Here's A Thought

Space neither begins nor ends.

Neither do we.

What do you think?

Gratitude Monday - A Day Like Any Other

Much as I like a bit of excitement, doing something different, having new experiences, there's a lot to be said for routine.
There's good routine, the day to day activities of regular life.  I am grateful for them. They bring stability, order, and peace to life.
They get me through the day and are excellent marker posts for days when the interesting stuff happens.
Each day I get up, get out of bed, pour a partial cup of coffee, and go outside.
I drink this first bit of coffee outdoors.  I greet the sky, the day, feel how it is, gaze at the stars if they're out, or the morning sun if it's summertime.
It is a simple thing, a daily pleasure that lays the groundwork for the day, and for it I am grateful.

Comfort, Then The Fear

Not long ago I wrote about the clown in the barn. Shortly afterward I realized I'd forgotten something important.

The fear didn't set in right away. 

You see, until I was five years old I'd go to the barn every chance I got to gaze at the drawing on the wall. I'd forgotten this part until after the blog post was published.

I suppose it was a clown then, too, but I didn't fear it. The grease pencil figure  on the boards was comforting.

For those moments when I stared at it I was with the visitor again.

I remembered.

What did I remember?

The feelings of warmth and comfort, love and belonging.

But the most important and compelling thing I remembered was who I was.

I am not sure what that means.

I still remembered the thing that the clown drawing was supposed to help me recall.

In those days I had yet to forget it. I thought I never would.

I also never used to avoid the unused chop bin in the barn.

In fact I liked to go in the room and often did so while dad did chores.

But one late winter afternoon that all changed. I went in the room as I commonly did. I asked dad to close and lock the door which he did.

(Side note: the lock was a wooden handle that one simply twisted leaving one end in front of the door  and the other by the wall.)

The room was bare. The light stayed off. There was no possible way for me to get into any trouble.

I was there only seconds.

The clown from the wall jumped me from behind. One arm went around my neck, the other went around my waist.

I screamed.

Dad let me out.

Years ago mom, dad, my sister and I went back to the farm to look.  I took photos of the wall. I took photos of the room.

Of course there's nothing.

I have no idea what actually happened

My dad was a few steps away about to do the chores. I think my sister was in the barn. In my mind I see someone about her size, wearing red.

It was after this incident the fear kicked in.

I never went back in to gaze at the drawing on the wall. All comfort from it was gone.

I forgot who really put it there. I forgot what I said I'd remember.

I suspect that was the point of the chop bin incident.

I had to forget all of that and simply be a human child. Visitations would cloud that life.

The cord had to be cut.

It hurts, but I get it.

I continue to look into this chiefly through self-hypnosis.  Yesterday morning I tried to take a closer look at it. I had a  mental image of a white door with a round handle closing. I know there's something on the other side I need to see.

But I guess that's for another day.

Gratitude Monday -- Election Edition

Today is the federal election and that means we get to vote.
It also means we get to not vote with impunity.
I am grateful for both.
I am happy I live in a land that has free and democratic elections. We have several parties to chose from and we get to mark out ballot in secret with no one telling us where the X goes.
It's what brave men and women fought and died for.
Equally important is the freedom to not vote without fear of reprisals. It is also what those brave men and women fought and died for.
It galls me no end that so many people exercise their right to not vote. If everyone voted I suspect many of our elections would have a far different outcome.
Who you vote for is your business, and if you chose not to vote that's your business, too.
But please, non-voters, keep in mind that someone in your constituency is voting right now for someone you don't like.
Why not reply in kind?

Gratitude Monday --Everything

Today is Thanksgiving, the day when we find all manner of things for which to give thanks.
Rather than write out a list let me just say I am grateful for everything.
Whatever it is or was is done. Whatever will be, let it come.
It'll be good unless I decide it is bad or indifferent. Even if I do that, in retrospect I'll discover it was actually good.
That's why I say I am grateful for everything, because it is all good.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Is It In The Cards?

I've started reading ordinary playing cards.  Here's what happened.
Last week I watched two videos featuring Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine discuss reading tarot cards.
They were mildly interesting, but one thing did strike me. Each said the interpretation of the card is what you feel about it, not just the denotative meaning of the card.
I've tried tarot from time to time and I've had more misses than hits. The key to understanding what I was attempting was missing.
After the videos I got it.
Once I had the key I had the feeling that ordinary playing cards would work just as well as a dedicated tarot pack.
I played with the tarot a bit, then dug out the playing cards.

I cleansed them, went through the deck thanking each card for its help, and then asked the All Of The Above* for guidance in receiving and understanding what the cards said.

What a blast.

It was cold and wet on Saturday with a bit of snow so I asked the cards if the Saw-whet evening was going ahead. The cards said yes. If you look at the post underneath this one, you'll note they were correct.

This could easily be coincidence. When you ask a yes or no question you have an equal chance of being right or being wrong.
But I still call it a win.

I've been using the cards almost every day and am still learning what each means to me. I don't know that I would ever do this for a living, but it could happen. Over the years I've asked the All Of The Above what I will do and I've always been told it is something I'd never think I'd be doing.
This certainly qualifies.

No matter what this is a fun tool for receiving guidance and I will keep at it until I decide not to anymore.

Meanwhile, I asked the other day who would win the federal election Oct. 19. According to to the cards it's Justin Trudeau.
Two weeks from now we'll know if that was in the cards.
--
I used to go through the long list of God, Angels, Archangels, Higher Self, All That Is, Universe, Guides, Helpers, Spirit, etc., All Of The Above is easier.

Gratitude Monday -Release The Owls Edition

We went to an evening of food and owls Saturday and it was magnificent.
It was organized by the Beaverhill Bird Observatory east of Edmonton.  We were fed steaks and then ornithologists captured, banded, weighed, and measured Northern Saw-whet owls for tracking.
Attendees got to watch, learn, ask questions, pet the saw-whets, and help set them free afterward.

I got to release an owl.