Those folks who are avid and adoring dog owners see a no-coincidence relationship between "god" and "dog." I have become a temporary dog owner by virtue of dog-sitting for our son while he adventures in Australia for a year. While I love this Golden Retriever named Dusty, and he is a sweet dog, I must confess that I am a reluctant dog owner. I'm enjoying him while we have him, but I will be third-most-excited, after son Derek and Dusty, when they are reunited.
My belief system is grounded in the idea that there is one universal everywhere-present energy that makes up everything, and we can call it God or Ralph or any of a bazillion other names. Basically, "there is no spot that God is not." Using my extremely logical mind, I have also discovered that "there is no spot where dog hair is not." Therefore, God is dog hair.
It is essential when stressed for me to find humor in the situation, as you can see. I am not a clean freak, but the ever-present God/dog hair makes me feel like I should clean, and I hate to clean. Plus, given that there is no spot where dog hair is not, as soon as I clean, there's dog hair there instantly. My deceased mother's ghost will not allow me to just throw in the towel and let things get endlessly dirty for the next few months. She wouldn't have let the dog in the house in the first place. (I can hear her "I told you so!" right now.)
In some reflective time a few years back, I was challenged to come up with my core values. Back then, my first one was my personal freedom and flexibility--the ability to do what I want, when I want. Having a dog has "cramped my style" and reinforced the importance of that value for me. In other words, once Derek takes Dusty back, we will not be getting another dog. I promise I will miss Dusty and cry a few tears. And yes, I will clean every nook and cranny of my house, knowing that God remains even without the dog hair.
AARF!
Leta
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Explore the Gift
From "A Grateful Heart":
Those are all general thoughts about human beings. As we delve into the aspect of individuality, it is again mind-boggling to think that there is no one like you on the planet now, nor will there ever be another like you ever. With each of us having our own perception and ability to create, truly the possibilities are endless. Just think of all the things that individuals have invented or initiated in the last 50 years. And the pace of creativity is speeding up. Human creativity, the creativity of you and me, is fascinating!
One of the things I love about teaching the MELT Method and Forrest Yoga is the opportunity to encourage folks to appreciate the magnificence of their bodies and to enjoy all the things they can do, setting aside, at least during class time, the things they can't do.
Would you like some help and direction exploring the gift that is you? Check out my book, WHOA!--just click on the tab above to learn more. Another excellent way to have the time to enjoy yourself is to go on retreat. That opportunity is yours this October 19-21 at Timber Creek Retreat House in Drexel, Missouri. Yep, there's a tab above for that, too.
You'll never go wrong appreciating the amazing being that you are!
Enjoying being me,
Leta
Saint Augustine once said, "Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering."The human is an amazing entity on every level. While science and Western medicine seem to think they have so much figured out on the physical level, they don't. They've barely scratched the surface of the intricacies of the human body. I am in a constant state of wonder at the human body's ability to heal itself and continually return to balance. Consider how a sperm and egg uniting in a woman's uterus creates a new human--it is mind-blowing. Then we move to the human consciousness and the mystery becomes even more mind-boggling.
Tonight we acknowledge the wonder of our physical incarnation--that we are here, in these particular bodies, at this particular time, in these particular circumstances. May we never take for granted the gift of our individuality.
Those are all general thoughts about human beings. As we delve into the aspect of individuality, it is again mind-boggling to think that there is no one like you on the planet now, nor will there ever be another like you ever. With each of us having our own perception and ability to create, truly the possibilities are endless. Just think of all the things that individuals have invented or initiated in the last 50 years. And the pace of creativity is speeding up. Human creativity, the creativity of you and me, is fascinating!
One of the things I love about teaching the MELT Method and Forrest Yoga is the opportunity to encourage folks to appreciate the magnificence of their bodies and to enjoy all the things they can do, setting aside, at least during class time, the things they can't do.
Would you like some help and direction exploring the gift that is you? Check out my book, WHOA!--just click on the tab above to learn more. Another excellent way to have the time to enjoy yourself is to go on retreat. That opportunity is yours this October 19-21 at Timber Creek Retreat House in Drexel, Missouri. Yep, there's a tab above for that, too.
You'll never go wrong appreciating the amazing being that you are!
Enjoying being me,
Leta
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Is It Better to Know or Not Know?
"Everything has a lifespan." Dr. Chris Michaels
I recently missed, due to a combination of work and dog-sitting duties, an annual event that I enjoy in the St. Louis area. Alas, I learned the day after the event that it will likely be the last one, since the host is moving away. (The location of the event is a huge part of its draw and success.) Had I known it would be the last one, I would have been more ambitious about finding a way to make my presence there. Dang!
I spoke recently with my friend who lives in Chicago to arrange my annual visit there, which of course includes a Cubs game. He informed me that he is leaving Chicago in August and fulfilling a long-held dream of moving to Bali. This means that this will be my last "annual" adventure in Chicago. Granted, I'm thinking Bali will be even more fun to visit, but nonetheless, I'm feeling some melancholy that we won't have our Chicago fun together any more after this June's trip. "The last one" will definitely be lurking around us when I am there.
Another example... our older son played baseball as a youngster, he was quite good at it, and I LOVED going to his games (yes, I'm crazed about baseball!). Both he, his dad and I anticipated that he would continue to play baseball all through high school. However, he decided as a freshman to play golf rather than baseball. Mercifully, I did not know that his last baseball game was, in fact, his last game, and I am grateful for that not-knowing to this day, as that would have been a very rough one.
So is it better to know or not know? It's not a comfortable vibe to go into something thinking "This may be the last time I get to do this." But in reality, that is always the case. There are no guarantees. That question has no definitive answer. It depends on the circumstance, the person and even the timing. I'm thinking it makes for one of the joys of this amazing earthly life.
Enjoying right now,
Leta
I recently missed, due to a combination of work and dog-sitting duties, an annual event that I enjoy in the St. Louis area. Alas, I learned the day after the event that it will likely be the last one, since the host is moving away. (The location of the event is a huge part of its draw and success.) Had I known it would be the last one, I would have been more ambitious about finding a way to make my presence there. Dang!
I spoke recently with my friend who lives in Chicago to arrange my annual visit there, which of course includes a Cubs game. He informed me that he is leaving Chicago in August and fulfilling a long-held dream of moving to Bali. This means that this will be my last "annual" adventure in Chicago. Granted, I'm thinking Bali will be even more fun to visit, but nonetheless, I'm feeling some melancholy that we won't have our Chicago fun together any more after this June's trip. "The last one" will definitely be lurking around us when I am there.
Another example... our older son played baseball as a youngster, he was quite good at it, and I LOVED going to his games (yes, I'm crazed about baseball!). Both he, his dad and I anticipated that he would continue to play baseball all through high school. However, he decided as a freshman to play golf rather than baseball. Mercifully, I did not know that his last baseball game was, in fact, his last game, and I am grateful for that not-knowing to this day, as that would have been a very rough one.
So is it better to know or not know? It's not a comfortable vibe to go into something thinking "This may be the last time I get to do this." But in reality, that is always the case. There are no guarantees. That question has no definitive answer. It depends on the circumstance, the person and even the timing. I'm thinking it makes for one of the joys of this amazing earthly life.
Enjoying right now,
Leta
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Silence
May we respect the need for silence in our lives.
That is an anonymous line from my current daily read, A Grateful Heart. I am a person who loves silence. Noise is the equivalent of physical clutter to me. It drives me nuts and drags down my spirit. Being an introvert (yes, I am!), too much noise eventually equates to too many people, and I have to retreat. My favorite spot of retreat is my woman cave. There a fan is continually on to be my "white noise" of silence.
I confess that I am not so much a "music lover." While I enjoy music, given the choice of silence or music, I'll take silence. I don't have any music or TV on when I am home alone, and if I have headphones in, it's because I'm listening to a podcast, not music.
I'm going to hop on my soap box for a moment. Are you one of those folks who goes to work all day, leaving your dog outside to bark incessantly? I used to love to putter in my garden, but not anymore, for as soon as I step on the deck, neighbors' dogs start barking, and they don't stop till I retreat back inside. The peaceful joy of gardening is long gone for me. Soap box fussing complete.
It feels to me these days that noise never stops. Choosing silence requires deliberate effort. I invite you to pay attention to what you hear around you, and investigate what it takes to get some quiet time. Try silence on and see how it feels.
Peace and quiet to you and me,
Leta
That is an anonymous line from my current daily read, A Grateful Heart. I am a person who loves silence. Noise is the equivalent of physical clutter to me. It drives me nuts and drags down my spirit. Being an introvert (yes, I am!), too much noise eventually equates to too many people, and I have to retreat. My favorite spot of retreat is my woman cave. There a fan is continually on to be my "white noise" of silence.
I confess that I am not so much a "music lover." While I enjoy music, given the choice of silence or music, I'll take silence. I don't have any music or TV on when I am home alone, and if I have headphones in, it's because I'm listening to a podcast, not music.
I'm going to hop on my soap box for a moment. Are you one of those folks who goes to work all day, leaving your dog outside to bark incessantly? I used to love to putter in my garden, but not anymore, for as soon as I step on the deck, neighbors' dogs start barking, and they don't stop till I retreat back inside. The peaceful joy of gardening is long gone for me. Soap box fussing complete.
It feels to me these days that noise never stops. Choosing silence requires deliberate effort. I invite you to pay attention to what you hear around you, and investigate what it takes to get some quiet time. Try silence on and see how it feels.
Peace and quiet to you and me,
Leta
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Putting life into perspective, a useful reminder for most of us...
This prayer-poem is by Ina J. Hughes, from the book, A Grateful Heart:
We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the streets in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for the children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
who hug us in and hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.
We pray for children
who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream into the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and
whose smiles can make us cry.
And we pray for those
whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to be hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for the children who want to be carried
and for those who must,
for those we never give up on and for those
who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother... and for those who will grab the hand of anybody
kind enough to offer it.
Knowing my life is truly easy and care-free, and so thankful for it,
Leta
We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the streets in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for the children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
who hug us in and hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.
We pray for children
who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream into the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and
whose smiles can make us cry.
And we pray for those
whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to be hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for the children who want to be carried
and for those who must,
for those we never give up on and for those
who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother... and for those who will grab the hand of anybody
kind enough to offer it.
Knowing my life is truly easy and care-free, and so thankful for it,
Leta
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Our Stuff
This past Tuesday on the way home from work, I learned that in our parched-and-dry-fire-hazard part of the country, the home of a friend of a friend was burned to the ground. Talking with my understandably-rattled friend about it, we agreed that an event such as this truly brings the importance of our "stuff" into dramatic perspective.
Here is a quote I ran across several days ago:
Post tax-season will bring on another cleaning/tidying/releasing exercise. I have the above quote to guide me. I shall use it to reinforce the love in me (grown from the past, the only thing I can truly keep) and my faith in expanding good (not fearing the future).
Here's to a lighter life,
Leta
Here is a quote I ran across several days ago:
"But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." Marie Kondo, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying UpI like to think that my life is fairly simple and uncluttered. Yet as I look around me in the woman cave, and mentally roam our house, the thought of ever having to move is totally overwhelming because of all the "stuff" we have. Right now, there's an entire room-full around me, and there's very little of it that I couldn't let go. Yet I'm comfortable here. The room is "me." I do put effort into keeping the clutter at bay. It's important to remember that this "stuff" that is often quite meaningful to me is just "stuff" to someone else. (If you are an estate sale shopper like me, you totally get that.)
Post tax-season will bring on another cleaning/tidying/releasing exercise. I have the above quote to guide me. I shall use it to reinforce the love in me (grown from the past, the only thing I can truly keep) and my faith in expanding good (not fearing the future).
Here's to a lighter life,
Leta
Friday, March 2, 2018
LEGOS!
I often talked with my older brother about Legos when our sons were younger. All he talked about was how it hurt like hell when he stepped on one, especially unsuspecting in the darkness of nighttime. So when I saw this picture, I laughed out loud. So true!!!
When I was in my mid-fifties, I was on retreat in California, and I learned that Legoland was nearby. Thus began one of the highlight adventures of my life, a solo trip to Legoland. I had a blast!! Unencumbered by impatient children or bored adults, I took my time exploring and riding rides and taking in the amazing wonder and creativity of it all. Do you know that there are real-live engineers whose JOB it is to build huge Lego creations?!?!? (Maybe my next lifetime...) They have a store there (of course) where bricks are separated by color and size and you can buy them by the pound. The park has everything from tiny villages to a giant dragon to a full-size Volvo SUV made out to Legos. It includes models of the Taj Mahal and the Sydney Opera House. Displayed near each creation is the number of Legos involved; sometimes that number is well into the six figures.
What will you do today to have fun with something you love?
Busy creating,
Leta
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