Jump at the Sun

Mama exhorted her children
at every opportunity to
"jump at the sun."

They might not land on the sun,
but at least they would get
off the ground.

Zora Neale Hurston
Dust Tracks on a Road

Of Note: Marie must have been thinking of "jumping at the sun" when she took this stunning solar shot with the ground apparently a few feet beneath. Any one of us could jump that high. This was today's quote from www.gratefulness.org

Today's Weather Report: Cool mornings in the upper 40's greet us before it warms to the 80's later in the day. Clear skies, at least at this very moment. Seems we get some cloud cover every day before evening, however.

The Ten Thousand Things

The ten thousand things
carry yin and embrace yang.
They achieve harmony
by combining these forces.

Lao Tzu

Of Note: Marie sent this mesmerizing beach scene from her iphone today from Galveston! Isn't technology wonderful? I can just about smell the salty ocean and feel the warm breezes against my face that epitomizes harmony of forces.

Today's Weather Report: Yesterday was overcast and drizzly all day until a big thunderstorm hit at around 5 pm. Did it come down! Today, the sun is out gloriously and at this moment the temperature is perfect--must be in the 70's. I planted some seeds from my brother-in-law three years ago which resulted in only little green plants for the first two years. This year, finally, tall spikes emerged that erupted in quite showy purple flowers. Thing is, after all these years, I forgot what the flowers are called!

Intelligence With the Earth

Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?

Am I not partly leave and vegetable mold myself?

Henry David Thoreau
19th century

Of Note: If you will look closely, you will see a yellow butterfly partaking of the leaf and vegetable matter for its own purposes. Marie caught this scene in March in Texas, when we still had snow on the ground here in the northwoods.

Today's Weather Report: Yesterday a large storm loomed off to the east but broke up as it approached Lake Superior. That is not an unusual pattern. The big lake has a way of manipulating weather; in fact, many times, it makes its own. Because we are so close to the lake, we are the recipients of both the good and the not-so-good in that regard.

Soul Happiness

Happiness resides not in
possessions and not in gold,
the feeling of happiness
dwells in the soul.

Democritus

Of Note: Thanks again to my wonderful, but humble sister, Marie, for this picture that leaves you wondering where the road leads. Where ever it goes, the soul goes there as well.

Today's Weather Report: Party cloudy and cool, then totally sunny and hot, then partly cloudy and cool--but not overly so. High was in the mid 80's. The first day of summer came and went without a howdy-do. Jim says we have bluebirds nesting in our new red birdhouse. Boy, it didn't take them long to set up housekeeping!

Heart Energy In Action

The chief requisite of the application of the heart's energy will be an understanding that physical effort is unnecessary . . . the sending of the heart is accomplished without outer tension. The exercise of the command of the heart demands the least effort. Pure thinking, constancy, benevolence bring the heart energy into action.

M. Morya
Heart

Of Note: Another haunting shot by Marie. Makes you want to dive through the center of the heart to see what's on the other side. Look closely and you will see a wee birdie's head on the left.

Today's Weather Report: More thunderstorms and clouds off and on. More off than on, though. The temp was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Just right.

The Change of Stillness

Stillness within one individual can
affect society beyond measure.
Bede Griffithe

Be the change you wish
to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

Of Note: Would it appear to you like it did to me that these two were singing from the same page? Check out www. gratefulness.org for other goodies--they do more than daily quotes. My hat goes off to my sister, Marie, for catching these resplendent moss roses--two shots for two quotes.

Today's Weather Report: Yesterday we had thunderstorms all afternoon--dark, dark clouds with thunder that sent the dog to hide where ever she could. Today is cloudless, blue-sky kind of day with a still breeze blowing. Supposedly it will be in the 80's later. It was 50 degrees early this morning, so that's a 30 degree difference!

Naked Reality

In a world of tension and breakdown,
it is necessary to seek to integrate
our inner lives not by avoiding anguish
and running away from problems
but by facing them in their naked
reality and in their ordinariness.

Thomas Merton

Of Note: Many of our ancestors faced trials about which we can only dream. Hardship was an ordinary part of their mundane existence. We have much to learn from these ghost's of yesterday. Marie took this haunting shot on her trip to West Texas in April. You can almost hear an intrepid Mom calling her brood for a hardy lunch.

Today's Weather Report: Partly cloudy and cool this morning, starting out again at 40 degrees or so. Around noon it sprinkled, then got hot with the sun beating down, then got cloudy, cool and sprinkled some more. Guess Ma Nature could not make up her mind today.