Month: July 2020

Parliament of Owls – Day 627

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Great Horned Owl looking for dinner – Photo: L. Weikel

Parliament of Owls

Appropriate in this case? Probably not. But it makes for a good title! While a group of owls is technically referred to as a parliament of owls, I suspect the term probably refers to a group of all the same kind of owls. And that was not our experience last night.

But oh, did we receive a wonderful dose of Owl Medicine*!

It was all because we decided to walk a little later than usual, as I mentioned in last night’s post. What an assortment of surprises unfolded for us. Actually, the experience with the owls unfolded before we crested the hill and noticed Antares lurking beneath the moon, and then Jupiter shining like a beacon in the southwest sky, with Saturn bringing up the rear.

YouTube

I probably would’ve written about the owls first, since they arrived first on the scene, but I have to be honest: I couldn’t write about the owls we encountered without including a link to my recording of the screech owl that was calling to us so emphatically.

And while I did manage to figure out how to upload a video to my (Owl Medicine Shamanic Healing) YouTube account a few weeks ago, when I recorded the Coyotes serenading Comet Neowise, I wasn’t familiar enough with the process to easily upload it last night and write a post.

So I saved the owls for tonight. And yea! Not only did I manage to upload my recording of the screech owl trilling and calling last night, but I also found my photos of Hootie, the screech owl that actually flew into the door of my car as I was driving home one night in the middle of a snowstorm. That’s a story for another day.

Hootie – Hangin’ out in our bathroom, recovering – Photo: L. Weikel

Walking at Dusk

As you can hear here, there was a Screech Owl serenading us as we walked along the forest-lined road last night. I couldn’t see the owl, but I’m glad its voice was captured pretty well by my phone (amidst the background cacophony of crickets and katydids). I hadn’t meant for the flash to light up as I pressed record, and I was surprised it continued to vocalize so nicely even though I was effectively shining a spotlight into its living room.

I fumbled with the phone after recording the above clip and managed to turn off the flash, but the Screech Owl went quiet. I was grateful for what I’d managed to record.

While Karl and I were marveling at how close the owl had sounded, and reminiscing about our time with Hootie, Karl suddenly grabbed my arm and pointed to the other side of the road, the side that opened out onto fields of hay. “Look! That isn’t…,” he began. “Nah. It must be a peace eagle,” he answered himself. (Peace Eagle is what we were taught years ago is another name Native Americans use for vultures.)

My eyes scanned the branches in the vicinity of where he was pointing.

“Oh! I see it!” I whispered. “No – you were right. You thought it was a Great Horned Owl, didn’t you? ‘Cause that’s what it is.”

I could tell for sure it was a Great Horned by the shape of its head.

We were both giddy with the gift of encountering two different kinds of owls in the span of five minutes.

No Hoots

The Great Horned didn’t hoot at us. While I tried to call to it, all I managed to elicit was a sweet 180 degree swivel of its head in my direction. I’m sure it was probably saying to itself, “What the heck? You’re pathetic.”

While I did manage to video it when it finally flew away, it’s not very clear (it was at full zoom), and it isn’t worth uploading.

On our walk tonight, at about the same time of the evening, we were once again privy to a Screech Owl’s mournful call. Sadly, we neither heard nor saw any Great Horned Owls. But we know they’re out there.

Great Horned Owl – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-484)

Cosmic Parade – Day 626

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Saturn Jupiter Moon Antares – Photo: L. Weikel

Cosmic Parade

Oooh, I am so glad we waited until the sun set before taking our walk this evening. By shifting our usual trek time to more than an hour later than usual, we ended up experiencing an array of unexpected treats – including witnessing a veritable cosmic parade.

It was hot today. Perhaps not quite as oppressive as it was last week, but pretty darn close. I’ll admit that I made the mistake of watching Bill Barr’s testimony yesterday before the House Judiciary Committee, and today I paid attention to the news as the day unfolded. Witnessing what’s going on in the world, especially in our country, at the moment is enough to test even the most even-keeled person’s resolve to remain detached and chill.

And Karl and I have both been inexcusably indolent lately. We actually failed to take a walk two days in a row – both Monday and Tuesday – in spite of the fact that we desperately needed to walk the frustration off. So today we were both adamant that we wouldn’t capitulate to the temptation to stay at home in the air conditioning.

Not the Comet

As we rounded the third leg of our shorter journey this evening, the waxing moon was so brilliant, she was throwing stark moon shadows. Glancing up at her in the sky, I noticed a reasonably bright object slightly below and to the right of the moon. I wondered if it was a planet, so I whipped out my phone to check my Sky Guide app.

Actually, I discovered it was the star Antares, which is a red supergiant located at the heart of the constellation Scorpius. (I only know this courtesy of Sky Guide.)

Cosmic Parade – Photo: L. Weikel

But the cosmos had snagged my attention. The sky was growing darker and darker, making more and more of our ‘hatun chaskas’ (great Star brothers and sisters) visible.

One extremely bright object in the sky initially had us thinking it must be the lights on a plane approaching. Nope; it was Jupiter. I then excitedly realized that just to the left and a little below Jupiter was Saturn, not quite as bright as Jupiter, but definitely one of the brighter objects in the sky.

We were delighted to witness this parade of planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Moon – with Antares thrown in as a bonus. (I know the moon isn’t a planet.) I guess the better description is a cosmic parade.

Here is how Sky Guide displayed what we were observing:

Sky Guide screen grab – Photo: L. Weikel

If you get a chance to take a walk tomorrow night, I highly recommend that you get outside around 9:00 p.m. and take a look in the southwest sky. Oh my.

 

(T-485)

Nascent Good Fortune – Day 625

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Photo: L. Weikel

Nascent Good Fortune

This little guy hopped onto the porch this morning as I was having my first cup of coffee. Obviously, I at least had enough of my wits about me to have snuck on him and caught a photo of him (or her…). I chose to think it might be an indication of nascent good fortune.

At first, I was thinking this cricket must be a baby (a nymph?), since it looks like it’s so ‘fresh’ that it hasn’t had a chance to gain its deeper coloration. Hence the title of my post.

But upon reflection, I’m wondering if it might be a cricket that has molted. That thought actually resonates more closely with what I suspect, since if it were a baby, it probably would’ve been much smaller.

Amazing

And wouldn’t you know it? I actually found information precisely on what that might indicate. Again, I’m referencing Animal-Wise by Ted Andrews:

“Most crickets molt at least once, and a cricket may warn us that it is time to shed old beliefs that are no longer suitable. (…)

The cricket should stimulate some self-examination. Are we not seeing things properly? Are we denying our own beliefs? Hav we forgotten how to believe? Is it time to get some new beliefs? Are we exaggerating what we perceive? Are we not hearing the true songs of the people around us? Do we need to listen to what is not being said as much as to what is? Are we not holding true to our beliefs? Are others?

The power of your beliefs is strong now – for good or bad. Do not distort your ideas. Trust in your own intuition before believing others.”

I need to get tonight’s post published.

There’s a lot swirling around, mixed up and intertwined in my thoughts and beliefs that could use shedding, I suspect. Perhaps if I make a point of doing that specific work, that examination and shedding of beliefs, I will call in some new opportunities – possibly a bit of nascent good fortune.

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(T-486)

Flamingo Medicine – Day 624

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Photo: L.Weikel

Flamingo Medicine

It’s funny how things play out in our lives. It’s also fascinating to see how Spirit will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to get our attention. In the span of just a few days recently, Flamingo ‘medicine’ has appeared in our lives as a clear and obvious messenger of some sort or another.

To be honest, at first I was simply taken with the ‘kitschy’ aspect of the plastic hangovers from the fifties and sixties when we first spotted them lurking in the garden of our next-door neighbor about a week ago. Karl saw them and started salivating with envy and a scootch of “I told you so.”

OK, I’ll admit it. As soon as I saw them and realized someone else had actually taken the plunge, I regretted having scoffed at Karl’s desire a couple years ago to get a pair of our own. I’ll give him credit (now) – he was ahead of the curve, even if that curve arced backward. (There will be a price to pay. I’ll write about that another day.)

Within Days

Odder still was when, just a few days later, we found ourselves practically shielding our eyes from the neon brilliance of yet another pair of flamingos. We discovered these saucy birds perched on the elevated sand mound of yet a different neighbor at least half a mile away from the first.

I have to admit these two were remarkably photogenic, strategically situated such that their gaze naturally falls upon a pond filled with peepers and frogs at the edge of a stand of woods.

While I cannot say I’ve seen a third set of flamingos (which would ‘seal the deal’ that they are appearing as messengers to us), I must admit to being captivated by the second set. Not only do they grab our attention every time we walk past them, but they’ve also managed to yank us out of a couple of rather cranky moods we found ourselves in recently.

Flamingo’s Message

Of course, I took their photo the first time I laid eyes on them. My initial purpose in doing so was, of course, to share them with you. I had the idea in my head that they might serve as fodder for some evening’s silly or whimsical post.

I’m so glad I did take their photo, because otherwise I might not have realized that they were bringing all of us a message that just might serve us in good stead.

Checking my trusty reference book, Animal-Wise* by Ted Andrews, here is something I thought we all might ponder as we enter this final week of July, in this Coronavirus Pandemic year of 2020:

“(…) When the flamingo appears as a messenger or as a totem, we are entering a time of cleansing and filtering to find that which nourishes and heals the heart. It is a time to follow the heart in all endeavors, in spite of the environment we find ourselves in. (…)

We should also ask ourselves some important questions. Are we discerning about that which is most beneficial to us or are we just accepting whatever comes our way? Are we ignoring the things we love to do? Do we need to pursue what is in our heart? Are we ignoring what we are feeling? Do we need to explore our own healing gifts and abilities? Do we need to let others know how we feel?

Now is the time for healing the heart. Follow your own heart in all your endeavors and seek out only that which will heal and nourish what is dearest to you and your own heart.”

When I got the nudge to explore the meaning of Flamingo medicine this evening and share it here, I never guessed the message would feel so perfect, or the questions so provocative.

Flamingo Sky? – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-487)

Old-Fashioned Sunday – Day 623

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Old-Fashioned Sunday

Sometimes I find myself thinking about the way things used to be when I was growing up and I’m caught up short by just how much things have changed. For me, at least. And while I realize that’s a choice, it’s still an enormous comfort to every once in a while allow myself to experience an old-fashioned Sunday.

And actually, that’s not even accurate. I’m actually thinking about an old-fashioned summer.

I’ve written at least tangentially about some of my memories of spending summers on Cape Cod, and the lasting love I have in my heart for Nauset Light, in Eastham. Situated just down the sandy back road from our cottage, this lighthouse was (and will always be) known in our household as the “I-love-you” light.

But it occurred to me the other day as I was cruising down the potato chip aisle at the local Giant (obviously having taken a wrong turn, of course), that I don’t think I ever mentioned that the red and white iconic lighthouse on all Cape Cod potato chip bags is ‘my’ Nauset Light. It’s funny how you can look at something year after year and, because it’s familiar, somehow end up no longer seeing it.

For whatever reason, I suddenly saw it again – as Nauset Light – and a flood of memories came rushing back.

Perry Mason, too

Maybe it’s because Karl and I have been watching the new Perry Mason series on HBO that also has me strolling down this particular memory lane. (It’s a great series. I highly recommend it!)

My memories of summer from age 4 to 21 all include staying at that very same cottage on the Cape. During those intervening years, but especially when I was in those betwixt and between years of 12-13, I started to prowl through the myriad paperback books that lined the shelves of the cottage’s tiny, pine-paneled bedrooms. Amongst those shelves were a number of books by Erle Stanley Gardner, featuring Perry Mason.

I can honestly say I doubt I would ever have read any of those books had they not been part of the relatively meager selection of paperbacks available to my voracious appetite to read, read, read. (I ask you, can you think of many pleasures in life that surpass a beach read that you simply cannot put down? No. I thought not.)

And that’s part of the difference between then and now that catches me up short. Bookstores were few and far between. Access to books was nothing like it is today. This was before Borders and Barnes & Noble became ubiquitous parts of our culture, not to mention decades before Amazon was even a glint in Bezos’s eye. Indeed, one highlight I remember about the Cape was attending the local historical society’s book sale, just across the road from the (then) newly built Cape Cod National Seashore Center, where they would put out row after row of folding banquet tables in the hot sun filled with donated books of all sorts.

A Reminder Today

Which brings me to why I titled this post “Old-Fashioned Sunday.” Karl and I got up early today and mowed our lawn first thing, in spite of how dew-laden the grass was. We knew the day was going to become unbearable – and the forecast looks like tomorrow will be even worse.

After we got that task under our belt, I allowed myself to immerse myself in a book I’ve been nursing in the wee hours of the morning, after completing my blog post each night. Ah! What a great joy. I simply love giving myself enough uninterrupted time with a book to become completely consumed by the characters.

And that was my old-fashioned Sunday. A lazy, hot, humid day spent draped on our porch’s glider, ensconced amongst oversized pillows, listening to the birds and the wind chimes, entranced by a book.

It occurs to me only now that the only thing that might have made this experience even better would’ve been some Cape Cod potato chips!

(T-488)

Wind Goddess – Day 622

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Wind Goddess from afar – Photo: L. Weikel

Wind Goddess

I had a really hard time focusing today. I’m not quite sure what it was. It was hot out – and muggy – but it wasn’t nearly as oppressive today as it was last week. As indolent as we felt, Karl and I struggled to finally drag ourselves out for a walk this evening, but didn’t actually manage to get ourselves out the door until a bit later than usual. I’m so glad we went when we did, though, because we encountered this fabulous Wind Goddess along the way.

Doesn’t she look like she’s flying across the sky, long hair streaming behind her? I think she was trying to cool things off a little bit as the sun sank below the horizon. But maybe the cooling off was more metaphorical than literal?

This month is turning out to be as volatile as both the astrology and numerology would have us expect. Yes, the roadmaps are all pointing to the same thing: dramatic upheaval and a resurgence of the virus, as the alignments that were occurring when the Coronavirus started spreading here in the U.S. are actually reoccurring, bringing the lessons learned (and not learned) home to roost. Believe it or not, this is probably the calm before the storm.

Expand My Horizons

I’ve been trying my best lately to skirt the massive elephants in the room. Let me tell you, that is not an easy task.

It’s hard not to talk about everything that’s happening before our eyes. The pandemic, the social justice and Black Lives Matter movements, the deployment of secret police by our national government in an effort to create photo-ops for campaign material, the use of tear gas by these armed nationals on our own fellow citizens. The list is far longer than this, as I know you are well aware.

Given the difficulty I’m finding in talking about other things, it’s become clear to me that I need to expand my horizons. I just re-read that sentence and had to chuckle at myself. Here I am, trying to maintain what essentially comes down to a self-quarantine (or close to it) and I’m musing about expanding my horizons. How oxymoronic is that?

I need to sign off now and read my book. Sometimes, we all need to just escape for a while.

Perhaps instead of cooler weather the Wind Goddess is bringing in some new ideas and musings for me to explore. Let’s hope.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-489)

Sacrifice – Day 621

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CSA Flowers – Photo: L. Weikel

Sacrifice

So far, I’ve been extraordinarily lucky not to have been asked to sacrifice a great deal as a result of the pandemic.

I’m grateful that no one in my family has been hit with the virus (yet), although I have had a few friends contract it. Thankfully, there have been no hospitalizations (yet).

Part of the ‘luck’ I feel Karl and I are experiencing is a direct result of our ability to aggressively keep to ourselves. Both of us are able to continue our work from home. Yes, even my work – which I suppose might be an interesting blog post in itself.

A key to a lot of that aggressive isolation is continuing the protocols we began back in March, even though our state began ‘opening up,’ albeit carefully, a few weeks ago.

Discovering What’s Necessary

Karl and I discovered in those early months of the pandemic that we really don’t need to run around anywhere near as much as we used to. Indeed, we’ve begun admitting to ourselves and each other that a not insubstantial portion of our hopping in the car was related to procrastination.

Needless to say, we’ve both stealthily acquired and honed a few new procrastination techniques – but I can confidently assure you, they do not involve our cars. So that’s a win/win in my book.

We’ve also realized just how little we actually need of anything other than food. And books. Of course, how could I forget books.

A Revelation

So it was a revelation to me today to witness just how thrown I was by my decision not to travel to Connecticut to participate in my eldest sister’s 80th birthday.

Damn. 80. That just doesn’t seem possible. If you were to meet her, you’d never think she was 80. She still works, even, twice a week, in a museum gift shop. And I’m grateful she can do that – I have no doubt it keeps her sharp and provides for essential human contact which keeps her young at heart, in mind and spirit.

Which leads me to my feeling of having sacrificed today in a meaningful way. It’s not been a sacrifice for me to ‘hard quarantine.’ It’s been annoying at times, and inconvenient. But having to actively say ‘no’ to myself and restrain myself from jumping in the car and heading north to Connecticut to celebrate Jane’s huge milestone was huge for me. And weighed heavily on my heart.

A Strategy

Indeed, I scheduled a session with a client for this afternoon precisely because I knew I’d be tempted at the last minute to ‘be there’ for her – and to see her kids, my nieces and nephews. But I knew I wouldn’t cancel with a client; that’s sacred. And I felt the wisdom of the foresight of that strategy, believe me. Instead of licking my wounds and second-guessing myself, or worse – feeling sorry for myself – I focused on the needs of my client.

Another win/win.

Saying ‘no’ to myself and refusing to allow myself to go to Jane’s party felt like a true sacrifice. I did it, though, because I want Jane to live to see more birthdays in her 80s (and beyond, Goddess willing). And since who knows whether Karl and I might be asymptomatic carriers, I could not and would not risk attending. And that goes for my nieces and nephews and their kids.

I want our family’s clean record to remain unbroken. And for that, I was willing to sacrifice.

Love you, Jane. Happy birthday!

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-490)

What In the World – Day 620

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Thunderhead and Sunlight – Photo: L. Weikel

What In the World

What in the world is brewing in our country? If we’re honest, I think we all have a good idea – and it is ugly. Ugly and craven and, if we’re not careful, a recipe for injecting a poison into our country that could kill who we are and what we stand for.

I received an earnest reaction to my post last night, my post that encouraged us all to embrace stillness. That reaction was simultaneously one of embracing the power of stillness as well as urging the continued resistance to tyranny. And truth be told, I couldn’t agree more.

While there is wisdom in retreating to the stillness until a dissipation of the current fog of distraction and disinformation occurs, it would behoove us to take one crucial action before our retreat.

One Crucial Action

There is nothing as seminal to the identity of Americans as the concepts of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. The deployment of what is essentially a secret army of unidentified armed forces against American citizens under the guise of keeping the peace, which is actually inciting the exact opposite effect, is the antithesis of our country’s ideals and values.

The behavior we’re seeing in Portland at this very moment, brutalization, tear gassing, rendition (complete with hooding suspects without advising them of their rights or where they are being taken), and the threat of a ‘surge’ of these secret police and their illegal and unconstitutional tactics being inflicted upon Chicago, Albuquerque, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and elsewhere (all cities run by Democrats, naturally) within the coming days, should bring terror to the hearts of all of us.

We are at a crossroads.

So before you retreat into stillness, call or write to your senators. Tell them in no uncertain terms that they must not condone or enable the outrageous behavior being conducted by the DHS at the behest of our rogue president and his enabling Attorney General.

Persistence – The Ocean Oracle by Susan Marte

Persistence

Which could explain the card that just happened to be underneath (meaning on the bottom of the deck) when I chose Fog/Stillness yesterday. The foundational card, the card at the bottom of the deck, was Sandpiper/Persistence.

Make a call. Send an email. Express your outrage.

Then retreat into the STILLNESS.

I feel the sky this afternoon reflects the volatility of our world right now. Huge thunderheads that threaten potential destruction pierced by rays of light and clarity.

We are capable of being persistent in our resistance yet true to our soul’s need to withdraw into a cloak of stillness that rejuvenates our spirit. We are capable of living this paradox. And now is the time when we must.

(T-491)

Another Perfect Pick – Day 619

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Ocean Oracle – Fog/Stillness – Photo: L. Weikel

Another Perfect Pick

I don’t know about you, but between the relentless heat and mugginess that’s blanketing us (if you live on the East Coast of the U.S.) and the relentless and increasingly horrifying events unfolding in our country on a daily basis, I feel like I’ve reached my saturation point. So when I asked the Ocean Oracle (by Susan Marte) for a fresh message we could all hold as a new Point of Focus, I chose what feels like another perfect pick (PP).

As can be seen from the photo above, I chose Fog – Stillness.

Why do I feel this is a PP? Because I am finding it increasingly difficult to continue ‘going with the Flow.’ Don’t get me wrong. There’s no doubt that keeping Flow as a Point of Focus in my daily life has served me well. And it’s not even as though I intend to just throw Flow out the window.

No. If I sense Flow is an appropriate response to a particular situation or stimulus, I will continue to embrace its wisdom. (And I have to mention, Karl and I were amazed at how often, since I chose that card for our collective contemplation, the word flow has shown up in the Medicine Cards* I’ve been selecting on my day, as well as tarot cards I’ve been consistently choosing in our early evening walks.

I’ve been receiving, “Flow, flow, flow” over and over again. So yes, this message has been received and reinforced.

Recent Escalations

And if you’ve been joining me each day or at least mostly keeping up, you know that the guidance we’ve been receiving from other oracles (The Crone Tarot, by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince for instance) has also been pretty consistently advising to come together to recall wholeness, goodness and caring.

While I can only speak for myself, and I probably need to bear in mind that I’m still a bit sleep-deprived, I feel it’s important to acknowledge that making the conscious choice to remain in the flow, and do our best to heed the call to encourage wholeness and goodness while in the midst of a pandemic – is no small feat. While it sounds relaxing and easy, it’s actually a lot of work.

Yes, we can do our best avoid getting caught up in (or snagged) by the rocks and branches we encounter every day, the fact remains that it takes a lot of energy to keep our heads above water. And over the past couple of days, I started to question just how much more ‘flow’ I’d be able to manage.

Photo: L. Weikel

Dearly Needed Respite

And so it was with a huge sense of relief that I chose the Fog card this evening. Stillness. It feels like the perfect message for me in this moment, and I trust it will offer you some welcome permission to be still too.

I want to share what the guidebook offers:

“The Story

She sat in the hollow, surrounded by fog. She didn’t know which way she had come, or which way to go. The vapour was tangible, but her direction was not. She wasn’t scared – the veil of fog felt safe. She had never realized the stillness of fog, the cloak of silence it offered. She was in her own little world, fully present to herself, yet removed from that which was ‘out there.’ It was a chance to just be – to be in that stillness. She didn’t feel the desire to venture forth without direction. She was happy to have this time to be by herself, hidden from view. She felt this fog was the earth’s way of surrounding her by the nurturing embrace of water, without drowning her. She knew she was strong enough to rely on herself and her intuition, away from the watchful gaze of others. She had faith that when the fog lifted, she would be in the perfect place – in the place she was meant to be.

The Messages

What are you hiding from? What is hidden from view? What is visible? What is invisible? Trust that what you need to see is either right in front of you, or will soon present itself. Focus fully on your self. In the busy-ness of the world, take time to be still, to recharge yourself and recalibrate your bearings. Allow stillness to envelop you and be present to the gifts it offers. Use the cloak of protection stillness provides, to stretch into who you are. Walk the path of your instinct – it will lead you in the right direction. Even when feeling alone or isolated, know that you are completely supported by the universe. She is keeping you safe in your sacred place.”

My Take

The bottom line of guidance I receive from this new Point of Focus is that it is ok for us to step out of the flow and take cover. Wrap ourselves in the cloak of invisibility that Fog provides us and rest in the Stillness.

Before we take a stand or make any decisions about how to react to anything that may be happening in the outside world, the perfect response in this moment is to step back. Recharge. Recalibrate.

Indeed, when we remember that, in addition to witnessing armed troops being deployed by a fanatic to manhandle and essentially kidnap fellow citizens in specifically targeted Democratic cities (nakedly politically motivated by our own president) we are in the midst of a pandemic that is exploding in our country – seems to me the most comforting thing we can do in this moment is cloak ourselves and rest up.

Definitely another ‘Perfect Pick.’

We need to gather our strength for the coming storm. But for now: We must practice Stillness, my friends. Wrap ourselves in a Fog that holds and hides us and permitting us to safely gather our strength and wits for what’s to come.

We need to hide in the mists – Photo: L. Weikel

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(T-492)

Little Pleasures – Day 618

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Photo: L. Weikel

Little Pleasures

My post this evening is going to be short and sweet. It’s all about life’s little pleasures – discovering, celebrating, and appreciating them.

My life, I’m almost embarrassed to say, is filled with little pleasures. The unexpected softness of Tigger’s fur and the way he gazes deeply into my eyes and gives me a little, “Mrrow,” when I talk to him. The thrill of sitting on the porch in the dark of night with my sons while a thunder and lightning storm rages all around us. Taking walks with Karl through a tunnel of emerald leaves providing sweet respite from the searing rays of the sun.

Yes, I know. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about the little things in life that warm my heart or bring me joy. I try not to duplicate my musings of appreciation, although I’m sure I do, for even though I admit to having my favorite, tried-and-true indulgences, the truth is that I could probably write for days and days without struggling for inspiration.

Tonight’s Indulgence

Moments ago, I took Sheila outside for her final evening’s relief, and had the opportunity to stand in the midst of a gentle rain, my bare feet sinking into a layer of surprisingly warm and soft grass. Thunder and lightning sparked and grumbled in the distance, but posed no threat to either Sheila or me. The only sounds I heard besides the thunder were raindrops splattering on leaves above our heads.

The next pleasure awaiting me is an indulgence of my tastebuds as I savor a mélange of perfectly ripened, burgundy hued cherries and plump, purple-juiced blueberries.

Finally, I intend to place my head on the extraordinary pillow lovingly given to me this past Christmas. I’m weary, having only slept about three and a half hours last night, so the anticipation of sinking into the cool comfort of my pillow beckons irresistibly.

Life’s little pleasures, my friends. They’re the things we must hold to most fiercely, especially now. I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. But in extreme times such as these, we need to encourage each other – and ourselves – to savor each drop of goodness that comes our way.

Tigger & Spartacus – Little Pleasures – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-493)