Tranquility...

Walking to my cabin this morning I heard the Pileated Woodpecker singing his song and it reminded me of one thing. Paying attention to each moment. Birds and wildlife do only what they know each day. All of their effort is put forward on the task at hand. Eating, singing, mating, flying or whatever. The lesson for me is to keep going forward. Effort. It's all about the effort I'm willing to give.

I've said this so many times to myself. Use continuous exertion in each task at hand, or I'll  fail at what I'm trying to accomplish. For instance; my health, writing, daily meditations and service to others all need constant effort.

One lesson for me has been to use this action in a calm way. Tranquility, like Cooper Lake just outside of Woodstock, NY. When I sit at its shore and look out over the water it steadies me, allowing my body to relax into the strength I own.

Yes, tranquility. Use it along with effort and it will make all the difference.

My cabin!

My writing cabin sits on its foundation from the stones in my woods. Hefting them into my small trailer was backbreaking work, but well worth the effort. Stone foundations are tricky to build! I still feel giggles in my tummy when I look at it, mostly because I think it's cute. But, more importantly, I think that piece of cuteness holds most of my dreams, meditations, and books yet to be finished.

Each morning I reach for the handle on its hobit-like door and hesitate for a second before I walk in. "What is my cabin going to give me this morning," I ask? Its love is always there, but each day has a different feel. It may be filled with dappled sunlight from the woods, or gray from the early morning mist. Too hot from summer's humidity, or too cold from winter's wind. With both air conditioning and heat I can make the changes accordingly.

What I can't change is the gift I'm given once inside. It may be tears, or a new chapter to my book. Joy, or the peek of a fawn resting among the underbrush. My cabin holds a mystery for me each day, and finding the key for that lock isn't always easy. I am challenged.

But it is perfect.

Susan Richards Workshop

Take a writing workshop!

On Sunday I came back from Woodstock, NY, and the Susan Richards workshop. Was it remarkable? Yes! Was Susan a good teacher for this group? She was a rock star! (Cliche??)

At her home, nestled in the Catskill Mountains, I grew as a writer and I grew personally. Susan laughed with us, cried with us, and gave this group of hers enough skills to last a lifetime. Susan did not hold back in her critiques and we'll always be grateful for her honesty. If my writing could be better in places, she helped me. If she liked what I had to say, she complimented me and helped me feel worthy of my work.

So, take a workshop. Do it. If I can, so can you. Five days of listening, growing, and getting feedback. Lynn and Michele, the two other writers in my group, critiqued my manuscript along with Susan. Their help was accepted, and it came back to me with caring and love.

Susan, you really know how to run a workshop! Thank you.

In the picture:
Michele, Susan, Me, and Lynn.

Reaching for the calmest part of myself...

Making my way home from the Princeton Jumping Horse Show in New Jersey this past weekend, I realize how simple my life has become. Driving on Peppermint Road, which is close to my home, I look at the serene field on my left and feel calm and cradled in such a setting. It gives me what I need each day to heal from the strains of life.

I try to live from the heart of my soul. My spirituality has always been at the center of who I am. On my three acres I can be still and uncomplicated, enabling me to live in clarity and conscious choice.

God's finest whispers fill every bird song I hear and I am thankful for each day. I experience euphoria by living without being limited by the judgment of others. We all have a finite time on this earth, and it is important that I learn to balance the gifts I've been given, and to take responsibility for the space I hold here.

I must challenge myself to do better in each moment, because I have the opportunity each morning to start again. To give of myself in a way that enhances rather than diminishes. What is genuine and what is lasting is who we are. 

Writing workshop for Sal!

Never have I gone to a writer's workshop! But, next month I will expand my world from chemotherapy treatments to writing workshop endeavors. Actually, I'm so excited to work and learn from Susan Richards, author of Saddled, Chosen By a Horse, and Chosen Forever.

It is a five day workshop in upstate New York. I feel honored to be a part of this group of eight, and I know in my heart I will become part of a new family. Hopefully, my blog writing will become clearer to those who read it. And, by the way, for those who do read my blogs, thanks for sticking with me.

As my thoughts of cancer disappear within the work I am given, it will be a healing experience.

How exciting!

Spring Rains...

In my area of Bucks County, PA, we've had fog and rain in the early mornings and late afternoons. It is a beautiful thing to see the rain help the woods come to glory, and the animals singing because they are so happy. Everything is fresh and green. Flowers are peaking toward their summer height and are giving us the gift of color.

I am pleased to be on this planet with all the new and living growth. I ask my spiritual self if I am making the same growth in my life here and now. I pray that I am, and I want to be the example of what it means to accept whatever we given.

Life is good and life is precious. Ask me and I'll share the love with you!

Spring Green...

It is time to lift the boats from their resting place and drop them gently back into their slips. Spring is here in full force, and there are many who anxiously await to climb back into their boats and sail away. Most usually there are winds that come in the spring to fill the sails as many make there way out to the open sea. What joy!

I do not have a boat any longer, but there is nothing like stepping into that Boston Whaler in the middle of spring. Chugging out through the bay and into open water made for a delicious plate of experiences. Now I envision them from memory as I sit in my cabin waiting for my cancer cells to die off, so that I may experience the fun once more. It will happen, I'm sure of that. I wonder what the larger picture is for me as I sit here awaiting the discovery of it.

There will always be a journey in our lives that we do not expect. I know there is something inside this detour that will reveal itself soon and I am ready for it. Finding the joy within will be my most perfect moment, and I can hardly wait!

Enjoy the spring everyone, it is here dressed in green and full of life.