June 30--Beauty Everywhere

At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough.  --Toni Morrison

    Can you remember all the beautiful things you've seen in this world? I certainly can't. I have been to many places and have seen all sorts of beauty. I do take photos, but at some point I say to myself that I don't want to look through my camera lens--I want to just take it in and enjoy where I am in the moment. 

    One aspect of the world's beauty is its humans--all shapes, sizes, and colors. I enjoy people-watching, appreciating the variety, and reminding myself that we are all doing our best to thrive in this life. I would add that the beach, where I recently spent time, is an excellent place to people-watch. 

    Closing out June and its theme of beauty,

        Leta

Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix

June 29--Love Shines Brightly

Even after all this time. The sun never says to the earth, "You owe me." Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky.  --Hafez

    I'm a big fan of the Astronomy Picture of the Day. The photo below is one. Note that the little dot in the upper right corner is the relative size of planet Earth compared to our brilliant star. I like to look at these daily images because so much of our Universe is incomprehensible to me, the size of the sun being an example. It reminds me that what I don't know and don't understand is HUGE, and what I do know is quite small. 

    Grateful for Something Bigger Than Me,

        Leta

June 24 APOD

June 28--You Never Know

The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs.  --The Be Good Tanyas

    So true! When I am walking Barney, I try to pay attention to the birds we see and their songs. No matter how common-place they are, I love seeing robins. We have loads of squirrels in our neighborhood, and sometimes it's tough to hear the birds over squirrel chatter. The mourning dove's song is quite common. That is especially fitting for this morning because...   

    Yesterday afternoon when I arrived to teach my MELT/yoga class, I learned that one of my long-time students made his transition while I was away on vacation. 😢😢😢 While I'm happy for him that it was a fairly quick passing, it is a shock. He was kind, helpful and enthusiastic. He was my most consistent male attendee in a predominantly female class. I miss him. 

    Reminded that we don't know how long we'll be here,

        Leta

Mourning Dove

June 27--HOME!

Going to the woods is going home.  --John Muir

    I am HOME! Here are the final trip stats:

• 17 days
• 4,658 miles
• 10 days driving long distance
• 7 days not driving
• 16 states besides Kansas (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma)
• 2 rainbows
• lots of long scary bridges and tunnels
• gas price range from $4.35 to $5.33 (only one time over $5)
• 3 more stadiums (Braves, Rays, Marlins) checked off on my MLB map with only the two Texas stadiums (Rangers, Astros) remaining
• awesome time spent with the Hardin family in St. Louis, niece Debi, great-nephew Bryce and dear friend Paige
• the extraordinary blessing of safe and fun travels

Happy to be home!

    Leta

Rainbow #1 at Ocean City, MD

June 26--I Want "Beam Me Up, Scotty!"

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.  --Rachel Carson

    On Saturday's drive, I enjoyed the beauty of five states, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas. I needed those "reserves of strength" as I drove from Panama City Beach to West Memphis, about 525 miles. Exhausting. I saw one billboard that said, "Go to church or the devil will get you." I kid you not. Isn't that inspiring and motivational!?!?! Then there were the two exits, one for Laughter Road and the second for Getwell Road (photos below). I was also treated to a rainbow. Those were the highlights, otherwise it was just a lot of pavement and traffic. The best part is that today's end is HOME!!!

    Westward and north from here,

        Leta

June 25--A Super-Fun Easy Day

 Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.  --Thich Nhat Hanh

    This huge trip has given me a lovely taste of Earth's wonder. The mountains of West Virginia compared to the flat lands of "Alligator Alley" in Florida; beaches and forests; rivers and bays; oak trees and palm trees. Though it has been a huge drive, I've touched just a small part of our magnificent Earth home. Our Mother deserves all the love we can give her. Note: Kansas is NOT flat; south Florida IS flat.  

    What a treat to sleep in and relax for a day before the 1,000+ mile (2-day) trek back to Kansas. I love to swim laps outdoors, and was able to do so at the local Aquatic Center. Then back at Paige's house, we lazed in the pool most of the afternoon, of course, chatting non-stop. We rode in the golf cart to the Sandbar Seafood & BBQ Joint for a seafood supper and cocktails. Back at the house, we played a few games of Sequence and Rummikub. We agreed that the Universe is going to continue to come up with ways for us to see each other, even though Paige lives in Florida and I live in Kansas. 

    Today's drive takes me to West Memphis, Arkansas. 

    Fly, Spaceship, fly!

        Leta

Words to live by...

June 24--A Break After the Biggest Driving Day

The poetry of earth is never dead.  --John Keats

    I covered a lot of earth yesterday, over 600 miles from Miami to Panama City Beach (PCB). My dear friend (and 2021 Jamaica roomie) Paige offered me a couple nights' visit to break up the drive back to Kansas. Her home is like a resort, so spacious, comfy and beautiful. She drove me in her golf cart to her favorite Thai restaurant where we had great Pad Thai. Then she drove me along the beach and around the shopping area. What fun to cruise in the golf cart! Plus I'm getting a "doggie fix" with her wonderful pup, Rosie.

    It was over 100 degrees most of the day, and I think the humidity was 99.9%. I am grateful for a lot of things:

• air conditioning
• safe travels
• interstate highways
• a new reliable vehicle
• the Waze app guiding me flawlessly (even yesterday around a closed FL turnpike section)
• talented engineers who design those scary bridges and tunnels, and the talented folks who built them
• all the angels working overtime for me to have such an awesome trip
• all the folks who let this confused driver from Kansas into the proper lane at the last second
• all the different vegetation, flowers, etc that I have seen in the many states I've passed through
• that I am just crazy enough about baseball and my MLB mission to make this trip

    My son said in a text to me: "Thanks for sharing your sense of adventure!" That makes it all SO worthwhile!!

    Relaxing today in PCB,

        Leta

Cool artwork outside Marlins ballpark

June 23--A Very Long Mile

Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.  --Alphonse Karr

    I confess that I have grumbled the many times I have been stuck by a rose thorn. 

    I drove yesterday from St. Petersburg to Miami, about 280 miles. The Waze app got me to my hotel just fine. My hotel is just over a mile from the stadium. Going to and coming from, between my confusion and blocked off streets, I'm thinking I drove about eight miles, and certainly drove the Waze app crazy. Beep, beep, beep. But I made it.

    Marlins stadium, loanDepot park, is quite cool. I arrived early enough to walk all the way around the park inside, checking out the food and drink options. Seeing nothing I couldn't live without, I settled on water and peanuts, which I think ran me about $15. There were only a few thousand people at the game. My seat was at the end of a row. Below is a photo of my row. Note that this was an excellent seat, nine rows back of the visitors' dugout, looking down the 3rd base line. The coolest thing on the concourse is The Bobblehead Museum, displaying all the bobbleheads from all the teams. See the photos below.

    The home team won again, Marlins over the Rockies, 7-4. Entertainment included three people in front and to the right of me who were dressed in bacon costumes. Yes, bacon. 

    I start making my way toward home today, destination Panama City Beach.

    I did it! 3 games, 3 cities, 3 consecutive nights! Woohoo! 28 down, 2 to go...

        Leta

I had a primo seat--9 rows behind the
visitor dugout. I had the row to myself. 

The whole thing shakes to keep the bobbleheads moving!

Kris Bryant bobblehead

From my seat, I think the closest I've ever been to the field.

June 22--The Home Team Wins Again

The stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me.  --Haruki Murakami

    Have fun pondering that quote!! I do believe the whole Universe is alive, one energy in infinite forms. I'm not so sure about the "watching me" part.

    Operating on little sleep, but with an excellent audiobook ("The Echo Man" by Sam Holland), I left for St. Petersburg before 6am on Tuesday. I made much better time driving 500 miles than I expected. Once I was away from Atlanta, the traffic wasn't bad. Once again I arrived early for check-in. Having just driven for over eight hours, I elected to wait in the hotel lobby. 

    I settled into my room, relaxed a bit, then headed across the highway (by elevated walkway) to Tropicana Field to see the Yankees-Rays game. 

    While "The Trop" was opened in 1990, it feels way older. It's pretty surreal watching baseball there. I kept looking at the ceiling wondering if it really would stay up there. I've been in stadiums with a retractable roof, at least you know sunshine gets in there at some point. No sun gets into The Trop. The video boards were small and not hi-def. When folks say the Rays need a new stadium, they are right on. However, I was exceedingly grateful for the air conditioning! 

    Oh, yes, the game! The Rays hit four home runs, 3 by the same player. I was surrounded by Yankees fans, and they went nuts when Aaron Judge came up to pinch-hit with two outs in the 9th and the Yankees down 4-5. His home run would have tied it, but he merely hit a very long fly ball to left field, and the Rays won 5-4. I love seeing the Yankees lose!!

    Today's drive to Miami is relatively short, so I caught up on some sleep this morning. Now I'm headed further south for the Rockies-Marlins game tonight. 

    So much fun!!

        Leta

I will post some of my photos later...

June 21--It Was A Walkoff!

Let the rain sing you a lullaby.  --Langston Hughes

    Don't you love napping on a rainy day? Granted, I love napping every day...

    I had an easy drive Monday from the Greensboro area to Marietta, Georgia, leaving North Carolina, passing through a bit of South Carolina and finally ending up at my hotel just down the hill from Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. For the last hour of driving, the traffic was crazy, even during mid-day. I paid $25 extra for early check-in. Then when I was trying to nap, the fire alarm went off briefly. So much for a pre-game snooze. 

    The area around the ballpark, The Battery, is awesome--all sorts of shops, restaurants and bars. I found an Asian "food court" and enjoyed a light supper of crab rolls and a small beer. Then it was into the stadium for roaming. There is a very cool museum area where they honor Braves star players, most notable to me being Hank Aaron and Greg Maddux (because he was also a Cub for many years). 

    Lastly it was a great game. The Braves beat the Giants 2-1 with a walkoff hit in the bottom of the 9th. 

    Today is a long drive to St. Petersburg for the Yankees-Rays game tonight. 

    Onward!

        Leta

A bat for each of Hank Aaron's home runs

The giant A changes color and pattern

June 20--Sunday's Golf Adventure

Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.  Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.  --Roald Dahl

    Dahl is one of my favorite authors of children's books. He used his belief in magic to the max. 

    I had a lovely Sunday, starting with a relaxing morning of writing and reading. I headed out to Holly Ridge Golf Links, where I managed to get on as a single, joining a couple who originally came from Sweden 30-some years ago. They are a lovely pair, and they spoke Swedish to each other. Eva said they wouldn't teach me "bad words" in Swedish, even though I said I'd like that. To get to play, I joined them on hole #4. This is an important factor in what followed later...

    After playing through #18, I still needed to play holes 1-2-3. I snuck in between two groups, played the holes, then started back in the cart around the golfers behind me so that I wouldn't get hit. This took me to the road leading up to the clubhouse. When I was about 2/3 of the way up the hill, the cart locked up on me. The screen said I was in a restricted area, and the cart was locked. I let it roll backwards into the grass, so that it wasn't blocking the way for cars. Then I lugged my clubs up the hill to my vehicle. I went into the clubhouse and told them where their cart was. I guess they are freakishly paranoid about someone stealing a golf cart. Geez! It was a lovely round on a beautiful day finished off with a completely-new-to-me experience. 

    Today I drive to Atlanta and go to the Braves-Giants game tonight. 

    Having fun!

        Leta

The locked cart

It's quite a lovely course,
and fairly short & easy for women

June 19--In North Carolina

Day's sweetest moments are at dawn.  --Ella Wheeler Wilcox

    Happy Father's Day to all you folks dadding out there!

    I left for points south just after dawn yesterday, traveling through Maryland, Virginia, and into North Carolina. The drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels was terrifying. I don't know if I was more scared by the bridges (3) or tunnels (2), all 17 miles of them. 

    I drove through beautiful farmland and forest in Maryland. When I made it to NC, I was delighted to see at many exit and on ramps literally thousands of blooming day lilies in bright orange or yellow. Of course, I was driving, so I have no photo of my own to offer, but the photo below gives you an idea. Beautiful!!!

    After driving almost 400 miles and checking into my hotel, I was delighted to find a nearby YMCA where I got in a 33-lap swim before closing time. After that, it was an evening of "chill time." 

    Grateful for safe travels,

        Leta

June 18--A Great Time Was Had By All

Nobody sees a flower, really--it is so small--we haven't time, and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.  --Georgia O'Keefe

    So says Georgia O'Keefe, who took the time and became an outstanding painter of flowers. 

    This time at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, has been priceless. The beach, accommodations, weather, food, etc have all been fine. But what has been most excellent is time to hang with my niece and her son. We've had wonderful conversations, loads of laughter, peaceful walks on the beach, and vicious UNO games. 

    Yesterday, our last day on the beach, was a gloriously sunny one, a fitting end to a super week. The evening was a great story-maker... We drove to the south end of the Boardwalk and started walking along the shops and food vendors. About ten minutes in, we were caught in a huge storm with torrential rain, hail and mighty winds. Even huddling in a shop we were soaked. We gave up on the Boardwalk and went to Seacret's for dinner. It's a huge dining and bar complex and music venue. We were seated outside for about ten minutes when another storm threatened and chased us inside, just in the nick of time. Oh, well. We ate our meals, headed back to the condo, and finished off a wild evening with three hands of UNO. 

    From here, I head south for the baseball part of my trip. I'll spend two nights in the Greensboro, NC, area, hoping to get in a round of golf and gearing up for three baseball games in three nights in three different cities. Adventure! 

    On the road again,

        Leta

Hibiscus with Plumeria, 1939, O'Keefe

June 17--Our Strange and Sweet World

So come, and slowly we will walk through green gardens and marvel at this strange and sweet world.  --Sylvia Plath

    I've had another "died and gone to heaven" experience. The last one so labeled was being in Jamaica last December. Here's the current one:

    In my opinion, the phrase "edible cookie dough" is redundant. Anyway, this establishment is within walking distance of our condo, and luckily I did not see it until several days into my stay here. They have assorted flavors of dough like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal: 

    

    There are also assorted toppings:

    Remember, they sell ice cream too, so one can go crazy with the combination of ice cream, cookie dough and toppings. 

    This was our dessert treat last night, and we all only ate half--it is quite the sugar overload. But what FUN!!!!

Mine is on the right--peanut butter dough
with Reese's Pieces

    This is all the result of a stormy day at the beach. We spent the day lazing around the condo. When it cleared off in the later afternoon, we had a couple windy, chilly hours on the beach. 

    Today is beautifully sunny, so off to the beach we go, our last day here. 

    Life is good!

        Leta

June 16--Blessed Nature

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.  --Frank Lloyd Wright

    These are the words of Sister Jose Hobday, from her book "Simple Living: The Path to Joy and Freedom":

    Simple living is not about elegant frugality. It is not really about deprivation of whatever is useful and helpful for our life. It is not about harsh rules and stringent regulations. To live simply, one has to consider all of these and they may be included to some degree, but simple living is about freedom. It’s about a freedom to choose space rather than clutter, to choose open and generous living rather than a secure and sheltered way.
    Freedom is about choices: Freedom to choose less rather than more. It’s about choosing time for people and ideas and self-growth rather than for maintenance and guarding and possessing and cleaning. Simple living is about moving through life rather lightly, delighting in the plain and the subtle. It is about poetry and dance, song and art, music and grace. It is about optimism and humor, gratitude and appreciation. It is about embracing life with wide-open arms. It’s about living and giving with no strings attached. . . .
    Simple living is as close as the land on which we stand. It is as far-reaching as the universe that makes us gasp. Simple living is a relaxed grasp on money, things, and even friends. Simplicity cherishes ideas and relationships. They are treasured more because simplicity doesn’t cling nor try to possess things or people or relationships. Simplicity frees us within, but it frees others, too. . . . Simple living is a statement of presence. The real me. This simplicity makes us welcome among the wealthy and the poor alike. . . .
    We will not be happy living selfishly in a small world. We must live in awareness and in association with the whole real world. Our universe. Our cosmos. Our environment. Our earth. Our air. Our water supply. Our country. Our neighbor. Our car. Our homes. All are part of simple living.

    Nature did her best for us yesterday, with a glorious sunny day on the beach. We walked to a local bar for supper. Just a note that a crab cake costs $25 here. Folks here are quite proud of their crabs. 😉😉

    I was quite blessed five years ago to tour Wright's Falling Water home (photo below). It is amazing, as is all his work. It uses his belief in Nature to the max. It is well worth the roaming drive in southwestern Pennsylvania to see this architectural wonder. 

    Profoundly grateful!!

        Leta

FLW, Falling Water, August 2017

June 15--In the Flow

What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn't have any doubt--it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn't want to go anywhere else.  --Hal Boyle

    Being in the flow of life, not trying to paddle upstream, makes for an easy ride. Such was yesterday at the beach. After a brief time in the sand in the morning, storms rolled in, and the beach was vacated. We spent the afternoon inside, lazing, reading, snoozing and playing cards. My great-nephew googled how to use two decks of regular cards to play UNO, and we were off and running. After our pizza and salad supper, the sun had come out, and my niece and I went for a walk along the Coastal Highway to get some movement in after such a lazy day. Then we played UNO late into the evening. At one point we were all laughing hysterically, and when we stopped, no one knew what we were laughing about. This time with my niece and her son is pure joy!

    Today is a beautiful clear sunny day. Off to the beach!

        Leta

Juniata River, the river 
closest to my Pennsylvania home

June 14--Blessing in the Air

There is a blessing in the air,

Which seems a sense of joy to yield

To the bare trees, and mountains bare,

And grass in the green field. 

--William Wordsworth

    I feel the blessing in the air acutely, being at the beach with relatives I love dearly. Monday turned out to be a perfect beach day, sunny and warm, with the predicted rain nowhere to be found. My niece and I went on a mid-morning beach walk. After trekking on the flatland of Kansas, walking in soft sand is quite the new challenge for the leg and hip muscles. 

    After a sweaty day on the beach, how good a shower feels! We went out for supper to the Old Crab Cake Factory, where we enjoyed, of course, crab in assorted forms. It's great that there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the condo.

    Loving the earth and sun energy,

        Leta

Awaiting our crab feast

June 13--At the Beach!

Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.  --Edith Wharton

    I drove through the soggy, foggy West Virginia mountains yesterday feeling like I was the only person in the state--there was so little traffic. The rain preceded me in my eastern journey, and what had been a rainy day at the beach was sunny by the time I arrived. Traffic backed up heading onto the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and I went about seven miles in an hour. That bridge is 4.35 miles long, and I'm glad I do not have to cross it on the way south from here. It was fairly scary for me--while the view is beautiful, I preferred to focus on driving, with my loud inner voice saying, "don't look down!"

    After unloading the Spaceship (nickname for our RAV4 Hybrid) and settling in, we followed Ms. Wharton's quote. We made drinks, opened the balcony door, and enjoyed happy hour on the balcony overlooking the ocean. There is lovely dune vegetation separating the buildings from the beach. My niece, great-nephew and I eventually went out for a walk along the ocean, drinking in the smells, sounds and sights of beach fun. The water temperature is a little chilly. 

    After driving over 1400 miles in three days, I'm happy to stay put for a few days!

        Leta

Just a partial view of the long, scary bridge

From the condo balcony (3rd floor)

June 12--It Was a 5-State Day

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.  --Kahlil Gibran

    I will be at the beach later today, with my bare feet in sand and wind in my hair. I'm excited to delight the earth and wind with my presence!! 😉😉

    Saturday was a long drive of about 555 miles. I drove in five different states... 

• Missouri---St. Louis Arch, Mississippi River
• Illinois---flat farmland
• Indiana---I kept seeing these little "puffs" that look like volleyball-size fog clouds, dozens of them along the roadside. Upon closer inspection, they are swarms of bugs!
• Kentucky---loving the eastern U.S. mountains and winding roads
• West Virginia---spent the night near Charleston, the state capitol

    On to Maryland and the beach,

        Leta

The most expensive gas so far

June 11--Arrived MO

Nature seems to have implanted gratitude in all living creatures. 
--Samuel Johnson

    This came to me as I was packing for my trip. It comes from "Every Day Spirit" by Mary Davis in the reading for June 4:

Vacation packing list:

For yourself, patience.

For everyone you meet, kindness.

For joy, a sense of humor.

For the soul, relaxation.

For plans, flexibility.

For the journey, gratitude.

For all of the above, grace. 

 

    I have said for years that I lead a charmed life, especially when traveling. With all those items packed, how could my trip be anything but great?!!? (Lower gas prices would help!)

    My first day was an easy, dry, successful drive to Wentzville, Missouri. My in-laws treated me to supper with both b-i-ls, my s-i-l, and nephew. I hadn't seen most of them for almost three years, so it was a great treat to be together and catch up. 

    Today's destination is Charleston, West Virginia. 

        Leta

June 10--Eastward Ho!

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.  --Confucius

    When I saw this quote, the first thing that came to my mind was "ants." As an avid gardener, I run into them often, and I do NOT like ants. I know in my head that they are necessary and beautiful, but I can't see it. I think they are creepy, dreadful creatures. I expect I could come up with more examples where I am missing the beauty.

    Today begins my vacation driving eastward, arriving Sunday at the Maryland shore. I get to spend tonight with my wonderful in-laws in Wentzville, Missouri. Stay tuned here for the highlights of my 17-day adventure. I am dedicating myself to seeing beauty where I might not normally notice it. 

    On the road again, 

        Leta

Even pictures of ants creep me out!!

June 9--Enjoy the Few

One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.  --Anne Morrow Lindbergh

    What a timely quote, as I will be at the beach in just a few days. Given my love of beach vacations, I have collected many, many shells in my lifetime. I have a shadow box framing three perfect sand dollars, my favorite shell. These days I find that one shell is enough to bring home as a memento of my trip, so I spend a lot of time looking for just the right one. I know it when I hold it, and whether or not it is "perfect," it is beautiful. 

    One cannot cover every square inch of our spectacular Earth home. Even in a lifetime, one can visit only a few of the assorted places, and one finds beauty wherever one roams. 

    Even a rich, long life of adventure gives us only a taste of the beauty available to us. The key is to stay focused on the beauty of each individual encounter, making for an excellent life. 

        Leta

June 8--Sunrise Beauty

I'll tell you how

the Sun rose

A Ribbon at a time

--Emily Dickinson

    Our wide-open prairie spaces in Kansas are known for magnificent sunrises and sunsets, with nothing like mountains block the view. (It's also cool for watching storms roll in.) 

    I love the reminder that a sunrise or sunset provides me--that right this second is the time to "drink it in" and enjoy it, for it won't last long, and there will never be another exactly like it. Such is life--change is constant. 

    Later this week I'm headed to the east coast for a beach vacation. One of my favorite things to do is be out on the beach for the sunrise (and nap later, of course). The combination of hearing the waves break onshore, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the breeze on my skin, and seeing our glorious sun appear is breath-taking. The day begins with a healthy dose of gratitude. 

    Below is probably the most beautiful Kansas sunrise I've ever seen. 

    Have a sunny day!

        Leta

May 11, 2022

June 7--Sunshine, Moonshine

Got no checkbooks, got no banks.

Still I'd like to express my thanks--

I got the sun in the mornin'

And the moon at night. 

--Irving Berlin

    No matter what the appearances may be, we have everything we need to thrive in this earthly life, starting with the sun and moon, both essential to life as we know it. 

    I hope that it strikes you as awesome and amazing that, given all the balls orbiting our sun, ours is flourishing with life of infinite variety and beauty. How did that happen?!? 

    Loving the mystery,

        Leta

June 6--Seeing

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.  --Aristotle

This work is by Drew Jackson, pastor and poet, inviting us to see more clearly:

This Unveiling

This is
the pressing question
of every age:

What is it that we cannot see?

For life is hiddenness,
as is God,
and we have been given
the gift of searching.

The unseen works on us, always.

Waves pulsing through our flesh, unfelt.
Forces pulling at our bodies. Forces
putting black bodies in cells en masse.

Each one underneath a veil of opacity that we call law.

All that is hidden
is meant to be
revealed,

yet revelation cannot be achieved.
It comes when it comes,
when it wants to unearth itself—
fall from the heavens like light
to those who have insisted it lay itself bare.

This unveiling,
daring us
to live differently.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

    We are living in a time of great unveiling, and it is marvelous. 

        Leta

"Lilies of the field," from my garden

June 5--Laugh!

The earth is warmer when you laugh.  --Samuel Beam

    Today I am grateful for humor and laughter, so I offer these two bumper stickers I've seen lately:

• The more people I meet, the more I like my dog
• Make hockey violent again

    Really--could we survive without laughter? I don't think so. It's too easy to get mired in the apparent awfulness of our world. In the moment, laughter puts us in a place where "all is well." We need those belly-laugh breaks from the daily grind to maintain our sanity. 

    I really like my dog!

        Leta

Barney

June 4--Art Expresses Gratitude

The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.  --Friedrich Nietzsche

    Nietzsche's quote is right on. The practice of art is the desire to express Spirit expanding through the artist. One cannot help but be grateful for the impulse of that. It feels good. It pushes for expression. This is why I write.

    I would offer that "beautiful" and "great" as applied to art are extremely subjective. I love going through art museums. I must confess that I sometimes wonder why someone thinks a particular piece is great enough to be there. I don't get it. But even if I don't care for something, I do appreciate the artist's willingness to express Spirit's impulse. 

    Making something is great/grateful fun,

        Leta

The pandemic produced a lot of art...
this artist (me) likes straight lines!

June 3--Go Outside

Live in the sunshine,

swim the sea,

Drink the wild air's salubrity. 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Salubrity is a new word to me, and it refers to wholesomeness, especially of the climate or air. I believe Mr. Emerson suggested we go outside!

    Light, water, air, all essential elements of life on Earth. Being essential, one would hope that we would be taking good care of all those things, along with the land. We have not been, but I am hopeful that we are waking up to the fact that we are polluting, damaging and distressing our home. 

    We don't need more stuff. We need more nature, more interaction with the beauty of our magnificent planet. As a lifelong gardener, I know firsthand the joy of cooperating with the earth to create a lovely landscape and grow fresh veggies for meals. I love getting my hands in the soil. There is rich vibrant energy to be experienced there. 

    As I drive through the Kansas countryside to go to my MELT/yoga classes, I am seeing the wheat ripen from emerald green to golden. Soon the harvest will begin. Alas, as a tax preparer of farmers' returns, I also know the thousands of dollars they spend annually on chemicals and chemical fertilizers. It saddens me to know how our food sources are being poisoned. 

    I believe we can do better, 

        Leta

My lilies are blooming!!!

June 2--Tiny But Mighty

may my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living 
--e. e. cummings

    the photo with this quote is a hummingbird, the epitome of little birds

    there are so many varieties, each iridescently beautiful in the sunshine

    hummingbird eggs are about the size of a coffee bean

    their nests are the size of half a walnut shell

    babies are the size of a jelly bean

    from such a tiny start comes a very delightful energetic creature

    the same is true for us humans

    let us live with a joyful open heart

        leta

they are the only bird that can fly backwards

June 1--Feel It

What a morning--fresh as if issued to children on a beach.  --Virginia Woolf

    The June theme in "Daily Gratitude" is beauty. I'm psyched about this. I have a big trip planned for this month, so I will be seeing parts of the U.S. that are fresh and new to me and absolutely beautiful. More on that trip as it unfolds, beginning June 10. 

    Children on a beach fires my imagination with running, squealing, splashing, building sand castles, chasing waves--pure joy and delight in the moment and being exactly where they are. Isn't that a fresh way to go into a day--present and joyful? Let's do it!

        Leta

Random google "kids on beach" photo--fresh fun!