise moment.

Moving forward moment by moment.....

Shaman Oracle

Shaman of Birth
I drew this card as I was preparing to leave on a three week vacation. My focus as I searched & drew the card was a theme, something that would carry me through these weeks. What an amazing draw!

Next to the picture of the card in the book accompanying the deck: I am the Shaman of Birth. I guide souls into being. I am present from the moment of conception to the moment when the newborn arrives in the world. I help at the birth of many things, including ideas, beliefs, wisdom & change. I guard & show the way to all who seek this path of new beginnings: trust in me as you contemplate your future, for I am the midwife to the dreams of many. Whew! And....Wow!

Medicine Wheel Card.....

Today I decided to draw a Medicine Wheel Card ~~ for two reasons: first, my horoscope suggested meditating on the bigger picture of my life and future around the time of the full moon (11:52 a.m. PDT); second, I wanted a focus for my East Coast trip that begins tomorrow.

So, I removed the blank cards & began shuffling the deck, specifically asking for guidance for the next two days and for the immediate future of my trip. My question: What strength and help will I need/be able to use for the next several days?

After I'd shuffled the deck several times, keeping my question and focus in my mind and heart, I pulled a card. SURPRISE! I apparently hadn't removed all the blank cards because the shield on my card was blank! I laughed out loud! What popped into my head was that the future for me was a blank slate & that I would be writing the story myself. Amazing!

Then my mind, always wanting to check everything out, sought out the book for the 'definition' of the blank cards. Two pieces of information surfaced and stuck in my mind: it indeed was a blank slate that could carry whichever animal drew me (& wasn't represented in the deck already) AND it could represent an entire group that was an ally. For me that meant Dragon and the Stone Nation, respectively. Wow!