July 31--Love and Beauty

The more love you give away, the more love you will have.  --John O'Donohue

    One of my morning readings encouraged consciously moving through the day looking for beauty. Every day so far at the beach we have seen dolphins swimming by--brief glimpses of beauty. Ocean waves are beautiful, as are the squeals of excited small children experiencing the ocean for the first time. All one needs to do to see beauty is pay attention. 

    We had a typical beach day yesterday, hanging out and sunning and reading. Leftovers fed us well at lunch and supper, and we finished off the day with a few more rounds of Rummikub. It is utter joy to me to have no alarm to wake me and no reason to hurry for any reason. 

    Ready for more love and beauty!

        Leta

Beauty in Ocean City, MD

July 30--Breathe!

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love. 
--Friedrich Max Muller

    Beach time for me is very meditative. The warmth of the sunshine, the breeze, and the sound of crashing waves easily lull me into my inner world. Yesterday in "Every Day Spirit" by Mary Davis, I found this lovely practice:

• Deep inhale, exhale with "My mind is calm."
• Deep inhale, exhale with "My body is healthy."
• Deep inhale, exhale with "My soul is joyful."

I like to add one more line such as:

• Deep inhale, exhale with "I am whole."
• Deep inhale, exhale with "All is well."

    This is an excellent quick centering practice as well as a good meditation focus. 

    Yesterday's beach time was perfect. Not too hot, breezy, sunny--it was easy to hang in the sunshine. It is over 100 degrees at home in Kansas this week, so I am extra-happy to be here. The evening included a lovely seafood supper at FishTales and purchasing the annual fix at Dodo, the edible cookie dough store. Then D and I taught B & E how to play Rummikub, and we now have two more folks hooked. 😉😉

    Calm, healthy, joyful!

        Leta

On yesterday's walk

July 29--Fireworks!

Love breeds love.  --Yoko Ono

    I'm really enjoying the time with B, E, and D. (See yesterday's post.) E is the "new factor" here for me, having married into the family just over a year ago. It is great fun getting to know her. B and E taught me the Codewords game last evening, and D and I kicked butt. 

    I did a two-mile walk along the shoreline yesterday morning. Walking on sand on a slope makes for a good workout on the joints, especially the feet. We lazed on the beach reading and enjoying the waves crashing. Last year on a windy day, our beach umbrella blew over and rolled into some nearby folks, so D is very worried about that, wind or no wind. So she has treated us to the service that sets up a heavy duty umbrella and chairs. It is a relief for all of us to not have D worried about that. Plus it's less stuff to drag out there. The water temperature is "chilly." It feels good on the feet when walking, but I haven't gone completely in yet. We saw a school of dolphins pass by, probably a dozen of them romping together. 

    I made tamale pie for supper which we enjoyed on the balcony overlooking the ocean. A distant cousin of D's invited us to their boat for a ride out in the inner waterway to see fireworks. That was awesome! 

    Love is multiplying!!!

        Leta

A weekly summer Sunday night event

July 28--At the Beach!!!

Stay close to any sound that makes you glad you are alive.  --Hafez

    Yesterday I heard once again one of my favorite sounds--ocean waves breaking on the shore. We arrived late afternoon after a harrowing drive through the winding mountain roads of PA and MD and hellish traffic. I did not suspect that everyone in the entire world had plans to go to the same place as me... at least it seemed that way!    

    My great-nephew and his wife (whom I shall refer to as B and E) bravely tackled the grocery shopping while my niece (known as D) and I went to pick up pizza, beer and wine. The four of us enjoyed supper on the balcony. I finished off the day watching the Cubs finally win a game, including a grand slam. Three  days straight of riding in a car resulted in great sleep. 

    My morning readings included this from Richard Rohr:

We know we’re living in God’s Big Picture when we can see God in all cultures, in all social classes, and even in all religions. We have to stop thinking that any one religion has God in its pocket, or controls God, or that God only likes certain people who happen to be Christians. Would God be that stingy? Would God be that small and petty to only love people like me? I hope not. Because it’s precisely this great heart of God that is able to love all of God’s children.

 

    I think this makes it pretty clear how far off-base are the "Christian Nationalists" and those who believe the U.S. is a Christian nation. 

    Let's live on the side of freedom for ALL.

        Leta

Our view this morning by E

July 27--1000 Miles, Arrived!

We can only learn to love by loving.  --Iris Murdoch

    On my 600-mile drive today, I had a lovely, loving, like-mind chat with a dear friend of many years. It is so rewarding and comforting to speak with a friend who "gets you." We have promised to do so more often in the future. It is a very blessed connection. 

    The parents of my niece's daughter-in-law had us over for a fajita dinner. It was a lovely meal, enjoyed while relaxing on their deck on a beautiful evening. It was quite a nice treat after my long drive.

    I did experience some melancholy, because this is my first solo trip to Ohio wherein I'm not seeing my dear brother. I miss you so much, Arlie!!

    I am grateful for safe travels. 

    Tomorrow... Ocean City, Maryland, here we come!!!

        Leta

My last trip with Arlie to Walmart...

July 26--Day 2 Drive

When we hug, our hearts connect and we know that we are not separate beings. 
--Thich Nhat Hanh

    I am a hugger. The pandemic and its aftermath ("stay away from me") really annoyed my hugging nature. Fortunately I know plenty of other huggers. I even have a couple of pickleball friends who will hug after we win an especially challenging point, sweaty bods and all. 

    I had an easy drive to Wentzville yesterday and a good visit with my in-laws. They like to go to bed early, which is great for me as I am leaving Wentzville by 5am this morning. 600 more miles, and let the fun begin!!!

    Stay tuned,

        Leta

Today's route

July 25--Road Trip! Yes! Again!

To have joy, one must share it.  --George Gordon Lord Byron

    I am on my way to sharing loads of joy. Today I start the journey east to Ohio for another vacation with my niece. I will spend tonight with my in-laws just west of St. Louis. They are an amazing couple still living independently at age 94, and they have been married for over 70 years. Holy cow. It will be fun to see them and catch up, and it is so lovely of them to host me overnight on my many driving adventures. 

    My niece and I will be visiting assorted relatives and spending a week at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. I do believe that an exploration of Longwood Gardens is also in our future. The trip will include many rounds of Rummikub with all sorts of inventive expletives. The trip will be capped off with a Cubs-Guardians game in Cleveland. Alas, I will be the lone Cubs fan in our group. 😏

    On the road again 🎵🎵

        Leta

Road signs in my future 😃