Fresh air
and reconnecting with Mother Nature
“Sometimes all you need is a little fresh air…”
Unplugging from our world and immersing yourself in mother nature…sometimes that’s necessary to enhance the healing process, whether that healing is physical, emotional or both…
Listening to the sounds of leaves blowing and branches flailing in the wind, as water gently hits the shoreline…
Occasionally hearing the sounds of wildlife…branches breaking in the woods as a deer walks through or the sound of a duck or a loon as they call to their mate…
And then there is the best part…the smell of fresh air, crisp and brisk…
This week I was blessed to spend time “up north” with my brother and sister-in-law at a beautiful cabin that we have vacationed at for many summers.
Family summer vacations have been a staple of my existence for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are of the south shores of Lake Superior, spending summers on the beach at my parent’s cabin in northern Wisconsin.
Hiking, fishing, golfing, eating great meals, playing cards and board games, making fires on the beach, going to Canal Park and watching the ships come in, eating picnics in parks…the list goes on and on…
The most important part of all of this for me, though, were the people I shared those experiences with…
It has taken me years to realize this but I am so glad I finally have. People are the essence of my happiness and spending time with those who love me as much as I love them…there aren’t enough words to explain…how important human connections really are…
For as long as I can remember I have also found comfort in conversations with those people…deep, thoughtful conversations that challenge me and helped to shape me into the person I am today.
This week I am recovering from surgery and doing all the things directed by my doctor to help myself heal…taking the medications, following the restrictions…but perhaps, most importantly, I am doing something else to heal…something just as essential.
I am relaxing, being kind to myself, doing things I love like painting, reading, writing…taking a break from the world, surrounding myself with people who love me as much as I love them…and taking in some fresh air…some much needed fresh air…crisp and brisk…
All of us need this…we need to be gentle and kind to ourselves…we need to focus on healing…and when we are done with our healing, we need to go out into the world…and heal someone else…
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
When Nancy Abell met Katharina Groene, she was worried about the young hiker's safety on the Pacific Crest Trail. She decided to take action. Steve Hartman has their story "On The Road."
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
Flowers from Heaven…
My niece Jennifer Malphy, whose beautiful photos can be found each week in my newsletter, had to undergo emergency surgery at the end of May.
She wrote the following on her Facebook page and I wanted to share it with my readers.
“When I was in the hospital, I had two dreams that my late father-in-law was in. I don't remember much about the dreams except that he was quietly there in the background.
When Don passed away in 2012, Kris and I had the daunting task of cleaning his things out, deciding what to keep and what to discard. Don was a vegetable gardener, known all over Ontario for having gorgeous gardens every year. While I admired those gardens, some of my favorite things to see every year were his peonies blooming. They were so beautiful! I told Kris I wanted to transplant one of the bushes and bring it home with us.
Fast forward to June 2024 and as I was walking Gunnar, I noticed Grandpa's peony bush was just loaded with beautiful flowers! I just had to pick a bouquet for the house!
I'm a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. I think these peonies are a sign from Don to welcome me home and let me know everything is going to be ok.
Love ya and Miss you so much,
~Jen”
And that’s a good thing…
Nature's beauty can be easily missed — but not through Louie Schwartzberg's lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day. …and that’s a good thing…
What I am watching…
A few weeks ago I watched Band of Brothers, an HBO series originally created in 2001, based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book of the same name.
The series dramatizes the history of Easy Company”, 2nd Battalion, the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. It begins during Easy Company's paratrooper training and follows its participation in the Western Front of World War II. The events are based on Ambrose's research and recorded interviews with Easy Company veterans. The series took some literary license, adapting history for dramatic effect and series structure. The characters portrayed are based on members of Easy Company. Each episode begins with excerpts from interviews with some of the survivors, who are identified by name only at the end of the finale.
As I watched the 80th anniversary celebrations of D-Day this week I was reminded of the sacrifices so many people made throughout that war so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today.
What I am reading…
This week I started reading The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini, which is the first in the Elm Creek Quilts novels series. I love the writing style and the characters in this book and look forward to reading more from this series.
The Amazon description is as follows: “An engaging tale full of warmth and wisdom, The Quilter’s Apprentice is the first novel in best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilts series. Sarah McClure takes a job helping elderly Sylvia Compson prepare her family estate for sale. Sylvia, a master quilter, agrees to share the tricks of the trade with Sarah. As the two women grow close, Sylvia shares her family’s tragic past, compelling Sarah to look at her own life more closely."
Mind/Body Connections…
Have you ever tried EFT tapping for anxiety? Nick Ortner of The Tapping Solution shares a simple, introductory, three-minute EFT tapping technique you can do anywhere to instantly reduce stress and even stop a panic attack.
Follow along with these steps:
1. Close your eyes, and tune into your breath.
2. Start tapping on the side of one hand (the “karate-chop point”) with four fingers of the other hand.
3. Tap through face points, including the edge of the eyebrow, temples, cheekbones, upper lip, chin, collarbone, under the arm, and top of the head.
4. Close your eyes, and return to your breath.
Watch the video to get all the visuals, plus Nick’s messages you can repeat to yourself while tapping to release stress and anxiety.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s This Is The Time by Billy Joel...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….