Beneath My Feet

  Thanks for your photo Susan Miller! Snow Canyon, St. George, Utah. Oct. 2022   We hear it time and again -- one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to move your body. Or, maybe just walk your body. Walk your body outside in nature no matter where you are. Notice things. Look with awe and curiosity as if for the first time -- wow, such powdery red earth beneath Susan's feet! Allow your imagination to take off your dust-filled shoes. Feel the soft warm sand between your toes. Let them sink in. Now, let this sink in... " Right now is all we have. We don't have tomorrow yet ." ~ Goldie Hawn

Myrrh incense burning  in an outdoor plant pot. Dec. 2022 A packet of myrrh incense was Rich's winning. Cool! It seemed a timely prize during Christmas season, considering the story of the Wise Men and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. My research revealed that frankincense and myrrh, derived from the resin of then scarce trees, were as precious as gold. These essential oils have both ritual and healing properties in so many cultures. Not typically fond of inhaling drifting smoke, I find the aroma of copal incense pleasing. During our recent trip to an ancient indigenous site near Oaxaca City, Mexico, I rubbed sap from the living copal tree on my hands and enjoyed its lingering scent. (photo below). Though symbols and beliefs may differ greatly, one universal element in many spiritual traditions is the use of smoke. Beyond its aromatic qualities, smoke may be viewed as a bridge or veil between the world we can see and the one we cannot. Not surprisingly, smoke plays a vi...

Tracks of partridges and Rudolph the reindeer! It's magical to walk in nature to see and feel things. It’s magical to make a gingerbread house with a child. It’s magical to be invited over, to get a phone or video call... or just to be thought of.  The magic is in appreciating beauty and connecting with one another. Through sharing, you may learn that anyone can be struggling below the surface of what seems a good life. They might be dealing with health issues, grief, finances, relationships, anxiety or loneliness. We are all capable of producing magic with our lives, with our thoughts, and with how we care about others.  In this season of giving, it's worth remembering that ... "The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers ." --Thich Nhat Hanh Thank you for the photos taken by my beautiful sister, Agnes Dennis. Last Mountain Lake, SK, 2022. (also known as prairie chickens or hens) ...

Huatulco, Mexico. February, 2022 The sun shines hot in Huatulco, Mexico. We were happy to see that our Airbnb provided an umbrella -- a necessity if spending time on a beach there.  What the *$%#!!?? Our not-so-shady beach umbrella poured out of its casing onto the sand like a game of Pick Up Sticks . Disbelief flooded over us. Was this someone's idea of a joke? Then wait, maybe we can fix it! As we struggled with the umbrella's fabric flapping wildly in the breeze like a sail tangling with a spiny sea urchin, we noticed we had an audience. One local onlooker was trying to be polite by holding in his laughter as his body jiggled. The ridiculous  situation let us give-in to laughter, too! We all laughed and laughed until the next burst of laughter bubbled up minutes, and even days later. Everyone has experiences that don't work out as expected. If you can find humour in a situation gone wrong, laugh with others, and especially at yourself. It will create a memory you...

Ceramic Studio Floor, Saskatoon, Nov. 2022 Sm#@SH! I could sense the moment it would fall.  It was swift and met its end. C eramic mass plus gravity was no match for the concrete floor. As I picked up the pieces, I couldn't help myself from carefully fitting them back together. With only a few chips revealed, I momentarily considered gluing the shards in a rescue attempt. But no. It made me think of the ancient Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold filler in the cracks. It is called Kintsugi. A   friend introduced me to it a few years back.  It is built on the idea that by embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. It invites us to repair a broken object by emphasizing its cracks with gold, instead of hiding them.  The breakage and repair become a part of the object's story and its identity -- part of what makes it special, interesting and valuable.  A similar example is mosai...

  Cyclo - a traditional type of pedi-cab in Vietnam. (2016) It came as part of a tour package. We indulged our weary feet with the slow "cyclo" ride around the historic old quarter of Hanoi, and to provide our driver the employment. The  narrow,  bustling streets were crowded with motor bikes, almost non-existent side walks, people selling their wares or engaged in conversation around tiny plastic table sets while having Vietnamese coffee or tea.  It was curious how the streets were still organized -- named by product. One street might sell different types of string and yarn (Yarn Street), another street sells only picture frames, another books, another spices, and so on. If one shop didn't carry what you needed, they directed you to one down their street that might have it. This ancient system was efficient for someone in the market for a specific item. But, it also seemed in the spirit of cooperation rather than competition -- to help the client and to help each bu...

"When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate.  When life is bitter say thank you and grow." ~ Shauna Niequist Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. There is so much in this universe to be thankful for. Share gratitude with those we love and appreciate in our lives -- especially for the everyday things we take for granted. To my sweet hubby, happy soon birthday and muchas gracias  for...  ... making me coffee in the morning. I know! (But, he says he's got to make it for himself anyway, and he is picky about his coffee.) ... remembering to start the dishwasher, almost always. ... going along with 90% of my hair-brained ideas. (Trust me, there are lots of them.) ... coming to my rescue when I mess up the TV with the various remote controls. ... letting me win sometimes at tennis. ... taking the time to proof-read my blog posts (surprise!) and telling me honestly if they don't make any sense!   "We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a differenc...