Category: Things I Love

Winter Solstice Reflections

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Winter Landscape In The Evening At Sunset. Snow, Frost In Januar

Winter solstice is the shortest and darkest day of the year. I love this annual event. There is something mystical and magical about it; and it holds a special place in my heart.

The solstice has marked a significant shift in the annual cycle since neolithic times. Astronomical events were often used to guide the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food. This is illustrated in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments are  aligned to the sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge).

I have a created my own personal tradition to mark this time of year. Every year on the 21st of December, I wake up early. I light some candles and incense. I sit by the fire to meditate, to think and write. I gain clarity on my deepest aspirations and desires; and I plant my seeds of intention for the year ahead with my words. After a long and dark winter of germination, I imagine these intentions emerging again with the light and luminosity of the summer solstice in June.

Celebrating the changing of the seasons and the coming of the light, connects me to the cycles of our planet: orbiting the sun in this vast universe. I remember that I am made up of the same material as stars; and I have an important part to play in sharing out love and light. I just need to follow my path, led by the draw of my inner compass and truth. I know that they will not steer me wrong.

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Maggie Mae

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maggieme

My beautiful friend, Maggie Mae, died on Thursday. She was a thirty pound, liver and white Brittany spaniel. I called her my “fur baby”; and she would have celebrated her thirteenth birthday on January 1st, 2017.

This little soul arrived in my life not long after I was first married: full of dreams, playing house, and feathering my nest. When that soft little puppy bounded into our home, I had my first taste of sleepless nights, random peeing and general loss of personal freedom. I also experienced a new kind of endless devotion, love and joy: all wrapped in one wiggling package. All of this genuinely helped to prepare me for the arrival of my “human baby” seven years later.

Maggie loved to go on adventure walks with me, until this August, when her little body could no longer carry her up the mountain. Her nose was amazing and she experienced the world through her incredible sense of smell. She was fascinated with birds and she loved to swim: especially in the lake and ocean. I often thought she was going to drown, as she relentlessly chased after a duck or a seagull. She considered herself to be an adept fisher-woman, spending hours pacing the water’s edge, certain she was about to catch the big one.

She welcomed me every day with a happy squeak, a smile and a vibrating tail. Smile! Who knew a dog could smile? I didn’t – until Maggie. Her right lip would lift up, exposing a lopsided toothy grin. It was an expression of pure joy and it was beautiful.

Maggie followed close beside me throughout the house as I folded laundry, tidied toys, and loaded the dishwasher. She stuck close to my heels, tags jingling, always ready to help clean up fallen crusts or crumbs. And when we finished our evening chores, she would happily put herself to bed: curling up into a warm ball close against my legs.

Maggie comforted me when I cried. She never let me down and she was the most loyal friend that I have ever had.  She loved me unconditionally, as I did her. I will deeply miss her and she will always live on in my heart.

Something to Inspire

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Give Love Man Holding Red Heart In Hands For Love Valentines Day

“Today, if you’re confronting an issue for the ten thousandth time, or feeling that your life is going nowhere, or panicking over how little you’ve achieved, stop and breathe. You’re not falling behind on some linear race through time. You’re walking the labyrinth of life. Yes, you’re meant to move forward, but almost never in a straight line. Yes, there’s an element of achievement, of beginning and ending, but those are minor compared to the element of being here now. In the moments you stop trying to conquer the labyrinth of life and simply inhabit it, you’ll realize it was designed to hold you safe as you explore what feels dangerous. You’ll see that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be, meandering along a crooked path that is meant to lead you not onward, but inward.” ~ Martha Beck

Something to Inspire

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the-open-hands-of-woman-your-18867314

“Disconnection is as necessary as connection for creating a healthy, happy life. When we force ourselves to connect against our heart’s desires, we create false, resentful relationships; when we disconnect from the people who deplete us, we set them free to find their tribes while we find ours.” ~Martha Beck

Making Memories

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owl-fair

I love fall; the hues of red, orange and yellow leaves: the crisp air and re-emergence of warm jackets and woolen hats. I enjoy the playfulness of Halloween and the quick ball change into holiday sparkle: colourful lights illuminating dark neighborhoods and parkways.

I look forward to the month of December: making cookies and crafts; festive gatherings; meals shared with friends and family; the winter fair at school; decorating the tree; and singing carols. I deeply value the opportunity to spend quality time with the people I love and with my community: making memories together. For me, it is a season to foster connection and friendship, and to express gratitude.

To keep closer to this intention, I made the decision to move away from gift giving for the adults in my life a few years ago. I now choose two causes close to my heart and I donate the money that I would normally spend on gifts, in their names. I ask them to do the same for me. This year I chose the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Environmental Working Group.

https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

http://www.ewg.org

For the kids in my family, I like to buy hand-made gifts created close to home. We are really lucky to have some fantastic local fairs that run at this time of year in Victoria. One of my favourites is the Owl Fair. It is a carefully curated gathering of Etsy artisans who make beautiful and unique things. When I pick up each piece, I can feel the love and care that has gone into its making. I had a great time exploring the tables today; and I came away with a bag full of treasures for all of the little ones in my life. Each gift makes me smile and I am excited to give them.

https://www.facebook.com/owldesignerfair/

Another highlight for me at this time of year is the celebration the Winter Solstice. This is the shortest day and longest night of the year. It also officially marks the beginning of winter. I like to spend some time reflecting on the year that has passed and the seeds of intention that I would like to plant for the year ahead. It helps to create clarity and focus; and I like the idea of acknowledging the changing of the seasons with this small tradition.

What are your traditions at this time of year? How do you like to make memories with those you love?

Something to Inspire

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lotus-flower

“Many people experience their true path not as something that happens to them but as the simultaneous loss of self and complete connection with the universe. When the essential self is really in its element, you may be so involved with the work at hand, the people around you, and the things you’re learning that you won’t be aware of yourself as separate from them. This state is the goal of many mystical practices, both in Western religious tradition and in the East. It’s been described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as “flow,” by anthropologist Joseph Campbell as “following your bliss.” What do you call it?” ~Martha Beck

~ Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life Were Meant to Live

Walking and Podcasts

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Close Up Woman Walk In To The Wild With Sunset And Sunlight Back

I have started walking during my lunch hour at work. I like this new routine. It feels good to stretch my legs, reset my brain with some fresh air, and spend a little time in nature: if even through an urban lens. I especially love to watch the seasons change through the leaves and trees.

My sister has always encouraged me to explore the wide world of podcasts; she is a big fan and listens to them voraciously throughout her day. I have always liked the idea but never made the time. Walking at lunch is now providing me with the opportunity to try it out as a new hobby.

I am mostly exploring podcasts focussed on creativity and innovation.  A few of my favourites so far are: TED talks; CBC Writer’s & Co.; and Magic Lessons. This week, I listened to interviews with artists and writers like: Glennon Doyle Melton; Elizabeth Gilbert; Sharon Olds; Zadie Smith; and Leonard Cohen. All of these talks have been very inspiring. It is wonderful to listen to people talk about pursuing their passions. Each and every one of them knew what they were born to do. To create. They then pursued this path relentlessly: despite facing much opposition and many odds.

A thread connecting each of their stories is the fact that a creative life is not an easy one. Even the most seasoned artist or musician has experienced years (and sometimes decades) of rejection and disappointment; but they. kept. going. Not for fame and fortune. They are all simply compelled to create their work and then offer it out to the world. And then create more and do the same again.  Over and over and over.  It is such a raw and vulnerable choice to make. To put your innermost thoughts and expressions on paper and then place those new-born thoughts and ideas into a public space for critique and discussion.

And this brings to why I started this blog. I, too, am driven to create. It makes me feel alive and connected.  I enjoy observing the world around me and sharing what I see through the written word. I always have: ever since I was a little girl. When I was seven years old, I wrote and illustrated a book. It was not my first book; but it was my favourite and I was very proud of it.  I worked on it for weeks on end and I then took it into my school library. I asked the librarian to add it to the collection. I wanted my work to sit on those shelves; and I wanted other children to read my book. It was my dream. I wanted to be a writer and create beautiful things with words.  But as the years passed, I stated to waiver. I believed what I heard around me. That is not a career path. Pursue something more stable. Be realistic Lora.

And so I did. I listened to everyone else and I followed many long and circuitous roads. They all led me back here. To this place and this passion. Thirty-four years later, with the same dream beating strong in my chest. So now I must write and stop being afraid of failure. I will write and write and write to see what happens. I will try to create some magic on these pages and to bring people together through my words and my dreams of beauty, love and light.