Roses for a Sunday

I've always loved roses, but it took me a while to plant them for myself. Our rosebushes remind me often to thank God for certain people in my life, and to say thank You, period... I still want some to remind me of my sisters and my best friend, but that will come, maybe next year.

For now, this Sunday morning reflection is about beauty, and family and friends who have given beauty to my life.

Blanc de Coubert reminds me of Lee
and our evening walks together.
Thank you God, for my partner in life.

Oscar Pederson is delicate but tough, like my daughter Suzanna.
Thank you, God, for her quiet strength in facing challenges.

Morden Sunrise is the rosette that I pinned
to Jay's lapel on their graduation day.
Thank you, God, for the many things they've taught me.

Olds College reminds me of my dear friends,
Ralph and Lidia, because I bought this rose
with birthday money she gave me.
Thank you God, for their friendship (and my
Sunday morning espresso in her pot!)

Fire Glow is my mother-in-law, Vivien's, rose.
Her heart burned with a lot of love.
Thank you, God, for her shining faith in you.

Never Alone is her husband Louis' rose. 
They grow side by side in my garden.
Thank you, God, for my father-in-law.

John Franklin came from my dear friend
Jocelyne, who I don't see nearly enough, 
but John reminds me to pray for her.

Prairie Joy is Christina's rose.
It was part of their wedding bouquet
and bloomed on their 4th anniversary, June 29th.
Thank you, God, for my go-getter eldest child.

Adeline is my dad's rose.
Thank you, God, for Dad, who makes your love comprehensible.

And I don't know the name of this rose,
but she's a beauty I call Hildegarde
because my mom gave her to me.
Thank you, God, for my mom-best-friend.

This Sunday morning, I'm counting my roses, and my blessings!

The pear tree blooms again

We are keeping our fingers crossed. After really cutting our beloved pear tree back last year because of fire blight, we weren't sure she would survive. This week she has shown her usual beauty, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, offering a bit of extra compost and deep watering her roots in the hope that she'll share with us a few more seasons of shade and tasty pears.

She has been a gift all her life, and we will do our best to treat her gently for as long as she's with us.

2023 Word of the Year

Those who follow these moodlings know that I like to choose a word at the beginning of every year as something of a theme on which to focus as the months hurry past. 

In rereading last year's moodling about my Word of the Year, I had to chuckle. I lost that thread of inspiration at about the time the dark days moved back into the light, and my friend Garth returned not long after. I did enjoy most of my Partylite candles, however!

Having reached the end of 2022 and having to go back through my moodlings to remember the word I chose last January, I had to ask myself: is there really any point to choosing a Word of the Year? 

Answer: of course there is -- I just need to be more intentional about actually remembering it (though I sometimes find it challenging to remember what happened the day before yesterday, already!) And 2023's Word of the Year is one I'm determined to remember.

Ready?

APPRECIATION. That's what I want to focus on this year.

Why?

Well, because in the past year, as I've gotten more and more involved in the ministry of presence for folks in the inner city, I've seen a lot of dark stuff. It's become too easy to feel sad and angry about the fact that there are humanitarian crises across the river or down our local ravine, never mind hidden in some of the poorly-maintained rental units within walking distance of my own comfy home. 

I bumped into a neighbour this morning and we got to talking about the 49,000 people struggling with core housing need in Edmonton, and when I mentioned how we need all levels of government to step up and work together to build a lot more affordable housing, she laughed and said, "yeah, right."

Housing is only one issue. I'm sure you can think of a dozen others. The problem is that it's just too easy to get cynical when faced with so many challenges and the seeming lack of political will to solve problems. I feel that cynicism in myself, too. So that's why I decided to focus on Appreciation (many thanks to my friend Jim for his New Year's reflection). 

And just in the nick of time, too. This morning when we arrived downtown to hand out socks, gloves and other winterwear, this is what greeted us.

They had come to dismantle the tarp/tent homes of people in the neighbourhood. Quinn (standing on the corner, shaking his head) captured it well when he said, "This is too crazy. They take it down now, and tonight it will be back because these people have nowhere else to go." People were dragging their belongings out of their shelters and piling them up wherever they could, just waiting for the cops and workers to "clean up" and leave. 

There's nothing like destabilizing the only stability people have had for the last couple of weeks in this chilly winter weather.

But we've seen this many times, and because we couldn't do anything about the inhumanity of the situation (other than being active members of the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness and standing witness as the team from Inner City Pastoral Ministry), we focused on the people who came to our little table for the winterwear donations given to us by kind and generous people -- and we also witnessed the kindness and generosity of community members to each other even as their homes were being taken apart.

One fellow sat amid his pile of belongings on an ancient blanket-covered chair, cracking jokes (to lift peoples' spirits?) He pulled a rubber band out of a garbage bag and announced that he'd found ten thousand dollars in it, then asked a passer-by, "Would you like this rubber band that held all that money?" He was non-stop with his wisecracks.

One young woman came to our necessities table and asked for ladies' briefs, quietly telling me that she was having her "lady time." I dug around under the mens' socks and found the last two for her. She was tucking them into her pocket as another girl arrived, saying, "I'd really like a fresh pair of underwear if you have it." I told her she'd just missed the last two, but of course, the young woman who had just received them dug into her pocket and gave one to the girl who'd asked. Just like that.

People look out for each other all the time, and I appreciate that. Sometimes I even remember to say so.

But not as often as I should.

So my 2023 Word of the Year is chosen to remind me to voice my appreciation in situations where I find myself marveling at the beauty, goodness and truth of this world, and the kindness and goodness of human beings. Especially those who receive more complaints than pats on the back, those who are often overlooked. 

And I need not only to voice appreciation, but to properly appreciate. To really look at, listen to, smell, taste, touch and reflect upon life rather than just letting it pass me by. And to do things to show my appreciation, to make others aware of things, creation, and people worth appreciating whenever possible.

What's your word or focus for 2023?

A ten-minute walking garden meditation

If it's not raining, most summer mornings you'll find me outside with my cup of tea, wandering my garden paths and moodling/meditating on the beauty of growing things and the Creator who silently and secretly somehow makes them grow.

So instead of my monthly garden report, before the harvest begins in earnest, I thought I'd leave you with this morning's ten-minute walking garden meditation, done in silence (well, as silent as my neighbourhood is on a workday morning) so you can see the beauties of creation found in my backyard. I especially love the beautiful things birds and wind planted here and there.

Enjoy!

Morning meditation: God's abundant, sun-kissed beauty

And breakfast as a bonus!

 

Simple Pleasures: Cloud watching

My favourite cloud of 2021

With the return of Spring, we're back to that time of year when the sky moves into focus -- or maybe my perspective does. Probably the latter, because as the seasons change, I find myself spending more time outside when the air is warmer, the light is brighter, the winds are softer, and the skies are bluer.

I don't know about you, but my eyes are drawn more often to clouds in warmer seasons. In days of deep-freeze, I'm so huddled into my furry-fringed hooded jacket that it's hard to really look around. But on warm blue-sky days, clouds steal the show.

I have always loved the fluffy masses of mist that float across the sky, and trying to see things in them. Being born and raised on the prairies, I somehow feel sky in my bones, if that makes any sense, probably because it was the biggest thing around when my family lived in a very flat place during my childhood. 

Sky is still the biggest thing around, but when our focus is this earth-bound dimension in which we live, sometimes we forget to look up to see those white cotton puffs, undulating grey waves edged with pink/purple/silver/gold, or towering dark cumulonimbus monsters with tongues of lightning. And really, that's a pity. There's so much to see!

My cousin Charlotte is a cloud watcher. Every so often she posts her own images of clouds that take my breath away, with the tag #cloudsarefrequentlyawesome (you won't find that on twitter, because it's a special Charlotte thing). How I love her posts and appreciate her tendency to notice the extraordinary beauty in ordinary things that, too often, we take for granted. Especially a sky full of clouds.

Clouds are poems just waiting to be noticed, as the founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society expresses so well in this video below. Having our heads in the clouds now and then is good for the soul, for sure. 

Enjoy the clouds today, and if you can't get outdoors, check out the ones highlighted in this lovely eleven minute video. Some of them are quite amusing!

Appreciating simple pleasures improves our happiness quotient!

A little nature fix

Stumbled across this today, and realized it's a wonderful thing to have a nature fix, even if only online. Kudos to Robert Bush Sr. in Pennsylvania for sharing five minutes of footage of his local animal friends with us, without adding a goofy songtrack. I love the sound of flowing water. And there are so many different creatures who enjoy this log for lots of reasons. Enjoy!

Tawatina Bridge -- a must see

I think it's probably safe to say that a lot of people in Riverdale, Cloverdale and surrounding communities here in Edmonton were quite heartbroken by the closure of the pedestrian/bike bridge for the construction of the Valley LRT line back in 2016. Five years is a long time to wait to walk across the river to visit each other.

Shadow and I walked the old footbridge quite a bit with his people, neighbours and friends back in his puppyhood. It was an important link in the River Valley corridor that so many people love, and a lot of people missed it. 

Lee and I watched and commented on the progress of the construction of its replacement, Tawatina Bridge, every time we walked the dog in Strathearn Park, which overlooks the site. And we were really thrilled when it reopened on December 12... so much so that we took Shadow and went down a couple of hours in advance of its official opening to check it out (and avoid the crowds). 

It definitely didn't disappoint.

It is (or soon will be) a functional transit bridge for the Valley Line, yes, but it's also a cultural space with art by Indigenous artists that speak to Indigenous history, to the creatures that live here, and to our connections as human beings to the web of life. My poor little camera can't do the artwork justice -- you'll just have to see it for yourself. I've been there three times already, and look forward to going back again, because there's always more to notice... and I love being near the river, too.

Why not check Tawatina Bridge out for yourself? (And tell me about your favourite art work there? I love the painting of the view to the top of the teepee -- not pictured here -- the "beaded" images of people, and all the different animals...)

May this bridge always remind Edmontonians that we are responsible for working for truth and reconciliation, upholding our part in Treaty Six, and respecting all community members: human, animal, plant, air, water, earth and fire...

Simple Suggestion #283... Hug a tree

Tree hugger has been used as a derogatory term by corporations that have been frustrated by environmentalists. But if you click this link, you'll find an interesting story about the original tree huggers, who were/are indigenous people on the other side of the globe trying to protect nature (rather than white North American hippies or celebrities). It also explains how the idea of tree huggers arrived in North America in the 1960s. 

Lately I've been moodling in my mind not so much about tree hugger activists as I have been about simply appreciating trees. When my family moved to Edmonton, our home had a huge May Day chokecherry tree in the back yard, and how I loved it. I could climb high enough in its branches to see over our house, and I spent many hours in it, playing with my sisters or reading books. Unfortunately, it developed a split in the trunk and eventually was cut down out of safety concerns around the time that my parents renovated their home in the mid-80s.

To be honest, since that tree disappeared, I hadn't given much thought to the trees around me. But since a visit to T'l'oqwxwat, also known as Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew in BC two years ago, I've been much more aware of all my relations, and especially the "Standing People" around me. Often when I take Shadow-dog for walks, we head for the trees along our river valley.

So today's suggestion/poem is designed to invite us all to appreciate the canopy of pale green in the urban or rural groves now unfolding their leaves all around us. Humour me, and when the weather is fine, hug a tree...

How to properly hug a tree

Choose 

a bare tree trunk
about as wide as you are --

in a place away from the eyes of others.

Take 

the tree between your hands.

Look 

deeply into its bark

and see 

its wrinkles and imperfections;

look up 

and see

its perfection as a tree.

Lean 

into it, 

press your cheek against it

and wrap your arms around it.

Hug 

it gently,

feeling your muscles

tighten in embrace.

Think 

about the life blood 

flowing through your body

and the sap

flowing beneath the bark.

Envision 

the connection

between blood and sap --

the Creator of both.

Imagine 

the roots

below your feet 

drawing goodness from the soil

and exchanging nutrients

with nearby plants.

Close 

your eyes 

and inhale deeply

of the oxygen 

the leaves freely offer

in exchange 

for your breath.

Open 

your eyes

and let them settle

on restful green

with blue space between,

focusing on the way 

leaves and branches move.

Appreciate

the solidity,

the structure,

the strength

of the one

you hold in your arms.

Dream 

its planting,

its growing,

the birds that have nested in its branches,

the fledglings that have left it behind,

the creatures that have sheltered in its shade.

Know

it as a vital partner

to your very existence

to the web of life that surrounds you.

And when 

you have held it long enough,

Sit 

with your back against your well-hugged tree. 

Give 

gratitude for it,

for its place in the universe,

its Creator,

and for your ability to

Recognize 

all that is good.

P.S. For more Simple Suggestions, click here.

Guest Moodler: Seeing beauty, seeing God

This past week -- well, all summer, really, I have been struck by the beauty of the world around me... the bumblebees in the bee balm and the hummingbird at the honeysuckle vine... the children riding past on their bikes... the cloudscapes in the sky... the perfection of purple beans hanging from their vines or blanching on my stove... the wonderful people in my life... and those in need of compassion who can benefit when we see their beauty and reach out to them...

My best friend spoke about this beauty at her church a few weeks ago when they began six Sundays of reflection called Beguiled by Beauty, and I have been internally moodling (musing and doodling) on her words ever since. Cathy graciously allows me to share her reflection here. 

Where are you beguiled by beauty, God's visible and invisible presence in your life? I invite you to Stop, Linger, Observe and Wonder at God's marvels wherever you may find them this week, but especially, in the marvel of your own soul...

Beguiled by Beauty

Cathy Coulter

God is beguiled or charmed by beauty. But what kind of beauty are we talking about? This is more than our superficial definitions of pretty. This is about the sacred worth of things that we become aware of when we sense the divine. We have all had experiences of this. I was visiting my brother and family in Cranbrook last weekend I came across a photo of my nineteen year old niece as a new baby and I was so moved by the beauty of of her newborn face. When I showed it to my niece, she said, “Ack!”, not impressed. I told her some day she would know how beautiful she is. I hope that day is not too far in the future.

It is hard for us to see our own beauty. This seems to be the human condition as we lose our innocence and experience the hurts and traumas of life. But we are told that we are created in the image and likeness of God. We are worth all that God is worth and we have a value that cannot be measured. No one can diminish or destroy that value because it belongs completely to God. There is that in you which no one, including yourself, can trash talk. St. Teresa of Avila describes our soul as a castle made of diamond. In the centre of that castle is God waiting for us to come near. Teresa says, “Where would the King of Kings rather be than in the middle of us. That is the most beautiful place in all of creation!”

Life would be so much easier if we realized this, that we are good and beautiful. That we don't have to prove ourselves to be better or worse than others. That there is nothing we have to accomplish to be worthy of being simply here, on earth as part of creation. If we all knew this it would be like being in heaven. Our soul is God’s heaven but we don’t realize it. Jesus knew it, and he knew it about everyone and everything he saw. And just like Jesus, when we know it about ourselves, we will know it about others. And others will see it in themselves, mirrored by us.

Compassion springs from this well of divine love within us. We access this well by slowing down and paying attention to what is right in front of us. When we slow down, God can catch up to us and show us glimpses of that divine beauty. We’ve all had experiences of this too. Moments when you’re caught off guard in the ordinariness of life when you have a moment of spaciousness and wonder and gratitude. It might be in nature, it might be with your loved ones. It might be among the pots and pans. It might happen when you’re walking down the street and see a stranger or when you’re sitting in church and a word or piece of music touches your heart. Maybe tears arise, or maybe you blink and the moment is gone. These are moments that God is sharing with us, moments of beguiling beauty. God is sharing God’s very self with us.

How can we be someone who God doesn’t have to run after so hard? I saw a nice little practice on the internet the other day. A 5 minute retreat called SLOW...S..L...O...W. Stop, linger, observe and wonder. I tried it out on a walk when I was feeling more like getting my walk in than stopping and lingering. I stopped in the presence of a beautiful acacia tree that has caught my eye more than once. I actually set the timer on my phone for 5 minutes and I stood in the shade and lingered. I felt a little silly but I focused on observing the tree. I gradually relaxed and noticed all the dragonflies floating around, and the sharpness of the blue sky against the yellow-green leaves. I gradually developed a sense of wonder which stayed with me as I continued on my walk, for a few more minutes anyway, until my thoughts began to chase each other around again. That’s a very intentional practice. But the moments that catch us off guard can also be times to practice SLOW. Stop when you notice you’ve become absorbed in something beautiful. Linger in that space. Observe what is happening inside you. Allow a feeling of Wonder to arise. Bit by bit, God’s grace will allow you to know the beauty of yourself, and of others and of all things. Pretty, unpretty... all beautiful.

This well of divine love that we can access when we become aware of these moments of beauty are the springs that nourish that cedar tree in Ezekiel (31:3-7). 

You are like mighty Assyria,
    which was once like a cedar of Lebanon,
with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade
    and with its top high among the clouds.
4 Deep springs watered it
    and helped it to grow tall and luxuriant.
The water flowed around it like a river,
    streaming to all the trees nearby.
5 This great tree towered high,
    higher than all the other trees around it.
It prospered and grew long thick branches
    because of all the water at its roots.
6 The birds nested in its branches,
    and in its shade all the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations of the world
    lived in its shadow.
7 It was strong and beautiful,
    with wide-spreading branches,
for its roots went deep
    into abundant water.

You are that tree giving shelter and shade to others. You are majestic in your beauty with your spreading boughs, your roots reaching deeply into an abundance of water.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Co-gardeners with God

As I did my daily Tai chi in the back yard this morning, I marveled at beauty. Bees buzzing in flowers, robins singing on high, dew on the grass. I found myself thinking about how, in so many cultures of the world, the history of humanity begins in a garden, where humans and God connect.

And I couldn't help but think: if, as a species, we could somehow find our way back to our earth's continuous regeneration in nature, with fewer huge corporations of concrete and steel and smaller, more simple physical labour in harmony with creation, could we dial back climate change, pollution, and disease so that we could live in appreciation of the great beauties that surround us?

God, help us to return to your garden, somehow.

Spring beauty

It's been two weeks since my last visit to Butchart Gardens with my best friend, and I was always going to post these pictures, but I've been MIG (missing in garden) since I got home. Two weeks ago, not much was happening in my own yard, but now my tulips are in full bloom, as you can see on the picture at the top of Simple Moodlings right now. Of course, I don't have the incredibly interesting varieties found in Butchart, and in Edmonton, we can't grow the kinds of rhododendrons you find in BC, so I'll post a few pictures from Butchart for you to enjoy, and enjoy the blossoms on my own pear tree in the meantime...