Petrified

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Last Christmas I bought a small Christmas tree-like decorative plant for the bathroom. Patty used to have tree-like decorations around the house. I counted seven one Christmas. I am getting into plants and flowers around - quite nice having the extra natural beauty close - indoors. Last year’s bathroom plant died in about three months, but the leaves never dropped. I actually think it is more beautiful now, dead… and, I don’t have to water. This petrified state happened to one of the twelve roses my sister Bernadette gave me when Patty died, three years ago. It stands on the self, next to Patty’s vase, along with my covid period ponytail. Weird… maybe a message, probably around forever. Signs of Eternal.

Petrified

Connection

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After a dozen years of mentally playing and practicing SCG, the LOVE principles, I have realized that Connecting, and specifically, relating, with born-with natural essence, is the ultimate human activity. Ego, get out of my way. I want LOVE. This season, call it what you want, is time to step back from daily duties and love one another. Notice the children. Revert to unspoiled delight in wonderment of the beauty we are born with. We are LOVE, at the core. May you recognize your beauty, and all the beauty in your world. I love you.

connected

Black and White Friday

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Friday after Thanksgiving is a big deal. Shoppers and Sellers look to sales; sales at a major discount. The deals are not only Friday, but Monday now - Monday touts to the people shopping online - that’s me. Why bother going to the store! I poo pooed the deals in the past, but Blurb had a 50% discount, which they started a few days before Black Friday! I have used their service over forty times. I often wait for a 30% or 40% special before ordering. I have never used a 50% offering before. Black day specials are real for me now. Maybe it is because I am presently on a fixed and limited income and paying attention to deals. Maybe it is because most of retailer sales come between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so the big push is on. It is all about volume. Why they call it Black, I can only speculate… and not curious enough to ask Siri.

While many were indoors looking for Christmas present deals for loved ones on the Friday after, I delighted with the snow covered trees nearby. What a nice transition from colorful leaves on mountain and river sides, to snow covered branches - branches in galore; nice to see so many decorated branches, usually hidden by the leaves. I have a series of Black and White Friday images at MESipe.com. recent work… and hundreds of tree images, under the tree tab. You are welcome to them. I wish to share what I love.

first stick

Fenced in-out

FELICITY

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FELICITY - Intense happiness - that is what comes to me with the feeling of gratitude. Only exhilaration and love can match gratitude. Gratitude is one of the big emotions. The Thanksgiving holiday is not every day, but how great it would be if it were.

This year, I am particularly grateful having met a loving lady, Miss Mary Lou. I feel like a teenager in love. I published and posted the second edition of LIVE LOVE. I published and posted SKYWARD, which brought much satisfaction. I spent the month of March with my daughter Bridget, and published and posted my capturing 200 images and 50 reflections of Peruvian paradise. I placed over thirty images on people’s walls. Time with family was especially intimate this year. I am grateful for growing connections with both family and friends. I am learning more about the significance of LOVE, SPIRIT, ENERGY. Can life get any better?

felicity


Perfectly Imperfect

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I just finished a good listen to Casey Means, MD with her Good Energy book, talking about caring for our metabolism. The list of do’s and don’ts goes on and on - Sunlight first thing each day; in fact, a lot of out door time, exposure to extreme heat and cold, avoiding toxins in so many things, avoiding addicting products promoted by large companies, and of course the standards - no sugar, but lots of organic, natural fruits and vegetables. It is overwhelming. One could get stressed worrying about complying, and keeping up the suggested journals. Stress is a big thing to avoid, according to Dr. Means. It is an increasingly occurrence in Americans. I swear not to obsess over my metabolism.

Her book is worth a second listen to get this stuff in my subconscious, but my thought is, not to stress out about all the do’s and don’ts. I am a big believer in not obsessing over getting anything perfect. We are perfectly imperfect beings. I am meant to feel good, not stress, and enjoy life. I am working on listening to my body, inner wisdom. I believe I can self heal if I can only hear what my being says about what I expose it to. I am learning about energy. I am starting to understand I am energy, and it reaches out to my world. I love it.

tranlucent

ALL IS ONE

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Ubuntu - seeing our essence in other people. This idea, espoused by Desmond Tutu, and others, helps me feel connected, loving to all. I know we are all connected. I struggle though with absorbing the idea that ALL IS ONE - that we are all interdependent - the same goodness, at the core. I am conditioned with dualism - right/wrong, good/bad, competition - winner/loser. A dualistic attitude strains my ability to be ubuntu. I wish to see my essence in others. I believe that the Goodness at my core is not unique to me - why would it be? It rests in the core of all. I look to my brain’s reticular activator to further this important love notion. The image below inspires me to the concept that ALL IS ONE. I view the rare eclipse connection interpretation with awe

all is one

Community

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My community - my people - what people - all people - I wish to feel one with all!

I reflect on the geese I photographed at Dead Creek Preserve yesterday - the eve of elections. They are flying every which direction, preparing for a united flight to more seasonable weather, for a while, not four years, maybe four months. They will come together, and make the journey - it’s predictable - it is in their nature - as is to come together is our nature.

Can there be unity in the UNITED STATES? My present skepticism says it is shaky. My optimism says it will happen - the many good people will guide the way.

I am reminded of the words of my good friend Francis: “Make me an instrument of Peace. Where there is Hatred, sow Love. Where there is Injury - Pardon. Doubt - Faith. Despair - Hope. Darkness - Light. Sadness - Joy. Grant that I don’t seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love…” LOVE is the answer. When will we all realize that? So many do. So many will. Listen for the whisper. Learn from the geese. Come together - from ego to essence!

Community

Flying White Angels

Good Intentions

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The saying goes - “The path to hell is paved with good intentions”. The point is, action is the step that gets plans done! Well, there is no eternal hell. I suspect some live hell on earth, but that is beside the point of this blog. I want to talk about my good intentions with planting Black Walnut trees.

My intention in 2018 when we moved to the 17 acres of rolling hills in the foothills of the Green Mountains in Richmond, Vermont, was to start a business of growing 100 Black Walnut trees that would be harvested in forty years for the benefit of my three grandkids.

Good thought, and who knows, maybe my good intentions will amount to benefit someone, someday. In the meantime - the present, which is all there is - I find it a treat to see them grow. I am attached to my Black Walnut trees. Two of the sixty trees I planted produced walnuts this year. They say each tree will produce 30 bushels of nuts - what? I didn’t think about the nuts when I started! When I found out about the fruit bearing, I thought, well, that’s not mine to worry about. But here we are with mandarin size fruit, and struggling how to get to the walnut. I suspect nuts will pop like popcorn in my 80”s, which I plan to live through. I am experiencing more fun than I expected. Maybe I’ll still plant the forty more I intended. Things change. Sometimes you have to pivot.

Survival

My Golden Moment

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It was less than the Golden Hour, maybe a half hour til sun over the Adirondack. Me and My Person sauntered toward the water at Meach Cove, knowing our return would be dark. Pass around my neck, monopod in my hand, I stopped once, twice, three times to capture the confluence of light, color and design. How perfect the moment. I love it.

golden pathway

Golden globe

Natural Order

Conflicts of Interest

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When I practiced as a CPA and a CFP, a first step in any engagement was determining if there were any conflicts of interest. It is a rule that made sense if you are going to attest to the authenticity of financial records, or give financial advice about implementing a financial plan with specific investments. Now, as I learn more about the importance of nutrition and health, nearing my ninth decade, I am inclined to verify that there are no conflicts of interest with the products and services that I consume, hearing how the product or service is better than sliced bread. Makes sense to me. Especially with my current level of cynicism with talking heads, politicians, and Big Brother.

The Food and Drug industry is a good example. All involved in making money directly or with lobbying efforts for a drug or food, are in question, with clear conflicts of interest. For example, obesity in America, and all related diseases is shockingly high. Pharmaceutical and large food companies want you to be addicted to their products and services. Accordingly, obesity has been on the rise for many years. There are product pushers for addicting sugar, processed food and alcohol products. These desirable products are becoming more known for their bad health impact, but are hard to resist with all the hype about them. Truth in consumption affects is needed, as well as awareness of conflicts of interest by promoters.

Medicine and related care providers deserve accolades for keeping people alive longer and longer. Unfortunately, there are conflicts of interests to treat the symptoms with more and more products and services, while patients deal with more and more pain and health problems. Living long is no good if the quality is shitty.

Like the leaves that fall to the ground, we are recycled somehow, someway. May life be long, and healthy, with intended natural foods and movement. And, may we live with love, not fear, knowing that spirits live on.

Fallen and I can’t get up

Close By

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I am astonished by the beauty nearby. I have said I don’t need to travel the world to see beauty, but I am not sure I was convinced, until now. Seeing the beauty may have to do with the power of looking - taking the time to suck up surrounding nature. I was walking from our greenhouse to our photo studio, and I saw a single tree in the distance, with a nice Fall look that felt pleasing to see. I have been looking all over the state for a lone tree image, like the one below, I call In The Distance. Also the second image, which I have in my top ten Fall images was taken around the corner. I call it Richmond Foothills. Beauty is all over. Believing is seeing. Slowing down and sucking up living nature around us is awesome.

In the distance

Richmond Foothiills

Connecting

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Technology achievements - more choices - more opportunities - and more need to prioritize behavior.

The image below makes me wonder. Are cell phones detracting from our best connecting or improving our connecting with the living world? The question comes to mind as I capture an obviously avid early morning paddler at Green River Reservoir State Park, north of Morrisville, Vermont. The young lady is using her cell phone and missing a fleeting moment of magical seasonal peaceful transformation on calm waters.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, You Tube, Emails, Texts, Twitter, TruthSocial, TikTok, a zillion apps - What improves connecting and what detracts from good connecting? Is it best to smell, touch, feel, and speak directly to who or what we are in the presence with? Are we satisfied with the convenience of connecting via a screen, without a number of senses present? Is it necessary to multi-task? I pride myself in multi-tasking, but what am I missing? Are we overloaded with the options that technology has advanced? Why am I less trusting of contradicting media alternatives? It is obvious to me… slow down, breathe, pause, prioritize, live love.

connecting

time out

Delight

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During a Friday morning walk with Jess, Paul, and Rob we noticed monarchs attracted to an Aster bush along the beautiful Burlington Lake Champlain path. With Fall foliage peaking I decided to use my monopod as a photo monopod and not just as a walking stick. I am glad I did. One monarch posed in just the right place for an image to reflect on.

I correct myself - our walks are really saunters. This is good for us middle elders. Not only are we maybe a little slower naturally, it provides us an opportunity to notice beautiful living nature as it noticeably changes early October

Attracting Asters

It's Out of Hand!

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Duality would be ok if separate realities were accepted with interest, curiosity, edification. But no; it seems canceling, lying, ghosting, are more the norm now.

I believe strongly that without trust there is nothing. Think about it - how is it possible to have any kind of meaningful relationship without trust. I have lost trust in ‘talking heads’, politicians, others. I understand exaggeration, cynicism, tongue in check, black humor. But, the sense of humor, and having fun, accepting Don Rickles type of shtick, is not acceptable any longer. It is an untrusting, combative, mess out there now - it is out of hand. Loosen up man.

I look to non-duality now. I want not to judge. I long for more - ‘Just the facts, ma’am’. Opinions are ok though. I accept yours. Let’s not fight. Let’s love.

out of hand

Big Moon Light

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Sometimes Nature just doesn't cooperate. I wanted a big, well defined full moon, nicely positioned over Camels Hump, to make a piece of art. Like usual, I work with what is gift. Last night was a beautiful night to be looking at the full moon rise, while the sun was setting. I love it.

Later, 10:30 or so, a partial eclipse occurred. I went to the driveway, well showered and in my PJ’s to catch a photo, no art making, just the facts ma’am.

Big Moon light

Partial Eclipse