Last Mode of Winter ~

Here it is February 29th & old man winter is trying so very hard to reconnect. It's been a rather mild season in these here hills, & there are no complaints. So let's see what the snow & ice will ultimately bring. Thankfully it will be an easy melt, & hopefully those out & about~

on the road again will have a safe & easy time of it.

Yes, almost time to say goodbye winter, goodbye!

Today is our granddaughter's 8th Birthday,~ Happy Birthday J* ! We'll be visiting soon with your special order~ Sunflower Birthday Cake, can't wait to get baking & frosting!

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Painted On Walls & Etched In Our Hearts

Good morning world~

As this day is beginning to unfold, one of the very first things I read was from a fb posting of the Dalai Lama one of my fondest inspirations & guides in our personal & mutual quest for peace.

Fam & friends who know us well have been reaching out in regards to offering the kind of support an individual so welcomes when the path of waters being fathomed show themselves as somewhat unclear, & even murky.

Families are certainly complex systems of which we are born into, & each individual though may be of the same parents, will of course grow & blossom into their own unique person as the soil each one of us grows forth from is always different in the composition of the elements in that mix. In medicine there's a Hippocratic Oath, of which every physician going forth is required to take on as this solemn pledge. If only families were to promise the same~ to first, do no harm. But it does seem that that truly is an optimistic mind set, as all individuals emerge uniquely, with some utilizing the elements given them in ways that have been known to be harmful to themselves & others, & of course the parents who came first who created these families, what about them, & their parents too...

To first do no harm, if it could be practiced by all, would certainly help to level the playing field, to make our time here on earth far more peaceful in every way.

So until then, we will do as human beings do, each of us utilizing the method of what we know works well within our hearts, enabling us to raise up to greet each & every day, for it is painted on our walls & etched in our very own hearts.

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Dalai Lama

When each of us learns to appreciate the critical importance of ethics and makes inner values like compassion and patience an integral part of our basic outlook on life, the effects will be far-reaching.

Greeting This Glorious Morning~

Day by day allowing for a sunshiny attitude as~

Life is what happens while we're making other plans. - John Lennon

Have been catching up with my reading, & also getting through the seemingly never ending paper piles. Oh my, those poor poor trees. As much data as I can receive via E communications is a much better method for me to maintain my sense of being organized.

So as I embrace this glorious morning which has broken here at the Peace Garden I would like to leave you with a favorite song, composed & sung by a very special peace loving person indeed~

An update~ My mother has done amazingly well & as we speak we are in the midst of making arrangements to bring her back to her home from Florida. This has of course been an ongoing complicating maze in reguards to dealing with all the finer details.
Most definitely a very challenging time for us all, & most especially for my mother on this journey of one step at a time. My mother is a wonderful example of a woman who has relied upon her faith, which is her strength to sustain her during very challenging times such as these.

February 26, 2012 9:45 AM

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

We Have All The Keys

Am sitting here in our car in the misty rain, as new flooring is being installed to make my mother's home level & safe once again. Though narry any snow this winter it's been long & at times hard, but all in all, listening to my heart has been a determining factor & invaluable key in learning to come to terms with how I choose to go forward in my life's song book.

The Punch Brothers In Concert

Great concert and we'll be back!

Just One More Bit of Fun~

My First E Doodle To The Peace Garden~

Giving Us This Day~

There is a Christian prayer, though having been raised Jewish, am familiar with it. For as grade schoolers we recited it each & every day until the Supreme Court of our land of course declared it an unconstitutional requirement of a public school. As a kid I can't say I didn't welcome this decision, for it helped me as one of the very, very few students of a minority faith in our school, to feel counted.

Now fast forward decades upon decades later, & I can in all honesty say that the words of this very thoughtful prayer has been evoked time & time again. No longer as a child of a different faith who was required to say it aloud, as a seemingly violation of the faith I was raised in, but as a human being evoking choices, still learning & growing forward, with a better perspective of what it's all about, but also with a finer tuned understanding that there are more mysteries, than not.

"Give us this day our daily bread,

as we forgive others who trespass against us... "

Some very, very powerful words, no matter the faith of an individual. I do think we humans have only scraped the surface of the capacity of what we are capable of, & no matter how we find our strength, & fortifications to go on, as long as we go peacefully on our path, what's not to love?

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Seemingly The Same, Yet All Of It Change...

A simply beautiful Monday, Monday~

During February I am convinced that all one needs to feel a bit of an uplift, is to awaken to a bright & sunny morning~ I know it certainly works for moi. As my extended fam* & friends know there has been an ongoing situation that has been concerning me since just before this new year began. We all have our own unique ways of coping with the deep inner

stresses of living a life, & I of course am no exception to those periodic episodes of despair in regards to, what to do next. I am a firm believer in the spiritual connection we human beings have taught ourselves to foster. For myself one particular stream of thought has not been one true way, for in my experience it has always been my own personal relationship with an inner spiritual connection of what some faith based systems refer to as God, of that I do believe, but we all get to the same point, no matter the paths we take. All ways are not the same ways, but the way of the way, is the way.

Here in the northern hemisphere as our planet's proximity moves closer to the sun, we of course bask in it's rays a bit more from time to time, as the hours of our days elongate, & we all are in anticipation of a new greening as we inch our way towards springtime, the season of a more gentler time for us to see what was once the ordinary, become the extraordinary again.

We all cope so very differently to the seasons of a lifetime that encompass us no matter where we've come from & who we presently are. And we all have the ability to change, for the better, no matter our phase or time of life, which will be ever so fleeting, even if we were to live to be two hundred & three. Yesterday a thought came to mind as I so feel like a tree now more than ever, the thought triggered by the effect of looking down at my own feet in need of a good trimming & a coat of pretty polish to camouflage some of the discolorations & distortions absorbed from a lifetime of standing on one's feet for hours on end, in a profession of caring for others, but ultimately the full effect was that most of us all were in true sic, for as we all worked together we were the ideal of a healthy functioning family.

Am in hopes that the sunshine continues today, & even if not, my dose of a sunny perspective will take me far into the week, & I know that no matter the cloud cover my new seedlings & our friend Pam's amaryllis may have to deal with, these new wonders are getting just the right amounts of what they need to grow & thrive. Nature has her formula of what works, & who am I to need any more.

Have a good week everyone, & will return to the Peace Garden when next I have something to share, of which I can't be too sure of when, but today I'm off to paint, & I never know what that will bring...

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

The Art of Peace From Where I'm Perched...

The Art of Peace From Where I'm Perched, Where the Ordinary,

Becomes the Extraordinary~

Only last week, after being inspired by the beauty of my jasmine plant which is still holding it's blooms, I decided to venture back into the plant world a wee bit, & put together a project of sowing some seeds in pots. So here we have it, I've planted~

oregano, chives, basil, parsley, & cilantro, & what do we see in this photo below~ da da da da...

oregano,

& in this next photo we have some basil just about breaking ground~

Here they all are bathing themselves in true southwestern exposure in what was once a sunny day some mere hours ago...

In the center is the early on sprotting of an~

amaryllis

lovingly given to me by our dear friend Pam in our interfaith group on our very last day of doing our radio promotional jaunts for our Thanksgiving Interfaith Service.

This amaryllis seemed to be growing quite rapidly it's first few days out. Am thinking perhaps I should try moving it away from the window a few feet, allow it to get aqequate light, but maybe it needs just a little bit less intensity, as it's growth spurting seems to have really slowed down a little as the main item in the window.

I am totally convinced that the day to day decisions we make not only effects our own peace of mind, but our peace in the world as a whole. As our extended family & friends know, my husband & I have been deep in the trenches, in regards to trying our very best to problem solve a very complicated situation involving my mother. Once I let a lot of the involved thinking

fall away, from the analytical part of my mind, & listened totally to my heart, the situation for my mother & all of us involved has moved forward with good snippets of improvement.

In my heart of hearts it does of course continue to remain challenging going forward day to day, depending on what kind of phone call I receive, & depending of course on the specific topic of any given call, as many individuals along the way have been most helpful beyond compare, sharing excellent advise & in site which has been enhancing the problem solving side of my brain. True there have been just a few who have complicated the situation, offering mainly confusion or anx, but overall, in dealing with the scope of the challenges we are facing on this end in helping my mother & all, most of us in her extended family are working well together with her as our main goal to give her peace of mind.

Ultimately that is what we all need,~ a safe, healthy & caring environment, as we all go forward, knowing very well that in the human experience of our short time we people this earth, the best of the best that any one of us can do, on any given day is to go forward as my husband says time & time again with~

forgiveness, love & acceptance

of which we do strive, time & time, again. So as we sow our seeds with thoughts of spring in the peripheral of our minds, we listen to our hearts, which continues to show us~

the true way of being

fully

human.

***************************

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Valentines Day Thoughts, 2012

Truly,~ All you need is love.

While I was in the kitchen earlier today putting together what I wanted to be a really nice dinner I was thinking about the phrase "Do unto others... ", as someone I've known for just about forever, a sibling seemed to pop into my mind, & it dawned on me, just then & there. It's not really about doing unto others expecting them to be kind in return, what it's really all about is being kind to others no matter how they in turn decide to treat us back. We are to treat others with kindness & respect soley because it is ultimately the right thing to do. It is one thing when we are interacting with children, we intutitively want to teach them to behave towards others with kindness & respect. When it comes to interacting with adults, it may be a challenge at times reminding ourselves that they as adults are soley responsible for their own behaviors. Cringe as we may, when an unkindess or disrespect comes forth, what I've only realized on this date is that when we treat others the way we would like to be treated in return, & even if it is not returned, it will forever remain a worthwhile effort, as doing the right thing is just that. Correct.

*****************

It's been a lovely day today, a bit of sunshine, & some very important tasks continue to get done, during this ongoing family crisis, of which we are in a bit of a holding pattern for now. All in all, for today am feeling satisfied & good about the progress we have been making on this end, also learning how to live better & fuller in the moments when I do have peace of mind, & cultivating it with a renewed sense that taking care of ourselves, in body mind & spirit, is ultimately the best we can ever do for the special people in our lives that we love & hold dear.

Yes, "love is all we need... "

[A special thank u* to our friend Neila who shared this from a friend on her FB page. I had planned on adding this fave song in my planning of today's posting, sooo... here it now is. Thank u* again dear friend!]

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Rolling On The River~

I was trying to think of a musical artist & who's song I have found inspirational from time to time, due to that artist's strong ability to overcome hardship & diversity. The song that came to mind, well what was I thinking, you might ask? But I really had to go with the song that was running in my mind. Kind of like a gut feeling~

For today it truly is~ Tina Turner, for she has always represented that shining example of a woman who has ridden the course of many a white cap.

******************************

Some years ago I attended some very interesting classes by a very knowledgeable Rabbi up in the Worcester Hills. He used the metaphor of the river, & the river being of life & death. He reminded us all that the river had the properties & elements that could sustain us, & at the same time destroy us too. Very powerful reminder, indeed.

Everyday along the way, we all make choices, & get our strength & refuge from whatever it is that each individual calls upon. I too, as any human being take in the currents of the river, with prayerful thoughts, yet at times wrestling with my own strong undercurrents that can reemerge when a family is navigating a crisis. When we help others in the midst of our own struggles, it does help to focus us, to bring us in closer to the shore, allowing us to feel a sense of grounding, even as the current remains strong, taking us, to worlds unknown. And isn't that it, one of the true sources of our anxiety during these kinds of journeys each & every one of us travel, being able to come face to face not only with our own inner selves, but the very unknown, that we all yearn to know, but are in a way, all fearful of, for it is still yet,~ the unkown.

May we all fathom safely these rivers, & the streams too, that run through our very arteries, to the carotid of our lives.

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

A 32nd Birthday Celebration at The Co-op, Willimantic, Ct.

I took off late this PM to catch a bit of this ongoing party. It was a fun experience to shop for some premo food items on my list, & to have live music as an accompaniment. The turn out was an excellent one, & all I can say is that I was pretty happy that I missed the Happy Birthday to You cake experience, as there were 32 cakes, & some cupcakes too, & I must keep my problemo with sweets in mind.

The entertainment at today's event was as listed below~

Live music by:
Done @ Five
Echo Uganda
Lynz Morahn
Dawn Cook
Zoo Front
and
Electric Trains!

Congratulations members of the Willimantic Co-op, we members love our

Co-op, & will continue to travel from near & far to remain part of this wonderful Co-op experience!

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Winter Garden

Home sweet home after a busy day which began by the greeting of~

jasmine blossoms,

& lunch with my husband at the Parthenon, a really neat diner in Branford, Ct.,

where we took a little pause for some r&r, & some additional planning of getting my mother's home cosy & safe for when we bring her back home from Florida.

So as I end the day, & do a little this & that keeping our kitchen up to snuff making sure there's this gentle reminder in the grace & beauty of a small microcosm of our world at large.

It definitely has always been the simple things that bring comfort & joy no matter the challenges.

The chill in the air brings me indoors to tend to, & care for my winter garden. I would be lacking in honesty if I were to say this present season has been light & carefree. Happiness comes in moments, so truly in all honesty I have been enjoying the light hearted ones, & the heavier ones that are also with me, I take them in, review them, & even in moments of anguish I let them go, no matter how heavy & hard it is to do. I know this season comes upon us all, & nary an individual is exempt.

So this winter garden, the delicate beauty of the flowers that keep me company during the moments when I need them most, are a good reminder that we are all walking the garden path of life with feet of clay, yet knowing too, to listen to my heart, which is a true brave heart, knowing the message is true.

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Sometimes All It Takes Is A Bud

The doodle above is a representation of some deep rooted thoughts of

My Family

which happens to be my roots extended family

from childhood days

to my

present

here on planet earth

now days~

This winter's been aok, weather-wise that is. On the personal front it's been a bit of a hectic assault on my senses of sensitivity. But, I'm no different than any other living soul on this planet, who may become a bit overwrought from a seemingly constant barrage of stimuli & a seemingly endless list consisting of massive decision making. If all of that sounded like a mouthful, well I guess it is, or should I say was, as the day has now come to an end which certainly feels just right.

During the late evening of this day, I discovered one of the flourishing buds on my newly adopted jasmine had opened. So delicate, & perfect, a most special way to end this day. So as this day comes to an end, I wish us all,~ health, goodness, & truly peaceful loving thoughts.

Amen

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Just A Wee Bit Starry Eyed*~

These simple beautiful stars were constructed by some of the craftspeople that contribute to the fair market trade that Ten Thousand Villages is known for, & have decided that since this is a very gray time of year in this part of the country the very best I can do to combat this is to utilize house plants & also a sprinkling of these colorful stars too.

My brother the son of our father, & our father who was our family's nuclear physicist chemist, proudly shows off one of my fave chemical combos~

This past week has been of course busy, what's gotton done or accomplished, I couldn't really pin point. I do know that my mother has been given permission to travel back to Connecticut, via/ plane as she continues to amaze her medical team, & fam*, as well. She of course has been working very hard to keep up her strength & determination in order to continue to make progress, & to maintain this renewed strength she has acquired.

We here in our neck of the woods are trying our very best to gage how much we are able to accomplish in any given day to help to get my mother's home safe & ready, as there is a lot of heavy lifting, weeding out, & reconfiguring of what would work, as my mother will no longer be able to use her present floor plan. For her, all these years it has been a three story adventure including a loft bedroom with an amble sitting area, & also a finished off rec room & laundry in the cellar area. So between my husband & I, for we're pretty much the on the ground team; we'll just have to see how it all goes for now in regards to all of this, as my husband & I know my mother doesn't have all the time in the world to continue to hold up down in Florida, & for situations such as these the sooner one is reunited with their families, the better it is all the way around. So for today when it eventually warms up a wee bit, we'll put ourselves out there my husband Steve & I, for a nature walk at our local Audubon, as that's our way, a good dose of nature to keep us grounded in body, mind & spirit.

& Oh yes, the caffeine, a few good doses does provide a lot for each & every cup along the way, as per the above photo explains.

Post Script of the Day~ My brother who is proudly displaying the caffeinated topic shirt in today's posting will be joining my husband & I tomorrow to go back out to my mom's neck of the woods so we can safely rearrange her living space in time for her return back from Florida. We welcome this wonderful news, as the more we can help one another on this project, the best it will be for all concerned, especially our mother.

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Ain't It Good To Know.., & thus

Aruf, or I suppose it's woof, woof, woof! A very deep ? baritone woof I must truly add, as I know Dolly's a gal, but her bark is strong & deep. I guess I'd call her a modern day suffragette.

Now where's that Pankhurst era hat I've got stashed away, that would look perfect on my Dolly.., oh yeah it's right over there..

I too am a fortunate pup, as when I rescued Dolly several years ago, ultimately in many respects she also rescued me. What ever would I need rescuing from, I could & have asked myself, over & over.. Well let me put it this way, we've all got our cares & ... , some seemingly more than others, but ultimately what it seems to me is what most of us want & need, is to be connected, & to have a life of purpose. Also at the end of a very hectic or busy day that may have been filled with stress, what's not to love about a warm furry friend, who no matter what, thinks of you as the apple of their eye. I'm sure you've noted I said apple here, & not bone.

Yeah, woof to you, dear Dolly!

******************************

We got word the other day from my mother's doctor's office, that she has made wonderful progress, & she's been ok'd to travel back to the northeast, so she can be nearer to her family once again. It's getting through all the logistics, that is taking up a lot of time, the various details of how to engineer the daily living a life. Where she's to live now, & the arrangements to be made on her behalf. All the finer behind the scenes details, one step at a time.

In the meantime, I've been trying my best to stay on target with a program of staying healthy in body, mind & spirit. Yesterday I attended our writer's group, a little jaunt from our neck of the woods, as our group meets outside of Boston, & the trip in is a chunk of travel time. Well worth it, but I need to keep working on becoming more disciplined in order to get myself clicking along with the manuscript I've begun. That is the key, if I am to fully benefit from all that I can learn. Also being the weather here in Ct. was on the balmy-side, a bit of a spring-tease, I made sure I did my walk on the track just before it was to get dark, & road my stationary bike last night too. For doing all the right things yesterday I rewarded myself with a few additional house plants, to spark up our indoor environment, with some living greenery. Spring is still several months away, & here in New England, February & March can become a grueling ordeal, if we let it. So yes, I guess it's that ole Girl Scout in me, trying the best that I can, by being prepared of which I must admit to having to always be certain to be stocked up with coffee. And why not I so conclude, as for now anyway coffee's the one, it puts the fuel in my tank, & it's legal.

Before leaving yesterday morning, as I was mulling over getting ready to travel in with my friend & teacher Tima, to be on time for our writing group,~ my Muse appeared, sooo.. do I, don't I... , & just had to jot this down, & here it is today~

Caffeinated

caffeinated, a cup or two,

or three or more

that is my cue

to get me readied,

out the door~

I brew it hot

I brew it thick

I brew

[no chew]

this does the trick

will sit and read

and write a note

will jot this poem

relay a joke

from deep within

a muddled mind

will spin it out

just jot a line-

and read my mail

on e-mail's screen

to feel connected

off to preen

as my hair's wild

needs to be tamed

at least to start

this break of day

for caffeination

gets me through

and up and out

What's nue by you...?

******************************************

Throughout this recent family crisis, I've been reaching out, & have been in touch with extended family & friends, close by, & across the miles. It gives me a wonderful feeling to know, that the individuals who have always been near & dear to me, have continued to be in touch reaffirming my true love~ of the compassion of the human spirit, being we're ultimately~ all in this together, & it is during times such as these that continue to test us, & test us too to appreciate, & enjoy the beauty of this world, & one another in our very fleeting time.

amen

******************************

To my dear friends, & fam*, near & far away, I will be in touch again soon, as I dedicate this posting to, as my father was known to say to myself, & all of the fam*,~ "to all of yaz".~

& thus the newest of my Muse's rhyming lines completes today's addition to our ongoing~

~Poetry A Muse In Motion, project~

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden