Sunday, February 28, 2010


Buried deep beneath the stark snow awaits the green grass.
It waits with certainty.
I wait as an act of faith.



Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Is Snowed In

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Silent Sermon Sunday


A new moon teaches gradualness
and deliberation
and how one gives birth to oneself
slowly.
Patience with small details makes perfect
a large work, like the universe.

~
Rumi


Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Hopes to Learn Patience
Delightful illustration courtesy of Lolly Murray

Thursday, February 18, 2010

If You're Coming To Visit...

...please wear a hard hat. Seriously.

But, if you decide to come, I'm not sure how you'd get threw the iron curtain to the front door.

While the roads are finally clear for you to travel, you have to take your time, because now there's a nasty coating of sheer ice all around.

Oh, and see that nubbin under the tree? Yeah, that was the garden angel that I talked about just the other day. Can angels go down for a third time and drown?

On second thought, even if you do own a hard hat, maybe you should wait until, oh I don't know, let's say July...it may be over by then.

Not that Merv The Griffin and I wouldn't be delighted and thrilled to have the company. Because we truly would. It's just that we love you and want you to stay safe.

The only bright spot in this gray, iced world of ours is that, as I was out taking these pictures of my ice daggers, far off in the distance somewhere a very intrepid cardinal was singing his "Pretty, pretty, pretty," song. We just may make it after all.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Loves Winter A Whole Lot Less Now

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Silent Sermon Sunday


It is love that fashions us into the fullness of our being- not our looks, not our work, not our wants, not our achievements, not our parents, not our status...These are the fodder and the filler...; but it is love- who we love, how we love, why we love and that we love- which ultimately shapes us.

~
Daphne Rose Kingma

May you know love this Valentine's Day...

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Loves
Artwork courtesy of The Internet

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Truly, Madly, Deeply


Just as it's true of kissing, let your life be measured and thoughtful.

~ The Universe


Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Loves Valentines
Image taken in my garden...a natural Valentine!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Wish You Were Here...

So, pay close attention to that snow shovel....see it? Yeah....that thing stuck to it?

That's not a bit of rubbish clinging there....but I'll get back to that in a minute. The other day, against all the best efforts of the snow gods , Michael and I got out of the house for a bit. We went to lunch at one of our favorite Asian Buffets before the next round of snow came barrelling our way. Nice to get out for awhile. But, as the snow starting falling in earnest once again, we dashed back home for the next round of fun with the shovel, broom, and snow blower.

It snowed another foot that night. Lake Effect Snows added about three more inches last night...

And, Fiona is awfully glad we make the effort to stay ahead of the precipitation waves, for the snow is well and truly over the Scotties' heads at this point. Hell, three feet is over my head when I feel like dropping over outside from the shear weight of it all.

The volume of snow has distorted all sense of reality. You can't tell how tall is tall anymore, or how short is short. I just know that this stub....

...just a few weeks ago was my lamp post.

And, this Christmas train garden used to be my neighborhood...

Still, it does have a certain austere beauty. Except that some of our neighbors are having leaks in our relatively new ceilings. Because the water can't find a way off the roofs before the next blanket of white traps it!

Beware of ice daggers. And, I'm not kidding about that. They make a ferocious noise when they let go! Just hoping they don't take the gutters along with them.

Those brambles? Yeah, not; that was a Japanese maple till this started, and that detached head was a garden angel. Now...not so much. Dan Fogelberg made an album years ago entitled, Captured Angel. Wonder if that's what he had in mind?

Merv The Griffin is still doing his very best to guard our front door, even though nothing is moving and everything,including him, is frozen in place. Still, a griffin can't be too careful.

When I say it's a lot of snow, I'm not kidding....look at how small Rory looks in the world gone white and silent.

While wee Fiona says, "I've had enough and I want inside again immediately! My feeties are freezing!!" No vole hunting for her today.

So back to that snow shovel...

...click on the picture if you can't read what that slip of paper says. That was Michael's fortune from his lunch. Are you serious? What the hell sort of fortune is that? Really? Are you freakin' kidding me???

Let me repeat it for you because a fortune like that can't be underestimated.

Yeah...Wish you were here.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka The Ice Queen of The Universe

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Untangling The Nots


My friend Patrick sent this prayer to me recently. And, I thought I would share it with all of you. To help in those moments when you feel you're dangling by your last thread.

Or those long stretches in the night when your mind won't shut off and you find yourself getting tangled deeper and deeper in your cavernous concerns and thoughts. I hope it helps you.

~ The Knots Prayer ~

Dear God:
Please untie the knots
that are in my mind, my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,
may nots,
might nots that may find
a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots, and
should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, Dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind,
my heart and my life, all of the 'am nots'
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.
~ Amen

Author Known By Spirit

Now, don't you feel a little less wrapped up in your underwear after saying that? I thought you might. And when you need a reminder of how simply wonderful you are, here's a string to tie around your heart so you remember to come ask me.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She who will NOT give up!
Artwork by Helen Glazer & photo courtesy of The Internet

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Silent Sermon Sunday


It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.
~ Mother Teresa


Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly

Friday, February 5, 2010

I'm Over Here!


Every now and again, I am asked to do something that absolutely tickles me. Today is one of those times. Toni Brown, creator of Who Said Mermaids Can't Tango asked if I would be her guest artist one day to discuss how I go about writing.

Today is that day! So please go find me there. Say hello to Toni and poke around on her blog. She's doing some very interesting work along the lines of learning how to write, create effective mixed media, and other topics of interest to artists and wordsmiths!

Thanks for thinking so highly of my work, my Dear Fufu! Oh, but I still wish I had your eye!!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Writes
Image "The Beckoning" by Miyagu

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Just In Case....

My feeling is that someone, or many of you, could use one of these today. If, I'm right, please know I'll do it in person for you if I'm within arm's reach. And, for those of you who may not be that close...

...in my mind I can so clearly see us arms around each other. Hope you can feel it, too.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Loves To Give Hugs

Monday, February 1, 2010

A Flame To Light The Way Home


"May we live our lives beyond separation."
~ Jacqueline T. Snyder

Our small community suffered a true tragedy the other day. A teen-aged neighbor came home and took his life.

By all accounts he was a well adjusted, studious, well-liked, high school football player. Had a wonderful, supportive family. Had lots of friends. Was happy and polite. He ended his brief life for reasons that he took with him when he left. Leaving us with questions and no answers. Leaving those who loved and cared about him with numbing sorrow.

What we do know is that it seems as though he may have had a fight with his girlfriend while at a basketball game; left abruptly; came straight home; and shot himself.

Gone. Just like that. And in the place he used to occupy is now a brother, a mother and a step-father, and family dogs beside themselves with grief and heartache. What was a home of new neighbors who we were just beginning to know, is now a place where we wish we could help but know there is little we can offer to ease the pain.

This young man smiled and waved when we walked by on our evening strolls. Or said hello when he was out walking his dogs. I would see him running laps in the neighborhood, keeping himself in shape for the football field. But, in a brief instant, when he thought his world was forever altered, he struggled and lost his will to live. And, I am struck with the notion that I will never get to know this young man any deeper than a wave, a smile, and a run.

With his leaving he takes his reasons for the why, and leaves a bitter void. He leaves a family who will never understand. I know that it is perfectly reasonable that we find our thoughts going to him and his family.

But, I also want to remember and feel for the young girl involved in this. The teenager who argued with her boyfriend as all couples do from time to time. I send her prayers and energy because, I promise you, without love, support, counseling, and care, she will never get over feeling guilty and at fault. She will never be released from the curse of wondering what she could have and should have done differently. She will walk through her life haunted by a misguided notion that she could have prevented this horrible thing.

And that would be another tragedy .

Because the truth is, she could not have done a thing to stop it. She was not the thing that caused this. She is not responsible for the actions of another. She has a life to live with this as one of the hard experiences that will go unexplained.

She deserves to live a life with as much joy, hope, love, and care as she can find after all of this. Just as the family he leaves behind will eventually, hopefully find their way back to living.

I don't know how it will happen, but I believe it is completely possible. And, I hope for all of us who have been directly or remotely touched by this incident, that we ponder the lessons of living, and loving and trying every day, as they relate to our own experiences.

Can we answer: Are we better Human Beings because we knew this youngster when he was with us along with his choice to leave us? If we aren't made better, then it really will be meaningless. By our actions, let us prove that his life had meaning, even if it is simply to usher in a renewed awareness of how important it is to appreciate those we love every day they are with us.

Recently, a dear friend shared that her mother leaves a candle lighted in the front window all year round, not just the holiday season. She does it as a testament to her constant illuminating love for her children. The candle also shines as their beacon back home again should they ever need it; no questions asked.

I find this outward sign to love and safe haven to be incredibly poignant. I wish that all of us had something like it in our lives. Likewise, we should work to be a beacon of love and safety for all of those we contact. A light that helps someone lost in the dark to reach further and grab hold.

In a house just down the street from me, there is darkness now. Sadness. Heartache. Pain. There is a mother wishing she could light a candle bright enough to lead her son back to her. A family wondering how to move forward with life. In support of them all, I will light a candle in my spirit's window in hope that they can eventually feel the light of peace and love that still exists even though things are forever changed.

For my young neighbor, I hope the light leads him safely home to what waits for us when we leave this Earth home. Lights his path back to the Flame of Love that will not ever be extinguished.


Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Lights A Candle
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