Amazing Times...

Amazing times.... people lament "how they wish things were like they used to be," but no matter who we try things will keep evolving and changing on its own momentum.  I'll admit that quite often I will pause and reflect on who it would be nice to go back to do some Christmas shopping in a 1960's version of my old hometown, but on reflection I know it was not a sweet as memories play it out to be.

Firstly, there were some tough things to deal with in that old small town setting.  Finding a place to park, braving the winter weather, and darting in and out of shops that had limited selection were the norm.  Plus, now if a local merchant does not stock something we can always order online- and it is at our door in two days or less.

Were those days better or worse?  I suppose it was just different.  When we look backwards into our youth there are great memories of growing up in what we feel were simpler times- however the adults of that era had their own struggles to contend with.  Savor the good memories, as it is good to stir up those warm fuzzy feelings of when we grew up.  Our parents were just as befuddled about raising us and the challenges of that time.  As you share "how it was' with the youth around you it is fine to give them the talk on what was good about those times, but just remember that it was all tempered with the reality of the moment.

Look around at what we have in today's world and be mindful that things will always change.  Some wring their hands over how to police social media, what IOS to embrace, how to make public places and homes more secure.... things so challenging that it often causes some heads to spin.  Rather than staying in the what if-bad zone, instead feel good about the new technology items that are making your life better- how did we ever live without cell phones, Amazon, Google search, social media, iPads....etc?   Temper your thoughts by realizing that in a couple of decades from now it will all be old hat as the "next new thing" will have consumed what you hold near and dear now.  Embrace the goodness of life and make what you have a positive to drive you forward!

Seasonal Ebb and Flow

Isn't it interesting how the mood of our lives in our society seems to follow the ebb and flow of the seasons? We often are so consumed by just "doing our best" as we surf life from day-to-day that we are oblivious to the grand scheme of things that swirl about us making up the quilt of our lives. Life is punctuated by events that act like batons in a relay race as it keeps us in the race. Seasons, holiday dates, sporting schedules, new music, plays, movies or TV programs previewing, family milestones all energize us as me move in a fervor to immerse ourselves in the latest and greatest that has floated to the top. These are the things that make life worth living.

Think of what stands out head and shoulders above the mundane as you cast your mind backwards over what excited you during the past year. From "what are you doing New Years Eve" to the gifts that you juggled last Christmas, we are constantly driven by "the next big thing" on our agenda.

None of this was innate as our culture conditioned us to respond appropriately to what is expected of us in every social situation. Our elementary school days surrounded us with seasonal bulletin boards and a calendar built around holidays as they counted the quantity of days over the quality of the days. Secondary school upped the ante by adding in the mix of seasonal sports and getting a date for the next social dance to teach us how to behave in the right way at the right time. College days and the workplace added in the focus on the right career, right place to live, and how to raise a family in the right way. How long have we been "keeping up with the Joneses" in our struggle to keep the baton in play in our actual relay for life?

All of this sounds pre-packaged and industrialized when we feel like we have been pawns in a society that is centered on conditioning us to constantly behave in the appropriate way as we surf through the seasons of life. In real-time however, it is these ever-changing attention grabbers that instills in us a zest for life. Our money is spent on responding to the seasons in the right way, and it rewards us with good feelings as we sense that it has been a job well-done. Looking ahead to the "next big thing" is what keeps us driving ahead. the great by-product here is that this is the fuel that drives our economy, which in turn dives our jobs, which provides us with income to look to the next big thing and complete the circle. I'm sure you get the picture here. It is a case where the clinical actual is not what it seems, as ignoring the big picture and just living life is what gives us a smile and a glow.

If marching to the right beat and responding to the next big thing in the right way is the driving force of our economy and our very lives is it a good thing or bad? Our nation keeps rolling along as we strive to be fulfilled. We keep the baton in play, yet at times we wonder what would happen if we fumbled the hand off. Generation after generation pauses at times to lament the way things seem to be changing, yet society survives and we morph gently into another rendition of ourselves either through our work, our connections, and our family. Life happens all around us and we either embrace it and make the best of it, or we devour ourselves with resistance. What is your approach to the race? How do you handle the baton? Embrace the day, but do not lose site of the big picture as you are in charge of living your life to the fullest.

...and then there is reality television. Some things are just beyond explanation.

Summertime

Weather is such a driving force in our lives as it dictates our attire and our actions.

Summer is such an opposite to winter in the mountains in so many ways. Suddenly life is evident everywhere, unlike winter when you seem to have to look for it. Flowers take on a common nature as we just get used to their beauty while they were such a novelty in early spring. Leaves and grass grow like wildfire. The sun encourages everyone to come out an play. Everyone has their mood altered by the seasons, and all seem to develop a thirst for taking a vacation.

We reflect on the years and seasons past, and wonder why we still have no time to finish (or even start) all of those tasks we put off until nicer weather. Many of us secretly savor the moments of moving about our summer routines while we go about complaining how it is just "too darn hot."

Isn't it amazing that our main topic of conversation always returns to the weather?

Winter wanes..hopefully

Seems like this has been "round two," as far as the weather woes go, as we have endured two successive nasty winters which seem to linger around as we ooze into spring. While last winter hit the Appalachian hills with some thunderous knock out punches, this waning season of '11 was more of a dull aching day-to-day bout with just enough winter to make you long for summer breezes.

To welcome smiles, March "came in like a lamb," giving us a breath of spring air as the ground was uncovered from its blanket of snow finally and the early flowers and buds started popping out all over.

Isn't it amazing how the changes of the seasons seem to alter our outlook on life? In my ramblings this always seems to fill my mind like ocean waves as i become pleasantly distracted by the new found energy surrounding each seasonal change.

As the typical one-day-warm-the next-day-cold of early spring gives way to sizzling summer winds i will host an inner smile remembering the various incarnations of the seasons and how it sets the beat and moods of our lives. Enjoy the wonders!

I thought it was time to stop by Blogger once again, as I took time off for the winter- actually, working in my schools as a specialist has had me quite busy, and I have neglected my posts here. As the buds on the trees have started to become legitimate leaves here in the hills I am taking stock of things I have shoved to the back of my too list and pushing forward.- thus my post today! Spring is miraculous as it seems to energize everything- including me! how about you????

September Swirls

The calender has flipped to September and the leaves have taken that fall looking tint, and in fact some are falling. Football, cheerleaders, bands, soccer, and schooldays are upon us. It always is exciting to move form season to season as decorations, sports, and our moods seem to change. It is almost like we skate form season to season riding on the incredible highs of the newness of the moods around us. It seems the atmosphere is charged with a mood that allows fo achievement. Take a deep breath and inhale the excitement and all the promise that the new season promises!

July fades to August...

Wow! I suppose we are moving toward Autumn as the local high school bands and footballers are on the move as the calender flips to August tomorrow….Ah the “summer wind” as Sinatra sang….the most wonderful time of the year in so many ways! Although the foliage still has the “summer green look” to it it won’t be long until the leaves turn that dark green color just prior to turning into a blaze of beauty. I have a few trees here at Sumner Place that always seem to turn first and begin to cascade to the ground in a furry carpet. Fall is wonderful with its orange, red, and a multitude of browns and tans, and it certainly has its own beauty. One of the nice things about living in the mountains is the pronounced four seasons we enjoy. I’ll begin to be on the lookout for those few trees to give me the siren call of autumn coming, but for now I’ll linger a bit over the next days and weeks to savor the wonder of summer!

Summer....

Summertime and the living is easy...it is so amazing how the warm days of summer with its occasional splash of rain is such an attitude adjuster. Back in the days of winter I yearly drift out mentally wondering how it would be to live in a tropical place like Hawaii, the South Pacific or somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Now I can pretend for a few weeks that I am there. When the days grow long and life itself seems to kick back I stretch and sigh as I look around and think that this is how life should be. Savor the summer....

Spring to life

Everything is all about attitude, and as the days grow longer and the hills get painted with blossoms of pink it definitely is a positive "attitude adjuster!" Remember when during the cold days of winter we all crawled home in the dark after work? Spring brings on a "laid back" feeling as we move through our longer days with the knowledge that it is all "no worries" as there will be plenty of time for both work and relaxation under the sun. A feeling of rebirth energizes us as we realize that we can actually plant things around us and growth will occur. Indeed, sometimes growth occurs in spite of us! In turn we realize that we are also able to have a "renaissance" in our lives just as the blossoms of spring mark promises of a beautiful tomorrow around us. Go with the flow and let your attitude swell with joy!

Shadow Games

Blundering about throughout my days often finds me overwhelmed by the everchanging shadowplay unfolding through the windows of my life. Light and contrast occupy a fascination for many as we perceive seasons, moods, and even time of day by how the light filters around us. Lazy hazy days of summer are painted with an almost impressionistic light filling your essence with pleasant sighs, while the stark contrast of winter winds chills your spine as you squint your eyes to the harsh light of the solstice. Changing seasons keep life exciting as the stage set before us morphs into a kaleidoscope making each day a new venture forward. As the new season unfolds it is exciting to dream of days to come, but as time staggers onward the days become like a worn pair of old shoes as an urgency swells for a new day to dawn. Although we are comfortable in the ragged season passing as the days go by it causes a rush in us to try on new days to come. We see foliage change, the muds about us alter, and as winter wanes about us an excitement builds for joys unfolding. As spring blossoms around us our souls will be stirred in rhythm with the sap rising in the newly budding world. Spring forward with our clocks and with a newfound synergy!

Fab Feb

Fab February- wow, time flies when you're having fun, right? it is so odd that we stumble through January with the hypnotic post christmas blues thinking winter will never end, then that silly groundhog appears in the media and we mistakenly think winter is about over. Grey days of winter this year can best be described as dusting, iced, and blustery. The recent blue skies preceding the horrid winds across the hills caused us to wistfully gaze upward and pretend summer was perhaps at hand. After all, the groundhog said only a half dozen more days of winter, right? Wrong! It isn't over until it is over to awkwardly coin one of Yogi's phrases. Often these mountains are shocked to find that local bad weather hits the hardest as we stumble towards the Easter Bunny and spring.... take a deep breath, as the most devious of the chills, snows, and winds may be yet to arrive. Oh well, at least we can take solace in eating heart shaped boxes of chocolates and sniffing flowers as cupid distracts us for a Valentine moment.

Calendar Flips

Hurrah- 2008 is here and, as usual, everything still feels the same. Initially the most difficult thing about a New Year is remembering to write "2008" on checks and our correspondance to reflect the calendar flipping over. From Christmas to New Years day it seems that we kick back in our society and let things glide under the guise of packaging everything as "Best of the Past Year" blurbs. New music Tuesday on iTunes skips a beat as the offerings are just a "hits feast," daily published news articles sum up the "year in review," and everyone pauses to socialize with those they haven't seen for a year. We seem to let the world coast by as we pause to take a beath and reflect. Every new January it seems that we collectively take a deep breath to coast us over the impending winter winds. However, we suddenly are snapped back into the present this year as the new year is consumed by "election frenzy" as every media source analyzes each breath of the struggling candidates. Seemingly it a key element of human nature to seize upon a topic to make life meaningful and drive us forward. Politicians create an awareness in where our needs are and the populace become impassioned and polarized as the days glide by. Gradually we remember to write the correct year on our checks as that simple challenge fades in the light of loftier issues. Election years are usually memorable, so ready yourself for opportunities in what may be an interesting year. Enjoy!

Seasons change

Isn't it interesting how we move from event to event in life using special holidays as cornerstones to tug us along?  It seems that we recently scurried along in our move towards Thanksgiving with our turkey in hand to only see its remains being tossed aside as the weekend gave way to the passion of Christmas.  Symbolically one holiday gives way to another much like the natural progression of life here on the planet.  From "Black Friday" forward we unwittingly are consumed by "everything Christmas" as begin to consciously attempt to "get into"the spirit with our favorite carols playing as we outdo last year with decorations around the house.  Shopping, planning, and decorating exhaust us as we also maintain the work grind as the days of December pass onward.  Would we want it any other way?  Every year it is the same, but that is not a bad thing, as "the same" often reveals some charitable and optimistic characteristics about those around us that we usually never notice.  One of the cosmic things about all of our holidays is that our involvement shows our character as we magically conjure up a time of passionate wonder and celebration throughout the year.  As we move toward the 25th let's all savor the good things about how we are energized anew around this event!  Shop, decorate, and socialize- but enjoy all of the nice things this season stirs within us all.  Merry Christmas!

Chill

Must be getting cold, because I am feeling comfortable. As the calender flips to November most of the leaves have fallen and memories of summer are fading in the same vein. Crisp autumn days have always left me with a warm feeling, as it seemingly leads me into a surrealistic dimension where it is neither too hot nor too cold. Think of how many wondrous things have been concocted by inhabitants of northern climes in response to a chillingly fresh thought! Brisk mornings leading to amazing contrasts of clouds sketched onto a vivid blue canvas is my idea of the greatest time of the year. However, this must not be a universal take, as I encounter plenty of people who grumble about frost and how difficult it is to get the temperature just right in their homes. As they sloth off to work many seem to bleat about being cold as they cling to their summer wardrobes, while those dressing for the season are bewildered by the random cries to crank up the heat. Mixing about over the past few days kept me gobsmacked by the number of shivering dismayed cries lamenting the loss of tropical breezes here in the hills. Get with the times! The calender has flipped to November and it is normal to have a bracing chill in the air. Enjoy the moment, and take a deep breath to sustain you through the upcoming mind boggling approaching holiday season.

Cows to us

Often, or so it has been said, when taking leisurely jaunts across the hills and dales, I've often noticed that the bovine creatures in our midst never cast their gazes heavenward as they are always engrossed in chomping vegetation. Did you ever ponder that one of the main differences between us and the animals around us is that they lack the tendency to pause to reflect? It seems that at times we tend to descend to the levels of beasts of burden as we get so consumed by our livelihood or social concerns that we fail to "stop to smell the roses" As of late, the circle of friends and peers about me has blinded me with smoke and mirrors as I've allowed myself to become bogged down by the matters of the day and the worries of tomorrow. In the grand scheme of things, allowing trivial things to distract and stress us out is not much different than a cow spending every waking moment groveling for grub with its head never gazing upward. Lessons in life are often best learned in simple ways! Go figure!

Third down

Suddenly the media is filled with pigskin news.  Did you ever notice that as summer rusts into fall we have a palette of distractions around us?  To battle the emotional let down from the loss of summer breezes we desperately spin around looking for something new to consume and distract us.  Evolving offerings about us come in a variety of shapes, sizes , and colors.  The sports world gets all abuzz with action and most seem to jump into some football camp, either local or national.  No matter the nation, everyone seems to follow the pattern.  To those that are a bit less sport minded it seems they swiftly go into a trance to either decorate their lodgings for the season or switch their wardrobe to tones of oranges, maroons, and browns.  Youth gleefully returns to school with sleepy but hopeful eyes.  In every venue the concert and stage worlds seem to illuminate as the air chills.  No matter your local climate, the traditions of a chilling autumn dictate an increase in activity.  On top of all of this is a world seemingly caught up in holiday cheer as shoppers dictate the success of our economy in their annual spending spree.  Is it all coincidence that we become so active as the leaves tumble?  It is as if it is "third down with inches to go," and everyone must make that last desperate attempt to score before the chill of winter freezes us into a deep sleep.  Enjoy the season.

September slides by...

Mid-month, and the seasonal change is afoot! We blissfully swirl along enjoying "those hazy lazy days of summer" and suddenly are awakened to reality as the blistering heat of the day gives way to crisp temperatures- first as an oddity mixed into the warm days, but gradually becoming the norm as we accept autumn and its falling leaves, hillsides of color, and the eventual talk of "when will we get our first frost?" Seasonal changes have a way of creeping up on us, as we are so consumed by our day-to-day lives that we seemingly are surprised that it suddenly is fall. Symbolically seasonal changes stir a time of reflection in many of us, as we begin to relate the harvest rusting look to the natural progression of life. Just as our aging creeps up on us, we allow much of what stirs about us to be unnoticed as we lack a global vision in our daily struggles. Not to be feared, we should embrace this comparison between the progression of our lives to the changing seasons, as it can fill us with a newfound understanding of our lot in the grand scheme of things. Every season is amazing in the hills, so why not take the opportunity to become seeped in the brew of life as you "take it all in"- at every stage savor life!

Turn the page to Autumn

Look over at the calender- Heavens! Labor Day already? We move through life consumed by our jobs, handling day to day tasks around the homefront, while our hedonistic distractions keep us filled with that child-like essence of wonder...then the seasons change and we pause to ponder that our lives are like a gust of wind in the hurricane of life. Each of us does our part to fill the pieces of the puzzle of life without pausing to take in the grand scheme of the overall image of civilization. Oddly enough, the changing of the seasons seems to spark a primal drive in us to reflect on what has just passed in the waning days of the old season as we move to adapt to the onslaught of new demands the next season brings to us. It seems that as small towns host their fall festivals it is but an echo of the olden harvest times when people gathered to celebrate-and perhaps more importantly- gather one last time before the onslaught of winter woes. It is almost a subconscience urge within us to mingle while we can and bond in a spirit of celebration and survival in a concerted effort to brace for the forboding winds of change on the horizon. Change keeps us alive, as we embrace a revived approach to making sure our piece of the puzzle of life will fit properly with those sharing the pathway of life. As we turn the page to autumn let's hold hands, snuggle in our sweaters, take a sip of warm cider, and enjoy the fellowship of friends as we move through the days ahead!

Colors are starting to creep in....

I was amazed (or was it dismayed) over the past few days to see fall colors appearing along the roadway to my palatial estate! I noticed after the winds picked up stirring the warm days of August last week that it seemed that all of a sudden yellow tinged leaves were swirling in front of my way home...and as I was relaxing around by riding the Cub around the grounds I began to see the same old tell-tale trees beginning to rain their leaves down with those fall colors. Now, mind you, it is only a trace of falling leaves, but nevertheless fall is getting nearer with every tick of the clock. Creeping colors from autumn leaves are a wonder, but it still gives ya the creeps to know summer is waning.

Dreamy Dusk

Dreamy Dusk...Isn't it amazing how the time of day and the weather can cast such a different light on familiar surroundings? The harsh sun of midday gives way to a dreamy softness at dusk that harkens back to the spirt of impressionistic painting like those of Monet, Renoir & others. Summer rains add a earthy smell that we secretly crave under blistering rays as we toil to groom the landscape. Memories of short days with blinding winter sunsets reflecting off of frosty hillsides of snow stir appreciative feelingsfor the present that leads to a savoring of the days of summer. Although each season has its charms, it is only fitting that those at the opposite ends of the calender evokes such different moods. The softness of the summer light is comforting to the soul!