Good morning lovely friends: This is my 3rd Tuesday in our new surroundings. As always, I hold Ursula and her family close, Thinking of her and so many of our sacred community who we haven’t heard from in awhile. I hope you are all well “old” friends…you are missed.

The Colorado sun is strong once again today. I am learning that this is characteristic of this area…it is rare that the sun does not make an appearance at some point in the day. What a gift for me as I am a lifelong sun-worshiper! It is a dry heat, without the humidity of the east coast. This warmth is a balm for my fibromyalgia pain. I’m so grateful for the relief it provides and the window of joy that Brother Sun cracks open.

Joy has been elusive these days. I have been aware of this in my daily meditations and am longing for the peace that pure joy brings. It is curious to me that joy is not overflowing…while gratefulness is abounding. How can this be?

I’ve been hard on myself about this. But this morning I had a bit of a breakthrough. I’ve decided to welcome this shadow in my spirit. The aftermath of the stress in selling our beloved farmhouse. Our exhausting 2,000 mile journey,. The death of my sister just days before we left. I reminded myself of Rumi’s wisdom exhorting and inspiring me to embrace that I am human. And to welcome whatever comes to visit me in my Guest House. To be grateful because whatever comes was sent from above to be my guide.

And so, I will allow myself to sit in this joy-less gratitude as one who is being guided and unconditionally loved through it.

~With my grateful love…here is the poem that I once again share with all of you in this sacred space. I am grateful for my 13th century mystic-poet-guru! And for all of you ♥

The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
-Jalaluddin Rumi

Good morning lovely friends:

The bright Colorado sun is shining through our bedroom window as I visit with you reclining in bed….my body is speaking to me (more like yelling at me!) and I am listening. I believe this is a delayed reaction to our labor-intensive move, the death of my sister, and all the emotions that go along with these life events. The altitude here also requires some adjustment….I’ve noticed this on my daily walks and both my daughters confirm that it takes awhile to get used to.

But…oh those daily walks! Although they are shorter for now, the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains as I walk around our new neighborhood just fills me with awe and brings me to tears. What a blessing that I get to live here for the last chapter in my journey! Being born and raised and living 65+ years on the East Coast of the U.S. I am so enamored with the West and all the wonders to behold here!
Not long ago there was an article on this site about Earth Altars. My intention is to create an earth altar in memory of my sister, using the gifts that are so unique to this part of the country. We brought a large piece of the trunk of my beloved sugar maple, Minshi, with us to Colorado and I will build my altar there this spring.

I do miss our quirky little farmhouse and the cows and horses and farmland but mostly I am grateful for the years we had there and that we were so clearly guided to leave when we did. I’ve not even the slightest doubt that we are here for such a time as this. I’m grateful for my Great Shepherd’s “rod and staff”…they are a comfort to me.

~Wishing you all a day filled with wonder and awe at our Mother Earth’s amazing gifts. Om Shanti friends ♥

Good morning my lovely friends

I missed being here with you last Tuesday as we made our way across the country. We were somewhere in the mid-west on that day and we arrived, after a harrowing 2,000 mile journey, safe and sound to our new home in Colorado. The U.S. decided to have the most frigid, icy, snow-filled week just as we were traveling…but the angels surrounded us on our way and I was mindful of the God-hugs. Thank you for your prayers my friends.

It’s been a roller coaster of emotions. So grateful but, fear and anxiety were there, as well as a deep well of grief as my sister died after a long illness days before we left. My husband and I packed and loaded the trailer ourselves, and Mother Nature decided to dump a load of snow on us in the middle of this process. So, since we had already sold our tractor and snow plow, we had to shovel the old fashioned way…..several times! It was a lot of physical labor for our 65+ year old bodies! But I chose to be grateful for the distraction as it provided an outlet for my grief.

So, my friends, so much joy that we are living here in this beautiful landscape….mountains have replaced our beloved farmland. But most of all that we are together as a family once again. Our younger daughter is living with us in our full furnished rental for now, and our older daughter and her husband are just 10 minutes away. I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

And so grateful to be here once again with all of you on this Tuesday. As always, my thoughts turn to our dear Ursula who I believe was one of the angels guiding and protecting us on our journey. 😇

~Om Shanti friends ♥

Cara Anna….thank you for your kind words and for sharing your own journey on the loss of your papa with me. You have beautifully described the paradox that I was experiencing…we are spirit-sisters in this my friend.

Manda is actually from Flagstaff in Northern Arizona, which is very similar in landscape to Colorado! It’s about 10 hours south of where we are in Colorado. I wonder how our sweet Manda is doing….I miss her!

I am so happy and grateful that you are still here mio amica! Sending you my love and blessings ♥♥♥♥