Friday, October 16, 2015

The Peace Garden Dolly & Me

Today Dolly & I decided to take a long needed walk. It had been awhile since we've done this together due to my life's major shift & my new world order. When ones mother dies it can often be monumental. My case is no exception, monumental is what it is.

It's one of those days today that I'm feeling more like myself. I guess I could say for this moment in the October sunshine of the afternoon I'm doing ok. We'll all have our strifes, & our hearts do break, but we do mend & heal in bits & pieces so much like a quilt. On this day having written an essay earlier in the morning & continuing to remain determined this afternoon to get out there for some autumn exercise, how can I complain? Will it ever be alright with the world? Probably not. Will we continue in our lives being taught lessons of detachment? Probably so. During this life process can we learn better ways to be kinder to ourselves & others? The answer to that is a definite yes.

In my closure today I will leave you with that.  May peace be with you, & you & you...


Friday, October 9, 2015

In My Mother's Memory

My mother Rolayne Kapelner passed away September 29, 2015. She was born April 20, 1927.

Overseeing her welfare, & medical care these past three and a half plus years has been a journey of twists, turns, ups & downs. She was an immensely talented, strong willed woman, who possessed  a zest for life I have never seen before. She was my first love, & first teacher.

Her family & dear friends gathered this past October 2nd with deep sadness, & love for a dignified, & respectful funeral befitting our mother, a grandmother, aunt & friend, and so much more.

She was a cutting edge ground breaking woman born truly before her time. Once the acute sadness abates in time there will be a clearer perspective of what her life, & influences will continue to mean to me one of her children, & only daughter.
     


Friday, September 25, 2015

A New Day With New Ways



Good Evening Dear Friends,

So much of life is adaptation, fine tuning coping skills & letting go. On the lighter side of this topic is my adaptation to an upgraded phone. I'm one of those people from the analog generation, & here I am finally becoming less intimidated with my attempts at trying to improve my technology skills. Going from an android to an iPhone has been a real challenge, but I do think I'm finally getting it, & here's my first post to the Peace Garden from my new phone.

Take care one & all, tomorrow awaits~!

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Eye Catching Wheels




   
      My husband & I needed to drop my car off in Windham yesterday. It was timing belt time, & the time was right. After a good little diner at Cinco De Mayo on Main Street in Willimantic we were off to our food COOP downtown. Right next to where we were parked was the scene below. I've never seen so many bicycle wheels mish-mashed in the back of a truck. Ever. Which got me to talking to Ed Rivera who's the person you will see in today's entry.


Here's Ed-


I asked Ed if the bikes in the back of his truck are to be restored. His answer was yes. He continued to tell me about the Little Angels Program

 
The Little Angels Program is a nonprofit that serves the children of Willimantic, Ct. 
And now that we all know about them they're on our radar. Such an excellent cause~xo!

For many of us growing up all we wanted to do was to~


ride, ride, ride, ride
~each & every day~!


***

Above penciled doodle done by my husband SMC.

[Yup, really nice job.]






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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Sunday, July 5, 2015

A Current Chapter On Freedom's Landscape







     This Independence Day Weekend is coming to a close. In honoring the founders of this incredible Republic we must continue to work to keep monsters of power in check in order to prevent ourselves from becoming a Nation of endless war. To do this we must keep in mind the lessons of an accurate history for the benefit of all in our Nation. Our freedoms inscribed in the Constitution are to be respected & exercised.

     The following article is in the category of freedom, the everyday work of continuing to honor & exercise the American ideal, our just goal of ~justice for all~



***




     As we were leading up to this holiday weekend this past July 2nd my husband, & two friends of ours attended a Community Service of Remembrance and Unity in Honor of the Emanuel Nine who's lives were suddenly taken by a crazed gunman.

The Emanuel Nine
 Cynthia Maie Graham Hurd; Susie Jackson; Etherel Lee Lance; Depayne Middleton-Doctor; Clementa C. Pinckney; Tyawanza Sanders; Daniel Simmons; Sharonda Coleman-Singleton; Mayra Thompson

 This event was sponsored by
 Norwich Branch of the NAACP,  
Norwich Area Clergy Association
Sankofa Education And Leadership, Inc.
of Norwich, Connecticut



     Those of us that gathered in the David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard on July 2nd, heard a very brief paragraph about each individual who's name was sadly included on the above list. These innocent people were gathered together in their place of worship exercising the constitutional right of freedom of religion, but due to the color of their skin they like any soldier in the front line defending the freedom of this wonderful country gave the ultimate sacrifice & paid with their lives for the right to participate in a study lesson of their chosen faith.

     The enduring message shared with us that special evening was that faith & love, not hate makes us strong. That faith & forgiveness is the cornerstone of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina where this massacre took place. We were all encouraged to go forth in the spirt that would best honor these beloved fallen by practicing forgiveness as we continue to seek justice in the name of those who were taken from us.



     We of this Nation must continue to remain vigilant in protecting the rights & freedoms of all our citizens. The individuals who's lives have been cut down drastically are now among the list of the fallen freedom seekers. We grieve their passing, & their sacrifice will be honored & remembered.

***

Photos beginning at the top of this post- 
Ms. Jacqueline Owens, President, Norwich Branch, NAACP
Pastor, St. Nicolas Orthodox Church
U.S. Congressman Joseph Courtney




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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Supporting Human Rights

   

          There have been far too many acts of violence committed by human beings against one another. The recent massacre in Charleston, South Carolina when nine individual lives were brutally, & suddenly taken is a tragic reminder that we all have a long way to go in creating a peaceful world. It is acknowledged that our specie though at the top of the food chain are the most violent. Change must start at the beginning, in the home, the community, & the country we each reside in.

     I was inspired by hearing the eulogy President Barack Obama shared at the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckeney. President Obama did not shy away from addressing the topic of guns & race relations in the United States. He referred to our history of slavery being the original sin of our country. The president went on to say we are "not to go forward with business as usual" in these matters. He ended his touching & relevant eulogy by singing Amazing Grace.

     I am concluding today's entry in a plain & simple manner, forever with hope in working towards ending~ racism, gun & domestic violence, human trafficking, continuing to uphold gender equality, & to work at preventing & ending all wars...
It is a seemingly endless list.. but the choice is ours- to be or not to be. What is the question? 



The above photo is in it's early draft form. It will eventually become a banner & also a flyer to promote the message of good will in our community at large. The purpose as always on this peace garden site is to make art not war.





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Saturday, June 13, 2015

Fracking Is Not Healthy For Children Or Other Living Things~ At Pomfret's Lois Orswell Award Ceremony [Part II]





     On Thursday evening June 11th our Pomfret Conservation Commission hosted the Twelfth Annual Lois Orswell Conservation Award. To learn more about this click onto Part I of our award ceremony-


   
     Our evening not only had wonderful award recipients, but special guest speakers who traveled two hours to our neck of the woods in order to inform all our attendees about the latest technological information regarding fracking. Most everyone has heard & read about fracking, but during our award night additional information was thoroughly explained. We are now further in the know about a dangerous technology that is presently being done in numerous states across our country. We were very fortunate to have had some very enlightened people participate in the educational portion of our event to share an informational forum on fracking that evening.

Our guest speakers-

Jennifer Siskind

Our main speaker was from Food & Water Watch.  Jennifer Siskind gave us the nitty gritty about the fracking technology from it's beginning history, & to the present- deep down into the shale beds, the transportation of the fracked gas, & the treatment of water that is returned to the earth's surface, & what becomes of it. 
The following is the link to-  Food & Water Watch

www.foodandwaterwatch.org


      
 The Sierra Club Connecticut Chapter was represented by-

 Martha Klein

Martha was at the helm making the introductions, along with a short closing statement by

John Calandrelli 

John is the program director of the Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The following is their link-

www.connecticut.sierraclub.org



      In order to remain positive on this topic what needs to be said is plain & simple- The big energy companies continue to put a price tag on the beauties & wonders of our natural world. To billions of earth dwelling individuals that thinking is off. These billions include the every person, you & I. Those of earth based conscience will continue to do what they can. Creating more & more links in the chain of changed public opinion is necessary to fortify healthy treatment of this planet in order for it to be viable. We are no longer innocent in all this. Knowledge is power, which is necessary to share & act upon. The solution is within our grasp. Please work in your towns & communities. Make new laws & regulations, & revamp out dated ones that are not applicable for this century. No one has the right to create a toxic world. No one.

A very special thank you to Jennifer Siskind of Food & Water Watch, & to Martha Klein, & John Calandrelli of the Sierra Club's Connecticut Chapter.
You gave all of us a deep education into the down & deep world of fracking.  Many in attendance will keep ourselves updated, including our Pomfret Conservation Commission, who will add this as an important agenda item at our next meeting.

Thank you all~!

 *Additional Entry of 6/14/15

     I just received a link early this morning for a government report confirming what the environmentalists have been saying all along about the dangers of fracking. Here's the link-








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Friday, June 12, 2015

The Lois Orswell Conservation Award [Part I]






     Last night our town hosted it's Twelfth Annual Lois Orswell Conservation Award. This award is given by the Pomfret Conservation Commission. Those awarded are honored for their outstanding work in conservation in our community for the previous year.

The award is given to an individual, an organization or both, that contributes significant work in the area of conservation. There were two 2014 Lois Orswell Conservation Awards given last night. For this honoring both categories were recognized for their hard work.

The first recipient of last night's program was the organization-

Peoples Harvest


Peoples Harvest is a farm that is worked, & run by volunteers they grow vegetables, herbs & flowers which are all donated to the various soup kitchens, & food pantries in the northeast corner of Connecticut. Every year Peoples Harvest lovingly distributes their freshly grown crops of 100's of pounds of healthy produce.
Accepting the award for Peoples Harvest was John Lorusso.


Our next recipient was an individual-

Fran Baranski

Fran Baranski has been volunteering for Connecticut Audubon for fifteen years. He's been instrumental in implementing, & leading trail walks, & other creative activities, & projects that Connecticut Audubon in Pomfret provides for the northeast corner.

Congratulations to all our Lois Orswell Conservation Award recipients, you are all most awesome~!


***





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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden





Taking The Water Cure




     Above is a card a dear friend sent me last month for my Gemini birthday. I absolutely love it, love her too I must add~! The reason for it's spot in today's entry is regarding one's relationship with
water-

     Most of us have heard the term water cure. The term has been introduced to us by various religious practices & traditions, in literature, & referenced in plays & movies with conversations between characters, usually of a later time period. We are all connected to water. We biologically come forth from water. According to my moments ago google search, 60 percent of our overall bodies are water, with 90 percent of our blood being water. 

     Since my teenage years I began to take note that working out in the water was a good system for me. When I was back in nursing school the hospital I was training at had a wonderful pool. With all the studying, & test taking I found that doing a few laps several times a week was a perfect stress reducer. I still try my best to find the time to workout in the water, & when life has become a bit loaded with anx I think.. hmm I know it, I'm way overdue!

     Science has proven we've come from the sea. I'm convinced. So if you have the opportunity & the chance to do so- take a dip. This season in this neck of the woods the water's just right!







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Monday, June 8, 2015

We Are..







     The question of- Who are we?, is as old as time. A relationship with ones own self has always been the key. So many cultures & traditions have come upon the earth. We absorb what we've been exposed to by conditioning. Yet we may still ponder.

     It is natural for a child to question. No one has all the answers. It does take a village for the child that resides in each of our hearts. Our modern technology can be a blessing or a curse depending on how we choose to use it. As we grow forward continuing to seek knowledge the Internet has become a vast library of resources improving an individual's quality of life with the click of a button.

   The beginning of May was a big first step for me I signed up for an online course titled-
 Body and Mind are one, taught by the master Thich Nhat Hanh through Udemy. The information I learned about this company was all good. During my involvement in this course I experienced a glitch of not being able to re enter my account. A few emails straightened it all out, & I was up & running again in record time. Wonderful, wonderful~!
 
    Human beings backgrounds are all very unique. What remains the same is we're all on this planet together doing the best we can-  balancing, coping & doing what we need to do, taking it all in with the mindful task of circling our sun every twenty-four hours. All very complex, yet simple.
   
    The topic of forgiveness has come up time & time again, especially if one has felt wronged by a person close to them. When an individual has had a close relationship with someone when they were a young child often the experience is beyond words when a large percent of that relationship  has gone toxic. Trust is no longer trust when laden with decades of flypaper encrusted pitfalls. For me daily forgiveness is often as necessary as going through morning stretches & daily workouts. For a long time my prayerful meditation remains- God please help me, please help us all. 

     Sharing today's entry is inspired by my experience of taking in the-
 Avalokiteshva Chant offered in Udemy's Body and Mind are one. This chant helps us in facing & embracing our suffering. I spontaneously cried on hearing this chant, & was able to forgive. I have yet been able to eliminate the flypaper condition, but am positive & hopeful this will be done. As my son Z said when he was a young boy- Practice will never make perfect mom, it will only make better.
And in keeping with that I wish us all peace, true peace.


********

*The opening photo above was taken from my laptop as I was playing the lesson of the Avalokiteshvara Chant from the course Body and Mind are one, taught by the master Thich Nhat Hanh. I highly recommend this course. To find them just put in Udemy for your search & they'll come right up. 





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Wednesday, June 3, 2015

The Roses Of June


   
      I never tire upon viewing a rose. Who does? It's form in the realm of flowers is as perfect as perfect can be. We have a climber on our front walkway. It's a bit worn, but still finds a way to bloom. She's probably due for a good clipping, but I'm somewhat hesitant as I don't want to sacrifice the buds that are getting ready. So I'll wait a bit, & as we work on our brambling garden we'll come up with a plan to eventually prune her back. After all who doesn't appreciate a good clipping of one's foliage once in a while? Why just today mine was. About a half inch all around was taken from my locks. It did feel good I must admit. Years ago I was told my soft fluffy hair has the feel of a lama's. Today when I got home it needed a ton of conditioner. To say it frizzes is an understatement.
     This evening just before walking my pooch Dolly I cut back a few wayward stems on our rose bush. We all need similar things us roses & humans-  Environmentally sound room to grow. Proper nutrients including fresh air, clean water, & some rays of sun. And a song. Let's not forget the song. That eternal song the heart always sings, of springtime's promise. Her beauty, & potential for peace. Peace for all.











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Monday, June 1, 2015

On The Way To Coast Guard Beach





     As we approached Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, Massachusetts the other evening this is what we saw. According to a fellow naturalist this hazy view was caused by a controlled burn that the Rangers in charge of the National Seashore had done earlier in the day. We had seen the large orange warning signs along the Coast Guard Beach bike trail informing all to keep out of the prescribed controlled burning sections that were indicated in the woods. By the time we rode by the burning was long over, except for the haze that moved across the sky. 











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