Day 49 Personal Ponderings

My husband, Dave, and I went camping again last week. Hence, why I haven’t blogged in a while. I hesitate to call it camping actually because we stay in a cabin with a refrigerator. But we are out in nature, recharging our souls. Dave enjoyed the Adirondack chair last week. I always enjoy a good campfire myself. I can sit for hours just staring at the flames. It feeds my spirit. The last two times we camped in April and May, we went up to Fair Haven Beach State Park on Lake Ontario. Last week we headed down to the south end of Cayuga Lake (the Finger Lake that I live on) and stayed at Taughannock Falls State Park. I loved being on the south end of the lake because you could watch both the sunrise (if you were up early enough) and the sunset. I live on the west side of the lake so I only get to see the sunrises (when I am up early enough).

It is an awful lot of work to get everything together and packed up, then unpacked at the cabin, then packed up again to go home, and then unpacked once we’re home, especially since we usually only stay for two nights. But it is so worth it to spend that time with the trees, the lake and the sunshine. Camping really is a spiritual experience for me. I come home feeling relaxed and more whole, more complete, more at one with the Universe. I guess it’s even more special because the camping season is so short in Upstate New York. We hibernate all winter and then enjoy the limited amount of summer this region affords us.

Day 34 Feeling Lucky

Tomorrow is my birthday. Tonight I saw the most beautiful rainbow. I bought a lottery ticket for tonight. I expect to win. How does that fit in with “Heal, Whole, Holy” you ask? Maybe it doesn’t. But I love rainbows. I think they are the most beautiful of nature’s creations, even better than a sunrise or sunset. Maybe that’s because they do not come around as predictably as a sunrise or sunset. You have to be in the right place at the right time to see a rainbow. And tonight I was.

Day 32 Our Mini Vacation

We had so much fun renting a cabin at Fair Haven Beach State Park a few weeks ago that we decided to do it again this week. The weather was much nicer this time! Actually, it was absolutely perfect. However, it has put me behind on my blog so here I am playing catch up again. I believe I may rethink this daily idea and go with five days a week instead of seven. On the plus side, however, look at this view! Our cabin was on a pond, but if you look further back you can see Lake Ontario in the distance. And taking a vacation is really part of the entire “Heal, Whole, Holy” concept. When we are camping in nature, we have the four elements around us – the earth, the water, the fire, the air – and that brings forth a sense of the sacred or holy. Nature is very healing. It’s important to take the time to commune with the healing power of nature to become whole again and feel the holiness both within and without.

Solstice

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As the wheel of the year turns, we celebrate the return of the light on this longest night and shortest day of the year. The winter solstice is often a time for reflection. What have I accomplished in the previous year? What do I wish to accomplish in the upcoming year? How am I going to make those plans happen? What do I need to change about myself or my surroundings to insure the best possible outcome?

There are so many ways to celebrate the Solstice and Yule. Many of the Christian Christmas traditions are actually rooted in Pagan customs. The tree decorated for Christmas comes from the evergreen – Yule symbol of continuing life, which was of particular concern around the solstice. Mistletoe and holly, also plants that thrive through the cold winter months, symbolized rebirth to the ancient Pagans. The Yule log, feasting, presents, all of these come from earlier Pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice and Yule.

For me, I am just so happy to have the return of the light. I love that the days will now be getting longer and we will have more light in our lives, literally!  We have made it through the darkest time and we can now rejoice that it only gets lighter from here until the summer solstice, when the wheel turns yet again.

Happy Solstice and Blessed Yule to all who celebrate!

The Lake as My Spiritual Practice

If you’ve ever seen my Facebook, you will know that I am a little bit (OK, a LOT) obsessive about taking pictures of Cayuga Lake, the lake on which I reside. I recently joined a Facebook group where every day we are asked to post how our spiritual practice is going. After posting for several days that I was enjoying the lake, it finally dawned on me that this IS my spiritual practice and that is why it is so important to me to live where I live. The water is calming and peaceful, even when the wind is blowing and there are waves, or when the geese are honking. I love to watch the changes the lake goes through not only from season to season, but even during the course of the day – look at how it changes! These were all taken yesterday when I had the pleasure of spending the whole day at home. The first picture is at sunrise around 7:30 AM. The next three pictures are around 1:00 PM. The next picture is around 4:30 PM and the last picture is sunset around 6:30 PM. I love how the sunset turns the lake pink. I will leave you with this Jacques Yves Cousteau quote: “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”

Monday Musing

This is a very late Monday post. I arrived home (in Seneca Falls) from Rochester just in time to see a beautiful double rainbow. I took pictures, but they do not do justice to the beauty I saw. I love rainbows (who doesn’t?).  They just make me feel like there is a power greater than ourselves out there. I have nothing more to say.

Monday Musing

This is what I wake up to look at every morning (well, except for when I spend the night away from home like I did last night). This is Cayuga Lake. I love my lake. It makes me feel at peace and one with nature. I could sit and stare at it for hours if I had no other activities in my life, but I do have things to do. So I take pictures frequently so I can look at my lake when I’m not there. It is almost as relaxing. I honestly don’t know why I am so attracted to this lake, but I sure do love living here.

Oh well, back to work.

Well, It’s Wednesday

It’s so gray and cloudy on the lake this morning, I am not even motivated to take my walk. Shouldn’t the weather have more balance to it, too? Or maybe I just expect too many warm and sunny days.

So it’s hump day. I am grateful I have made it through the week so far. And I am grateful that at least it’s not snowing! I am grateful that I have a beautiful lake to look at out of my front window. I am grateful for the privileged life that I lead out of harm’s way.

Here are some pictures of the beautiful full moon that I took last night. As usual, the camera did not do justice to the beauty that my eyes beheld.

The first picture was in Weedsport on my commute home from Syracuse. The second picture was when I arrived home on the lake. I am grateful for my sight that allowed me to witness the wonderful luminescence of this full moon. Well, I feel better now, after all of that gratitude!

Terrific Tuesday

I was awake with the sunrise this morning. I am not a morning person so this was unusual. I am amazed at how much more I can accomplish when I wake up early! I have already taken a walk by the lake, done some yoga, meditated, checked my email and my Facebook. The walk along the lake was so peaceful with the birds singing and the lake lapping the shore. And it’s only 9:25am. I have the rest of the day ahead of me.

I am so grateful for so many things in my life – my health, where I live, my wonderful job teaching piano, family & friends and so much more. Good morning, world. It’s a terrific day to be alive!

Here are some more pictures from my walk:

Pajama Day Saturday

Snoopy knows exactly how I feel about pajama days. I have a very good friend (my friend in Houston’s husband, John) who sent me a pair of pajamas just for my pajama days. They are hoodie-footie pajamas and I love them!

It’s also a sunny day on the lake today. I am SO ready for spring and some green on the trees! I am grateful for the day off to catch up on things I haven’t had time to do. I am grateful for a day to rest, recuperate and recharge. It’s a beautiful day to take a walk along the lake. It will be nice to have some time to fit in some yoga and meditation today as well.

Happy Saturday, everyone!  I hope you enjoy your day as much as I am enjoying mine.