Awaken!

Lilac scented breezes

Stir my Soul today.

Though, Easter is the Season,

Summer's on the way.

Birds will sing as flowers dance

To the "music of the spheres".

The party's on!  Come play & prance,

(If you're astute enough to hear it).  

Rejuvenation has begun!

Reawakening's in progress!

As humans go, I, for one,

Have embraced the frost's egress!

Come join me now, release the maudlin

Doldrums of the Winter!

Let loose your Spirit, quit your dawdlin'

Find a garden gate, and ENTER!

Simplicity

  What does simplicity mean to you?

  Is it quiet time alone in Nature?
~few sounds, minimal distractions,
~the least possible components of solace? Or joy?

Simplicity...
~Multi colored leafy gems against a clear blue sky?
~The song of a bird, the scent of fresh cut grass?
~A leaf quivering in the breeze?

Or a good book, a crackling fireplace on a cool night?
~ Family time at the beach?
~A simple meal shared with friends, laughing?

Simplicity...
Feeling the warmth of a pet on your lap or by your side?
~Noticing that wild creatures want for nothing, content as they forage & hunt for Nature's inevitable bounty?

Simple pleasures, uncomplicated moments, cycles of seasons and lives.
~Patterns of motion and stillness, sound and silence, bright and dark,
~Yin and yang, warmth and cold, waxing and waning...

Something delightful lying in wait, yet undiscovered...
                                    Simplicity

A Tale of Two Loves

  This is a Brown Headed Nuthatch.

They are tiny, very fast and Squeaky!

In fact, they sound like a baby's or a dog's
squeaky toy!

They have been around on and off for a few
years now.

One year they branch they were nesting in came down in a storm.  They have held a special place in my heart ever since!

  I was SO happy to see this the other day--->

Both the male and female were excavating
the cavity.

I can't tell them apart, but there were two of them
doing the work, taking turns.

Acrobatic and adorable. Squeaking while they worked.

  Doing what Nuthatches do, hanging upside down and excavating a nest cavity with their tiny little beaks.  Spitting sawdust chunks everywhere!














  And then along came THIS guy!--->

He saw a perfect place to build his nest cavity
by enlarging an already started hole!

He is a Red Bellied Woodpecker and is at least three times the size of my Nutty little friends.

  But HOW could you be mad at this sweet face?

He began calling for a mate to come and join him in his Tree Palace.

There has been a female hanging around all winter.

I hope they don't pass like two ships in the night.

And so he waits.  And calls to her, and waits some more.







 Nature is funny that way.

It's hard to know who to route for.

I just love them all.

~Naturegirl55

Fall

Watching the leaves come tumbling down,

I'm tempted to give in to sadness, and frown.

Summer's eternal (in recent recall)

But there's no denying the arrival of Fall.

Missing the sweet scents and blooms of July,

Fruits in my garden, a bright blue clear sky.

The shifting of Seasons, wild rain clouds and wind,

Herald replacement of days that have been.

The fragrance of apples and dry, leaves of brown

Surround trips to farm stands just outside of town. 

Cinnamon, pumpkins, sweet cider and mums

Are replacing the Summertime treats one by one.

Well, ready or not this Autumn is here!

I'd rather just smile than to shed bitter tears.

After all, It is only a number of days

Before Winter's cold breath will blow Fall away!

Nature Knows Best

 Where did we ever get the idea that we know everything?  Is there not still some mystery left in the Universe for us to discover?  How presumptuous are we as a human species?  All rhetorical questions, of course, for which there are no satisfying answers.

  We are always assuming that if something is "struggling" (by human standards) we need to step in and put our big fat handprint on it.  Maybe some things are just "Nature's way".  Perhaps our interjection is just interference and hubris.  What if our opinion of the way things "ought to be" is wrong?  Maybe our human ideas are unwanted by Nature, by the animal, and botanical kingdoms.

  Not trying to be negative here, but, speaking from personal experience.   The times I have tried to "help" have only made the situation worse, leaving me feeling inept and feckless.  Perhaps I should have left well enough alone!  And that, in a nutshell, is my message.  Nature Knows Best! Trust her!!

Keto 101 (Pt. 2)

Have you started yet? Don't forget, it's not like a "DIE-et"!  I've always hated that word! You can adjust your carb intake as you go along and get better at it.  Just start!

It takes about 48 hours for any oops'es to clear out of your system in order for fat burning to begin.  It takes a few weeks or months for one to become fully "Fat Adapted".  Which means your body has been transformed into a blazing hot furnace, obliterating any fuel you feed it!

In the meantime weight loss begins almost right away, with "water weight" or loose fat melting first.  Your metabolism will fire up, and so will your energy level!  I used to think my metabolism was almost dead!  I tried EVERY diet and did everything the AMA recommended and... nada!  The ONLY thing that ever worked for me (back when I was 20) was Atkin's (low carb), my first clue, but it was way too much protein for me and I had Hives every day!

Weren't we taught that "everything we eat turns to glucose" (sugar) in biology class?  Doesn't it make perfect sense that if there is stubborn fat on our bodies, that having a FAT- BURNING body would be better than having a SUGAR- BURNING body?  Logic!!
  Spend 3 minutes here ➽ https://youtu.be/GNK3f3ycA5Y

Good News!  When reading labels, you get to subtract the FIBER content from the CARB number!  So, if something has 10 carbs and 6 fiber, it's only 4 NET carbs per serving*, and is perfectly Keto acceptable. *Always keep an eye on the "Serving Size" on labels.  They purposely try to deceive us!

Your body will tell you how many carbs (from vegetables) are "Keto" enough.  Most people try to eat as few as possible, like under 10 a day to begin. Some can lose weight on under 20 and others go on "maintenance" after desired weight loss is achieved at under 50 carbs a day.

Macros- You will undoubtedly encounter this term, short for Macro Nutrients.  Meaning, Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates.  Keto people will argue that carbs are NOT a nutrient!  You don't have to be all anal about counting macros, but I suggest checking them out for a few days to a week.  It will help you get a handle on what to eat and more importantly how much.  This may carb calculator be helpful ➽https://cronometer.com/
  These two Keto kids are adorable and very helpful, although their Keto is different than mine.  This video on their YouTube channel explains Macro calculating ➽https://youtu.be/A9G22O5H_Mc

Insulin Resistance- Most overweight people and millions of not so overweight people have a condition called insulin resistance.  In short, it means that our pancreases are malfunctioning because of all the sugar in the Standard American Diet.  (Notice that those caps spell SAD!)  This is the precursor to DIABETES!! To heal it, you need to eat a lot of greens, so don't skip the salads and veggies!  Good video on this subject from another one of my mentors, Dr. Berg. ➽https://youtu.be/iTjDi2ZO0n8 He believes in healing your body FIRST and then weight loss will occur naturally. Either way Potassium found in leafy greens and avocados can reverse this condition.

"Keto Flu"- If you're not getting enough Potassium, Magnesium and salt, you will feel what they call the "Keto Flu".  Just a feeling of aches, malaise and maybe dizzyness, easily curable with salt, which helps activate the Potassium (don't skimp) and maybe a Magnesium supplement.  Sometimes I use V-8 though it has about 11 net carbs.  Magnesium rich veggies...

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Swiss chard
• Pumpkin seeds

Enough for now! Bon Apetit!





 

Keto 101

     It has come to my attention that a lot of people would like to be healthier and lose weight through the KETO eating plan, but don't know how to go about it.  (Ketogenic, meaning burning Ketones for energy.)
     Most have heard about it from friends who have had some measure of success.  However, it is becoming like the game of "telephone" when we were children.  The end resulting message is NOTHING like the original intention!  Some feel sick due to their lack of knowledge and a bad start.

     Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor or a genius (my friends already know this) but I have been on the Fat For Fuel plan for a year and am having success and believing it is a very valid way of life.
     I intend to share what I have learned as clearly and succinctly as possibly.

#1. Keto is NOT a diet! Not like Weight Watchers or Mayo Clinic diets.  It is a NEW Way of Life. ("Diet" as in the [Standard American Diet] of the average American.
      It came about through a discovery that the AMA (American Medical Assn.) made a GIANT faux pas years ago and published a bunch of LIES about meat and fat causing heart disease.  A study was done by a less than honest researcher who skewed his findings and apparently the AMA was too embarrassed (or too corrupt) to go back and tell the truth and look stupid years later, so they let it go! Proof here--->   https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/22/debunking-the-science-behind-lowering-cholesterol-levels.aspx

#2. Don't worry, IT'S EASY!!  Start slow! There's no rush. You are just changing your body's entire fuel supply from Sugar to Fat!!🤯
      First, begin to familiarize yourself with the labels on EVERYTHING you buy.  Carbs especially.
      Second, begin to wean yourself off "Demon Sugar".  If you can stand Stevia, start using it instead of sugar wherever you can.
     Third, Choose better quality food.  Just start somewhere, you can clean up your act as you go along.

#3. Things you will need:
       ~A  case of amnesia regarding everything you learned about CALORIES, DIETING, FAT, EXERCISE  & HOW MANY MEALS A DAY.
   
       ~Avocadoes, Grass-Fed beef, Kerrygold Butter, Eggs (as free running or Pasture Raised as possible), Coconut oil, cheese from grass-fed cows (Kerrygold also sells cheese), stevia and/or erythritol.

#3a. Things you will NOT need:
        ~EXERCISE!!!

All right, that's enough for now, just to get you started.

Footnote: There are two kinds of Keto. "Clean" Keto and "Dirty" Keto.  Most of us just ride the line between both.  "Clean" would be all grass-fed, non GMO, non preservative ridden, chemicalized, REAL food.  "Dirty" is everything else technically low or no carb including Fast Food with the buns removed, Diet soda and other stuff that's not really good for you but "qualifies" as no carb. We're all just doing the best we can, with the resources we have!

The Music of the Spheres

If you listen carefully, you may begin to hear,
The Universe vibrating out the music of the spheres.

The Hum, the Hush, the Rush of particles in space,
The ancient song of mermaids, the sound that stardust makes.

The vacuum of space allows for unrestricted flow.
Sound, vibration, notes and tone emitted long ago

Traverse the void of nothingness that's filled with mystery,
Delivered to our collective Soul, from tomes of history.

An angel's voice, a loved one passed, a message on the wind,
A whisper of eternity that roars above the din.

There is a buzz, a rhythm, that lies within as well.
It's beckoning and calling us to listen to It tell

The story of akashic scrolls, of annals hidden, cloaked.
Faint tidings of old memories, that only time bespoke.

This living, breathing earth we ride is part of All That Is.
Waters, winds, and lightening storms, insects and whales' spout fizz,

Sweet birdsong, chirp, beast's bleat or bark, is bliss to one who "hears".
Together all of us compose the music of the spheres.



   

A Rainbow of Precious Gems

How rich we are! How fortunate and blessed!

To be endowed with the opportunity to revel in the opulence and silky, sultriness of a warm Summer afternoon. 

Breathe deeply the warm scents of cedar and pine in the richly woven fabric of the woods. They glow with beams of amber light as the golden sunset fades.

What joy bursts forth from the heart when rare flying jewels come by to be admired and treasured!

A rainbow of precious gems are ours to savor.  A wealth of beauty
right before our eyes!

How prosperous is a life flush with these luxuries to appreciate,
to cherish.  Be grateful.

Perspective

I am a but speck of dust in the vast recesses of the Universe.

I am however, a speck of Life.  A point of consciousness.
A cognizant morsel of the mind of God.

In being so, that makes me an integral part of the Great Unknown.
Like every minute particle, an intrinsic portion of the whole of  Life.



It is said that if you take away one infinitesimal fragment of the Whole
the whole will cease to be.

Good thing no minuscule bit can truly be separated from it's Source.

In every seemingly insignificant mite the Perfection of the Totality is present.

Music Lessons

    ♫  Dance to the Rhythm of Well Being
     ♪ Sing a song from your Soul
    ♫  Breathe in and out the Renewal and Release of Re-awakening
     ♪ Return to the ancient roots of your Spirit
    ♫  Hum along with the Music of the Spheres
     ♪ Tune to the Frequency of the Source
    ♫  Sway with the Natural order of the Universe...
     ♪ and you will become a Virtuoso of your Instrument

My Chapel of Choice

   This Sunday morning my cathedral is beneath the tall spires of the trees.

   Brown crispy angels are descending from Heaven; spiraling, floating, some in coats of many colors.   The incense of  autumn leaves and earth is setting an air of reverence.  Stained glass leaves of gold, red and green against a clear blue sky are my sanctuary.  A dome of bending branches are like an old time outdoor canopy revival meeting.  Wind whispering and whistling through the pines, as if it were a pipe organ, revives my spirit.

   The congregation of creatures is gathering.  A fellowship of feathered friends, a choir of crickets and a hidden harmony of tree frogs are ready to begin.  There is silence for reflection,  a birdbath for baptism and the sacred, ancient music of birdsong to stir the soul.  A synagogue of devotion to the Source of all things great and small.  One can feel the bless-ed presence of the Pastor in the air.

   There is symbolism here to ponder.  The dogwood tree, the sparrows and what is left of the lily stalks are an inherent reminder of the sacred secrets Nature holds and the divinity and sanctity in all life.  After all, the "Good Book", Torah and scrolls of our ancestors were all made of trees.

Contemplation

I think I'd like to sit amongst the trees for awhile,
And leave behind my hectic, distraction filled lifestyle.
No one's in a hurry out here in the yard,
No one's rushing, no ones pushing hard.

Leaves descending, floating down toward the ground.
The breeze assists the process, otherwise, not a sound.
A few bird tweets remind me, that I could be more detached
From tv, devices and voices, email, tweets and fax.

A long deep breath in and I am once again renewed!
It only takes a moment to refresh and restore my mood.
Silky clouds drifting over my busy head.
Let go, let God, relax and breathe instead.

Take a Minute

Look up.  Look out and over those temporal things, those troubling things.  Look above those things that are of this world; earthly things, worldly possessions.  Look past the stuff of living, the stuff that needs cleaning and insuring and maintenance and moving about.

Take a moment to appreciate that which is free and free flowing. The beautiful, the unlimited, that which is abundant and always available.

 Look toward the sky.  Appreciate the air and the wind and the colors and the rain.  Recognize the expansive nature of the universe.  Note the consistency of days, of  seasons, of moons.

Feel the stream of consciousness that breathes in you and lives in you and loves through you.  Feel the emotion of well-being that wells up in you and spills over into your world, into all that you care about.

 Know that, this Life-force is there with us, within us,  available to us, ready to pour out upon those we hold dear and wash over situations and the troubling stuff of life.  Always available.  Always.

Listen

I took my troubles to the woods to find some solace there.

With heavy heart I asked for words to comfort my despair.

I heard no sound except the wind blowing through the pines.

I sadly felt ignored and even worse since they declined.

Oh, Nature spirits, can you send some sweet relief my way?

All I noticed was the scent of blossoms warmed by day.


I wished I had someone to stroke my cheek and say they care,

When all at once a breeze caressed my face and tossed my hair.


I sat upon a sturdy limb and leaned against the trunk

While dreaming of a warm embrace to wrest me from my funk.


I searched my mind for melodies upon which I could depend,

To lift me out of doldrums and to lightheartedness again.


But I could not concentrate on songs, with all the noise above!

So many birds were singing! Chirping wrens and cooing doves!


Nature's answers are discreet and subtle by design.

You have to pay attention, your ears and eyes incline.


She whispers comfort and relief, imparts with peace Her joy,

If we but pause to linger there until we hear her voice.

Mystery

The beauty of a dragonfly sparkling in the sun,

Dashing, dancing, darting, having dragonfly fun.

Trill of birdsong, scent of rose, glowing sunset view…

Each a tribute to the One who enlivens me and you.

Can we begin to understand the consciousness that was birthed

In each and every being on this magnificent earth?

If caterpillars’ chrysalis and birds’ migration awes,

Then Infinite Intelligence inspires Nature’s laws.

And what if there’s much more to know?  Imagine, do we dare?

That mountains, trees and waterfalls are similarly aware.

The mystery and majesty of a butterfly’s intent

Remains a veiled intimacy we behold, but can’t comprehend.

Changing of the seasons, ebb and flow of tide…

There’s eternity embedded in us, interconnected from the inside.

Aspire To Be Unencumbered

I am unencumbered, I am free.
I float through my days like a leaf on a breeze.
I spew nor retain any malice debris.
I blow through my life as wind in the trees.

I am unencumbered, I let myself dream.
I joyously harbor no wrath.
I merrily dance on life's energy stream.
I carry no excess along my path.


I am unencumbered, I bear no ill will.
Light as a feather I fly.
I no longer labor by travelling uphill.
I'm a wisp of a cloud in a bright blue sky.


I am unencumbered, a bird on the wing.
I roll and I flow like a brook o'er a glade.
My Soul swells to the song that I sing,
while I march my own Happy Parade.

I am unencumbered, I choose my own way.
I tweak and adjust as I go.
I feel my way through every part of my day,
Alert and aware of the flow.

I am unencumbered, and I am in charge
of what seems to be happenstance, fate.
I relax and I know my Source is at large
and with It I will Co-Create.

Unencumbered and free is a possible state.
Letting go of what troubles us, key.
Put aside the crippling myth of "Fate",
Captain you ship and be free!

Nature's Abundant Nature

As the snow flies over the house in a whoosh of white whispers, I am suddenly enthralled from my station at the front door.  A feeling of peace overtakes my initial thrill to the sight of snow in a warm region.  Silent snowflakes are drifting downward in uncountable lilting legions.  They gather in little fluffy clumps of Wintery wonder before their final destination.

There are far, far too many to comprehend.  The human mind is built for calculating and counting and less often employed for pondering the wonders of the Universe.  How many?

How many raindrops fall in a Spring storm?  How many blades of grass are in your lawn, on your street? In the neighborhood? - the country, the continent?

Unfathomable!  Grains of sand, leaves on trees, the trees themselves!  Infinite? What does that even mean?

Some say the number of stars in a Summer sky are infinite.  I'm no astronomer, but it sure is pleasurable to gaze up into our current Winter night's frozen darkness at the brilliant bits of ancient light, and wonder.  What portion of the whole do I see?

Abundance is the way of Nature.  Infinity is the norm.

What is our place in all of this abundance?  Is there not a secret meaning for us to revel in?  Are we not a part of this limitlessness?  Our thoughts are abundant.  Ideas are bountiful.  Imagine how many cells were in your tiny body the day you were born.  Trillions of cells have regenerated themselves and added to the incalculable transactions of Life in you.  Do we live on into Eternity in some form (or non-physical form)?

We are a part of this Nature as breath is a part of air.
Life is abundant, Love is illimitable, we are inestimable and entitled to know, to savor, to live our abundant nature in every unlimited way possible!

The Character of Leaves

Bradford Pear Tree

Brilliant leaf gems will glow when the setting sun shows through them,
gleaming their red green and gold.
As the daylight grows short, orange dancers cavort at the tips of the twigs that they hold.

They float on the breeze, parachuting from trees which can no longer hold them aloft.
Leaves rattle and quake, crisply they shake in cold Autumn gust or winds, soft.

They whirl and they glide and spin as they ride on even the gentlest puff.
Streaming down through the air they warn us "Beware, for the winter winds soon will be rough".

They gather and meet, crunching under you feet.  Nature's gift is their spicy Fall scent,
Kid's squeal happy sounds, when leaping in mounds of them, wrecking hours of raking time spent.

Needles of pine are a leaf of a kind, though they don't all turn sepia tones.
As the Solstice occurs, scents of cedar and fir, remind us of holidays home.

So you see, there is glee in the heart of a tree, in the traits of the leaves at great heights.
Such beauty unfolds til the nights get too cold, and the North wind beckons "Take flight!"                    







                               

The Candle

There is a tiny candle glowing deep within my soul.

It speaks to me and lights the darkened corners I behold.

To some its music, others brushstroke.  For authors it is prose.

But when we recognize it, its flicker grows and glows.

The pen, the brush, the instrument - utensils of the light.

But also there is guidance that lets your mind take flight.

Brilliance hides beneath the fearsome, shadowed cloak of night.

Illumined inspiration flows from tiny sparks made bright.

The candle’s waiting, ever present, ever out of view.

For centuries its light has been there, lit for those who knew.

This secret flame is in you too.  I’m certain this is true.

And if you give attention to it, it will guide you too.