Friday, January 16, 2015

Ramming On




     And here it is the 16th day of 2015. I just thought that during my work-a-day life how I might have put 2014 on a form or document so early on in the year, or even now. But alas I caught myself & here she is the good ole number 15 added to the year 2000. Who would have thought that those of us born at the dawn of the nuclear age would still be going on & on about that topic. We're only human of course, & when we're certain about specific issues that pertain to sickening our planet we don't give up. We're sort of Charlton Heston-ish at an NRA convention, but with a totally different topic, yet they are still related. All I can say is the man may have been a great actor, but never a Moses. Never.
     2014 was an extremely heart wrenching & challenging time for our family. My husband's brother, my brother-in-law-friend, & wonderful uncle to his three nephews passed on 9/13/14 after a long & tragic illness. He was 68. My brother-in-law Rich was a quiet man. A man of nature who loved to camp & fish especially in the woodlands of Maine. His loyalty to the New York Yankees & Giants are now legendary in our family's history. He will be dearly missed. 
     My mother who is now 87 remains stable after 5 fractures over a period of three years. Along with the various other medical complications that are known to arise for individuals in their 80's it has been very challenging for her. No matter the years a family member may have worked in the medical field there is nothing that prepares them in witnessing a parent devolve. We learn it professionally in our caring of our patients, but when it's our own parent the emotional component takes it all to a personal level. My father's illness & eventual  passing in 1994 reinforced the lesson to live one's truth, & to do so with no regrets. To know that love never dies.
     Have decided to take my life back & get up stand up for my rights regarding when I'm with my own mother when she's having period's of true clarity, that when she insists on speaking to me in an unkindly manner [of which is her history] I now tell her what I would tell anyone, "When you talk to me do so in a kind manner, if not don't talk to me at all." As of yesterday that was my solution. It certainly made her think, & she was silent for quite awhile, & the tone of her conversation then made a shift. In families it's all very complicated. Dr. Martin Luther King of which his birthday was yesterday said, No one can take away your dignity. And that applies to people who love each other too. It's never too late to teach an other how they want to be treated. I just did, & my mother's going on 88. I'm no spring chicken either!
     My husband played Paul and Linda McCartney's RAM album this evening. Yes S* has successfully reconditioned a turntable of his brother Rich's. Tonight for the first time in decades I heard This is I Uncle Albert and I haven't done a bloody thing all day..  Thankfully I can say I've done lots yesterday & it was all just right. My stay with my mother at the hospital for her monthly treatment went well. The bonus of course was that an important issue was addressed. The past is the past, & when moving on in a new year it's best to take it head on like a ram. An ostrich will never do.

   
         

Friday, January 9, 2015

The Twists & Turns Of The Human Mind





      My O my where the mind takes us! All the highways, & by ways of our inner twists & turns. We can be content & happy one moment, & in a flash a thought may occur of a situation in which we know we shouldn't go. Our knowledge of the mind's power is only a minuscule. We're tapping at the surface. How exciting it must be studying & making discoveries in the field of mind science. For the non science based thinker it's exciting too! We all in our moments come upon our intuitive discoveries. When this happens it's like discovering gold. We're no longer the fool in the desert who rushed off without water.

     In the meantime we continue to challenge & test ourselves. For me life experiences + absorbing & traveling through life + learning from one another= effective problem solving. I'm certainly no expert & would never say this is the way. But it's my method no matter how frustrating & confusing it can feel. I have never known an elephant that can be swept under a rug. Besides if something is weighing me down the best thing I can do has always been to appreciate what it is. No matter the pain. To work on releasing it no matter how hard. During this process keeping the heart open to all that is positive & beautiful in the spirit of love, nature & creativity is the way of this turtle. In mathematics problems are solved. In life challenges are overcome. In overcoming it is best to remain fit. One step at a time, with the care of the self a top priority.

Today's photograph is from MOMA the Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019


We're About To Be Snowed In






Being snowed in. That's what winter does, & here it comes~!





                                                   Oy



Thursday, January 8, 2015

Who Are We?



     Truly I continue to wonder. Are we better off this century than we were in the previous? Are we kinder? We continue to question, as we continue to live...  Will we ever respect one an other's cultures at home, & worldwide? To live & let live is that only for dreams? Will we ever truly appreciate the life sustaining gifts of this planet? When will plowshares be the tag of the day?
     As individuals we are capable of being our better selves. One person at a time, teaching acceptance starting with our own mindful hearts, & radiating this out in our encounters with others. It has never been easy, but it is all very possible. One individual, one person at a time.


Today's posting is dedicated to the People of Paris France, & in honor of those twelve individuals who's lives were taken from them in an act of violence on January 7, 2015. 






Monday, January 5, 2015

A Single Rose From MOMA's Garden To The Peace Garden




      Here it is the first Monday of the New Year, and we went to visit my other mother, and MOMA is great! After thoroughly enjoying the Matisse exhibit and a cup of tea, my husband and I made our way back upstairs to continue our adventure in the art world. S*out of the blue said, "Yoko Ono is right over there". I was not going to believe him, but my husband has a gift for face recognition, and Yoko's an artist and an art appreciator too. So I looked again, and it certainly was her. I told my husband I was going over to say hi, and off I went. 
     What a lovely person, that's all I can say. Her vibe was sincere and welcoming. Truly a beautiful individual, and a hard working peace citizen of the world. I told her I love her Peace Tower, and hope to see it some day.  It is a possibility. Truly it is.

MOMA is the Museum of Modern Art it is located on 11West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019





Sunday, January 4, 2015

A Quaint Welcome To 2015, & Where I've Been While I Was Away








Good Evening Friends of the Peace Garden. In hopes this New Year's posting finds you all well.
Though this entry's photo appears in monotones of grays all I can say it is often the grays of life that are the finest teachers. Today though gray outside my inner life continues to be colorful & rich in thought. I'll post again soon & share once again what resonates from deep within my heart.

~May peace be with you.~
Mother Lighting