January 11--Likely "The End"

The art of love... is largely the art of persistence.  --Albert Ellis

    I have been quite persistent in my blog-writing, but alas, I think this is the end. It has been demanded that I not write about a large part of my life because it may offend the folks involved. Therefore, I just can't muster the heart to write a post anymore. This distresses me to no end, involving much soul-rinsing. If I can't write freely, if I'm paranoid about it, there's no point. Of course, I shall continue writing, as it is important to my spiritual growth. It just won't be published. 

    Please make a mental note to ponder how censorship kills creativity. I suspect we are going to see a lot more censorship attempted in the next few years.

    Thank you, dear readers, for being persistent in reading. That has been a wonderful act of love, and I appreciate it. 

        Leta

A nighttime shot of our recent glorious snowfall

January 10--Priceless Pets

The greatest gift we can make to others is our true presence.  --Thich Nhat Hanh

    When all else fails, pet the dog or cat. That's what our pets are--a right-with-you presence of love. That is why they are so priceless. We really lucked out with Barney in that he mostly likes being with his people, and he totally chills when he has both my husband and me in sight. It is hard to express his presence in the house, but it is huge. I miss him even when he's out on a short "ride in the truck" (OH, BOY!!!) with my husband. He's a great traveler, too. Barney's ecstasy over belly-rubs reminds me that life need not be taken so seriously. 

    Simple pleasures are the best!

        Leta

Our sweet bud Barney

January 9--Fingertips Are Empty

Things of great wonder come to those who give their all to love. 
--Hadewijch of Brabant

Anticipate beauty. Believe in miracles. Count on grace. Decide on joy. Expect peace. 
--Mary Davis

    I am in a state of "writer's block" due to a very bad mood. Generally, life sails along nicely with the occasional slam. I'm not the first person to have the block. Nothing I write is that earth-shattering anyway. Here's a cute bunny photo to remind us of spring. 

        Leta

January 8--Love Is "Stronger Than Dirt"

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.  --Maya Angelou

    It drives on snow-packed roads to arrive at the YMCA for a lap-swim. Yes, I did. Cabin fever pushed me over the edge. But the reward, besides a lovely swim, was seeing the brilliant sunlight on the ice-coated trees--utterly magnificent. The photo below doesn't come close to the spectacular beauty, but I tried!

    I have to cling to the fact that "love recognizes no barriers." I am entering this year with a combination of hope and despair relative to our country. I've made it fairly clear that I no longer have a place in my life for organized religion. Obviously I am not alone in that sentiment. Alas, part of the catalyst for this was working at a church for 6+ years. Here is a message of hope from Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath:

Because we can’t afford to keep squabbling about things like buildings, budgets, pews, stoles, handbells, praise bands, and carpet…. We must stop that at once. God needs all hands on deck. We cannot continue operating as if we are a private club with members, dues, and privileges. Why? Because Jesus never acts like that. Our neighbors need us. God needs us. We need us too.

    A simple act of kindness is a good place to start.

        Leta

Ice-coated trees in Wichita, January 2025

January 7--Time Is Love

Time is how you spend our love.  --Zadie Smith

When I stopped fighting anybody or anything, I started on the path to sobriety, serenity and peace.  --AA's Daily Reflections

    One of the Five Love Languages (author Gary Chapman) is spending quality time together. Since my husband's full-time job was shipped off to India several years ago, we have had much more time to share. For the most part, I have enjoyed this. Lately I have taught him to play Rummikub, and we've spent several evenings duking it out over the tiles. He cooks all our meals (yes, I AM spoiled) so we usually have lunch and supper together. We eat at the table with no TV, etc. to distract us. We've been married for nearly 39 years, so sometimes we talk and sometimes we don't. I know that we will not always be together in this earthly life, so I am appreciating these times. 

    I included the AA quote because I need the reminder. My tendencies toward self-righteous anger and drama are too great and annoying, so I am encouraging myself to give up so much resistance to "what is." "Sobriety, serenity and peace" are pretty good rewards for the effort!

        Leta

January 6--I Wonder...

Happy the man who boldly dares to defend the object which he loves.  --Ovid

    And paranoid should be the man who refuses to defend the object which he loves! If the folks who claim to love me won't defend me, is that love?!? Upon further consideration, I see that I've lived long enough to categorize some things as not defensible. 

    In roaming through life and observing things with an eye for blog-post inspiration, I often come up with a question of wonderment. My husband baked cookies last evening. Who made the first criss-cross with a fork in a peanut butter cookie and why did she/he do that? Why do we still do that? Why are cardinals red and not green or purple? My grandsons are an extraordinary source of wonderment. In a fetus--how does that cell know to become a fingernail and this one know to become a nerve cell, and so on? What are they conscious of from before birth? I learned from the Astronomy Picture of the Day that "the space between stars is so vast that when galaxies collide, the stars in them usually do not collide." Huh?!?!

    Life is full of wonder if only we pay attention!

        Leta

"Lookin' out my back door..."

January 5--Love IS Our Hope

The half-life of love is forever.  --Junot Diaz

    Death and taxes are guaranteed for an earthly lifetime, but love, being our very essence, is forever. How cool is that?!!?!

     I just received links to the websites of the resorts where we will be staying in Bali. My response was "OMG OMG OMG!!!" Now I have even more incentive (on top of the miserable U.S. political and social climate) to stay there. My husband said, "That's fine, just don't ask for money." Haha. As I am writing this, we are at the beginning of a "Winter Storm Warning," with freezing rain for starters to be followed by some inches of snow. (It accidentally typed "snot" first.) So I am dreaming of sunny beaches...

    Back to the Diaz quote... it's easy to continue to feel love for beloved family members who have passed. The love I feel for my brother Arlie is definitely forever. Those folks that have been the biggest challenges in my life... there, too, is great forever love, even though my human self may not be able to recognize it. 

    This quote signifies hope to me. If we can't depend on love, what hope do we have?

        Leta

Candi Beach Resort, Bali

January 4-Should I Stay or Should I Go?

You have to pick the places you don't walk away from.  --Joan Didion

    My son said in a recent conversation that he has seen me "walk away from." His saying that shook me a bit, but upon further consideration, yes, that's the case. As a young adult, I walked away from some family-of-origin stuff for self-preservation. Relationships end if one doesn't put in some effort. I know there are "friendships" that have fallen by my wayside. I think most folks have had a toxic/negative/draining relationship at one time or another wherein they have chosen to walk away. 

    I have to admit that there is some appeal for me to chuck it all and walk away. I could be a hermit-- think Henry David Thoreau, "On Walden Pond"--with no problem. Does everyone have that feeling at some point--the "leave it all behind" feeling? It's fun to fantasize about such a big change, but I wouldn't do it. I love my family, my home, my woman-cave, my friends, my dog. So despite the occasional day-dream, this is one place I'm not walking away from, at least for now. Who knows what the future holds?

    It has been an interesting two months not looking at any news. That has been a place I have walked away from. The occasional tidbit has made its way through to me. My intent is to stay away from current events through at least the next presidential administration. It is much better for my sanity to walk away. 

    Staying? Walking away? One choice is not necessarily better than the other!

        Leta

Sweet Barney with his Christmas bunny

January 3--Loving Color

Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. 
--Goethe

    I'm not sure I get this one. Mentally playing around with it isn't helping, so I'll just leave it to you. 

    I have completed another painting, and this time, no green Frog Tape gave its life. I have had several folks tell me they recognize it is a tree, but like no tree one sees in nature. That's what I was aiming for, and I like my efforts. Tools used were finger, brush and sponge.

    Painting helps me to stay "in the moment," yet move "outside my box." Ideas for the next creation are currently developing...

        Leta

January 2--Is That Important?

To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others. 
--Anne-Sophie Swetchine

You can change how you feel in the twinkling of an eye if you just change what you view as important. --Mike Dooley, Notes from the Universe, Dec. 30

    The Dooley quote is a biggie for me. How I feel directly influences my ability to love, first in the direction of myself, then in the direction of others. I have clung to the idea that to alter how I feel, I have to change my thinking. Yes, but more specifically, I need to consider what I view as important. It's a small change really, but a big perspective change for me. The primary thing that has been distressing me over the past couple of years is clearly something that I have given too much importance. For good reason, it was something I had been looking forward to for decades, and the potential fizzled almost overnight, and it sent me into a tailspin. Now I can ask myself, when I'm upset about something, if it is really an important item. 

    Pickleball and girlfriend game night are the important fun items for today. Let's go, 2025!

        Leta

A magnificent Kansas sunset earlier this week

January 1--Embracing 2025

If you can love someone with your whole heart, even one person, then there's salvation in life.  --Haruki Murakami

But in our inter-vulnerability is our salvation, because awareness of the mutuality of suffering impels us to search for ways to heal the whole, rather than encase ourselves in a bubble of denial and impossible individualism.  --Miriam Greenspan

    We begin the second half of the decade with commitment being the January theme in "Daily Love." 

    The photo below was taken a few weeks ago south of Wichita. Those are giant bales of cotton. Cotton-growing in this area is relatively new, and though I don't know the details, I've heard that harvesting is a complex process. Well, yes, it would be something to see--taking those bits of fluff off small plants and making those enormous bales. I was struck by how we take our comfy cotton sheets for granted, failing to remember that nature and our spectacular planet had to GROW those fibers, and a huge amount of work and people were involved in getting those fibers from the field to my bed! Likewise, did you grow all the food you ate yesterday? Did you grow and harvest the trees that provided the lumber to build your house? Did you build your car? Let us commit in 2025 to expand our appreciation and care for our awesome Mother Earth and the people who create things to make our lives so good.

    Outside of St. Louis on I-370 is a billboard that simply says PLEASE & THANK YOU. In some ways, it is distressing that one must go to such lengths to encourage kindness and consideration. Let us commit in 2025 to use those words more often and spread kindness in each interaction. 

Bless this year with love and light.

  Bless this year with faith and sight. 

  Bless this year with grace and ease. 

 Bless this year with joy and peace. 

--Mary Davis

    Here we go!

        Leta

Cotton bales near Mulvane, Kansas