Ur Happy Place 9/29

welcome to ur happy place for the week of 9/29! i'm glad ur here with me. today the images here are taken by my hubbie, dino .first an october sunset from 30,000 feet. and how's this for new england foliage... if u want some perfect perfect music to get you in the autumnal way of being try william ackerman's new england roads...take a listen first thing in the morning while you and the sun rise together or as a commute companion..or..?? no matter where u live this will do it! and tah dah! here's my beloved dino below..here on set in brooklyn, ny during one of the this old house remotes. he is one creative heart, let me tell you. some piece of camera equipment is perennially attached to his person;)

ur happy place haiku:

letting hope settle in

songbird who quiets my soul

an invitation

things have been challenging here in my little world. we've had some health issues and without going into the gory details they are the kind that either don't go away overnite or possibly at all. we're learning alot; to have patience and lean into hope daily. nothing life threatening, no worries there. but i find myself swinging back and forth between hope and longing for my old life, hope and lamenting over the loss of the things i cannot enjoy anymore, hope and wishing that i will find the ways to restore my body, hope and regret that i am here in this place now and hope and peace that this is part of my unique journey and that there is still so much about my life that i appreciate and love.

life turns a corner and then what we were used to and familiar with vanishes. i'm sharing a bit today because ur happy place is big enough to handle it. it is a refuge for body, mind and soul. mine as well as yours..and sometimes putting out there what is going on even if it's not the juicy, exciting, yummy stuff has merit and i believe is very worthwhile...i'm deeply encountering the practice of acceptance more regularly than ever, i'm especially aware of the leaves falling, their colors and smell. of the rituals that bring me happiness and comfort; making homemade apple sauce, chatting with niko after school and over homework , watching the evening sky deepen into darkness...

maybe this time is bringing us a unique opportunity to choose to be aware, to choose to live as much as possible with our hearts leading the way. that is a hopeful thought, don't you think?

and i do have one yummy morsel for you today as a perk from all the change we're going through. i'm cooking a new way and have a dino and niko approved dessert :) for you from breaking the vicious cycle by elaine gottschall :

peanut butter brownies (the boys say its more like cake)

1c. peanut butter, no additives, almond butter can be substituted

1/2c. honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

mix all ingredients thoroughly, and pour into a well- buttered eight in. square dish. bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. remove from oven when nicely browned. cool slightly and turn out of pan. cut the brownies squares.

enjoy warm or room temperature with a steaming mug of ur fav tea!

and now here's ken lidden with his bi-monthly offering:

Opening Your Heart"

All too often we hear the words open your heart. What does that mean! How do I do this!

Yoga, Meditation, Walking in the Woods, Doing Your Creative Thing.

I believe, and I tell my students that Your Heart is Always Open, it is never closed.

Just allow your light to venture out, allow the clouds that block the light to lift, to drift away.

The clouds maybe there for a very good reason, but crack open the door and allow them to float freely.

In Emmanuel's Book 2, The Choice for Love, the question is posed, "I would like to know how to open my heart and what the heaviness around it is all about."

The answer which I dearly love and cherish is as follows.

"My very dear, the heaviness around your heart is the illusion in which you have wrapped yourself to keep your heart safe. Contradiction? Well, illusion is contradiction.

When the small child receives the clear message that he or she is not wanted as they are, then the wound is wrapped in forgetting. The heaviness around your heart was designed by the child to protect themselves from ever, ever being wounded again.

But such wrapping shuts out the light and mutes the voice of the heart. You are longing to be unwrapped, to be free, and the heaviness is the whispered caution that tells you, "It's dangerous." Close your eyes and welcome the heaviness. It will lighten.In doing so, you bring your self-love into an area that believes it will never be seen, never be heard, never be allowed."

So, may I suggest where you are right now, to sit up tall, to lift your chest out and up.

Allow your heart to shine, embrace the small child and allow its voice to be heard.

Yours in life, om shanti

Ken Lidden

..please enjoy jen gray's genius now and may you lean into whatever life brings you...with your chest out and up and ur heart leading the way.. until next week...xxx

t