My Head's In the Clouds!!

It was 9:15 in the morning and I was sitting and waiting for my friend Martha so we could go to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the Whitman Samplers.  You know them because most likely you have eaten from the yellow boxes with the sampler design on them.  I know I grew up with them - often received them as a gift from my mother-in-law for Christmas!  Anyhow - I was just gazing and my hand reached over to the seat next to me for the little red Fuji I am now carrying (fits in my pocket).  I just had to take some pictures of the clouds.  Once again they were totally awesome.  There was such diversity - seemed a turbulent sky but from another perspective, the sun was shining brightly!!  I posted this on Facebook and got some great comments about my ability as a photographer.  Ever humble and realistic, I said that "everyone can do this" but a new friend in Nebraska said, "No, not everyone can see this...nor do they take the time to stop and look!"  I totally appreciated Lisa's comments...and the gift of the clouds on that particular morning.  What they looked like...an impending storm, was not the truth nor was the day at all like that.  Martha and I are getting to know one another and this day we discovered so many similarities in our upbringing, our personalities and likes/dislikes.  Too bad that she is moving to Williamsburg,VA - but hey - a place to visit!!  Adventures await!!   And here is one of the Samplers... done in Scotland in the 1800s - well preserved.

Clouds on my Journey

 I looked at clouds from both sides now...from win and lose and still somehow, it's clouds illusions I recall - and that I did as I traveled up Rt. 1 in Delaware after some full and wonderful days of visiting friends - old and new - visiting our friend the ocean - eating the most awesome mac and cheese - and just hanging out with friends.  It was a rest to be sure.  As I was driving home, I realized that I was following the clouds and was mesmerized.  It reminded me of coming home from the same place a few years back but being lost in the clouds and sunset and ending up in Cambridge, Maryland.  WHAT??? HOW???

 Today I stayed on the route but got so caught up in the beauty, colors and shapes that I fially just had to pull over and sit by the side of the road.  The cars WHIZZING by made me stop to wonder if anyone even noticed the gifts they were being given!?!?  My guess is not because they were in a hurry to get WHERE??  They are among the masses who have never realized that life in the fast lane is just that...and not to be enjoyed or treasured.  They are the ones stressed by the rush they are in...

For me, it's all about MINDFULNESS - stopping to meditate and ask for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health...and peace of mind and well being.  That's NOT too much to ask for friends - and the more you ask...the more you will receive. STOP and notice the wonder...I did and I am so grateful!!

Transitions...Change...and Joy

This past weekend was a class reunion for Wildwood High School.  I went as an adventure to see who I might know and what life had to offer.  The time gave me pause ...and a conversatioin with Bill when I got home...I found lots of people reliving their high school days...and realized that I was living in the present rather than remembering what was.  Different perspectives...different memories...different people.  What I did get to see was this really cool representation of the town that I grew up in - and backed by an awesome display of clouds!!  Came home with memories - a few little beach balls - great for squeezing for hand exercises...and the queset for a search to move forward.

 One of my wishes for the weekend was to head to Cape May Point to see the monarchs on their migratory route - and see I did, though not in the batches of hundreds that have been sighted.  I felt blessed with those I got to watch - just standing in the warm sun and being still as they gathered on the goldenrod to feast before beginning their next step in the journey.  Quite representative for me and my place right now.  Now that the Uptown Pitman Farm Market has come to a close, it's time to regroup and find what engagement life has to offer next.  While I was feeling sad about the disconnect, my dear friend Lillian, wrote this to me this morning - and I pass it on to you

"Knowing that joy is present in life may require the absence of it once in awhile. Do you think that i possibly true?  Do you think that makes it something more appreciated?  Do you think that motivates one to keep seeking it and not settling for less?  What thoughts to ponder as I go forward on October 5 to see what synchronicities the day will bring!!

Always Look About and SEE!!

"When I go unprogrammed, 'eyes only' and open to experience, the world expands as if taking a deep breath. There is more to see - or perhaps I am able now to see it. It is a Zen-like openness, a meditative awareness. I can accept everything - or very nearly - because I am willing to. I can see what is just beyong my peripheral vision. Cathy Johnson, ON BECOMING LOST: A NATURALIST'S SEARCH FOR MEANING.

Yesterday, we were out on a simple quest to find a little folding stool for photo adventures (sometimes the knees need some help to get down to see at close to ground level). On the way home, we "happened" to look up and see spots of bright color in an unusally blue and beautiful sky. We came upon a group of sky divers and spent the afternoon watching and photographing.