Oh I did today. I went to a beach on Narragansett bay after one of my appt. We had a beautiful day in Rhode Island. It was 78 degrees at the beach. I found this little beach last year. You can bring you dog on a leash and it is a free beach to go to. A short walk from the little parking lot with a view of Jamestown RI bridge.. Was one of the highlights of my day, the other is my daughter found an apartment (share) and it is very close to where she works!! Hurray!!
Whoever first said,
that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’
saw the bigger picture
of what beauty actually is.
It’s usually not the prettiest girl in the class
when it comes right down to it.
I think
that beauty is much more than skin deep.
to my own detriment with friends
I have never subscribed to traditional adages about beauty,
so I tend to see it
in more places than some.
Beauty
can be heart warming,
as well as heart breaking.
Last autumn,
while taking down the phoebe’s nest
that had been built over my outdoor pendant light
I found three little birds,
bigger than hatchling,
but not yet fledglings.
They were dead,
and I never knew what had happened to their parents.
They were a deeply sorrowful sight,
but they were still beautiful,
resting in their soft nest.
My oriental poppies
are in full bloom now,
and have spread throughout the gardens . . .
they are so joyfully beautiful
that they lift my heart
almost out of my chest.
Beauty surrounds me every day
as it does all of us,
but so many people
either close their eyes to it
or are just too ‘busy’ to notice.
My first son
died in the springtime,
and I had to turn away
from the green fields in the countryside where I lived . . .
and the lambs and calves and fillies
who were born there . . .
the flowers and the butterflies
and the nursing goats.
The pain of their beauty
hurt my heart
like too much light in the eyes.
My sister-in-law
tried to put her new baby into my arms,
thinking it would comfort me,
but I couldn’t do it.
It took me a long time
to turn my eyes outward and upward.
Gradually
I began to see again,
the exquisite grace and beauty
that surrounds me every day,
and I am grateful
for the resilience I was born with
for it has broadened my horizons
in ways that I never would have imagined. ♥
Thank you, dear Sparrow for this reflection. My mother died when I was just about 4. Since seeing an addiction therapist for 4 years every other week, I have had occasion to ponder that event again. 🙏
Thank you for sharing your heart Sparrow. My Mother lost a child at birth and she was deeply affected by it although back in those days it was hardly spoke about. She ended up going to therapy a great many years later. My Dad told me the story about her heartbreak after she passed 🙏
You are right,
dear Robin Ann . . .
those things,
as well as miscarriages
were never spoken about.
It would have helped your mother
I think,
if she had been ‘allowed’
to grieve at the time. ♥
My Ngoc, it’s currently 80 degrees in Minneapolis now. I’m glad you have cooler weather going on. And yesterday or a couple days ago from what I vaguely remember, when we were talking, you were on a farm.
To see beauty all around as it is plenty, in our garden right now and in fact always, the beauty of where my living is so fully embedded in beauty in a country where since many decades, no war destroyed what has been created with love centuries ago; the beauty in so many people who are kind, open and honest; the beautiful gift of a dear one offering a Dharmatalk running deep in understanding essentials; the many small gifts of dear friends reminding in the joy of our friendship. It does not take away the pain which exists in the same time and which is to be faced more than ever, but it soothes possible sadness, while both belongs to what is. Wishing a good nights sleep to all.
This is an easy one. By simply looking around. By being observant. I am fortunate to live in a beautiful place with lots of beauty all around me. Even the last two days, working in a big city with a bad reputation, I saw so much beauty. Really. It’s out there.
I’m fully aware of the environmental degradation and the poverty and suffering that’s around me, and I see that too, but I’m able to also see the beauty.
I am grateful for this. It hasn’t always been the case.
I too,
used to scorn the unbeautiful
and bemoan the ‘ugly’,
dear Charlie.
But now
I can see more than I used to . . . ♥
” To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
In The Daily Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron suggests a weekly artist’s date. It’s supposed to be a solo expedition to something that fills your creative well. Could be a walk in the forest, a trip to an antique store or museum–not necessarily something “about art”. I’m not consistent in doing this but always enjoy it when I do. It’s different to go alone than with a friend or my husband because I don’t feel any time pressure or an obligation to look at something that interests them, which I’m sure is the point of saying it needs to be solo.
This weekend on our trip to Friday Harbor my sister and I will enjoy the artists’ studio tour so I’ll see lots and lots of beauty. The beauty of the island will most likely be a bit obscured by rain, but it’s there to appreciate as well.
I enjoy the beauty of our home’s setting every morning as part of my routine. This time of year a walk around the yard to water the plants also yields the beauty of green and growing life. I’d better go water the plants.
Barb, going on walks with my family regularly, walking with Ngoc is fun with all the stimulating conversations. Walking alone helps me get more exercise and soak in the care that grownups my parent’s generation give when asking why I’m walking alone and missing Ngoc.
How can I make more space in my life for beauty? By paying attention…that said, I’m chuckling because I was digging holes in a new flower bed yesterday so I could plant some ornamental grasses. I have to do that on hands and knees with my trowel because I cannot wield a shovel. All of a sudden fire ants were everywhere-on my arms, on my legs– and they were biting me! I flew into the garage and stripped off my clothes. I can’t say that incident was making more space in my life for beauty but it certainly did have my attention! I was totally present!
Yikes, glad you got them off you quickly! I wouldn’t know how to recognize them, hope I don’t have any bad encounters, have lived in the West all my life.
Oh no!! We have those in Fl too. This reminds me of a story my Pop-Pop told us when they were living in Ocean Isle Beach, NC – they were the last house on the street – the sound was there and a small lake behind them. A lady was walking through the pass and he noticed her hands flying around and then off came her bikini top, LOL fire ants!
Glad you are ok. I’ve gotten my ankles bitten and even the next few days the itching is sooo terrible.
Katrina, I’m fine. This old lady was moving fast to get out of the clothes before I got too many bites. I lived in the south most of my adult life and I knew a lot fire ant bites could be a medical problem.
This is one of those things,
dear Carol Ann,
when you can only chuckle
AFTER the incident.
What a way to be called to presence!
Like Barb,
I too
had to have a little laugh
to read your description of you,
the fire ants,
and stripping off your clothes in the garage!
I hope your pride
was the only thing that was injured. 🙂
Drea, your last statement on “Learning opens up new perspectives and new sources of beauty” stands out. It’s how I’ve evolved from a string-puller for autonomy to being honest with my vulnerabilities over missing Ngoc this go-around in her absence. I’ve outgrown my basic desire for autonomy. There comes a point where that becomes a source of burden. There’s nothing greater than family. We can count “Family of families” like here on grateful living.
The Little Prince:
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye “
You have touched
on one of my favorite quotes
from one of my favorite books
off all time,
dear Yram.
I hold it in my heart
and live it
every day . . .
thank you for putting it out here. ♥
I echo the previous posts; beauty is everywhere, I simply choose to notice it. I see it when I am mindful and intentional. It’s so easy to get myopic with all the hustle and bustle. I endeavor to make a constant choice to be present to life as it’s unfolding and not as an afterthought.
I’m on it! Cat is currently curled up on my lap, one paw outstretched, so I won’t disturb him with a full hug (which isn’t really his jam anyway). But he’s had some chin skritches and petting.
Honestly, cheese is the main reason I’m not a vegan.
Today’s verse of the day is Mathew 5:5. “Blessed are the meek for they shall enharrit the Earth.” This builds upon what EJP said about slowing down, opening our heart and soul, and enjoying every moment.
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Oh I did today. I went to a beach on Narragansett bay after one of my appt. We had a beautiful day in Rhode Island. It was 78 degrees at the beach. I found this little beach last year. You can bring you dog on a leash and it is a free beach to go to. A short walk from the little parking lot with a view of Jamestown RI bridge.. Was one of the highlights of my day, the other is my daughter found an apartment (share) and it is very close to where she works!! Hurray!!
Happy your daughter found an apt, love hearing good news 🙂
Robin Ann, good to hear your daughter found some shelter close to her work and so quickly.
Whoever first said,
that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’
saw the bigger picture
of what beauty actually is.
It’s usually not the prettiest girl in the class
when it comes right down to it.
I think
that beauty is much more than skin deep.
to my own detriment with friends
I have never subscribed to traditional adages about beauty,
so I tend to see it
in more places than some.
Beauty
can be heart warming,
as well as heart breaking.
Last autumn,
while taking down the phoebe’s nest
that had been built over my outdoor pendant light
I found three little birds,
bigger than hatchling,
but not yet fledglings.
They were dead,
and I never knew what had happened to their parents.
They were a deeply sorrowful sight,
but they were still beautiful,
resting in their soft nest.
My oriental poppies
are in full bloom now,
and have spread throughout the gardens . . .
they are so joyfully beautiful
that they lift my heart
almost out of my chest.
Beauty surrounds me every day
as it does all of us,
but so many people
either close their eyes to it
or are just too ‘busy’ to notice.
My first son
died in the springtime,
and I had to turn away
from the green fields in the countryside where I lived . . .
and the lambs and calves and fillies
who were born there . . .
the flowers and the butterflies
and the nursing goats.
The pain of their beauty
hurt my heart
like too much light in the eyes.
My sister-in-law
tried to put her new baby into my arms,
thinking it would comfort me,
but I couldn’t do it.
It took me a long time
to turn my eyes outward and upward.
Gradually
I began to see again,
the exquisite grace and beauty
that surrounds me every day,
and I am grateful
for the resilience I was born with
for it has broadened my horizons
in ways that I never would have imagined. ♥
💗🤗
♥
Thank you, dear Sparrow for this reflection. My mother died when I was just about 4. Since seeing an addiction therapist for 4 years every other week, I have had occasion to ponder that event again. 🙏
Grief
tends to color our sense of beauty,
doesn’t it,
dear Joseph . . .
we always remember. ♥
Thank you for sharing your heart Sparrow. My Mother lost a child at birth and she was deeply affected by it although back in those days it was hardly spoke about. She ended up going to therapy a great many years later. My Dad told me the story about her heartbreak after she passed 🙏
You are right,
dear Robin Ann . . .
those things,
as well as miscarriages
were never spoken about.
It would have helped your mother
I think,
if she had been ‘allowed’
to grieve at the time. ♥
I’m in Da Lat, Vietnam, where the temperature is ideal for many kinds of flowers. The beauty is always here for me, and my soul opens to enjoy it.
I looked up that town/city, the pictures are gorgeous! The Linh Phước Temple is breathtaking. And Xuan Huong Lake beautiful and serene.
Enjoy your time!
My Ngoc, it’s currently 80 degrees in Minneapolis now. I’m glad you have cooler weather going on. And yesterday or a couple days ago from what I vaguely remember, when we were talking, you were on a farm.
To see beauty all around as it is plenty, in our garden right now and in fact always, the beauty of where my living is so fully embedded in beauty in a country where since many decades, no war destroyed what has been created with love centuries ago; the beauty in so many people who are kind, open and honest; the beautiful gift of a dear one offering a Dharmatalk running deep in understanding essentials; the many small gifts of dear friends reminding in the joy of our friendship. It does not take away the pain which exists in the same time and which is to be faced more than ever, but it soothes possible sadness, while both belongs to what is. Wishing a good nights sleep to all.
This is an easy one. By simply looking around. By being observant. I am fortunate to live in a beautiful place with lots of beauty all around me. Even the last two days, working in a big city with a bad reputation, I saw so much beauty. Really. It’s out there.
I’m fully aware of the environmental degradation and the poverty and suffering that’s around me, and I see that too, but I’m able to also see the beauty.
I am grateful for this. It hasn’t always been the case.
I too,
used to scorn the unbeautiful
and bemoan the ‘ugly’,
dear Charlie.
But now
I can see more than I used to . . . ♥
” To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
In The Daily Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron suggests a weekly artist’s date. It’s supposed to be a solo expedition to something that fills your creative well. Could be a walk in the forest, a trip to an antique store or museum–not necessarily something “about art”. I’m not consistent in doing this but always enjoy it when I do. It’s different to go alone than with a friend or my husband because I don’t feel any time pressure or an obligation to look at something that interests them, which I’m sure is the point of saying it needs to be solo.
This weekend on our trip to Friday Harbor my sister and I will enjoy the artists’ studio tour so I’ll see lots and lots of beauty. The beauty of the island will most likely be a bit obscured by rain, but it’s there to appreciate as well.
I enjoy the beauty of our home’s setting every morning as part of my routine. This time of year a walk around the yard to water the plants also yields the beauty of green and growing life. I’d better go water the plants.
I’m inspired by the idea of a solo creative date. Going to ponder how to incorporate that.
The artist studio tour sounds wonderful!
Barb, going on walks with my family regularly, walking with Ngoc is fun with all the stimulating conversations. Walking alone helps me get more exercise and soak in the care that grownups my parent’s generation give when asking why I’m walking alone and missing Ngoc.
How can I make more space in my life for beauty? By paying attention…that said, I’m chuckling because I was digging holes in a new flower bed yesterday so I could plant some ornamental grasses. I have to do that on hands and knees with my trowel because I cannot wield a shovel. All of a sudden fire ants were everywhere-on my arms, on my legs– and they were biting me! I flew into the garage and stripped off my clothes. I can’t say that incident was making more space in my life for beauty but it certainly did have my attention! I was totally present!
Yikes, glad you got them off you quickly! I wouldn’t know how to recognize them, hope I don’t have any bad encounters, have lived in the West all my life.
Oh no!! We have those in Fl too. This reminds me of a story my Pop-Pop told us when they were living in Ocean Isle Beach, NC – they were the last house on the street – the sound was there and a small lake behind them. A lady was walking through the pass and he noticed her hands flying around and then off came her bikini top, LOL fire ants!
Glad you are ok. I’ve gotten my ankles bitten and even the next few days the itching is sooo terrible.
Oh my gosh! In my neck of the woods we do not have those but have experienced them in florida!
Fire ants are no joke, Carol Ann. To me it’s scarier than coming across a snake in my garden. Prayers that you are okay after that encounter.
Katrina, I’m fine. This old lady was moving fast to get out of the clothes before I got too many bites. I lived in the south most of my adult life and I knew a lot fire ant bites could be a medical problem.
This is one of those things,
dear Carol Ann,
when you can only chuckle
AFTER the incident.
What a way to be called to presence!
Like Barb,
I too
had to have a little laugh
to read your description of you,
the fire ants,
and stripping off your clothes in the garage!
I hope your pride
was the only thing that was injured. 🙂
Sparrow, I was in the garage so no one could see me so my pride is in tact.
🙂
Oh my gosh! So sorry this happened but you have me laughing with the image, Carol Ann.
Barb, I had a lot of incentive because of the ants and the fact that the flowerbed was in the front yard on a busy street!
I agree with what all of you said. I’ll add – I’ll continue learning. Learning opens up new perspectives and new sources of beauty.
Drea, your last statement on “Learning opens up new perspectives and new sources of beauty” stands out. It’s how I’ve evolved from a string-puller for autonomy to being honest with my vulnerabilities over missing Ngoc this go-around in her absence. I’ve outgrown my basic desire for autonomy. There comes a point where that becomes a source of burden. There’s nothing greater than family. We can count “Family of families” like here on grateful living.
Loc, good for you. Some people never outgrow their desire for autonomy above all else, and it can alienate relationships.
The Little Prince:
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye “
So true! Yram, thanks for the quote!
You have touched
on one of my favorite quotes
from one of my favorite books
off all time,
dear Yram.
I hold it in my heart
and live it
every day . . .
thank you for putting it out here. ♥
Stay in the here and now and be grateful for everything.
By stopping, looking and admiring. For beauty surrounds me
I echo the previous posts; beauty is everywhere, I simply choose to notice it. I see it when I am mindful and intentional. It’s so easy to get myopic with all the hustle and bustle. I endeavor to make a constant choice to be present to life as it’s unfolding and not as an afterthought.
Stay present and pay attention.
Being mindful of presence.
https://nationaltoday.com/national-hug-your-cat-day/
https://nationaltoday.com/national-cheese-day/
I agree with all of you – I can eat cheese everyday and hug/kiss/pet my cat everyday.
I think I have an addiction to cheese lol
I’m on it! Cat is currently curled up on my lap, one paw outstretched, so I won’t disturb him with a full hug (which isn’t really his jam anyway). But he’s had some chin skritches and petting.
Honestly, cheese is the main reason I’m not a vegan.
I’ll celebrate both of these things today,
dear Michele,
as two of my many passions
are cats and cheese. 🙂
Today’s verse of the day is Mathew 5:5. “Blessed are the meek for they shall enharrit the Earth.” This builds upon what EJP said about slowing down, opening our heart and soul, and enjoying every moment.