As 2020 draws to a close, my mind is choking on too many words, tweets, posts, blogs, statistics, and disputes about fake news vs. facts. Music is what I need right now. Maybe we all need it.
Thankful
Recalibration
The Fork Story
Play
Lately, I’ve been thinking about play, specifically about outside play that involves nature. During the pandemic, I am more grateful than ever to have outside space and a garden. Even though I recognize that gardening makes me happy, I never specifically thought of it as play, nor as prayer, until I met Dr. Christine Sine and learned of her work.
Christian Meditation?
Straddling
Book Share: The Gift of Being Yourself
Thomas Merton said, “There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend….” We all want to know the answer to that problem. Dr. David Benner’s The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery is a powerful little book that shows you how to find the answer for yourself.
Q. and A.
Change
In these unsettling times, I really need serenity and health, and I’m pretty sure that you do too! In the U.S. we have been dealing with climate change, gun violence, racism, political strife, impeachment…and now the coronavirus. My two brothers live in the Seattle area, where multiple deaths have occurred. My daughter lives in Italy, another hot spot. She just called and told me the schools in all of Italy have closed for at least two weeks. That is when I sat down to write this blog post.
Know Your ACE PLACE
In card games, getting an Ace is always a good thing. But, the story for ACEs, Adverse Childhood Experiences, is different. ACE refers to childhood experiences of mental, physical, or sexual abuse; neglect; addiction or violence in the home; or, divorce or separation. Research has clearly shown that ACEs translate into higher rates of adult physical and mental illness, as well as behavioral difficulties in life.
I Wonder...
This blog was conceived during my recent visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. My husband and I rode the metro downtown to see the exhibit of pastels, called “The Touch of Color,” which will run until January 26, 2020. Pastels are a mix of pigment, chalk or clay, and a binder all mixed together into sticks that look like chalk as we know it.