Delights of the Heart: October 2023

Monday, October 30, 2023

Word Magic

The word this week is LAUGH or LAUGHTER

Definition:

"make the spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are the instinctive expressions of lively amusement and sometimes also of contempt or derision.

"she couldn't help laughing at his jokes"

What I am thinking of more than "derision" is "amusement". Sometimes we just need amusement or laughter to distract us from the sorrows of life. Halloween just seems to be a time for me to notice the smiles and the humor in others, from the faces carved in a pumpkin to the sheet pulled over the head.

A friend went to a party this weekend and I loved her simple humor in her costume. She was a deviled egg and also took deviled eggs to the potluck. All she did was wear devil horns and a shirt with an egg painted on it. That just made me smile; so simple, but creative.

Driving in the country recently I found this farm with smiles all around the grounds. Again I smiled.

Yes, there is so much sorrow and hurt happening in the world that for today I need to notice the smiles.

Sometimes even the scary picture or a scary costume can make me smile when balanced with a smiling pumpkin.

As I am writing this post I seem to be using smile, but wondering what actually would make me laugh out loud, with abandonment? Just totally silly laughter, the kind that is hard to stop. And who would want it to stop when it is so much fun? When I was a young girl, maybe around 8 years old, I remember sitting out on the ground with a neighbor boy at dusk. Most of the kids in the neighborhood had been called in for dinner, but the two of us just sat there laughing. He was really funny, but I hadn't talked to him much. But the evening everything he said made me laugh uncontrollably. I still remember that laughter and it puts a smile on my face remembering.

I often would tell friends that the reason my "live-in gardener" married me was because I laughed at his jokes.

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Khalil Gibran

Laughter makes me feel better and it heals my spirit.

Have a great week, dear friends!

Friday, October 27, 2023

Autumn or Fall?

Autumn or Fall, which word do you use to describe this time of transition from the heat of summer to the cold of winter?

The description from the dictionary says, "Autumn and fall are used interchangeably as words for the season between summer and winter. Both are used in American and British English, but fall occurs more often in American English. Autumn is considered the more formal name for the season."

I allowed many of the pictures to be dark just because this just feels like the season of dark.

Yesterday my "live-in gardener" and I enjoyed a drive in the country. We picked a small logging town not far from Portland. A place we had not explored before. The colors of the season were all about us.

Doesn't Main Street just look like so many small towns in America?

This is Vernonia, Oregon, USA

Emily Brontë

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

There is a beautiful 21 mile hiking/biking trail which we walked for a little while. We both agreed to return on a warmer day in spring time. There was no one around and the colors were beautiful.

We even found this apple/blueberry farm. In the background you can see the blueberry leaves turning red.

An old railroad that goes nowhere, as the tracks had been removed across the road. Yet, It was fun to see and imagine a time in the past when trains traveled this way carrying the logs.

It just felt like we were entering a portal of colors and stepping into another realm.

Enjoy the beauty of Autumn/Fall around you, wherever you are. Savor the day and get out and explore.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Monday, October 23, 2023

Word Magic

The word this week is THIRST

Definition:a feeling of needing or wanting to drink something.

"they quenched their thirst with spring water"

When I first thought of thirst I thought of a thirst for learning or a thirst for a cup of something good to drink

This past week I saw a video interview of a young woman in Palestine talking about the water being turned off and not being able to get water. Suddenly water became precious and treasured, not easily found. Water gives life, it cleans. It is the most imbibed liquid on earth.

A few years ago I was having dizzy spells and found out that even though I drink quite a lot of tea I wasn't drinking water. Now drinking water regularly every day the dizzy spells have gone away. I recently told my "live-in gardener" that I have become addicted to water. I can't function well without it. I thirst for it.

We are made in such well planned beauty. We are all made in God's image. We all thirst for beauty, water, and knowledge. Sitting on my back steps this morning with my cup of tea I felt overwhelmed with just the simpleness of my surroundings, the sound of a plane flying over and yet there were dew drops on roses. I listened and sipped and sent love to each of you.

Have a great week, dear friends!

Friday, October 20, 2023

Every Day Occurrences

I searched for the moon

and found the sun.

The sun I shared with

the other side of the world.

Where sorrow fell from the sky

and devastation rained.

Dear God, send healing from the hate,

the selfishness and greed.

A cup of kindness, Love must rein.

My heart breaks for the violence in Israel, Palestine and Ukraine.

The above words I wrote a few days ago as I thought and prayed for healing in the world. Focusing on the hurt and devastation I am reminded to pay attention just to the small things of life and treasure them.

Yesterday I met a friend above the clouds for morning tea. Where the clouds resided was the city of Portland. Above the clouds, if you look closely, is Mt. Hood. Mt. Hood is the closest volcano to Portland. We treasure the beauty of this view. It looked like an island in the sea of white fluff.

Tea time!

The view behind us was blue skies and Pittock Mansion, a tourist sight up above the clouds.

A foggy morning in my backyard.

Unusual clusters of mushrooms around the yard.

Just focusing on every day life.

My "live-in gardener" socks on the bathroom floor.

It's the small things we/I must focus on and embrace while sending prayers to those that are hurting and contacting our Congressmen and Senators to encourage to do the right things in support of these hurting nations.

Be well, dear friends!

Sending cups of kindness!

Monday, October 16, 2023

Word Magic

The word this week is MAGIC

Definition: the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.

"suddenly, as if by magic, the doors start to open"

British informal: wonderful moments

My attempt to snap a picture of natures magic in an eclipse.

"But all magic I've ever known, I had to make myself."

Shel Silverstein

I really liked the British informal description of the word magic. Then I read Shel Silverstein's description of making the magic myself. And it all made sense.

I think we need to notice the magic nature presents to us daily.

That saying goes, "notice what you notice".

But also make a little magic in your life.

Every year I see those amazing pots of chrysanthemums at the market and I try to resist buying them. Why, I don't know. This year I bought one and it is like magic sitting right on my front step. I touch them when I walk by. I smell them. And the magic of their beauty just makes me smile daily. What more is there than a little magic to make us smile?

Now the squirrel must have wanted to leave a little magic too; so the oak leaves were left for me to notice and smile. Then of course, a pumpkin! What is it about pumpkins that make us happy in Autumn? Again, for me it is the magic of nature, the noticing, and maybe a little planning to have magic surrounding me.

Happy Monday, dear friends!