Explosion of Life

     Can't you just feel it in the air?  The buzz, the excitement of a brand new season of growth, birth, multiplication and possibilities is a whisper no more.  A chance for birds and beetles to procreate and secure their survival!  Buds and pods, eggs and cocoons, nuts and seeds all waiting for just the right moment.
     Bunnies and baby squirrels, tiny oppossums and raccoons all wait in their respective nests, huddled against the still chilly nights with their brothers and sisters.  Some are hairless and with no warm blankies to draw up against the windy and sometimes rainy elements.
     Some are early bloomers and some are early risers, but all are programmed with Nature's perfect timing.  Little alarm clocks are going off all across the yard and field,  silent to us humans but loud and clear to those with places to go, mates to woo, and important things to do, pollinate, hatch and discover.
     The flowers are all a-buzz, birds are all a-twitter, trees are all a-pouffe of powdery pollen. When I see that the Purple Martins have returned and I hear the familiar sound of wearing car brakes (the tseet-tseet-tseet of my pair of Blackpoll Warblers) then I know it's on!  Cabbage White Butterflies are the first to begin their fluttering dance.  The final piece in the puzzle is the intoxicating fragrance of wild roses wafting along the stream bed out back.
     As the season proceeds, more and more of our familiar Summer residents arrive.  Marge the Muskrat waddles around with mouthfuls of grass for her underground burrows.  Berry bearing trees fill with comical and exotic looking Cedar Waxwings as new bird songs fill the sweet blossom-perfumed air.  The first baby duckling has officially made his or her appearance and the three Robin hatchlings are bursting out of the mud nest already.
     Twitters, tweets and trills are a cacaphony of Spring music to accompany the swaying whoosh of breezes in the tree-zes.  :)  Birds are in an animated state of nest building, territory defending and nestling feeding.  And... in the cool evening dusk, as the frenzy of activity begins to subside, the treefrog and cricket orchestra commences.
     Take it in.  Find the fragrance in the air and follow it to discover it's origin.  Listen to the peeps and croaks and see from whence they emanate.  Tis the season of awakening for them and delicious discovery for us! 
     The Chrysalis of Spring has burst spilling feathers and petals, berries and leaflets, gossamer wings and raindrops down blessing the desolate Winter ravaged earth.  Enjoy the rapture of newness and let your senses soar!

The Promise of Spring

     There's a whisper in the air...  If you are still you may hear it.  If you squint your eyes especially at dawn or dusk, you may catch the tint of pink or red or purple buds on naked trees.  It's just a hint, if you blink it may be gone.
     Crocuses are focusing their energy to bloom, Daffodils are awakening, Hyacinths are yawning with sweet fragrant morning breath and Azaleas are dreaming of pastel splendor to come.
     Every year, without fail, Spring will come.  Mother Nature touches the Earth with her warming influence and Life begins to flow.  She fulfills her promise each cycle and comes through for us.  Some would say she didn't sleep this Winter and was awake and planning through the cold months.  There were hints of her work all over the country.  There should be a fabulous display when Spring comes into full bloom this year!
     A promise is an assurance, an agreement, a covenant.  Something you can count on.  Nature has promised to bloom no matter what else is going on with us busy humans.  Whether you notice or not, the birds are begining to scurry about with scraps of straw and twigs.  And if you watch them for awhile, you will see the males doing their best mating dances and chasing interlopers out of their presumed territory. 
     My little Carolina Wren has begun sitting high atop a tree singing his little lungs out for a mate.   (Actually they don't have lungs!)  You're pretty, pretty, pretty pretty he repeats over and over.  His voice is pure and loud.  She can hear him from a long distance.  And then he invites her to tea...  Second verse, tea par-tee', par-tee', par-tee', par-tee'! 
     Spring is such a wonderful time of year!  It's the time when you know what is to come.  When life is uncertain and daunting, Spring will come!  When the doldrums of Winter are getting you down, Spring is committed to explode into color and fragrance.  When things are not going your way, go outside!  Hold on, take a breath and let your mind wander to Nature.  All things are interrelated and conjoined and that includes us. 
     A breath of fresh early Spring air can soothe the Soul!  Shake off the worries and take a cue from the flora and fauna.  After all... a promise is a promise! 

Soup's On!

   One of the nicest things you
can do for your family  and
yourself is to make a warm,
nutritious pot of  yumminess.
  Mmm, just smell that aroma
of love and healthy goodness!
  What?  Your soup comes
out of a can?  Or worse, a dried
bag of dessicated sawdust
and what-used-to-be vegetable
chips?  Oh, horrors, especially
when it is so easy to make
whatever kind of soup
you're in the mood for.

   Here's the basic formula:

Liquid base

Veggies

Meat (if you like)

Starch
                                                

Herbs/Spices
It's that easy!  Let's examine the parts individually...

 Liquid base:  Usually about 2 quarts, you can use stock/broth or water.  Begin by boiling chicken, or fresh bones cut away from chicken, beef or pork.  You can also make a delicious seafood stock by boiling shrimp or other shells instead of discarding them.  Use all root vegetables if vegan is the way you roll!  Miso Paste, made from fermented soy beans comes in three varieties and is great for that Asian flavor base.  Sounds gross but it's like soy sauce and very good for you by the way.  Toss in ends of celery and other root veggies or don't.

    In this economy I reccommend using your head and being creative with everything you can possibly use!  After all, you paid for it, why not use it if you can!  Make lots and freeze it, strain it or don't.  Make stock any time you can and use it for gravy, cooking rice, cous cous, polenta, sauces, etc.  And remember... wine is a liquid too!  (Don't use more than a 1/2 cup of white or red wine or sherry for beginners!)

 Veggies:  Root vegetebles like celery, fennel, carrot, parsnip, onion, garlic, and winter squash are made for soup.  They can be tossed into the pot at any point in the process.  Saute first in the pot before adding liquid or roast any or all of them for even more intense flavor.  Cube into large or smaller pieces depending upon your choice of chunky or smooth soup (as smaller pieces will be obliterated).  Butternut squash is awesome for soup.  I like to roast it first for better flavor and quicker cook time.  Add in a cup or so of pureed pumpkin to any soup for a thicker and much more nutritious way to sneak Vitamins A,C,E, lots of minerals and fiber into kids diets

   Almost any vegetable can be used.  (Cucumbers are not reccommended and Iceberg lettuce turns bitter.)  Canned tomatoes are always welcomed to the party and may be featured or just added for color and flavor.  Make use of frozen vegetables.  They are easier to keep and are a stellar bargain.  Simmer them in the broth til tender.  Don't overlook the leafys like spinach and kale. 
   A word of caution.  Use cruciferous veggies (broccoli family) with caution as they have an unpleasant sulphury odor and taste when overcooked.  Broccoli and cauliflower make wonderful creamy cheesy soups though.  More about that later...  Add sauteed mushrooms, corn, green beans, peppers and peas at the end of cooking as they do not need to be cooked to death.
  
Meat: As suggested before, chicken or turkey can be boiled til done and removed or left in to fall apart.  Bone removal will then have to be done when cooled. 
   Another flavor packed idea is to brown the meat in the soup pot first then deglaze the yummy bits from the bottom with liquid.  (Here's where wine works well.)  Of course you can finish the meat in the oven then re-add if you don't like boiled meat.

 Starch: Pasta, rice, barley, beans, potatoes... a few tips...

  Put rice or barley in at the beginning with cooking liquid.  Soak beans overnight and precook before adding.  Split peas and lentils may be soaked but it's not necessary.  Potatoes can go in raw, cook til fork tender.  Pasta can go in raw but it will suck up a lot of liquid, so beware, and it will continue to do so even in the fridge (if there is any deliciousness left over!)  Better to cook it first and add into each bowl.

 Herbs & Spices: Salt is a must.  I know the health freaks are moaning right now, but if you don't enhance the flavors now your family will be pouring it on later and that's when too much is added.   Red cayenne, black or white pepper is highly reccommended.  It's best to add herbs later on in the cooking process so they don't get bitter or lose their bright color.  Typical pot herbs are Thyme (pronounced "time"), Oregano, Basil, Marjoram, Sage & Savory.  All can be used fresh or dried.  Mix and match, experiment, but go easy at first.  You can always add more, but you can't get the flavor out if it's overwhelming!

  Oregano, Thyme and Basil accompany many tomato based soups.  Marjoram and Savory go great with vegetable and potato soups.  Sage is a must with chicken and sausage.  Curry powder is a wonderful addition to butternut squash.  Nutmeg loves green leafys like spinach.
  A few last minute thoughts...
  *Any soup can be as smooth or chunky as you like.  Use a stick blender (affectionately known as the "boat motor") or a regular stand blender to puree some or all of your creation.  Be very careful with the blender because hot liquids want to explode when you turn it on!  Use a towel pressed over the top!  The corn chowder in the photo is half blended.
  *Make creamed soups by creating a "roux" (pronounced "roo").  Cook about a tablespoon of flour in the same amount of oil for a few minutes to get rid of the "pastey" flavor.  Then add 1 cup of milk (or cream if you dare!)  Stir to combine and on medium high, let thicken a few minutes, then turn down!  Do not let it boil over or cook so long that it separates.  Add grated cheddar or jack cheese and let gently melt in while stirring to make a cheesy soup such as Cheesy Corn Chowder, or Broccoli Cheddar or Creamy Cauliflower!  YUM!  Always stir creamy stuff into finished masterpiece at the end.
  *Fresh herbs are beautiful on top of each serving bowl.  Parsley, scallions or basil ribbons are delicious and pretty.
*Please tell me your ideas, suggestions, recipes, comments, etc, on the Naturegirl Facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Naturegirl55blogspotcom/179742785379196  Thank you!  And Bon Appetit!

Let's Get Serious About Natural Food

   Mmmmm, Three Berry French Toast!
Looks sinfully rich and delicious, and it is!
It's also guilt-free. Starring 100% whole wheat bread and fresh-frozen fruit.
    I used 1 egg beaten with a splash of milk (you can substitute almond milk if you're going the non-dairy route).  Dip the bread, turn, sprinkle with lots of cinnamon and place on a hot griddle or pan with a little canola oil. Sprinkle the other side with cinnamon and cook a few minutes.  Meanwhile microwave a handful of berries to thaw then pour Agave or 100% real Maple syrup over the warm berries. I like to smash a few for color and flavor.  I use my 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of butter and extra virgin olive oil on the toast for an extra rich flavor but you can leave that out if you like. :)
   Check back to previous blogs Oct. 31st, 2010 and Nov. 29th, 2010 for more info on yummy substitutions. Now, here's a new one...
   Make your own salad dressing!  The commercial dressings are all full of sugar!  Why?  Who puts sugar on their green salad?  Ewww!  It's just too easy to make healthy salad dressing the way you like it.  I just made a Green Goddess dressing that turned out really delicious... AND nutritious.  Here it is, so you can try it...
  Green Goddess Dressing
1/2 a soft Avocado, mashed (or put all ingredients in a blender or food processor)
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good fat, Omega 3)
1 Tablespoon of Lime juice (can use lemon or vinegar)
1/2 Cup Buttermilk (which has zero fat and about 4 grams of protein)
1 Tablespoon or more of chives or scallions
1/8 teaspoon of salt       
Process or whisk together til creamy, adjust any or all ingredient(s)  to taste.

Basic Salad Dressing
1 Tablespoon Mustard
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Whisk in about 2/3 Cup Olive Oil slowly drizzling to allow the mustard to bind it together
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Fresh ground black pepper
* add a few drops of Agave syrup if you want a touch of sweetness, or Parmesan cheese or, garlic, onion powder, Italian herbs, chives, fresh parsley, or whatever else floats your boat!  Generally speaking salad dressing should be approx. 1/3 part acid (vinegar, lemon) to 1 part oil (canola, grapeseed, olive are all good oils).
   Green tea is really good for you (loaded with anti-oxidants) but I find it to be bland.  So, I mix half green with half regular.  A little lemon and I'm good to go!  If you're having a hard time kicking the soda habit, try this...
   Mix a heaping tablespoon of frozen 100% orange juice with a half cup or so of seltzer. Stir vigorously with a fork til all melted in, then add more seltzer to fill the glass. Very refreshing! Try it with a squeeze of lime, or use grape or apple juice (no sugar added of course).  All of these are sweet enough not to need any extra sugar.  Use your imagination.  Agave and vanilla flavor with seltzer makes a fantastic cream soda!  I've even made gingerale this way! Fresh ginger heated in Agave syrup (or sugar if you must), then strained makes a delightful ginger syrup. Also yummy over warm pears heated in wine! (but that's another blog...)
   By the way, the reason I use Agave syrup, (which is made from the same cactus plant that Tequila is made from) is that it has a lower glycemic index than white processed sugar.  That means your blood sugar will not shoot up as quickly as with the "white poison".  There are also many other claims about granulated sugar, such as its addictive nature and health risk theories, that I would just as soon avoid it whenever I can.
  Dark Chocolate however is good enough for you that it doesn't pose the same risk.  Sweet! (as the kids say).  Well that's enough for now, enjoy!

A Game of Cat and Mouse

Silently waiting until it is safe,
I am a traveller, a vagabond, a waif.

Hidden from view and just out of sight,
I am vigilantly awaiting my flight.

When the moment arrives that I know from within
Or I peer through the branches and witness my kin

Already venturing forth from their lairs;
At long last again I may feast, if I dare!

For me this adventure is the order of things.
It is my independence and why I have wings.

The game of the preditor stalking its prey,
Keeps me stealthfully trav'ling along on my way.

The freedom I feel when escaping the hawk
Is worth cloaking in caverns and worth being stalked.

And so I'm content. In my stillness I wait.
Seasons pass quickly for me and my mate.

Life is always presenting new challenges here,
New food source, new preditors, even a new year.

With ages of Wisdom within me installed...
To the Great Tree in Heaven when I am called.

I love Wrens

     In the Peterson Field Guide these adorable little birds are described as "stumpy".  We plump people would perhaps prefer to use the words 'portly', and short-tailed.  They couldn't possibly be fat because they are unbelievably energetic!  This is mostly why they are so entertainingly endearing!  They never stop moving.  Twitching, hopping, poking into every crevice, crack and pocket that might hold something yummy. 
     If you have ever seen the movie "Animal House", there is a scene where John Belushi is kind of crouched over stiffly hopping to face left, then right, knees bent.  He looks just like a Carolina Wren!  Which brings me to their strange Latin name.
     Wrens are in the family "Troglodytidae".  That name has always bothered me.  When you pronounce it you hear the unmistakable word 'Troglodite'.  I always thought that meant caveman or Neanderthal (hmm, like Belushi's character?)  How could something so cute and smart (I'll get to that later) be called such a derogatory name?
     Well I looked it up...  Within the definition;  primitive... not in the least!  Cave dweller... ok, and then, "one who creeps into holes"... BINGO!  Watch a wren, of any species, for even a little while and that is exactly what you'll see!  They fearlessly disappear into every hole they come upon.  I say fearlessly because most birds are very wary of being trapped or cornered.
     Their favorite treats are spiders.  They appear to be so smart because they return daily to the same places that are adorned with webs.  Do they know that spiders make webs or do they just remember the place where they found a succulent morsel previously?  I leave the webs and spiders (as many as I can stand) on my porch just to have the delightful, jovial little troglodites visit regularly.
     You can hear them coming at least a property or more away.  They are loud and gregarious like Blue Jays, although not at all as pushy.  Some of them prefer bird houses like House Sparrows, though they can be particular about the size and shape and the position of the opening.  They produce usually five white eggs speckled with brown and some are known for nesting in just about anything from pockets in abandoned laundry to aluminum cans and flower pots!  Their long down-curved bill is perfect for poking around stirring up bugs, but I recently have seen a Carolina Wren in my seed dish.
     We have, so far, seen only two of the nine species here at Naturegirl Central.  I will be looking for the darker brown, mouse-like Winter Wren on the ground this year now that research for this blog has brought to my attention that they should be here, poking around brush piles and firewood!  The two we have are very different looking birds.  Carolinas are a rich rusty brown with a large distinctive white eyebrow and House Wrens are a slimmer taupe-y light brown with a beautiful song.  House Wrens also leave to go further south and Carolinas do not.
     My favorite thing about Carolina Wrens is this discovery...
One night while making a pilgrimage to the back yard with my ailing dog Bentley, I was standing, shivering next to our screen-draped patio gazebo when something suddenly made me look up.  In the dark, peering back at me, lit only by the moon, were two tiny beady little eyes astride a long, curved beak, tucked inside a pocket created by a loop of fabric.  (I apologized for the disturbance.)
     Last night as I was wondering if he or she was still using the same loops of fabric even though they were re-purposed long ago, I got my answer.  The porch lights were misfiring due to strong winds yesterday and as I tapped at them, I heard a shuffling, scratching sound in the canvas nearby.  Fortunately I do not startle easily, even in the dark.  There again was my friend trying to get some sleep, this time only his or her stubby little tail was visible.  I appologized AGAIN!  What a pest I am!

The Healing Power of Animals

     So many times I have been inspired by stories people have told me about how their pets have helped them heal or came into their lives at a particularly difficult time.
     There is no doubt that they have a certain "something" that we lack.  Dogs seem to know when you're coming home, even if its a different time every day.  I have tested this and silently crept in to my house only to find the little furry mind-readers waiting and wagging.  There were no car door slams or windows for them to spy on me through.  Just pure love on four paws.  I'm sure cats are even more aware but they don't want you to think they care so much!
     So, are they psychic?  Are they just more able to focus than we are?  Are they less distracted by the world around them?  Are they more closely connected the the Creator than we are, or all of the above?
     Pets know when you are sick and curl up on your lap or your bed in support.  Animals are sensitive in ways we do not yet understand.  Dogs are employed to find bombs, drugs and missing people.  Many different species are helping us as service animals.  I've even seen a pygmy horse assisting a wheelchair bound human!   Are they so full of pure energy that they just really want to help us?                                                                                                                                                  
     Now, how can we tap into this?  Perhaps all we need to do is love them back and that will open the pathway, the flow of healing.  We know that laughter is the best medicine; that smiling actually releases endorphins (those healing, stabilizing hormones).  I've heard that petting your cat can do the same thing!  All of this used to be "hocus-pocus" but is now backed by science.
     Anyone who has pets will tell you that they can be very funny!  They seem to do it on purpose.  They are very fast learners and it is possible that they just enjoy our laughter or feel the response as pleasant, but I think they know exactly what they're doing!  I had a pig once who would tug on my pantleg cuff and try to get me to chase her around the barnyard! (Which I, of course, did.)  She was a character!
     I would like to take this a step further.  I think it is no accident that animals come into your life at the perfect, divinely directed time.  Those of us who believe there is a grand scheme to the Universe, a Divine Design if you will, would not find this to be a stretch.  Maybe the critters are even in on it!  They seem to show up "by accident" or "needing a home".  Even if you go out seeking a pet, you never know who you'll find and at precisely the right time.  All of my dogs, cats, birds, turtles and barnyard adoptees have come to me unexpectedly.  Are they dependent upon us or are they here for us, in support of us?
     Animals not only help heal us individually with their comfort and companionship, but they might save the next generation as well.  I am very concerned about kids in this society not learning empathy.  They are bombarded with disturbing images in the form of bloody, violent games, music and movies that I believe callous their feelings and make the occasional horriffic crime seem commonplace and expected; sometimes even funny.  If the "bad guys" are heroes and cruelty to humans and animals is justified how will they learn compassion?
     Animals on the other hand cannot help but teach us patience, (when they have an accident on the rug), forgivness (when they come running right back to you after you trip over them or step on their tail).  Loyalty is demonstrated when your dog guards your children and the yard.  Responsibility is a huge lesson sometimes difficult to instill in the "young'ns" without the help of a hungry, doe-eyed furball anxiously waiting to be fed. 
     Horses don't take any guff from you, bees are amazing communicators, monkeys show us a sense of community, cats have mastered "the art of self ", ducks will eat anything you give them and not complain (unlike kids)!  Bears take their naps when they're supposed to, birds of a feather flock together!  (Just threw in that last one to see if you're still awake!)
     Animals can heal the world if we let them!  The world sure needs some healing, so let's listen to them!











    
    

Torn Between Two Seasons

    There's a whisper of Fall in the air.       ~Just a whisper.~       The air is still infused with Summer humidity.  The breeze is still filled with myriad various butterflies and dragonflies dancing on the wing from Petunia to Buddleia to Lantana.  They look as though they are unaware that Autumn is about to pounce.
     Kids are back to school.  Leaves are crisp and falling.  Many new and some old familiar varieties of apples are beginning to appear at the market.  An early crop of pumpkins and colorful, twisty, warted gourds are making their debut as well.  Thoughts of weeding garden beds and planting perennials have turned to choosing Autumn bulbs and raking leaves.
     The rainy season has arrived, yet sometimes its hard to tell if those storm clouds are ahead of a Summer tropical system or a Fall cold front.  Just stick your head out the door or your nose out the nearest window to become your own meteorologist.  You'll probably do as well as they do!  Raincoat?, thongs?, sweater?, boots?  Open the windows - close the windows... air conditioning, ...not!  Its warm then cool, its humid then dry, its windy then still.  Give it a minute... it'll change!  On second thought, better listen to the professionals!
     Cuckoos have not yet arrived to dine on Tent Caterpillars and immature Cardinals are patchwork quilts of brown, red and olive.  Camellia buds are receiving their innate messages to get ready for the big show.  Some summer shrubs are still sleepily shooting small but persistent blooms.  Few vegetable garden plants remain, giving their gifts of love.  No one told them to stop!  So, the Basil continues on, and on and shares a bed with a now shriveled vine of plump beige-y Butternut squash.
     Yes, there's a whisper of Fall and a thunder bolt of Summer.  Then a whiff of crushed Autumn leaves and a beautiful flutter of Eastern Black Swallowtail wings.  The Catbirds and possibly the Hummingbirds have left and its time for the Northern Robins to start travelling through on their way back up North.
     Confused?  I think not.  Perhaps oblivious.  Most people do not even notice the changing of seasons.  It is definitely more of a blending than a change.  My advise... enjoy the dichotomy.  Savor the gifts of both.  In fact, savor every minute, every delicious second of the time you spend out in Nature. 

Early Morning, Late Summer

    There is a time in late Summer mornings when the sounds and sights and scents are intoxicating.  When the sun peaks through the masque of shattered shade and illuminates tenacious Impatiens, the effect is stunning!  Multi-colored threads of spiderwebs glisten in the dappled sunlight like oil in puddles of
Summer air.

  Starlings gather in the treetops above to discuss the day's itinerary.  In a whoosh of wingbeats they are on their way.  Cicadas are chattering, dragon and damselflies begin their day and crickets are marking their metered music.  Bullfrogs are quieting and settling in to their hollows and insects are hurrying by trying to
avoid them.  Every living thing seems determined and purposeful as it begins the day.

  The sweet scent of some unseen flowers mingles with the earthy smell of cedar and fresh-fallen leaves.  I am overcome as my nose tries to sort them out.  My lungs drawing in more and more as if I couldn't exhale and try again!  Something green, something musty, floral, spicy- the incense of  Nature.
 
  There is a time in late Summer mornings when the breeze is delicious and the birds are too busy to be afraid of you.  When you are "glowing" with the power of appreciation of the surrounding beauty,  you pose no threat to them.  This must be communicated to them because they are all instinct and senses we do not yet understand.  Chickadees are chick-a-dee-dee-ing and Hummingbirds are humming their happy morning song.  Even the yard bunny is otherwise engaged with her breakfast.

  There's a coolness in the air before the sun takes over.  Today the clouds are ever-changing pouffs of every possible cloudy hue.  From brilliant white to deep blue-grey they billow and undulate as they hurry on their way.  Are they going somewhere to wreak havoc and are we just not privy to the joke?
      
   I allow the breeze to blow through me and clear the cobwebs out of my mind.  In a peaceful moment such as this, one can gather one's thoughts and commune with whatever percieved Spirit dwells within.  Perhaps we can hear the plan for our day whispered on the breeze or hidden in the chirps and chatters that fill the
early morning air.

  There is a time in late Summer mornings when one can become enchanted by the launching of Life and the begining of a new day.

Begin Again

     There was no coolness in the air early this morning, none whatsoever.  Having arisen before the proverbial "crack" I expected there to be some leftover relief in the air from the night before.  Dawn wasn't even a hairline fracture yet.  No coolness, just oppressive humidity.  Does that portend the day to follow? I wondered.
     I laid my eyes upon a magnificent dollop of salmon colored whip cream in the sky.  This is the first time I can remember having seen a cloud lit from the East with the dawn side illuminated.  I am more familiar with the other side of the hemisphere where evening hues of lavender and apricot paint the Western sky.
     A cacaphony of birdsongs filled the thick morning air.  They lift the Soul.  Are they all really joyously greeting the new day or is there another more mundane reason for this beautiful commotion?
     Mornings hold the promise of things yet unseen, unexplored, things yet to be accomplished.  A new day to create in, a new chance to try again, a second chance. 
     The Natural World is full of examples of rebirth and re-emergence.  My beloved Catbird couple are apparently trying again at nesting after a disappointing attempt and some very bad luck the first time.  They were scurrying about with strands of grass and twigs last week and visiting their old nesting site after being roundly expelled from a chosen Crepe Myrtle by the resident Mockingbird.  They are undaunted and have begun again somewhere out of sight in an undisclosed location. 
     My Nasturtiums are relentlessly fighting the odds after being snacked upon by hungry bunnies. Even though they were cut off in the prime of life they have sprouted the tiniest of rotund little leaves with that unique starburst in the centers.
     I have an Alstomeria that has come up for four years now never once flowering!  Every year I have counted it out as not having survived the Summer and yet it returns, an intrepid reminder of powerful
universal forces of renewal.
     Our Japenese Cherry tree still has viable roots giving it their all after drought and forgetful caretakers nearly killed her.  I can almost hear her quietly whispering to me in the breeze through brown and crinkled leaves, "Don't give up on me yet.  I will begin again." 
     Shouldn't we take a cue from Nature and allow ourselves the comfort of a "do-over" without harsh criticism from the voices in our own heads.  We knew as very young children if we stumble, scrape our knee or just topple over while attempting our first steps we always could try again, without scorn. 
     Will we still generously grant ourselves and others renewal, rebirth, healing, forgiveness and a rousing call of "do-over!"?