A Few of My Favorite Things

Is the heaviness of today getting you down? Probably to some degree. Dealing with this on top of the ebbs and flows of our personal life makes every day a little more challenging. I’ve noticed more frequently in public now, the frustration among people as the mask wearing lingers on and an irritation at just hearing the phrase social distancing. It’s become kind of like the nails on a chalkboard, or for me, it’s running your fingers through carpet. It sets my teeth on edge. I’m glad you have been staying with me so we go through these days together. Some days you can tell when things are getting to me as well and I certainly don’t mean to discourage. I hope you always find something positive to pull from my blog. At the very least, you may realize that we are not alone with our feelings and frustrations. But today I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is a way to escape and find some peace. Actually, it’s not a secret as I’ve talked about it numerous times.

God gives us many beautiful gifts during our days upon this earth. I think the bulk of those gifts are the very simple ones that we tend to overlook in our busy day. I like to think of it as a sanctuary of sorts. A place where we can relax, meditate, and find some peace. The gift of a nature. I know I have written many, many times about nature, but what’s too much? It’s so important that I just have to throw it into a blog whenever I can. I have always loved nature, but now I see it in an even better light. It is quite healing.

These are a few of my favorite things…🎶

Flowers. They add color, beauty, and fragrance to our world. There is such a variety of flowers. It’s quite amazing. And because someone labeled a flower as a weed, doesn’t mean that’s how that flower began once upon a time.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe that God added flowers and plants for us to enjoy most everywhere. I enjoy the beauty of salidago, or as farmers call it, goldenrod.

I love Queen Anne’s Lace. Clover. Dandelions too. Wild flowers help the bees to survive, so they in turn, will keep us alive.

Joy and contentment can be found in the elegance of an orchid, in bright orange poppies, happy gerbera daisies, long-lasting carnations, and in the tiny bells of Lily of the Valley.

To add to our list are sunny sunflowers, alstroemeria, lilies, and roses in an array of color and each with its own meaning.

White is for purity. Yellow for friendship. Orange is passion. Red is ultimate love. Lavender, my favorite, means love at first sight.

Trees add beauty as well as shade to our landscape. Besides giving us the air we breathe they are homes to many animals. The other evening as I sat on my back porch, I heard the most beautiful peaceful sound. All the treetops in the woods behind my house rustled with the wind.

Sometimes we don’t listen close enough to really hear the sounds of nature. But there are many soothing sounds. I suggest you close your eyes and just listen. Later that night, when the trees hushed their music, I watched the lightening bugs flit over and around the field and up into the trees, adorning them like strings of Christmas lights. Little wonders.

The wind, once considered to be my enemy, is probably what I cherish most in nature anymore as I have grown to love it. It’s probably what I search for first when I go outside. I want to feel it brush across my cheeks, around my ears, and neck, and beneath my hair. The breeze is filled with romance and girlish dreams of love. Dreams I cling to even to this day. My hair dances as the wind runs it’s wild fingers through it. I am no longer annoyed with the messiness and tangles the wind leaves behind. Driving with the windows down wasn’t something I did often. But now I do. If I end up with crazy hair after a drive, oh well. I no longer worry so much about trivial things.

Standing on the shore of the salty sea, as I think about all the history and mystery out there in the deep, the wind and misty sprays give my hair and skin a treatment that no professional can match. Not to mention what it does for my soul.

But my favorite wind of all is the coolness of an autumn breeze as it fills my heart with hope and love. I truly am a hopeless romantic. And while most find spring to be a renewing, I find my peace in a mid-October breeze. I never feel more alive than I do in the fall. I find great comfort in the wind.

So much to be grateful for in nature. All the living beings, great and small,

the vastness of a starry sky, the ever-changing weather, and the secrets hidden in the depth of the ocean. Don’t take anything for granted. Even fresh air has never been more appreciated than now during these mask wearing days. I admit that I took fresh air for granted.

Sometimes we need help finding our way back to the beginning. Read Genesis 1-2:3. That’s the very beginning when God created all things beautiful. Why did He create such a variety of plants and animals? Was it for His pleasure or ours? Maybe both, I suppose. But I believe He wanted to make the world more wonderful, beautiful, and fascinating for us. After reflecting upon creation, travel forward to your childhood. Children have a great connection with the earth with all their how’s and why’s. We tend to forget as we get older. Find the child in you again. I needed help to find my way back. Maybe I can help you as well.

I hope you enjoy a big slice of nature today along with a cup of coffee with me. I look forward to it.

Be grateful for God’s creation. He absolutely knew what we needed in this life. ♥️

Andi

An added note: Walking barefoot through the sands of a beach, or in your grassy lawn, grounds you to the earth. There’s much positive energy in the earth and we should connect with that as often as possible…but you’ll need to take your shoes off. You can do this. 🙂

Research grounding and it’s surprising benefits. I’ve included a couple of links below.

https://www.healthline.com/health/grounding

Earthing — Grounded.com

Photos: a poppy in Italy; a sunset at my home; a bee on thistle; a scenic view in Story, IN; my beautiful orchid; Lily of the Valley; my garden rose; the field and woods behind my home; the Atlantic coastline on a windy day; a north eastern fall day in October (2 pics); a baby praying mantis on my porch swing (credit: Charlie); my youngest many years ago; and me on a mountaintop loving the wind