Julanne's Village Jewels

A COMMITTEE MEETING TRIPS LIFE is indeed a trip . One can take a planned trip or an unplanned trip. I’ve found that the UN-PLANNED variety are the most surprising and challenging. Considering the whole of LIFE, it is best to prepare for both kinds of TRIPS as much as possible. As careful and conscious as I am about the safety of my living environment, I experienced the un-planned TRIP last week, the 11 th to be exact. I bent down to carry some dishes to the table and WHAM, I went down like a ton of bricks, landing on my back and bumping my head. It didn’t really hurt but oh my, was I dizzy. The room kept spinning! The ambulance came and I was taken to the hospital, for 2 days. Five different tests showed nothing wrong but I was wobbly, so I’m now using a walker that I find most helpful. Fortunately I have home care, a physical therapist and a therapist twice a week all of who come to my apartment. I consider myself blessed beyond words that I’m receiving such good...

CLOUDS IMPERMANENCE As I was waking up this morning I realized how peaceful and happy I felt. It was such an amazing feeling to just ‘float’ in this feeling. When I looked out my window, I noticed one of my favorite things in this world…CLOUDS. I watched them ‘float’ by and was, once again amazed, at how IMPERMANENT clouds are! They don’t ‘stand still’ for a single moment . . . ever! I watched how the whisps of clouds transformed into streaks of soft, puffs with fluffy edges as they floated on by. Very quickly, they all gathered together in a light grey shade, ever moving onward. Who knows what will be next. A marvelous ‘movie’ to watch! I also had a flash of a memory I have not had for years. It was not pleasant but I realized how much of my unhappy memories of my past I have truly LET GO OF! One moment of thought about anything will change to another in a split second unless we labor over remembering the dark stuff. I do my best to think about the PRESENT moment and all...

SUNFLOWERS BELIEFS Every now and then we all have periods of low energy, grief, loss and ‘befuddlement’. Times when life hands us a blow that is almost impossible to ACCEPT. We are caught ‘off guard’ or somewhat being on a ‘tilt-a-whirl’ ride at the carnival. It usually hits me on the occasion of an anniversary of a LOSS, an unexpected loss or trauma of some kind. Last week, I experience all this. The anniversary of losing my baby and favorite aunt and uncle in one week (59 years ago) hit me particularly hard this year. Then the passing of a lovely friend added to my ‘tilt-a-whirl’ feelings. I was ‘lopping’ all my feelings into Loss, as if I had never had the GIFTS of LIFE in other ways. I went on to have 4 wonderful children and 4 precious grandchildren. I also have many wonderful friends. Then this morning I suddenly was struck by the fact that I am living my LIFE with all it’s ups and downs, blessings and seeming LOSSES.   What all I am feeling is LIFE! ...

CLEMATIS RESPECT RESPECT is one of my favorite words. It lifts me up to a state of ‘HIGHLY THOUGHT OF’, HONOR, PRESTIGE, almost REVERENCE . . . depending what I’m referring to. I’m particularly referring to individual people who have/are contributing to the world. Extraordinary writings that touch me deeply. One is Maria Popova. The bi-weekly writer of BRAIN PICKINGS, marvelously inspiring writings about the very best authors ever. She writes every Sunday about several people and every Wednesday about a fewer number of people, nonetheless excellent. You can receive her BRAIN PICKINGS on the internet. She also is on You Tube. These writings are so helpful to me because I often times want to read different books but I don’t want to read the whole book. It’s perfect for me to feel satisfaction and accomplishment. Two other brilliant writers (who both passed away last week) are Mary Oliver, the poet and John Welwood, a writer about relationships. I mention the...

GRAPEFRUIT EXERCISE Now here’s a word that makes people beam or cringe. I have never been a big athlete and I must say it is the only big regret I have in my life. I remember the first time as a young teenager when I actually hit the softball a considerable distance! I couldn’t stop jumping up and down and screeching like a hawk! It was so much fun! Over the years I have taken TaiChi, Yoga, QiGong, swimming, walking and stretching classes. I have really enjoyed them all. I used to run some in the early mornings but that kind of wore thin. I’m starting TaiChi/Yoga and QiGong again once a week in a class. Maybe I’ll continue doing it in my home with a DVD. It definitely is do-able. Now that I’m at the Village, I have made myself join some classes that I have loved. I have a back that pains me from time to time, always first thing in the morning so I have gone to back classes, balance and stretch classes regularly. When I fell in my garden bed last October, I coul...

NANDINA CAPABLILITY Do you ever wonder how you’ll ever get through . . .something? The truth is we may not get over something, but we do get   through it. I have been experiencing all kinds of emotions and experiences that make me feel like I live on a roller coaster! Yesterday I had to buy a new battery for my car. It was needed and not too expensive. It turned out to be a blessing. I was home, a service man came in half an hour, he was very kind, explained things to me and I was safe the whole time. It’s just those first few seconds that I feel fear and upset. I have learned the trick to mastering my panic and upset. (I do however still have them ) but I BREATHE, (deep CONSCIOUS breathing), take the next step, give thanks that I have the CAPABILITY to proceed, and relax into the situation as much as possible. It’s been a process and one I have practiced for a long time. I just actually do something and that relieves the situation so that it is DO-ABLE. I...

NEW VEGGIES/HERBS NEWNESS Ah, the very sound of the word NEWNESS reminds me of clean sheets blowing on the clothesline. It illicits a feeing of FREEDOM, CLEANLINESS, FRESHNESS and ‘SUCHNESS’. I love the word ’SUCHNESS’. It means   ‘THE WAY THINGS ARE’. It sounds foreign to most of us but it also seems to lighten up . . . the way things are . The NEW YEAR has begun and I am very happy for the NEW opportunities that await me, await all of us. All we have to do is LOOK . . . inside and ask ourselves a few questions. These questions may seem a bit daunting but really, they are simple questions to wake ourselves up more than ever.   Questions like: Who am I? What do I want to experience in my life that is before me? How can I take care of myself better? How do I want to be with others? What do I feel moved to let go? Those questions are basic but an excellent ground for looking inside and telling what is so. IF we do not at least look and...