THE CURE

I have been suffering from a bad case of the "mulleygrubs" for a while now, far too long in fact........

I found this poem on a blog today,  and just had to share it.  Perhaps you have a case of the "mulleygrubs" too.


The Cure

Lying around all day
with some strange new deep blue
weekend funk, I'm not really asleep
when my sister calls
to say she's just hung up
from talking with Aunt Bertha
who is 89 and ill but managing
to take care of Uncle Frank
who is completely bed ridden.
Aunt Bert says
it's snowing there in Arkansas,
on Catfish Lane, and she hasn't been
able to walk out to their mailbox.
She's been suffering
from a bad case of the mulleygrubs.
The cure for the mulleygrubs,
she tells my sister,
is to get up and bake a cake.
If that doesn't do it, put on a red dress.

--Ginger Andrews (from Hurricane Sisters)



Bless Aunt  Bert  time to bake a cake, and it's been way too long since I wore something red! 

NEVER TOO LATE????

Seems like a worthy goal to reach for each day.

REACHING FOR JOY

Mondays can be tough on the joy scale.  It is not always easy to reach for it first thing Monday morning. What with  a new work week lying ahead,  five days till Friday,  lots of commuting time, and prep time, not to mention the hours of work waiting for one.


However, Mondays offers a new start, a clean slate, a fresh week ahead, anticipation at what  serendipitously might transpire each day. On Mondays, one sometimes has to go on a joy expedition. It is somewhere waiting for you!   Happy hunting, and  finding.

ON AGING GRACEFULY

"Nothing is ever lost or forgotten. old age is still a time of great possibility.. The passionate heart never ages"."one of the greatest sins is the unlived life"."There is nothing to fear - you would want to be preparing for a great fiesta time, up ahead".  

  John O' Donohue

Since being widowed eight years ago, I pulled deeply inward, not realizing the richness hidden in the desert in which I chose to live. It was not as empty and barren as I  believed. Rather is has been a place to rest, contemplate, and find my way once again.    I thought I was lost, I thought life was over, but someone has been whispering in my ear, for this past long, lonely time.  Finally, I hear them clearly.  

As O'Donohue said: "There is nothing to fear - you would want to be preparing for a great fiesta time, up ahead".    There IS nothing to fear........

 

DEAR FRANKIE

The other morning whilst preparing for work I caught the end of the movie "Dear Frankie". 

My how it pulled at my memories;  the close with the beautiful "wallie tiles",  the Glasgow rose stained glass window in the flat, the "watter", the rock "skliffing".   

 Fond, fond memories,  and wee Gerry Butler from Paisley, was the cherry on top.   A lovely wee movie.    Magic...............

YOUR ARE WHAT YOU EAT

I found this information fascinating, hope you do too.

http://data.massivehealth.com/

WALLOWING BE GONE....

" Mud, mud glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So, follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there we will wallow in glorious mud."........

I've been in a hollow of sorts for way too long, wallowing and enjoying the mud.  Been contemplating my navel a tad to long, which is a bad habit I have when I want to opt out of life.  A messenger was sent to me yesterday in the body of a store owner, exchanging pleasantries. I  sympathized with the fact that his business was up for sale, his response was "We have to remember to be grateful,  by the time we get to "our age",  we have accomplished our purpose in life. Not to say", he continued,  "that we should not remain engaged in life and looking forward to the future, but we look forward without worry, or fear, for we have survived the best and worst of times."

"And that fact alone invites us to continue our journey in a state of gratitude",  I replied to him, smiling at the thought.

"Exactly", he replied.   "Keep that beautiful smile on your face and life will be good to you."

Sometimes, we need a little help from a stranger,  when we wallow a little too long.......

Pandas in kilts......

The Chinese tartan

The colours chosen for the Chinese Scottish tartan represent the bond between the two countries, the design includes the blue and white of the Saltire combined with the red and yellow of the Chinese flag, green was also included in the design as it is a traditional colour in tartans and references the links between the botanical communities of both China and Edinburgh - indeed the botanic gardens in Edinburgh holds the largest number of Chinese plants outside of China.
China’s association with Scotland goes back 1000’s of years when explorers in China found a burial place of Caucasian travellers wearing perfectly preserved tartans.  The Chinese Scottish tartan was unveiled on the 6^th of April which is National Tartan Day and it was designed jointly by the Scottish Tartan’s Authority and the Strathmore Woollen Company.

How dandy the pandas will look, but then black and white goes with everything right? 

Kudos to the Edinburgh Zoo, spent many happy childhood hours there.

PROBLEM SOLVED?

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes .. Pass a law that says that if the deficit is more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."

-- Warren Buffett

HOW SWEET IT IS......

MOUNDS BROWNIES

1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk into 1 cup of coconut in a small bowl. Combine thoroughly and set aside.
Coarsely chop up the chocolate chunks. I use Valrhona feves, which you can find at Whole Foods, but any high-quality dark chocolate will work.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a spoon, stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter.
Now here's my crazy Kat trick: I save an empty Ghirardelli can to shake all the dry ingredients together because I find sifting to be a chore. So add all dry ingredients together, except for the chocolate chunks, and shake or sift, however you roll!
Stir dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks. Spread half the batter in a buttered 8-inch square pan.
As evenly as you can, spoon the coconut mixture over the bottom brownie batter layer. You can probably do a neater job of it than I did. Smooth the coconut layer out as evenly as possible.
Now, cover the coconut layer completely with the remaining brownie batter. Take your time. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting and enjoying.

These brownies are a celebration of sweetness on the tongue, and hugs for the soul.

This wonderful recipe that found me, and now belongs in my treasured recipe collection filed under joys to share.......

PEACE IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

- Wendell Berry

FRUITPIP SILVERWAND

Just call me Pip!
And I even wear a heather colored dress,  perfect........


My Fairy name is Fruitpip  Silverwand

She protects people from ghosts and demons.

She lives in stony places and tumbling wastes.
She can only be seen when the seer holds a four-leafed clover.
She wears a heather-colored dress and has shimmering translucent wings like a cicada.

Get your own fairy names from The Fairy Name Generator!

WILD GEESE

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting 

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

from Dream Work by Mary Oliver

published by Atlantic Monthly Press

© Mary Oliver

NEXT QUESTION

Next question: Within each of your groups, do you see commonalities?  

The common thread suggests nature offers me great comfort, the colors reflect my love of nature, colors of mountain heather, flowers and the changing colors of the earth as the sun blesses it each day.

All of my choices are inter related in a way I was not really conscious of,  until looking a little deeper into my answers.


I seek comfort,  tranquility, and a connection to the greater Spirit.  My answers reflect this journey.  I guess, it is not such random wander, as I had believed.  Though I still love the synchronicity of it all!

A GAME

Robin at Metanoia has invited her readers to play a multi-part game of some kind.  She has posted the first step, and when at least 10 people have responded, we get to find out the next step.  I have so appreciated Robin's depth, and so I trust her whimsy.  Wanna play?


Robin's game:

Take a minute and write down your responses to the

following.  No context ~ just whatever responses pop 

into your mind.  Be as general or specific as you 

want, using as few words as possible.

1. Five colors: Turquoise, purple, fuschia, yellow, 

orange.

2. Five cities:   Banff,  Jackson Hole,  Edinburgh, 

Dehli,  Katmandu,

3.  Five landscapes:   Mountains, canyons, forests, 

waterfalls, fields of flowers.

4.  Five interiors:    Cottages, conservatories, 

museums,inns, toy shops.

5. Five things you might wear:    Funky hats, 

funky boots, capes, chiffon scarves, 

handkerchief skirts,

When at least  ten people have responded, either in their comments or in their own blogs, I'll tell you the next step.  There are four steps in all.

MOONBOWS

Moonbows at Yosemite National Park..............magic

ZION NATIONAL PARK

Utah's First National Park

Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons.

 Remembering  a hot day in August some years ago, walking shin deep across the cool waters of Zion National Park.   In  awe of its beauty and wildness, and offering thoughts of gratitude to those with the foresight to protect these acres.  

LIFE'S LESSONS

Where does the time go?  Well, in my case this has been a summer of taking care of other people's business. Not something I volunteered for, or would agree to do once again. Rather I was conscripted to handle my recently departed sister-in-law's estate, way too soon, and under a dark cloud of sadness.

I have lost enough people in my life to know when they are gone, what they leave behind in material goods, does not fill the emptiness.  All of the little keepsakes, from their tender memories are often lost on the person, sorting through their things. Or is that just me? 

It seems that the older I get,  going through this process reveals to me how I am growing in  spiritual sense.  Oh, I am no where close to nirvana, but I have journeyed quite a distance from measuring my self-worth in my possessions. However, I did find that a little silly ceramic napkin holder, that sat on SIL's kitchen table for 30 years, somehow ended up on my table. And, the prayer shawl given to her in the hospital the day my brother passed away, came home with me  too. As I said, not close to nirvana.


Other than that, the  message whispered to my heart each time I have to deal with this task, is the fact that the memories, and love are in me, not in  the"things" left behind. No need to add  their "stuff" to my "stuff"  it won't keep them any closer to me, and it will all eventually need to be sifted through yet again, when I am the one who is finally resting.  
  
I want to simplify my life, my soul yearns for that.  I am being slowly drawn to answer that call. All of my life I have been a dyed in the wool procrastinator when it comes to organization. Left-handed  mayhem is more my style. Unfinished projects, potential projects, dreams, and ideas surround me manifested in "stuff".  "Tomorrow I will sort things out" has been my motto to this point in my life. However, call for simplicity is growing louder.  So wish me luck, as I reach forward. Can an old dog learn new tricks?  I will let you know.

A WEE SUMMER COTTAGE

For sale: Katharine Hepburn's luxury former home on the market for a cool $28 million

It is a rare chance to own a piece of movie history.
But there won't be too many buyers able to come up with the whopping $28 million dollars it will cost to buy the Connecticut mansion and estate which once belonged to legendary movie star Katharine Hepburn.
The African Queen actress lived in the mansion until she died in 2003 at the age of 96.

Spectacular: Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn's former estate in Connecticut is on the market for $28 million

The estate, which sits on the waterfront, had been in the Hepburn family since 1913.
It was bought by Barbara and Frank Sciame in 2004 for $6million with the intention of renovating it and selling it on, according to the Wall Street Journal. 
However Mr Sciame 'fell in love' with the 8,300 square foot home and ended up spending summers there.
For the sale, he has divided the estate into three sections, available to buy together or separately.

Luxury: The home boasts six bedrooms and eight bathrooms and was in the Hepburn family from 1913 until the actress's death

Dramatic: One inside interior photograph shows a stunning sweeping white staircase

Family home: The estate belonged to Katharine Hepburn's family from 1913 until she died

The largest section features the house and private dock on Long Island Sound, which runs  along 680 feet of waterfront, for $18 million.
The colonial style home, which is listed on William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, features six bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
The listing also says the house boasts 'stunning views from this crown jewel.'

 

The property also has a large pond at its rear, 'securing privacy', and private beaches.
Other features include seven fireplaces and a 'crushed stone' driveway.
One photograph shows the dramatic hallway with a grand sweeping staircase, while a shot of a bedroom reveals a spectacular view of the waterfront.

Room with a spectacular view: One of the mansion's six bedrooms looks out across the waterfront

Private jetty: The house, in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, looks out onto Long Island Sound

Miss Hepburn holds the record for winning the most Best Actress Oscars, triumphing for Morning Glory in 1933, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner in 1967, The Lion in Winter in 1968, and On Golden Pond in 1981.
She had a long and celebrated love affair with Spencer Tracey, although she also had relationships with Howard Hughes and director John Ford.

She had no children and only married once, briefly, to college sweetheart Ludlow Ogden Smith.
Miss Hepburn died at her beloved home in June 2003.

Stunning: The home has been completely renovated since the actress's death

Height of luxury: The home, which boasts high ceilings and 8,300 square feet of floor space, has been renovated with white fixtures and fittings

Just the coolest property, but what else would it be, being Katherine Hepburn's home?

PONDERINGS.....

So,  I have been lost in my normal mulling and pondering the meaning of life over the last 6 weeks or so.  "What's it all about Alfie?"  A question that has haunted me over the years, much like  "The Hound of Heaven." Usually, I come up with a few more insights during my mulling periods, and find little comfort in them. This is especially true the older my search for meaning becomes.  However, comfort is not the issue anymore, understanding, acceptance, and peace have become the watershed of my "quiet times"

What I never abandon in the end, is that fact that life is such a gift.  And a lesson I am presented with, whenever I take the time to ponder, is mindfulness and the practice of  being in the present moment is the ultimate goal  to be sought. My illusion of control, is just that, an illusion. Powerlessness cannot be denied, or avoided no matter how hard I try.

May I remember each day that life is fragile, time is short, and this journey is so, so sweet.  Furthermore may I accept that powerlessness is not weakness, in embracing it one finds a bottomless source of strength. 


It is time to leave the desert once again, taking  what it offered with gratitude.