Julanne's Village Jewels

AFRICAN VIOLET UNACCEPTABLE I had a conversation with a loved one about several subjects. The one thing she said that was so meaningful to me is when something in our lives is UNACCEPTABLE we don’t know what to do with the feelings about it. I dare say we have all had something happen in our lives, either personally or to someone we know or we don’t know that we can’t ACCEPT. We just ‘live’ with the feelings, and feel quite helpless as to know what we can do. I have felt that way, both personally and about happenings in the world. I have learned to pray for any person who is affected by such feelings. We often lament that there is nothing we can do. In our conversation, we discovered that there is indeed something we all can do, or at least INTEND to do.   This may seem intrusive to your spirit but I feel it is a gift to know something useful. We mull things over in our minds, I call it ‘chewing’ on something and come to no solution. We can better use our mu...

BLUE HYDRANGEA WRITING I have fallen in love with WRITING! Clearly it is my PASSION and I simply cannot do without it.   I have been writing a BLOG since February 2012. It ‘fell into place ‘ for me when a friend suggested I write a BLOG (instead of a book about my experiences) Bingo! That was my answer after months of anguishing over what to do. I have not been drawn to writing a book , since books take forever to write. I am too impatient to wait that long ( for most things), but a one page blog was very do-able for me. I love writing about an idea or a point I want to make and may not feel brave enough to say, but I can WRITE it. It is very liberating. It is said that the best way to be a WRITER is to be a reader . I do love to read, although rarely a novel. I much prefer real life stories of real life people and historical novels. I seem to crave learning something, not just being ‘entertained.’ Even if the book is sad or ‘ realistic’ , I still want to se...

SUCCULENT EXPECTATIONS This word, EXPECTATIONS has been rambling around in my mind the last few days. It is a very powerful word because it is so ever present. I think I can speak for all of us that we wake up in the morning and go through our day with EXPECTATIONS of how we want something to be or don’t want something to be. Sometimes I find myself EXPECTING, that is in ANTICIPATION of something exciting or rewarding to come about. However if ‘it’ does not feel the way I would like, I feel disappointed and let down. The only EXPECTATION I can count on is that the sun ‘rises’ each day even if I can’t ‘see’ it. We all experience EXPECTATIONS everyday. When we go for a meal, go shopping (for anything), go to a movie or a performance . . . it’s all in the ‘looking forward to’ that is half the fun. It is all a matter of ATTITUDE and DEGREE.   A friend and I enjoy a Saturday having lunch together and then we play BINGO. This game is so amazing in that it provides s...

REFLECTIONS ANGEL TRUMPET After my jaunt to the pool this morning for some gentle water aerobics, I got some coffee and sauntered back toward my apartment. It is a glorious day, blue skies, not too hot and very quiet. I fed the ducks on my way to my favorite bench by the Lake. I can’t seem to walk past this particular bench without stopping to gaze at the beauty there. The majestic oak trees, moss, shrubs and the fountain sing out to me to stop and enjoy the view. As I look out at the Lake I practically swoon over the simple beauty, I see a view that is ever changing and yet the same; the constant lullaby of the fountain, happily shooting upward and outward every second; the slight ripple of the water from the splashing of the fountain. The ever so pale pink cast on the water in the early morning. I love the wavy REFLECTION of the water on the trunk and leaves of a tree. What I marvel at is the REFLECTION of the trees, bushes, birds and ducks on the Lake. It is amazi...