Julanne's Village Jewels

                                                                            WREN BALANCING Look at this little darling!! The WREN, probably the one that sings outside my bedroom window! She is as CONSISTENT as they come! I imagine she's the very same one that comes every year to serenade me so sweetly. She's like a loyal puppy dog! Oh to be that BALANCED! I am writing this in an attempt to shift my consciousness to something more creative and uplifting than from thoughts and feelings I have had the last few days. There is nothing really  wrong. . . just a slippage in PERSPECTIVE. It is not serious but it does involve CHANGE  that is uncomfortable. I can be the first to cheer for change but when it is acute, it hurts a bit because it means being vulnerable . . . At least this time I know what is going on and I can meet it head on! That is what comes of being DETERMINED not  to give in to the temptation of defeat! I know how to become very still, listen to music, write, breathe,

                                                                      TREES OUT OF ROCKS USELESS Whenever we might see a wonder  in the world like this photograph, we might think that it is USELESS. If we look more closely, we can see that it is indeed  a wonder in this world! We've seen many 'rocks' that are just rocks but to see such a huge one with trees, living, growing trees,  shooting up to the sky, many years old . . . is remarkable! I read once that when tree cutters are looking for the best trees to cut down, they check & see if they are strong, sturdy, fragrant and USEFUL for making furniture, doors, floors, etc. If they do not have these qualities, they are considered USELESS and are left alone. Fair enough. There have been times I  have felt USELESS. I have no imagination, creativity, energy, ability to start a project or maybe even think about one. While I do feel USELESS, it is a feeling of emptiness, lethargy, adrift, lonely and loss. It feels endless som

                                                                                     WOODS     ORDINARY When I think of ORDINARY, I think of something familiar, customary or usual , nothing particularly out of the ORDINARY. Like this photo, do you see it as ORDINARY woods or EXTRAORDINARY WOODS? I have never seen leaves like the trees/bushes in the foreground that are shown here so I'd have to say they are extra 0RDINARY. Most woods I see are very similar, which makes them ORDINARY to me and I seem to always like them, just as they are. I personally feel I am ORDINARY and I'm very pleased with that feeling. When I see something or someone who is ORDINARY, I feel comfortable, and I could approach them if I chose to. I resonate with the familiar qualities they have and feel 'at home' more readily than with someone or something too fragile, decorated, distant and forbidding. I feel that anything ORDINARY that is real, authentic or wholesome is from NATURE. It's man, at

                                                                                                                                        ANGEL TRUMPET REFRAIN This is an ANGEL TRUMPET plant from my back yard before Village. I always think of a ballerina dancing when I see the "skirt" part of her ' dress' swaying in the breeze! When I was a little girl I remember I squeezed a flower & destroyed it and vowed never to deliberately do that again. I have grown to respect NATURE, flowers & the like. I know so much more now! That vow  has spilled over into every part of my life. I am training myself to REFRAIN from over-doing  anything! I have become very disciplined about portions and richness of food, over buying, over collecting and over exertion or over extending my time and energy, especially in things I do not enjoy, but know I must do. Part of this 'way of being' is chosen, the other part of it is mandatory. It is 'put upon me' as it were. I&

                                                                            MERANGERS                                                                              Dan Schmidt FORBEARANCE We are in the beginning of a New Year. I really love this time of year, the holidays are over and it is time to look forward to coming days and months. Each of us has our own experience with this, I know. I see it as a time to appreciate what I have enjoyed and let go of forgotten events, mistakes, omissions etc and create anew. I read about FORBEARANCE recently and was struck by the meaning. In NATURE, and in OURSELVES. What does that  mean? For instance, in NATURE, the severity of the weather causes leaves to fall and limbs to break, even fires in forests, all sorts of drastic conditions. Many unfortunate incidences happen to us humans that makes life precarious and uncomfortable.(As well as joyous and exciting!)Still, we keep going and practice FORBEARANCE whether we want to or not. It is built into

                                                                                 MANDALA HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are in the middle of the SEASON, technically, & I have found it to be very pleasant and quite low key.  I'm choosing my way of celebrating very differently than most folks and it suits me well . . .virtually no stress and certainly no rushing about! As I've said before I am a NATURE girl and I discovered a book I love, How to Read Nature by Tristan Gooley, from the library. I have the audiobook but it comes in a regular book as well. It is fascinating all the things he talks about to 'look out for' when out walking or anywhere.! Things to look for , listen for, anyway you can use your senses! A  real eye opener! A very special gift I received was a book, MORNING ALTARS. It is the most beautiful book I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot! It is a book by Day Schildkret, a nature lover of the highest order. His book shows many colored pictures of mandalas fr