Almost

Almost

Sitting silently in contemplation

expanding, contracting, no separation

deeper, calmer, oneness

inhale, ahh, blissfulness

awareness replaces tranquility

 vanished ability

one by one fleeting thoughts appear

as lightness disappear 

It's Green isn't it

Last week I was away and emailed hubby a list of vegetables I needed for green smoothies. By in large, he did a pretty good job with the list, with the exception of Kale.  Kale looks like this:

And this is what he bought, which is called green kohlrabi.

 I'm not even sure where he found it, never saw it before.  It is the correct color and leafy but I'm not sure if I can juice it.  How do I use this, do I just put it in a salad?

Stranger than Fiction

After twenty-five years Oprah ended her talk show by delivering an hour-long “love letter”.   I, with millions of others watched. 

She impacted many people either directly or indirectly.  I hate to admit it, no really. I really hate to confess that she had an impact on me in spite of my conscience efforts to the contrary.   If Oprah endorsed it, I would immediately walk away from it.   It was not personal to Oprah the person, I think she is a lovely lady, but it is more of a reaction to the industry that is Oprah. 

I am a type of person that abhors trends, groupies, or fads. The whole “Oprah craze" was way too cultish for my liking.  People were following her every word, liking her “favorite things” joining her book club, without a critical mind or second thought.  My point, if Oprah endorsement it you bet that it would go to the top.   This type of power given to one person goes against everything I believe.  Admittedly, that is not Oprah's fault. 

I think, there are two camps of people where Oprah is concerned, in one camp people Love her, and in the other people hate her.  Personally, I think hate is too strong a word.  Perhaps, they don’t hate her in as much as they don’t place her on a pedestal or think that her word is gospel.   I belong to neither camp.  I didn’t love her, nor did I hate her.  I felt she was so far removed from my life that she held no relevance to me.  That is, until the spring of 2008!

It began with a book gifted from hubby.  Horror of horrors, he gave me a book recommended by Oprah.  What was he thinking?  It sat untouched for a few weeks, and then one day, I picked it up and started reading. 

Intrigued, I decided to google the author and that led me to Oprah.   Oprah was doing her first online web course with the author, Eckhart Tolle.  I signed on for the full ten weeks.  But that is not the most interesting part. 

It was through the comments section that I met Carol who because we had so much in common became friends.  The crazy thing is, we were more connected than we could have imagined.  

Coincidently, she knew my niece who is living in Australia.  Furthermore, she also knew an aboriginal elder I visited on a previous trip to Austraila. In fact, believe it or not,  she lived right next door to him! Moreover, over two million people were on that message board and the messages where changing quickly.  How we ever connected, being from different time zones, in different countries, is beyond chance and incredibly Oprah facilitated it.   I had the good fortune to traveled to Australia that fall but my schedule was too hectic for me to meet Carol in person, it would have been heaven to have tea and cookies with her.

I blogged about it here but didn’t give Oprah credit for being the conduit to this amazing introduction. 

Indeed, life is a mystery.  Oprah, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  Could we ever cross paths again and maybe this time in person?  Who knows, life can be stranger than fiction. 

Margo

June 14,1946 - May 18, 2011


A rainy, desolate, melancholy day
heavy emotions erupt without notice

lips taste the wetness

warm, salty, abiding

with restrained precision I swallow sadness

breathe deeply, in control

lucid nostalgia immerges 

and

it rains all over again


Sweet blog by her daughter

A Friend Indeed

June 14, 1946-May 18,2011

We first met when I knocked on her door first thing one sunny summer morning, when I was just a teenager.  Whoa!  Big mistake!  That’s when I discovered that she was not a morning person, especially not before her first cup of coffee.  I never made that mistake again.  We became fast friends, and have been friends for over thirty years, in spite of my initial blunder.   

Over the years we have shared many laughs, tears, talks and meals. I can honestly say that we’ve never had a disagreement; she never said anything to me that could be misunderstood or hurtful.  No matter where our lives took us, she has always had a way of making me feel truly special, beautiful and accepted.  If I’ve gained a few pounds she’ll say: "You look great."  And when I say I am on a diet, she'll say: "Don’t lose too much weight."   Always complimenting my hair if we haven’t seen each other in a while, saying: "This suits you so well, what a great haircut."  

She has never driven because of an accident she had while learning to drive. So, I'll pick her up and we’ll have our ‘private girl talks’ at a restaurant.  I enjoy dining with her because she gets immeasurable pleasure from eating.  I never met anyone who adores food like her. I guess, you could describe her as a foodie before the term became popular.  She takes her time eating, delighting in every bite.  She’ll say: “Don’t mind me, I’m a slow eater. Well, I’m more of a picker, I like picking at my food.”  Then she’ll laugh.  Our meals can last several hours.  

We have always enjoyed long talks about everything under the sun. Sometimes, our best discussions have been while she did my nails.  “You have to really get under these cuticles to have healthy nails,” she’ll say.  I agree; after all she has the most amazing natural nails and she has saved me tons of money.  Although she doesn't have any formal education on physiology she has an intuitive skill and can read people like no other. And she dispenses advice to me, often saying: “Listen to me, I know what I’m talking about, just watch.”   She has always been right of course.  She knows.  She knows more than people give her credit. 

I can never really surprise her because when I show up at her door unannounced she’ll say: "I was just thinking about you.  Should I put on some tea?"

She has this uncanny way of knowing what you needed.  When I lived in Edmonton, whenever I was sick I’d go over to her house.  Most people would say: "What are you doing here when you’re sick"? But not Margo. I’d snuggle under the blanket she'd bring to the couch and she’d make me tea and bring me cookies.  She is happiest when she is taking care of somebody.        

If you look for the definition of a ‘true friend’ you’ll find her name in bold.  But you what, in as much as she makes me feel unique, I have a suspicion that I'm not the only one who is lucky enough to be her friend. To be Margo's friend is to be a forever friend.   

River Musing

Morning Battle

The fog moves with confidence over the river

slowly swallowing the horizon
a lone crow laughs 

the cedars, tall, motionless, a wait

the disappearing world

carefully, tentatively, surely,

the sun penetrates like a sharp knife

relenting, the fog surrenders

the trees wave their finger tips slightly

nature's dance is just beginning 

Saturday Musings!

In the quite space of time…

I daydream of  the ocean, feeling the hot sand between my toes.  I recall listening to the children at play laughting as they folic in the waves.

Then, I begin to think about how much I enjoy looking out our window and seeing the ever-changing riverview.

 I think of all the people who gazed out at this scenery, and sigh.  Although, they are likely enjoying another view from wherever they my be at the moment, I experience a sense of connection with them still.