Spring, Nature, and the Higher Self...

Spring is three days away. Yippee!

I have a large woodpile waiting for me to split and I'm anxious to get to it. I don't like splitting wood in the cold, but I do relish the idea of warmth coming soon. When I do split my pile I feel the sun's strength on my back and I love it. Both the wood and the sun give me what I need to keep my self in tune with Nature and going forward.

On my wooded land I never feel lonely or weak, and I am given all I need for new growth and healing. That is what Spring and Nature give me every year at this time. I watch for green shoots to find their way above ground and for birds to begin finding nesting materials. As I look at the woodpile I feel the earth beneath my feet begin to awaken in perfect harmony to the sun's heat.

In meditation I thank the Universe for the seasons. They are outrageous and I don't want to live anywhere else but the northeast. Each season here helps me become stronger within myself, stronger in love, and more capable within.

I love this time of year!

Nature...

Someone asked me the other day if it matters whether or not I feed the deer, birds, fox, raccoon, and turkey that wander throughout my woods. I've been thinking about that question. Who does it matter to? The animals and birds, or to me?

Simply, the answer is both. It matters to the birds, turkey, deer, and other animals especially at this time of year. The ground is covered with snow and now a layer of ice on top of that. More snow is to come in this winter and what are these gorgeous souls going to eat? Yes, they do nurture themselves in many ways, but does it hurt to supplement their diet with corn, bird seed, and suet made by me? Many opinions, both for and against, have been shared about feeding wild animals. My feeling is why not! If we can help sustain them by adding a little supplement each day, I am honored to do so.

And does it matter to me? Yes! Nature and all souls are so giving in every way. Seeing their beauty inspires me, teaches me, and helps me to understand how we are all One. We need each other to survive this life. Trees give us shade, winter's dead-fall wood and therefore warmth as we burn, beauty in their leaves both in summer and in fall, and strength as we watch them stand tall under the harshest conditions. And birds, deer, turkey, fox, and other animals that share their woods with me? I view them as I would my friends. Loving, caring, and asking for help on occasion.

Yes it matters that we pay attention to the lessons of Nature. And yes, it matters to me as I watch them run with joy to my feeding stations on my property. They know me and I know them. They do not fear me. Nor I them. They wait with patience as I walk toward them with my feeding bucket every evening at dusk.

My whistle lets them know they are safe with me. The same whistle each time I feed, the one that they know so well.

What an honor to be a part of this exceptional beauty.

Christmas is history and my kitties are missing their favorite hideaway. We have all welcomed in 2014 and are now deciding what we'd like to accomplish in these next twelve months.

My first intention was to get back into my writing cabin. I'm in it now and it feels exciting to scratch one thing off my list. So on to the next.....

I have a writing goal of completing another edit of my memoir, From Scratch. In my cabin I have all I need to make this happen. In my heart I want to accomplish what will give me worth as a writer, and working on this edit is important in order to make that happen. A dear friend who has published many books advised me to go forward with commitment, and not be tossed away. And so I will.

Go forward, or go forward with commitment. Quite a difference isn't there? I'm choosing the latter!

What a gift...

I have been gifted in the last two months. It all started and ended with Maine. First was the planning, then the actual event, and finally the joy of coming home.

Cancer nagged at my body, and chemotherapy took its toll on my physical strength for the last two years. But in my mind and heart I never doubted God or the higher Path that had been set for me. I've come far in my healing, and setting aside time to continue this venture was hard work. But it all came together.

In Maine I meditated and hiked each and every day of the five week vacation/retreat. My body felt the difference. My heart filled with love given me by Nature in all of its elements. I am a New England woman, and in going back to my roots I learned once more who I am. The rocky rugged coast gave me strength to go forward. Hiking in the woods by the ocean helped me find simplicity, compassion, and patience. I needed to find my purpose again in order to heal, and I did.

Dawn brought sunrises that were vastly different each morning, and they helped me understand that we too are not the same each day. How boring! I learned to embrace my differences, and allow for new growth. Live life. I will now follow my heart with my words and actions, walking my talk with honesty and love. At least I will try.

Our gifts...

My family just gave me a Celebration of Life party/picnic. It was an outside venue, with beautifully decorated picnic tables under a pavilion. Music provided by my son's corporate band, food ordered and provided by my local favorite Italian restaurant, and friends sitting everywhere. A perfect day!

What I discovered at the party was we all have a gift to share. Like finding a white feather sitting atop the kelp, we will discover in us a worthy gift to bless the lives of others. A friend of mine sang her heart out while playing her guitar, as did my oldest son. My sister and husband worked hard to set up a comfortable place for us all, and then went on to welcome my friends and family as they arrived. My youngest son gave his caring self to all, helping everyone to feel loved as is his normal practice.

The lesson here for me was "the gift". We each must discover what our gift is, nurture it with passion, and then share. If we care about family and friends, or how our lives move forward with purpose, it is up to us to realize our own self worth while we work towards undoing the knot of our minds.

I believe we will find our gifts, share them with others, and go forward in love. What could be more important?

Fawns, turkey babies, and bucks, oh my!

I have three families of turkeys walking by my cabin these days. One mommy has eight babies, another has ten, and the last has eleven. They all hang out together and it is very cute to watch them interact. They are instinctive when it comes to scratching and pecking, but they run and chase each other until they are exhausted and the mommies have to separate them. Cuteness!

Twin fawns scamp around my cabin looking as if they're running laps! Their spots are fading and in another month will be gone. One is more aggressive than the other, but both are showing their independence. They love the cracked corn I feed them and after their snack they bed down in the dappled sunlight of the woods. I watch them as they snooze.

Bucks are coming to feed as well. I have one six pointer and one eight point. Handsome boys! Their antlers are still somewhat fuzzy and they are not afraid of me. They come by at least three times a day and I'd go broke if I fed them each time. However, with fall on its way I hope they know my land is a safe place for them.

My prayer for all these animals is safety. They give me joy at a time when it is needed, and they seem to know that my cabin and the surrounding woods is a gentle place. A kind place. And they are right.