Lift Up Your Head, Rejoice & Sing!

Dance of the Sandhill Crane

He danced for her,

life partners,

he danced for her.

Waves of wind,

they beat the air

gliding above my head.

He flew with her,

he danced for her,

They moved as one.

One of the most beautiful creatures with which we share this central Florida environment is the sandhill crane.  They stand about 5 feet tall and mate for life.  Slowly humanity is edging them out of the area.  One particular pair nest in a tall pine in our neighborhood.  As we walked our dog this evening, they were standing on the side of the road.


It is wise to give them a wide berth.  They aren't aggressive, but the male will defend his mate. We stopped as it appeared the female was about to cross the road to our side and we wanted to give her enough space to walk by without feeling threatened.  But then the male began dancing.  He jumped straight into the air, threw his head back, spread his wings and called out.  He did this three or four times.  She stood there, in the center of the road, politely ignoring him. We walked quietly by.


Turning back to look, we found she was even more firmly centered in the road; he moved to join her.  My walking partner then did an imitation of the jumping dance we had just witnessed, in jest, and got a reaction we didn't expect.  The pair cawed loudly and began to run down the road.  As they lifted off of the ground the beating of their enormous wings was incredibly loud.  They flew not five feet above us and retreated to the sky.


The dance and flight of this pair of grey feathered mysteries was a gift beyond my words.

Reflections of a Restless Mind

Reflections of a Restless Mind

January 2010, BL Desrosiers

fractured air;

shards of light;

kaliedescopic mind

A Stream Runs Through You

the streams of inspiration

run continuously through

the soul.

quick,

you can never touch the same

stream twice!

This prayer arrived in my inbox last night and is very much worth sharing and passing on. It was written by a woman in Nova Scotia. Please use it, if it fits with your practices, and pass it on.

A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti

Lord, at times such as this,

when we realize that the ground beneath our feet

is not as solid as we had imagined,

we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,

we know too well how small we truly are

on this ever-changing, ever-moving,

fragile planet we call home.

Yet you have promised never to forget us.

Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.

They wait in fear of the next tremor.

They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.

They roam the streets in shock at what they see.

And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief

and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.

Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,

and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.

Console the hearts of those who mourn,

and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,

we who watch from afar,

as the poorest on this side of the earth

find only misery upon misery.

Move us to act swiftly this day,

to give generously every day,

to work for justice always,

and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,

the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,

and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,

let us not forget that we are all your children

and they, our brothers and sisters.

We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place

and the hills be tossed to the ground,

your love shall never leave us,

and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

now and forever. Amen.

Copyright © 2010, Diana Macalintal. Permission is given to reprint.

A Thoughtful Challenge

To all my creative friends out there, this is a challenge of sorts, or maybe just a gentle suggestion.  I have been painting on my iTouch for months now, very happily. I even posted one on this blog on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Lo and Behold, David Hockney has been doing the same thing, only he's been emailing his work to his friends. I refer you to the article  http://www.nybooks.com/features/slideshows/hockney/

My challenge to you is to begin doing the same. I am compiling an email list and am now sending out my tiny works when the Spirit moves - which might be quite often as I've found this is the perfect pass time at night while I sit in the living room.  Create your own list and mail out your tiny artworks from your iTouch. The applications are free, I use either Sketchbook X or My Paint Free, which also has an upgrade, My Paint 2. They are fun, colorful and very satisfying.  Should you, by some wild chance, like to be added to my email list, please email me and I will add you. My email, though, is not the one this blog will take you to. I would get that, just not as quickly as by this: turtlespirit@mac.com

Here is one of my small images to get you motivated!

Peace & Joy - Barbara

Missing Autumn,  2009

Love is all you need

I don't know how to post the video, so I shall recommend the link. Wonderful presentation!


Thank you Starbucks.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7D2g5v-Sg