Today I'm in awe of nature...for what vision it must have to place the perfection of every snowflake in their places on the branches of all the trees. 

by Marie Kukula-Tyner

Thought For The Day...

Evil interrupts the flow of good.

Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

My last post was about how much I love this time of year. Fall is magnificent here in the Pacific Northwest, and today had to be one of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced on this planet. I started the day with a morning walk through the forest before I had to go to work. It was a cool, foggy morning and the forest seemed exceptionally beautiful and welcoming. The bright yellow leaves of the underbrush and trees seemed to bring little bursts of sunshine throughout the forest, bringing light to an overcast day. The silence that the fog brought to the forest and the smells of the earth calmed my mind and brought me deep inside my being...something I haven't experienced in awhile. It felt good. I walked and I worshiped nature. I felt so embraced by it that when I returned home I told Michael that the forest gave me a hug. It made him smile.

For the rest of the day I felt in harmony with nature and enveloped by its energy. As I drove through the Loon Lake pass on my way to work, I marveled at the colors of the bright yellow trees against the backdrop of the dark green forest. It was stunning! The sun was just beginning to break through the fog and its first rays of light were choosing certain trees to shine on, making their yellow leaves even brighter. The energy of the trees was amazing--so alive and so present! It's as if the trees were yelling out, "Look at me!" Yet they were ambivalent to whether I did or not. It's their moment to shine, and they would do so whether I was admiring them or not.

I think the energy and beauty of the day could be felt by others, too. Everything seemed to flow in a natural and balanced rhythm. People seemed calm, open, and happy. I had several lovely, unrushed conversations with people, one with someone I'd never talked with before, yet it seemed like we had known each other forever.

On my way home from work I took a short detour through one of my favorite areas this time of year because it has a lot of aspen trees. I had the dogs with me so I rolled down the back windows in my car so each one had a window to hang their heads out, allowing them to sniff the air and let the wind blow through their fur. It was late afternoon, the sun was shinning, the light was magical, and the trees were at their peak of color. As I was enjoying the moment, the words to John Denver's song "Sunshine On My Shoulders" came to mind, particularly the verse: If I had a day that I could give you, I'd give to you a day just like today. I'm sure a day like today inspired him to write those words. As a writer and a poet, I admire the simplicity and power of that verse. If it were possible for us humans to do so, what greater gift could we give or receive than that of a perfect day? Fortunately, nature has the ability to give us a gift like today, and I am humbled and grateful for its generosity and its continued willingness to share its beauty.

As I'm sitting here typing this, warmed by our first fire of the season with our dog Amber curled up behind me, I'm a bit sad to see this perfect day end. I wish I could freeze this day in time and enjoy it a little longer, but nature moves on.  What I can do is do my part to protect nature so that we, and future generations, can continue to experience days like today. We continue to disagree over whether there is global warming or climate change, but I think we all could agree that when we're kind to this beautiful and generous planet that we call home, none of us lose.

Take a moment to enjoy the words below to John Denver's song Sunshine On My Shoulders. Wishing you a perfect day!

"Sunshine On My Shoulders"

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always

Autumn Leaves

Leaves I gathered on my walk in the forest.

The autumn leaves remind us of the beauty of change...and the promise of a new beginning.
by Marie Kukula-Tyner

I LOVE fall! The changing colors of all the leaves, the warm light that the sun gives off, the smells of the earth changing and preparing to rest, and watching nature get ready for winter.  There is a rhythm about fall that is different from any other season. While winter is a time of rest, spring a time of growth, and summer a time of activity, fall is a time of transition. When you are in rhythm with nature, you feel this. I feel the transition in nature, I feel transition in my life, and I feel transition in the world. I know the transition in nature is to the season of winter--nature always knows where it is going--but I don't know what we are transitioning to in the world. I don't think most of us know. And that is a little, okay very, scary.

I took a long hike in the mountains on Saturday and learned a lot from nature about times of transition--most importantly is how fragile we are during these times. Leaves are barely hanging on and all it takes is an early freeze or a gently breeze for them to lose their grip on the branches they hold on to. In spring and summer these same leaves can withstand heavy winds and rains and still hold on. Just as nature is more vulnerable in the fall, during this time of transition, the world is vulnerable now. The economy, jobs, wages, and people's spirits are barely hanging on. And because of this, right now, we are vulnerable to people who promise a transition to something better with no plan to back it up.

The fact is: It has taken us a long time to get to this place and it's going to take a long time to transition to a better place. One person cannot do this. If you've read some of my other blog posts you know that I believe any kind of major change or transition to something better will take all of us. So during this vulnerable time of global transition, protect yourself from the outside elements as best you can and begin to make changes that will help you and the world transition to a better place.

I thought I would include this since it ties in with the fall post above: Last year I started gathering leaves at different times of the year, pressing them, and then framing them. Our house is decorated with these pieces, which I call Earth Art. They are more beautiful than any artwork I have seen in the stores and they have brought a grounding energy from the earth into our home. The above piece is one I did a few weeks ago and I absolutely love!  I call it "In Between" since it catches the leaves in between summer and fall. I had such a great time gathering these leaves on a walk through the forest one day. I had never really noticed the tree before, but the beautiful colors of the changing leaves caught my eye and I spent a good hour examining the leaves and choosing the ones that were the most interesting.  I plan on doing a lot more pieces because I enjoy the process and the results so much. I will be posting the ones I will be selling so that you, too, can have the beauty and grounding energy of nature in your home.

Intelligent Television...Finally!

Michael and I watched the three-part mini-series Brain Games on the National Geographic Channel last night and loved it! Finally something intelligent to watch on TV that is interesting, fun, and filled with valuable information. Be warned, this isn't the kind of show you can sit on the couch and be a vegetable watching. It engages your brain and takes some effort, but you can feel your brain working. It's really cool!

In the last year I have become fascinated with the brain and how it works, and I'm even including a chapter in the Spirit Factor about the brain/mind. I think it is one of the most important chapters in the book. Afterall, we can't do anything without our brain's consent. There is so much untapped potential locked up in our brains--I can't help but imagine the wonderful reality we could create if we all could learn to tap into that potential. I, for one, am going to work on doing this.

Kudos to the National Geographic Channel and everyone involved in the show! Great job! Check out the link to their website: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/brain-games/.

Mediocrity is self-inflicted. Genius is self-bestowed.  Walter Russell

Feels Like Home

The link below is to a performance of Feels Like Home by the Deltones on The Sing Off last night. I thought is was one of the most beautiful and honest performances I've seen in a long time. Brought tears to my eyes. The voices don't sound as good on this video as they did last night, but the spirit of the performance still comes through. Love the words! They make me think of my husband and two beautiful dogs. Thanks for giving me a home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ID6uBooB4

When Did Bullying Become Entertainment?

Lady Gaga made a plea to President Obama (see link below) asking him to make bullying illegal in the United States after a 14-year old fan of hers, Jamey Rodemeyer, who was being bullied over his sexuality, took his own life. These types of tragic and heartbreaking stories are reported much too often in the news. The problem is, we temporarily get outraged, then go right back to our lives watching reality TV shows that are filled with bullies, the news and the political bullies it covers, and listening to popular TV personalities and politicians, some of which are basically high-paid, or elected, bullies.

If we really want bullying to stop we need to change what is considered "entertainment" in this country.  If children live in a home where entertainment is watching a reality TV show that is filled with people bullying each other, and the bullies are making millions of dollars doing it, do they really understand that bullying someone in real life is hurtful to that person and that it's not entertainment? Who is setting an example of kindness, respect, acceptance, and honesty in this country? The politicians? Hmm, don't think so. Snookie? Yeah, no. A real housewife reality star? Nooeew! Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or Bill O'Reiley? Let me stop laughing long enough to type, NO. The news? No, no, and no. If we make bullying illegal, there are going to be a lot of people going to jail, and a lot of job openings in politics and the entertainment industry. Now there's an idea to help with the unemployment problem!

We can point a collective finger at the children who bullied Jamey to death, pound our chests in anger, and listen to Dr. Phil do another episode on bullying. But, instead, maybe we should just turn off our TVs tonight, the next night, or all week in protest of the culture of bullying that the media has created. We so gladly, or maybe unconsciously, invite this into our homes on a daily basis, and we, including our children, are acting out what we are watching. While I am outraged and very saddened over the loss of such a young life, I believe the power to immediately begin to change the bullying culture in this country is in all of our hands. Laws take years to pass, and this one would be hard to enforce. And, while we're waiting, more lives will be lost. I'm not against doing it, but I'm against waiting for this law to fix the problem. The Spirit Factor is all about taking action--immediate, if possible, or planned, when necessary. We all, for sure, can take immediate action in this case.

My heart goes out to the Rodemeyer family who lost their son to bullying. I do not believe that everything happens for a reason. But I do believe that we can give meaning to things, even bad things, that happen. So let's.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-difference/fundraiser-lady-gaga-may-may-not-chatted-president-160352724.html

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/09/lady-gaga-attends-obama-fundraising-event/