Obsidian - Small Stone - 11

 Did you ever read or hear a word and it stays in your mind? You just wish for an opportunity to use it. Well, sometimes you must make your own opportunities.

obsidian:

sunset filters through storm clouds onto an obsidian sea

Photo from 2018 - the obsidian sea at Del Mar, CA during sunset

small stone

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Small Stone - Nature's Plan

deep in a lodgepole forest

3 small evergreens stand in a row

lovely with snow-covered branches

at equal intervals from each other

how were they magically planted

these spruce among pines

what force planned their birth

and watches over their growth

I pass these little spruce and marvel. I hope they stay healthy, spreading their branches over hundreds of years, bearing witness to something that is magical and unknowable.

The wonder of Nature is my Good Thing today.

Light and Dark

Light and dark are necessary both in photography and in life.

that slash of light on the mountain is a snowcat grooming the ski trail.

The contrast is what makes a photograph and a memory.

Wrapped in wings of light and dark, life takes flight.

full moon at dawn from my house

I am the bird - the wings are mine.

Be present I tell myself.

Allow dark to enhance light and light to enhance dark.

I've been thinking about light and dark because I've been experimenting with night photos.

Bob's phone quit so I gave him my iPhone X, and I bought an 11Pro. I've been having some fun with the phone camera which has a night mode. 

As is my nature, I extrapolate from the specific (the night photos) to the general (living a mindful life).

It amazes me how just a little bit of light can influence a vast darkness.

And how enveloping darkness can create a backdrop to showcase existing light.

Light and dark are my good things both in photography and in life.

Find One Good Thing today - take flight, be present.

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iPhone 11Pro photos edited in Snapseed

Peace and Love Abide with You

March was hectic with record snowfall and company.

We had family visiting over their spring breaks from school.

The push/pull of the seasons continues.

April is sometimes mild and sometimes chilly.

Snow continues to fall, but melt is underway.

The dirt road where I normally walk is a muddy mess.

Winter still dominates at high altitude.

It often grips the landscape through May.

I got a new "smart" sports watch this week.

I didn't want one that I could use as a phone or camera.

I did want one that has great battery life and has navigation tools for hiking/biking.

I also wanted a wrist heart rate monitor.

Unfortunately, the Garmin Instinct is smarter than I am, so it took me hours to set it up.

Today, the watch and I went on the Rec Path to walk 5 miles.

I walked - the watch told me many things (some of which I didn't need to know).

It was a sunny, blue-sky day with temps 10-15 degrees above freezing.

As usual, I smiled most of the way.

even Kachina and the Eagle were smiling

Did you know that just the act of smiling is very beneficial to your health?

(Smiling and Health)

I always start the day by looking at myself in the mirror and smiling.

I smile at random people, and they return the favor.

A smile is like a yawn - the brain automatically responds to a smile with a smile.

When I pass people, I bless them by thinking, "May peace and love abide with you."

I do this for animals, too.

the Blue River is free from ice and snow at some places

Today, beside people smiles, I received a smile from a large Malamute dog.

(Perhaps he sensed my blessing...)

I've been doing a lot of reading about new brain research.

I'm watching podcasts on brain/heart/gut connections.

I hope to share some of the things I'm learning in future posts.

I'd encourage you to smile more often.

See if your attitude doesn't change.

I bet you'll feel more positive about your life.

I think it will help you find One Good Thing.

May Peace and Love abide with you.

One Good Thing

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Questions and Answers

I was getting 5 year old Sam ready to return home after spending a weekend with us.

"I love you, Grammy!"

"I'm going to come live with you when I finish college."

"Well," I said, "that's a really long time from now."

"Will you be dead?" he asked.

"That's possible," I answered.

"But, I'll miss you! How will I find you?" he wondered.

I patted his head and tapped his chest.

"I'll always be in your memories and in the love inside your heart."

Satisfied, he smiled and hugged me again before leaving.

The innocence of children is my One Good Thing today.

Amanda and Ben with little brother Sam.

Our oldest grandchildren celebrate their 15th birthdays in February.

Ben was born 1 minute before Amanda.

They were the first to call us Grammy and Pop Pop.

It's been a joy to watch them grow and mature.

We're very proud of them.

Being Grandparents is another very Good Thing!

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Judge Not...

What does it mean to be non-judgemental?

The brain, left to its own devices, is judgemental. 

We judge good/bad, right/wrong, fair/unfair.  

We have biases and often act on them immediately.

Larimer Square, Denver - Christmas Eve.

For many years, I've practiced delaying opinion.

Careful listening and observation are positive practices.

In the moment, I try to see nuance.

I attempt to get a clear picture of reality with an awareness that lacks bias.

I try to understand others' ideas and behaviors rather than leap to preset judgements.

However, I often fail and fall back on my old ways of thinking/behaving.

It's definitely difficult to suspend judgement.

Bob outside Union Station, Denver

So, as I say goodbye to 2017, I'm determined to renew my efforts.

I'm not perfect, and I hope others won't judge me too harshly.

Likewise, I hope to moderate my rush to judgement.

I'd like my opinions to be formed with a contemplative mind.

In today's ever-changing world, I owe myself the ability to adapt.

Leaping to judgement stymies adaptation.

I don't want to remain mired in old thought processes and behaviors.

Antique sled on our front porch in Breckenridge - old even when I used it as a girl.

In 2018, I hope to 

pause more,

listen carefully,

see clearly,

and

slow my judgmental mind.

I hope for mindfulness and peace that calm the spirit.

I wish the same for you.

My first day of skiing in December 2017 - Peak 9, Breckenridge Ski Area

Happy New Year from Barb!

A fresh start is my One Good Thing today.

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Trying to Understand

I navigate familiar paths.

I share space with animals that make

forests, meadows, and mountains their home.

Nature exerts power and makes changes.

I'm small in vast wilderness.

I'm constantly reminded that I'm not in charge.

Weather and the cycles of seasons unfold.

There is nothing I control.

In my small world, I'm attentive.

In the randomness of life, I sometimes discern patterns.

Occasionally, I glimpse my part of the whole.

In those lucid moments, I know peace.

I continue to seek and find my one good thing.

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Thank you to all who have e-mailed me about my posts.

I write to find my way.

I smile to know someone else is walking with me.

Fundamentally the Same

asked about my hobbies when I was a little girl

I'd reply that I liked to read and to write

nothing has changed much

in all these years

art installation, Denver Botanic Garden

I wonder if we are mostly formed

even as children

following our life paths

to conclusion

though people think they change

possibly they remain the same

as their childhood selves

think about your own life

are you so different as an adult

than the child you once were

a fun app called Waterlogue allows me to change my photos to watercolors

however, they aren't fundamentally changed, are they?

The First Day of 2014 - Mindful Writing Challenge

spot of color in a whitened world

I finished a book on New Year's Eve

The Sweetness of Life by Francoise Heritier

encouraging me to

focus on the simple but inspiring

moments in life

Today:

blustery winds with drifting mounds of snow, pungent kitchen smells 

(pork and sauerkraut slow-cooking for good luck in 2014), long phone chat with a granddaughter (discussing books - I smile with pleasure as we speak), warm vanilla scent of burning candles (to off-set the sauerkraut), a new novel waiting for me on the Kindle, strong black coffee and a flaky blackberry scone tempting me on the chair-side table, fireplace flickering warmth, feelings of contentment and wellbeing, no place to be and nothing much to do

the first day of 2014

I'm join with others around the world during the month of January

observing carefully to write Small Stones for the 

Mindful Writing Challenge.

Won't you please join us, too?

(My Book Review Page is up to date for 2013.)

Happy New Year from Waldo!

Find the Tear - Mindful Writing Challenge

Awake suddenly in predawn darkness. Flames in the bedroom fireplace cast flickering shadows. Into my mind comes a phrase that has haunted me all week, "you can't mend until you find the tear." I concentrate on what this might mean, but any literal interpretation eludes me. Now, in the afternoon, I probe for meaning once again. I google the phrase, thinking maybe I read it somewhere. But, nothing matches. Is it guidance or warning? I'm sure I won't forget. If I ever find the tear, I'll tell you. And I'll start to mend.

small stone - Mindful Writing Challenge

Sculpture along Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA (May 2011)