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Friday, August 31, 2012

just let it shine through

i imagine that you can understand what it's like to have something really special that you want to share with the world.  something that you want to stroke and nourish and grow.  something you love so much that you want it to shine.  maybe it's your child.  maybe it's your business.  maybe it's your volvo.  for me, this "thing" is my soul.

when i release thoughts through my keyboard, i feel like i am polishing my heart.  i write to encourage my fellow human beings to love without limits... to take a deep, purposeful inhale and receive what the universe has to offer... to take a long, slow exhale and surrender to what the universe has in store.  i write to remind you, and myself, that we are all worthy.  period.  we don't need to be anything more than what we are.

each of us is divine, flawed perfection.

i came across this thought today during a particularly emotional meditation:  "receive and surrender.  you don't need to be anything more than what you are."  as these words strummed my mind, a rainbow-like ribbon of light began unraveling from my heart.  it wrapped around my waists, weaving through my organs and working up my back, filled my head and shot to the sky through my crown chakra.  white light drenched my body and burst through my root chakra, bringing with it a feeling of connection and love and healing.

it was quite lovely.  shiny, happy lovely.

peace, love, gratitude,
v


p.s.
strangely, as i sit here and type, this is what i have stuck in my head:  "just let your soul glow...  feelin' oh so silky smooth, just let it shine through....   soul.  glo."  damn you, eddie murphy.  can't i post just one sentimental piece of creative writing without having a weird, twisty moment?  oh well.  maybe you'll be inspired to begin a meditation practice this weekend - just after renting Coming to America.



p.s.s.
Please share this blog.  Like, repost, tweet, tumbl, anything.  I'd be so grateful.  And you know I'd do it for you if you asked me to.  :-)  xoxoxoxox


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

i just had another baby



okay, okay, not an ACTUAL baby.  but, thanks to your support, i have given birth to a bouncing baby blog called bringing up buddhas.

everything old has been so fun, so cathartic, so empowering, so patient, so perfect for me during my spiritual transition.  through this online journal i have been able to explore all sorts of new age ideas and overshare countless stories about self-discovery through spirituality.  it's served as an ideal transition for me and i hope you have enjoyed snickering and crying along with me.

i'll continue posting here on everything old but have decided to launch bringing up buddhas to focus specifically on the art of family buddhism.  i made the transition from christianity to bu-curiosity to zen buddhism and i'm eager to share what i learn and connect with others who are rearing baby buddhas, or are simply bu-curious.

so check it out, peeps!  just one click gets you there:  bringingupbuddhas.com.

wish me luck!

peace, love, gratitude...  endless gratitude,
v

Saturday, August 4, 2012

happy trails





on sunday we took a family hike along the trails surrounding our home in new hampshire.  belonging to a clan of passionate hikers, i have lots of woodsy time to contemplate nature and spirituality and life in general.  and over the years, i have learned that hiking is the perfect metaphor for life.


big thanks to CG for all of these great pics.




















preparation.
take the time to think about what it is you want to achieve, how hard you want to work, and where you want to go.
a topographical map of newbury trails

balance.
once you're on your way, look down enough to keep from tripping over obstacles, look up enough to enjoy the scenery, look behind you to appreciate where you've been, and look far ahead to keep your goal in sight.
navigating the stone garden at the hay estate and wildlife refuge
opening up to a sandy beach on lake sunapee
not from sunday, but couldn't resist this pic of KF enjoying the view on gunnison lake a couple weeks back

mindfulness.
it's important to stay on the path.  a few steps to the side and you might end up in the thick.  you can always work your way back out to the path, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you'll see there are plenty of trail markers that will help guide you where to go.  you might even see some hidden gems.
can you spot the marker?
the kids spotted a perfectly gorgeous scarlet tanager hiding in the brush
there she is!

respect.
be sure not to leave any of your belongings or trash behind for others to find.  be responsible for the things you bring with you on your journey so they don't damage the environment or offend other people.
SG was never far from her walking stick, aka "the wizard's staff"
joy.
find joy on the path.  if there's no joy to be found, try a new path.
always time for a silly face...
or to just feel really happy.

peace, love, gratitude,
v

p.s.
please share this with your favorite hiker.  :-)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

turf war

i've spent a lot of time hanging out in bushes lately.  blueberry bushes.  i've been patiently learning the art of picking.  there is an art to it, as it turns out.  i'll quickly share my best observations:

when pulling a ripe berry off the branch, there should be no effort. the berry should surrender to the picker easily.  sometimes i'll pull one off and notice a bit of fuschia under its skin and i can't help but mourn the berry that it could have become the next day. and sometimes when i pinch that perfect berry - fat, shiny, navy - i have to eat it right away.  mmmmmm....  sometimes, there are so many berries dangling on the ends of the finest twigs that i just need to hold my basket under the branch and gently curl my palm around the cluster, dragging and guiding the ripest, readiest blueberries into my basket waiting below.

i pass hours picking.  sometimes alone, sometimes with family, sometimes with visiting friends.  my niece came up to sunapee with us for a couple of weeks.  she couldn't get enough of the berries.  i'd pick for 30 minutes and carry the basket into the kitchen.  within 45 seconds my berries would disappear.  my niece has been renamed "berry monster".

one day after the berries quickly disappeared i asked, "where'd my collection go?"  my 6 year old SG said, "PG drank them."  "huh?  what do you mean?  she drank my berries?"  SG picked up a nearby bowl and demonstrated the art of drinking berries.  yup, that's about right.  down the hatch.

i've also been in a heated battle for the past several weeks with a rowdy flock of blue jays nesting in the yard.  the noisy bastards wake me up every morning with their reindeer games.  they harrass the playful nuthatchers, steal eggs from the sweet sounding robins,  they tease the woodpecker as he patiently pecks the old ash for bugs.  they squawk and careen and divebomb my blueberry bushes all day long.  clowns.  even though i harvest the berries twice a day, there is still enough to tempt the damn jays.  i turn my back and they immediately swoop right down and clean out my bushes.  schmack!  schmack!

you can tell that i've really enjoyed berry picking this summer. all the more reason for me to be protective of those bushes. my husband's like, "let those poor birds have some of our berries. we have plenty." and all i can say is, "they can eat them when i'm not watching.  or they can find their own at five bucks a pint!"

so lately, when i catch the damn blue jays pigging out in the bushes, i send the kids out to chase them away.  XG runs out and hollers, "get away blue jays!"  the girls sneak up and ambush the birds.  they're pretty good at it now.  SG's efforts were even rewarded with a perfect blue feather.


this was my reward that morning:
(i told you we have a lot of berries!)

blue jays are just the tip of the iceberg, though.  there are several animals jockeying for food in the yard.  we have three resident groundhogs.  all named miss tiggywinkle, they are often seen eating clover in the lawn.  my husband caught one in a paint bucket while it was feasting on bib lettuce in my mom's garden and i was devasted to see it relocated to a cranberry bog in the next town over.  my parents, on the other hand, said, "one down, two to go."  i guess i should be more understanding considering my feelings about those damn blue jays.

we also play host to porcupines, a red fox, about a hundred wild turkeys and the occassional black bear (they like to climb the apple trees and gorge themselves on honey crisps til they fall out and puke on the lawn).  last week, i even saw a mountain lion cross the street, about 1/4 mile from our house.  i can only imagine what he's eating, especially since i haven't seen the usual deer family in the meadow this summer.  regardless, it's pretty amazing.  and a sign of a healthy, thriving eco-system here in the sunapee region of new hampshire.

it's a wonderful blessing to live so closely with nature.  the wildlife, the food - such wonderful proof of the extraordinary gifts this earth has given us.  as much as they drive me crazy, i'm even grateful for those damn blue jays.  and i'll secretly hope that they cross paths with that new big cat in the neighborhood.  ;-)

peace, love, gratitude,
v