All the rain this week made me think of a favorite passage from Henry David Thoreau's Walden, as he observes rivulets of water running down an embankment in the spring. Whenever I read it, I am reminded of the valuable insights and meditations people stand to gain when they spend some quiet time alone, observing nature. It is fuel for the imagination and a healing remedy for the soul. From ...
Words to Live by
To a Snowdrop
To a Snowdrop Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they But hardier far, once more I see thee bend Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend, Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day, Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay The rising sun, and on the plains descend; Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend Whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed May Shall soon behold this border ...
Ripples
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." ~Mother Theresa ...
Keeping Company With Trees
“For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone. They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche. In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots ...
A Winter’s Solstice
While taking some quiet moments early this morning to appreciate the shortest day, I came across a favorite quote that I often associate with this time of year and was compelled to share. In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. ~Albert Camus In the spirit of contemplating darkness and light, I would also like to share this excellent article ...
Mushrooms
Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath Overnight, very Whitely, discreetly, Very quietly Our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, Acquire the air. Nobody sees us, Stops us, betrays us; The small grains make room. Soft fists insist on Heaving the needles, The leafy bedding, Even the paving. Our hammers, our rams, Earless and eyeless, Perfectly voiceless, Widen the ...
The Flowers of Autumn
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus ...
Apples
“It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Wild Fruits: Thoreau's Rediscovered Last Manuscript ...
Raven Steals the Sun
As we busily prepare for winter and our first fall storm on the way, I thought about the things I look forward to about the cold, dark months of the year. Warm fires in the woodstove, drinking tea, making hearty soups, reading more books, and on special occasions, storytelling. I have always enjoyed storytelling and folklore, and my favorite tale by far is Raven Steals the Light. This is a story ...
Regarding Simple Living, Solitude, and Pumpkins
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than to be crowded on a velvet cushion." ~Henry David Thoreau ...