Blessings of Autumn

                               Everything has its wonders,

 even darkness and silence, 

and I learn, whatever state I may be in,

         therin to be content.            

 Helen Keller

 The days of Fall are quickly passing.  The leaves are so beautiful, but soon they will begin to fall.  A few mornings of frost have made certain that it is time to start putting an end to all of the flowers that have brought such beauty into our lives all spring and summer.

My daily walking routine has been joyful in the cooler weather and my appetite has shifted to home made soups and chili.  And of course, all things pumpkin ... bars, muffins, breads, and cookies.

This is by far my favorite season of the year.  I feel so alive and connected to all things in nature.  I am so much more aware of the last few butterflies and the migrating hummingbirds.  I have been doing everything possible outside, especially on the back deck.  I am more intentional in sending gratitude and thanksgiving to our trees who have given us shade and unfolding beauty.  I will eat apples, read books, knit, journal, and work with my iPad out back just to prolong my enjoyment of being outdoors.

Way too soon, I will be slipping off my shoes, standing on a cold Mother Earth in my bare feet, and saying good-bye to the many blessings of Autumn.  Winter will soon follow, keeping me captive inside our home, withdrawing into inner landscapes and in a hermit mode.  A hibernation waiting for the first signs of Spring!

New York City

Cut off as I am, it is inevitable that I should sometimes feel like a shadow walking in a shadowy world.  When this happens I ask to be taken to New York City.  Always I return home weary but I have the comforting certainty that mankind is real flesh and I myself am not a dream.

Helen Keller
MIDSTREAM: My Later Life


Recently, I went to New York City with my daughter.  She had a conference to attend and she invited me to travel with her adding a few days to the trip for exploration.  I have been to New York City twice before, but spending time with my daughter holds great meaning for me.

New York City was much cleaner than I remembered it to be.  We were delighted that the temperatures were not in the high 90's or 100's as we did vast amounts of walking.  We spent a great deal of time in Central Park, visiting different areas and resting by the water.  We scoured Greenwich Village and enjoyed a lovely lunch at an outdoor cafe.  We went by St Patrick's Cathedral which like many buildings was being worked on. We browsed down 5th Avenue, shopped our way down busy streets and snapped a few photos of Times Square.  Then of course we went into Grand Central Station. The highlight was going to the theater to see WICKED.  It was awesome!  (Russ had generously provided us with wonderful seats in support of our adventure!)

This being said, I must admit that I am not a New York City person.  Although I grew up in Chicago, my patience with the New York abrasive energy, the constant overture of honking horns, screaching brakes, and yelling drivers wore me down.  Even in the room of the elegant old hotel, the air conditioner sounded like a roaring jet engine. 

Even though I found New York City dwellers to be friendlier than expected, the constant rush of people, the force of constantly being herded along in massive groups, and being confined by tall buildings caused me to long for the solitude of my midwestern home.  I sadly missed beautiful flowers growing out of the ground, the rustle of trees in the breeze, and  birds other than city pigeons. 

New York City will not be noticing my future absence.  It holds allure for many, but it will be falling to the bottom of my list. 

Only One ...

I am only one,

but still I am one.

I cannot do everything,

but still I can do something;

and because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do something

that I can do.

Helen Keller

A Little Word ...

"Once I only knew darkness and stillness ... my life was without past or future ... but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living."  Helen Keller

Consent to Creep

  "One can never consent to creep

when one feels an impulse

to soar."

Helen Keller

The impulse to soar is stifled when someone stands on your feet while telling you to fly.  It is impossible to flap wings when a net of negative words entrap you.  With the consent to creep, tears leave a trail to the cage only to be dried by the sun.

Head hangs down towards the ground tired of watching feet shuffle in the dust that never seems to settle.  Ears gently close to create a sense of silence where desperation can hide.  Hands randomly extend in hopes of grasping magic that will catapult you into the sky.

A gentle breeze lazily slides across the face willing eyes to look up and behold the spaciousness of the sky.  Like the attraction of a moth drawn to the light, a compulsion burns to ascend to the majesty of the celestial realm.  Freedom to rise above all that encumbers, to gently glide higher and float suspended never reaches heavenly spheres as desire repeatedly falls from the sky. 

Never Bend Your Head ...

"Never bend your head. 
 Always hold it high. 
 Look the world straight in the eye!"
 
  Helen Keller



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