We Gulfcoast Floridians know two notable seasons: Snow Birds and Hurricanes. Either can be beautiful and dangerous, either bring all the makings to be extreme and either are an aquired taste.

I tried to capture hurricanes’ stark contrasts in a haiku before:

“Hurricane strength 3
Astonishing silence
In thundering noise”

PS Snow Birds defy being captured in anything.

Today I wanted a McCafe (didn’t need it) and got it for my early morning beach walk. I wanted to drive my car through the car wash (she didn’t need it, does a car ever ‘need’ a wash?) and did it. What do we really need other than food, clothing and shelter? I live simply, joyfully indulging in little ‘wants’ that make me smile. Overblown ascetism never was my shtick. Now I’ll go and eat turkey.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! 💕

“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.”
Abraham Lincoln

Below 30th parallel
Heat humidity melt Haiku
Yes, that’s alright, too.

Beach walk at sunrise
Dolphins in the distance
Playful for this day

deep silence
the shrill of cicadas
seeps into rocks

—Matsuo Bashō
(1644–94)

Phone reminder 6am
“Litter box change”
Monday, monday, meow, me

Hurricane strength 3
Astonishing silence
In thundering noise

Springtime turns into heat
Snowbirds leaving town
Leaving and still belonging

Good morning, Godess!
Loving, breathing, singing –
Peaceful joy I live.

Lang, thank you for your article and vidoes at your vimeo site ‘Miracle of Nature’. The love dance of sound & colour by the sapsucker is especially delightful.
I live at Florida’s Gulf coast and enjoyed hearing and seeing the vibrations of a limpkin last summer. What a treat. Cora

Dear Brother David, on this longest night looking back on 2018 and your work, the Principle of Subsidiarity that you presented to Pope Francis as a key to unity is truly light in darkness.

“Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.” Psalm 139:12

Heart to heart throughout 2019!
Cora ⚘

Thank you Kristi for your profound presentation at the Global Gratitude Summit. You provided great insight into the gratefulness work started by Br David, which is carried on and expanded by your team. Well done. Perhaps you can make the entire video available on this site.
Many blessings, Cora ⚘

Today’s (11/4) speakers, the founders of Cafe Gratitude, at the Global Gratitude Summit give a wonderful example of gratitude in action to enrich our lives. What a lovely treat. Check it out. ⚘

Dear Kristi, thank you for your profound and skillfully written reflections.
No 8 made me smile “#Gratitude has become ubiquitous on social media—an excuse to humblebrag …” as we seem to have replaced whining with humblebragging, an astute observation.
If we’re not careful the sum total of our vices will stay constant.
Blessings, Cora

Gregg, I live at Florida’s West coast and had a close brush with Irma last year. If I can say in December that ‘nothing happened’ this season that would be lovely.
Thank you for your essay, it spans many occasions where no news is good news.

Dear Brother David

Wishing you a wonderful birthday. You are the living proof of Franz Grillparzer’s words:

“Das sind die Starken, die unter Tränen lachen, eigene Sorgen verbergen und andere glücklich machen.”

I am deeply grateful for your words, silence and understanding; sending you many bessings
Cora⚘

Thank you, Michele, you too be safe! I suppose the ‘good news’ is that Dorian is expected to be ‘significantly smaller’ than Irma in 2017. I hope Dorian knows this …

Judy, thank you for mentioning the DAILY WORD by UNITY. I’ve since looked it up, it is a wonderful publication, offering a daily word with profound insight and an appropiate Scripture reference. It is delightful. Cora

Yes, Chester, I agree wholeheartedly.