Welcome to a journey of tending hearts & mending life.

My purpose of this blog is to create a connection between the adventure that I experience, and you, wherever you are in the world. It’s a slow, circuitous journey connecting us in ways invisible. For me, connection often comes in story form, threaded through a core memory of my life. I invite us to take a minute, or ten… connect with your self, to take in the views of our surroundings, to breathe in memories, and on occasion, take a siesta. Verandas are social places, and sacred spaces…a perfect place for tending hearts & mending life.

“I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Summer time is a season of growth, vitality, and potential which often blossoms into a colorful presentation of endless enjoyment. For me, summer has been the three months outside of the classroom, when “outside” became the classroom without textbooks. This is the first year, since I was five years old, that I’ve entered summer without having been in a classroom. It is surreal.

In my youth, there were the usual summer activities: swimming lessons, weeding the garden, attending to 4-H project in preparation of the county fair, and stowing away in a favorite cottonwood tree, immersed in a book. As I grew through the years, my summer activities have also changed, though there’s always been weeding involved… to be clear, I am using the verb form of weed: yanking an unwanted plant out of a predertermined space of ground.

This year, near the beginning of June, I was determinedly pulling unwanted plants from a flower garden. My focus honed by five decades of weeding practice. As I struggled to rip a particularly thorny plant from the earth, its’ roots desperately clung to the soil. I could almost hear this “king of thorns” ask, “Why is it that you despise me so?” Startled by the thought, I paused. Here was a question that I’d never considered. “Despise” is a fairly strong word. I’d never considered that I loathed weeds. But, it is a fair question; given that these plants were simply doing what they were created to do…grow, bloom, drop seed, die… the cycle of life. They just happened to grow in an area that I had decided they couldn’t be.

I have ruminated on this experience for more than a month now. Here’s my awareness: as I grow personally, and professionally, I uncover, within myself, metaphorical weeds. They are attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that I don’t like. These neglected, and unreflective areas of my inner life grow whether I tend to them, or not. If I want to live with vitality, or grow into my full potential, I need to pluck these metaphorical weeds in order to nurture characteristics that will allow me to blossom.

I have a new respect for weeds. They are always with us, even after the summer fades. Weeds, metaphorical or plant, invite us to reflect on living with intention and authenticity.

THREE VISTAS

Summertime: Bumblebees at work, A sweet treat, enjoying the delightful A Magical Summer Day ~ An Antarctica Tale.

TWO THOUGHTFUL THREADS

• Publishing my first children’s picture book, A Magical Summer Day ~ An Antarctica Tale, was a milestone achieved. However, publishing a book is only the beginning. Like a child, a new book needs to be introduced, supported, nurtured, and treasured. When other people engage by embracing the essence of the story, the book is empowered to create a life of its’ own. This is a journey that requires patience, persistence, and an enduring belief in the power of one more person. My gratitude overflows for all of you who’ve joined this adventure. It is magical!
• As an Antarctic Ambassador, I have agreed to advocate for the conservation and protection of the Antarctic region through education, environmental action, and supporting global scientific research. In future posts I will include ways that you can also incorporate sustainable actions in your daily routines to impact the well-being of our planet.

ONE HISTORICAL SNIPPET

Did you know that on July 29, 1958, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the official document which created the NASA program. Less than 3 years later, Freedom 7 became the first American space flight on May 5, 1961 with Alan Shepard at the controls.