Autumn Approaching

The light is different

Shadows take new shapes

Color is emerging slowly

                     Gardens are getting ready for slumber

Tomato plants laden and chairs hold the ones we will eat tonight

                 A cloud angel hovers over the house-
                                the only white in a clear blue sky.

Aging

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."-- Madeleine L'Engle

A friend sent this photo and at first I didn't recognize myself. I instantly saw the wrinkles and the graying hair, the sagging neck, and sorrow behind the eyes. The me I want to be is younger and smoother and joyful.



Like how I looked when I graduated from high school (minus the braces on my teeth!)



 But that was 40 years ago!

 I recently attended my 40th high school reunion and realized that decades have passed and there is so much time unaccounted for! While I was living out my life, time was taking its toll.

I carry within me my first decade- my childhood surrounded by sisters and laughter and summers at the lake. Second decade- joy and sorrow and teenage goofiness. Decade three spent forming a family, trying to survive, making sense of my place, finding creativity, growing up. The fourth and fifth decades spent mostly exploring and re-positioning my ideals and longings. Now, as I quickly approach the sixth decade, age is trying to make its claim. Mostly, I try not to think about it. I try to do things that make me feel ageless, like swimming, working with children,  and dancing alone to the music of Van Morrison in my living room. But this photo unretouched by photo shop tells the real story. And it is really OK. Because with the passage of time has come experience, gain and loss, joy and sorrow, many precious friends and memories, and a life lived

 simply and authentically .       

Cracking

"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."-Leonard Cohen

 

 

 

The light this summer has been amazing! With so many sunny days, the shadows and light have been entertaining me on a daily basis. I looked at this sidewalk and realized that the light was making each brick nearly glow. The summer is coming to a close and I can feel Autumn settling in. Things are shifting-decisions about the winter must be made soon. I never really know how (or where) things will play out. But, I know that I have made it safely through 58 winters. All my needs have been met more graciously , more often, and more surprisingly than I deserve. This winter will be no different-though tugs of uncertainty and new situations are making me a bit edgy and anxious. There is also a feeling of anticipation and resting.  What adventure awaits???

 

 

 

 

 

 

"If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give."-George MacDonald

 

 

Lately I have been thinking about the people in my life, how thankful I am for each of them, reading some of my old George MacDonald books, and finding joy in unexpected places.

It has been a different summer than last year, busier, and without as many opportunities to get alone and lost in my thoughts. But the precious moments I have had to find solitude, I am happy to send loving thoughts on to the friends who have made me laugh, listened patiently to my stories, fed me good food, and encouraged me when I was overwhelmed. Rather than just randomly say a silent prayer for their well-being, or to send out an all-inclusive thank you to friends who read this, i want to begin a new ritual. Beginning next week, I will "real mail" a card or letter to the friend who comes into my mind that day. It is a good way to let them know just how important their presence is in my life. It is not enough to just think the good thoughts, but as an act- a casting of the gift of loving thoughts. Thanks George, for the good advice!  

Canadian Getaway



The Lovely Inisfree-a Bed and Breakfast just short distance from Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy

 

Inisfree Bed & Breakfast garden shed


It was a spontaneous decision to drive for 6 hours to the Bay of Fundy in Canada this weekend. It is a magical place!
Hopewell Rocks "are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. However, it is possible to view the formations from ground level at low tide.
The formations consist of dark sedimentary conglomerate and sandstone rock. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.
The vast sediment planes in the basin in Fundy support a variety of biological productivity. Various shorebirds are often seen flocking to nest and feed in the area. Visitors are advised to stay for a full tidal cycle to get a full appreciation of the tides and formations. Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres (52 ft) giving The Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world."


Hopewell Rocks-at low tide

 

The mud flats at Hopewell Rocks at low tide

Sleepy Sunday

Belfast, Maine on a sleepy Sunday.
 Perfect weather- warm, windy
and sky alive with billowy clouds.
Water salty and warm enough to wade
while looking for sea glass and heart-shaped rocks.
Salt air cleansing the lungs
and blue and green restoring my thoughts.
Gratefulness! 

Summer Song

I found this newspaper clipping in an old book I was planning to donate to the library book sale. I was amazed that newspapers printed stories about children at play. I remember the day well. It was a typical Maine summer day. There were no video games then, and it was a punishment to stay inside (TV was not an option!).

It was a time when it was still safe to roam the neighborhood and come up with our own entertainment from early morning until lunch, and then we were off again until dusk. I imagine a newspaper photographer driving around our sleepy suburb looking for a story about how people were enjoying the gorgeous day, or  maybe he or she was hoping for some real news to get the first scoop on. Anyway, I was happy to find the clipping because it is proof that I was lucky enough enough to have had the kind of childhood where singing with my sisters was news-worthy!