Balance for a troubled heart–staying close to the simple, the ordinary, the real

The circle of a birchbark world

So many of our hearts seem troubled these days.  We’re worried about politics, the state of the nation, the trials of the world, the gullies of the universe.  We’re pained about health, trapped children, money, jobs, relationships, pressures.  We’re feeling our red hearts beating blue ribbons of sorrow and we’re struggling, how we’re struggling, to stay afloat and upbeat in a foggy world where the answers aren’t immediately apparent.

I see folks arguing everywhere.  We’re pitting ourselves again the other, taking the swords of our opinions and clashing them against the swords of other opinions.  We’re living in the world of our ideas and using our ideas as guns against each other. The bullets look like “My idea is right and yours is wrong and it’s all going to hell in a handbasket!”

Feeling under the weather–for four months now

Darked skies, church steeple

I don’t usually write about health issues or personal challenges.  Mostly those are shared with close friends and family.  Sometimes I keep quiet about aches or pains or situations for weeks or months or years.

However, have recently felt a nudging to reveal what’s happening here.  Just because, like with most things, there are silver linings in sharing, both for the sharer and listener.  Because it suddenly feels more honest to reveal some personal struggles.

It started in March with digestive issues.  Have experienced some ongoing digestive problems during recent years, but this felt like something more urgent.  It felt like low-level discomfort that kept on keepin’ on.

How do you celebrate 1,000 blog posts?

Hip hip hooray!  This is the 1,000th blog post on Lake Superior Spirit written since January, 2010!

I’ve just finished scribbling a post about what I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, blah-blah-blah.  However, the Universe tossed it into the Internet wastebasket and started again.

Here’s what the Universe has to say about blogging and bloggers.  Be prepared to be surprised.  (I am surprised by these shenanigans.)

We bloggers are like frozen fish, ready for consumption.  We’re prepared to give our all so that others may be nourished by the flesh of our words.  We’re swimming in the sea of life and suddenly we’re sharing our skin, our sharp teeth, our fins, our beady eyes with the world.  We share it all.  For your omega 3, for your Vitamin A.

Trip photos that mean something to me

This will not be your usual travelogue.  You know how you sit down after a trip and prepare to tell a story.  You say:  we went here, here and here.  We did this, this and that.  We traveled up and down and all around and here is a chronological listing and educational expression of our adventures.

No, I am not inspired to do that today.  Most of you know that my daughter and I traveled to the Pacific Northwest recently.  I flew to her home in Portland, Oregon, before we girls traveled to Seattle, Vancouver, British Columbia and San Juan Island, Washington.

Today I want to randomly show you photos from the trip that mean something to me–and tell you why.

This first photo shows a cascade of yellow flowers above the Salish Sea on San Juan Island.  I loved the yellow-orange blessings of them above the baby blue sea.

Gorgeous glowing glass & gardens in Seattle, Washington

 

Say you decide to visit the Pacific Northwest.  Say you find yourself in Seattle, Washington.  Say you find yourself with a full afternoon to explore the bustling city.  Where might you visit?  What might you do?

Many folks head straight for the Space Needle.  You could travel up-up-and-away if you like, marveling at the view from the Observation Deck.  Oooh and ahhh about the city.  Pretend you’re an eagle with an eagle’s eye view of the Puget Sound, deep evergreen forests, tall skyscrapers, the majestic Mount Rainier.

Don’t go believing everything social media says

Actually, you can believe this picture.  For some reason the camera actually saw a heart where the moon rose.

Please, dear readers, never let your thoughts convince you that Cousin Lindsey or Friend Derek or Acquaintance Daniella has a better life than you.

Forget their sixteen pictures of babies, tropical vacations, or happy interludes.

Remember that Social Media only shows slivers of truth.

Slivers of reality.

We so often don’t share our aches, our pains, our confusion, our annoyance, our despair.

We’re not lying.

We’re just not sharing the entire picture.

Because we don’t want to.  Or because the words aren’t there.  Or because we’d prefer to share our good news, our shining light, our joy.

Kayaking with snake(s)

Look at those kayak feet! Now, would you think there might be a snake (or snakes) in your kayak?

OK, friends, I have a story to tell.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, 2018, and my friend Sherry messages.  Would I like to go kayaking with her on Monday?

Oh yes.  Kayaking with Sherry has proven fun in the past!  I would love to go again.  Especially since our weather has been so warm, so sunny, so lovely.