Julanne's Village Jewels

                                                                                                                                                                    IMPERMANENCE This morning I found myself drawn to reading about John Muir, certainly one of my favorite people on this planet! He is my go to  inspiration and connection! I honestly have never read an author that speaks from his heart and his soul so eloquently and so sincerely and with such feeling! A true Naturalist, he is the one who op...

                                                                                       NATURAL BEAUTY As you know, NATURE is my most favorite 'things'! It comes in many forms but at the top of the list is National Parks. I just completed watching PBS National Parks, a 6 episode wonder of the most magnificent scenery and information I have experienced. I grew up 75 miles from Yellowstone Park and have precious memories of that spectacular experience! I clearly remember the marvel of Old Faithful erupting with in minutes of when it was scheduled to 'go off'. Seeing wildlife very often just driving along the road going from one site to the next, bears, elk, moose, deer, magnificent creatures! I'm so grateful I was exposed to all this when ...

  PATH This might look familiar (it's actually taken in Oregon) but it serves to represent my point, PATH. There is one way to reach such beauty and it is by taking a PATH. I'm truly in my element just looking at this beauty!  I have been a bit under the weather and feeling 'out to sea' and certainly not 'myself'. I find that when this happens to me it is best to S T O P, look and listen!  I'm feeling very lethargic and unable to keep up the pace I was on, so I was having a hard time not blaming  myself for this change. I was feeling old  and quite useless and uninspired. Out of that came a gift (I knew it would show up sooner or later) in the form of a book,"THE INNER WORK OF AGING"BY CONNIE ZWEIG.  Anything new & different can bring about a new perspective, as we know. This book opened my eyes and heart to new POSSIBILITIES to actually LIVE   while  my body continues to do what it has been doing for awhile . . . AGING!  I can honestly s...

                                                                                                TREES AWESOME This photo isn't especially beautiful, but it is AWESOME! I don't remember where this photo was taken but I obviously couldn't leave it behind! Some of our most AWESOME moments aren't  always beautiful but they are indeed, AWESOME! One of the most significant aspects of this photo is that one must look  up  in order to see it fully! For me it is a slight reminder of how I must look up  in order to see what I want and  what's next? Since I have moved into my new apartment, I'm NOTICING I'm happier in general and I can't account for exactly why,  except that I feel  ...

                                                                            MOTHER AND BABIES ADJUSTMENTS When things  change in our lives, even a tiny bit, we have to ADJUST to the new situation, do we not? You can well imagine how this mama duck had to ADJUST to having such a large family, but I'm very sure she did! Any change can be daunting or it can be pleasant and smooth running. My recent change in moving to a different apartment was the latter and I'm most grateful for the easy transition. I like my apartment and the setting  better  than the previous one! Fancy that? Since my move and my 'settling in', I have experienced some amazing changes. Quite by a unexpected chance, I have been able to change my health insurance and my doctor to much mo...

                                                                                      PEACE/ CHANGE I have just been introduced to a magical 'turn around' for me! I have been introduced to a musical experience the likes of which I have never  experienced before. You too can experience it as well. It is on You Tube on your phone or TV screen or computer called PLAYING FOR CHANGE! People from many, many countries are shown playing a musical instrument and/or singing, dancing and/or playing the same song at the same time. It's like a concert except each person is from a different country. There are children and people of all ages playing, singing and dancing in unison!  There are people from the United States, and each person no...

                                                                         WHITE BLEEDING HEART SUBSTITUTES SUBSTITUTES is a word I'm sure we're all familiar with! We all do it at one time or another. This concept can apply to cooking, baking, sewing, painting, writing, destinations, agreements, literature, movies,  closed facilities, on and on it goes! When we don't have the ingredient, part of a whole, answer, or whatever we want we are forced to SUBSTITUTE or go without, and few of us want to go without . . . I'm becoming very familiar with the art of SUBSTITUTIONS in a great many things! During any kind of shopping, I find myself having to choose  something different  than I had in mind. Sometimes to a immense surprise, I like it better!  For instan...