Inspired

30 Days of Gratitude - #6 Embracing It All

Today was just one of those days.  I felt “off” right from the moment I woke up. There wasn’t anything wrong that I could put my finger on, it was more like I’d left a part of me somewhere else. I felt as though only half of me actually woke up and came back to the world.

I felt tired, heavy and weighed down and although I hoped I’d shake it off somewhere between a shower and breakfast, it lingered the whole day.  I resisted it and got angry with it and even took a trip to the nursery for some winter plants to pot, thinking that might cheer me up, but it was beyond reason and rationalizing.  It  couldn’t be bullied away. 

I had already decided I wouldn’t bother posting anything today as a) I didn’t have the energy and b) I didn’t feel like I could gather up the enthusiasm to be grateful for much. Yeah, I was pretty pathetic!

When I finally gave up and was ready to write the day off as just “one of those days” a light bulb finally went on and I laughed that it had actually taken me a whole day to remember!

I had forgotton that I can really be grateful for it all…every day is a gift…every moment.  It’s a gift just to be be here and be experiencing every feeling that might be labeled good or bad…every moment, every nuance, every thought, every breath, every ache, every pain, every tear, every frustration …not just the “good” stuff.  It all leads me to where I prefer to be and to what I really prefer to experience.

I’d been in resistance all day…resisting the tiredness, resisting the heaviness, resisting it all, with every deep sigh and every “poor me” thought.  When I finally relaxed into gratitude for every experience, every feeling…all of it…every last bit of it, I found a smile on my face for the first time all day.

Tomorrow I may or may not feel better than I did today, but as soon as I wake up, my intent will be to wring every last delicious drop out of the day and be grateful for the experiences it brings.

alis volat propriis

(she flies with her own wings)

The photograph above was taken last winter in the town of Compostela, Nyarit, Mexico…about 40 miles inland from the coast.  It is said that the name of the town comes from the Latin “campus stellae” or "field of stars".  This man was sitting on a bench outside of a church that was built in the 16th century.  He was just watching the world go by and as I look at him, I wonder if he has learned to simply enjoy the experience of living life.

 

 

Sweetness

This weeks theme at Lens-Us-Together was “sweetness”.  The photograph above was taken today at the stall of a candy vendor at a street market in Las Barras.  The cellophane bags of candy were full of colourful sweetness.

I’m writing this while listening to a ten man mariachi band play on the beach below me.  There’s a Valentine’s party nearby and the fireworks are just beginning.  It’s a beautiful warm evening and yes, just perfect for the “romantico” celebrations of love…but there’s so much more to love than this…

…each and every day…is LOVE DAY! 

One of the best ways to open our hearts and allow the flow of love into our lives is to have an animal companion.  I’m missing Molly’s sweet love while I’m away but I know she’s well looked after.  We’re very fortunate in that Molly has another set of loving “parents” who share her love while we’re away traveling.  Even when we’re at home she visits for frequent “sleep-overs”!  It works for everyone, especially Molly!

I send sweet blessings to all my dear bloggie friends, whether I “know” you or not and if I don’t…please say hello, I’d love to meet you!

Clouds, Rain, Wind…Sunshine, Bliss…and Clouds Again

Last week we had the storm to end all storms…

…or at least it seemed that way at the time!  I was told by a local that we had more rain in a day than they have through the summer rainy season. 

We had incredible winds – up to 70 miles an hour.  I wondered if the glass in our windows was going to blow in!

A circus tent blew down, a man was killed and a tiger escaped.  Really!

The State of Nyarit, (where we are) had snow for the first time ever…EVER.

Central Mexico (Mexico City, San Miguel Allende, Guanajato) which are desert areas and rarely have rain in the winter, have had flooding that resulted in many deaths.

Yes, it's been wild.

But eventually the rain stopped and the sun came out to dry everything out. This is the little town that we walk to every day for shopping and occasionally, for lunch and it’s looking very lush right now.  Usually at this time of year, everything is covered in a thick layer of dust. 

 

When the sun came out we travelled to Punta Raza for the day, a deserted beach just a few miles south of us.

This lovely lady and her husband made lunch for a group of us in their outdoor kitchen.  We ate a beautiful meal under the shade of a palapa, overlooking the ocean.

You can even stay here...in this circular tower room.  Your peace is ensured, as they have no electricity…none at all.

 

There are artistic touches everywhere…this mosaic of broken plates and tiles is located beneath the bar at the outdoor kitchen

and this one is outside the bathroom.

This beautiful bench is an invitation to sit and enjoy the views or stop and rest on the climb up from the beach.

There is no phone or internet or power of any kind here.  It’s truly a little piece of heaven.  And in fact, that’s exactly what it’s called.

Sadly, it may not stay this way for long, as a large corporation has bought almost all of the land behind the beach with the intention of building a resort.  It’s now fenced off with a full time guard in attendance.

We’re back to clouds with more rain forecast for later this week.  It doesn’t bother us though as it’s still warmer than home and we know that when we hit Panama next week…with it’s very high temperatures and it's equally high humidity…we’ll be longing for a cooler day or two (or three or four or five!).

And that was the story of my week.

Blessings to all of you my friends,

Catching Up

taken January 31, 2010 

It’s hard to believe that we’ve moved through January already and ready or not, February is upon us.  January was an intense month for many and from what I’ve heard from friends who know about ‘energy’ and how it effects us in seemingly unseen ways, it was about clearing out the old to make way for the new as well as awakening the global heart.  And it certainly did that, as the outpouring of love and caring for the suffering in Haiti was unprecedented.  The world stepped up to the plate and responded with great compassion.

I’ve decided that the less I do, the more tired I get…seriously.  I’m sleeping more than I have in months and other than walking to town and back almost daily (a half hour each way with lunch/coffee/cold drink and shopping thrown in at our destination) I don’t do anything even remotely strenuous…unless you consider walking up to the 3rd floor of the hotel six or seven times a day strenuous, but I think that might be stretching it.

Maybe when we’re on high speed for a long time and then stop…suddenly stop…there’s a lot of catching up to do.  If that’s the case, I’m happy to report that I’m catching up a lot.  I do the occasional page in my art journal, I read, I chat, and I lie in the shade.  I don’t even spend much time on the internet as page hopping is difficult with the intermittent wireless.

The plus side of this is that I’m meditating/breathing daily.  I followed Jan at Awake is Good throughout January for her 28 day meditation challenge.  It was a very down to earth and supportive experience and helpful with keeping the momentum rolling.

and on a completely different note…

this short video was sent to me today…I found it interesting and thought you might too.  It’s of Jim Carrey talking candidly about his spiritual awakening to an audience of GATE  filmmakers (Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment).

(I'm having difficulty posting links and editing so I apologize if this post is a little rough around the edges.  I'm also having trouble leaving comments on your blogs too as I get dropped off the internet frequently...but I do visit!)

Thanks for visiting dear friends,

Warm and happy blessings to each of you.

Simple Things – morning light

It’s usually the simple things that touch our soul most profoundly and yet ironically these things are often the most overlooked. 

They’re the everyday things that we begin to take for granted.  The sun comes up every morning and sets every night and it’s just another part of the day.  Every now and then we remind ourselves how truly awesome this “event” is, how privileged we are to see another dawn…but all too often it blurs into the busyness of the day.

It’s a simple thing and yet…its not.  It’s extraordinary.

A few other simple things that I’m enjoying and thankful for these day:

warmth and sunshine

              *

a soul rejuvenating rest

              *

time, with no demands on it

             *

waking to the sounds of tropical birds that are new to my ear

            *

beach music…(the never ending waves and chatter of shore birds)

            *

funny, funny pelicans who look so strange and yet so wise

            *

sharing laughter

           *

friends…new ones, old ones, near ones and far away ones.

           *

a very special group of women friends that the universe recently brought together

           *

a course of spiritual study…the right place at the right time with the right person

           *

I’m taking part in Christina’s Simple Things post today at Soul Aperture and the photograph above was taken from my dining window this morning as I sipped my cup of tea (yet another simple pleasure!) and enjoyed the rebirth of the world into another beautiful day.

Everyday Peace - Peace Everyday – Moments

The scene above looks serenely peaceful…and it was.  We walked home from town along the beach the other day, enjoying the late afternoon sunset.  It was the soft mauve of the hills in the distance that made me drop the chicken we were having for dinner, and dig out my camera.

Moments like these bring a deep sigh of contentment and relaxation of any tension present in the body. 

Moments like these are to be treasured in a world that seems recently set on overwhelm…a world almost literally cracking open. 

You don’t need a tropical beach for moments like these.  They can happen easily, anywhere and at anytime.  What beautiful moment have you been aware of in your world today?

Grateful blessings of the moment to all,

Lens Us Together - A New Perspective

Gaining a new perspective can be as simple as

looking at palm trees instead of cedars

and gazing at blue skies rather than grey.

Smiles come freely, laughter bubbles easily.

and pointless worry seems, well…pointless.

Scientists say that our bodies don’t know the difference between imagination and reality…our cells respond the same to both.  Personally, I like the real thing best…but if you can’t make it to a tropical paradise this winter, hold this image in your mind, get the feeling and transport yourself!

Sometimes we need to step out of the frame in order to see the picture.

I’ve been absent from Lens-Us-Together for over a month now but I’m back with more time and a new point and shoot camera.  My Nikon 35 ml lens is still in for major surgery but I have the camera body and the macro lens with me so I’m back in the game! 

Sweet blessings to all,

Kate

Cafe con Leche

…aaahh…warmth, sunshine and coffee at George’s.  Pinch me…is it real?

Mexico welcomed us with a tropical downpour yesterday but today, well today is perfect.  The fan is whirring softly, the waves are crashing loudly and the grackle’s are busy arguing over a prime roosting spot outside my window.

I’m convinced that there's a part of me that stays here and doesn’t ever leave so that when I return, I simply slip back into that person who was here all along.  Alternate realities?  Quantum physics?  Too deep to even contemplate today.  Today is for resting, reading and catching up with old friends.

I’ll be back!

Blessings,

Kate

Things that caught my eye...

and my camera lens while walking around Mexico. 

I'm back home now...I actually arrived home several days ago but I've been layed flat with a cross border bug. Viruses have no concept of the idea of borders!  It's not my idea of a holiday souvenir, but hey...it didn't take up any room at all in the suitcase!

Until I get my bearings I thought I'd post a few images that speak volumes about the heart and beauty of Mexico.

 

Cactus blossom...

 

When the chicken crosses the road....?

The fountain in the cafe courtyard of the library in San Miguel...

Children from a nursery school watch dancing in the streets...

Ah...those amazingly beautiful Jacaranda trees...

 

Beautiful, colourful and oh so dignified...

A group of school kids in a parade held just before Lent...

piñatas hanging in the market...

a nursery school wall in La Penita...

a fountain in Mineral de Pozos...

the roof top patio of a bed and breakfast in San Miguel

The Winged Wonder sitting in our kitchen in San Miguel and pondering the complexities of a non functioning computer connection .

While walking up the street I wondered if these ribbons were simply for decoration or did they signify something?...

A wall mural in the Instituto Allende...a degree granting art Institue in San Miguel... 

the beautiful symmetry of nature...

voted (by me!) as my favourite courtyard in San Miguel to relax with a glass of Sangria...the Fine Arts Cultural Center of Bellas Artes.  The two-story cloister which was a former nunnery, surrounds an enormous courtyard with large trees and a gurgling fountain,  It houses art exhibits and classrooms for drawing, painting, sculpture, lithography, textiles, ceramics, dramatic arts, ballet, regional dance, piano, and guitar. The cafe which is tucked into a corner, is the perfect place to sit and enjoy the peace.