Choosing Life

Earlier this week, a lovely young woman was married. This was a very special moment for me, because I know her story.

You see, she was adopted - because her young mother valued life more than convenience.

It was not an easy decision, nor was it an easy experience for the birth mother. She grieved when her child was gone, but she had the satisfaction of knowing her child lived and lived well. Her love for that child sustained her and helped her to grow into a stronger person.

There is a great deal of debate about life in this country - and I am not willing to indulge that debate here in my blog. I will, however, share some random thoughts.

I have seen many young women pressured into unwanted abortions over the past 25 years :

• Young women who are told they are selfish if they give birth, that they will disgrace their family name
• Young women who are told that the father is "doing the right thing" and "being responsible" by offering cash for an abortion (and not offering care for the child)
• Young women who are told their lives will be ruined if they bear a child and choose to give it in adoption to loving parents.

In the early 1970s (the initial Roe v Wade debate period), we were told that there was no slippery slope - that there would NEVER come a day when abortions were used as family planning, that abortion would never be routine. We were told that only in the most extreme circumstances would abortions be sought. Remember? Rape, incest, life of the mother, extremely abusive environment.

There was an acknowledgement by all that abortion is a traumatic act for mother.

A Day in the Life - Oct 25 2010

Recreation is sometimes defined as "refreshment of the mind or body" - and many of us tend to associate it mostly with fun activities.

Today, my spirit was refreshed in the company of my little nieces, Madi and Kay. We spent the morning listening and sometimes dancing to Bach's violin concertos while coloring and crafting.

We had a short hike with Bandit (the dog) to climb rocks and explore.

We examined mosses under shady trees...

 

We hunted for as many different colors in the turning leaves as we could see.

We even uncovered a group of worms from under some damp leaves, and watched their reactions (no worms were harmed!)

We lunched to Pete Seeger and a little Peter, Paul &; Mary. We listened to several different versions of "Puff the Magic Dragon", "Erie Canal" and "Froggy went a courting".

Who Hath A Book , by Wilbur D. Nesbit

Who have a book
Hath friends at hand,
And gold and gear
At his command;
And rich estates,
If he but look,
Are held by him
Who hath a book.

Who hath a book
Hath but to read
And he may be
A king, indeed.
His kingdom is
His inglenook-
All this is his
Who hath a book.

Choosing Cheerfulness

I received a comment recently that I must have such a lucky and easy life - because my posts tend to be so cheerful and optimistic. After I recovered from the initial laughing-til-I-ached, I realised that I actually accomplished something important. The “choose life” promise I make to myself each and every day is now coloring my life.

I truly believe that each and every day we choose how we will dance with life: whether we will seek out the good and the beautiful, or wallow in the sad, or submerge in anger and negativity. This is not to say that I never cry or rage or pout - I certainly do! And it is certainly documented in this blog!

And when I am sad, I cry and I write and I treat myself gently. When I am angry, I address the offender or offense and move on. But I do not choose to extend these moments beyond their natural life. I let them go and continue my journey down this wonderful river unencumbered.

10 Little Things to Love about Autumn

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. - Camus

I adore the changes of the season, and I find much to celebrate about what each brings to me. And now that October has settled in I welcome autumn with a little list of favorites:

1 - A crackling fire in the fireplace

2 - Warm and fluffy down comforters paired with flannel sheets

3 - The swirling red-gold carpet of leaves crunching underfoot

4 - Warm apple pie, candy apples, apple butter

5 - Candles of all shapes and sizes casting a soft, glowing light

6 - Scents of cinnamon and cloves and oranges

7 - The annual return of plaids, cashmere and shetland sweaters, suede

8 - Gathering pine cones and kindling into fireside baskets

9 - The amusing antics of the squirrels as they gather and hide their treasures

10- Pumpkins and haystacks and cheery chrysanthemums

There is a harmony
In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been! - Percy Shelley

What are your favorites things?

On Family

Today our family comes together in love to support grieving members. My aunt's mother passed after a long illness, and so we gather in a circle of love for Aunt Pattie, Uncle Al, and my cousins Sue and Pete.
These days, many families come together only "for weddings and funerals" as the saying goes. Our family socializes on a regular basis, building bonds of love and friendship spanning the generations. Just as I consider my brothers and sisters-in-law to be among my very best friends, I also consider my aunts and cousins as friends - not "just family" to see occasionally.

In the past, I have had friends comment about how unusual it is for me to enjoy (and not simply endure or avoid) spending Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Father's Day and other "regular days" with four generations (now three since Grandma's passing). I think it unusual and very lonely to spend holidays without!

While many may take family for granted, we cannot and do not. We know that a strong family is not just a wonderful bonus when we have joyous moments, but also an important support system when tragedy strikes, like the sudden tragic loss of two young family members in 2001. And family bonds support us during those "ordinary" sadnesses like the passing of a beloved elderly grandmother - allowing us to share multi-generational memories and stories - bringing laughter with the tears.

Day by Day, a Reminder to My Self

We are alive each moment, day by day. And in every moment we make choices. Sometimes events conspire to make us feel helpless, but even in our most desperate moments we can choose how we will respond and what we will hold dear. I sometimes forget this :)

I alone choose whether to fully embrace each moment I am given, or to speed thru them or to blur, blot and waste them.

I alone choose whether to inhale crisp morning air and bathe in the glory of a sunrise, or to pull the blankets over my head and dive back into a gratifying slumber, or to view the day in tones of black and grey.

I alone choose whether to notice or ignore the daily changes in my garden, in myself, in my loved ones, in the world around me, in God's whole beautiful creation.

I alone choose whether to embrace my life and loves to the very fullest, or to shy away and hide, or bury my needs.

I alone choose whether to allow myself the gift of creative solitude, or to allow myself to be a victim of putting others' needs always first.

I alone choose whether to BE, or not.

Today, I choose LIVING!

Basil and mint from cuttings

A super-easy way to create new plants for indoor pots (or to increase your outdoor garden) is to propagate by cuttings. I have a few cuttings of basil and mint in this glass of water - in a few days they will have wee white roots and that is the time to pop them gently into the soil. I use organic potting soil.
You can also do this with those packets of fresh herbs purchased from the produce section of the grocery store!

It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'

Chorus
Oh, it ain’t gonna rain no mo’ no mo, it ain’t gonna rain no mo’
How in the hell can the old folks tell, it ain’t gonna rain no more

The night was dark and dreary, and the air was full of sleet
Well the old man stood out in the storm and his shoes were full of feet.
chorus

Well the butterfly flits on wings of gold, the June Bug wings of flame.
The bedbug has no wings at all but he gets there just the same
chorus

Oh, mosquiti he fly high, oh, mosquiti he fly low
If ol’ mosquiti light on me, he ain’t a gonna fly no mo.’
chorus

Well, a bull frog sittin’ on a lily pad, looking up at the sky
Oh, the lily pad broke and the frog fell in, got water all in his eyes
chorus

Well, here’s a verse about a man and a trombone. Well, the words to it are few.
He blew, he blew, he blew, he blew; he blew, he blew, he blew.
chorus

Well, a man lay down by a sewer, and by the sewer he died, he died.
At the coroner’s inquest, they called it sewer-side.
chorus

A little black and white animal out in the woods. I says ain’t that little cat pretty!
I went right over to pick it up, but it wasn’t that kind of a kitty.
chorus