The news of 2012: 100 stories of hope and love

Ben in the suitcase/cat bed looking so sweet (small Hindu god riding peacock statue in the background…in case you were wondering what that was!)

I was watching a show this morning that highlighted the important events of 2012, but it seemed like so many of the “high-lights” were not high at all, but stories of very unhappy and tragic situations. So I thought, “What better way to celebrate the passing of 2012, and welcome a new year, than to tell our own news?”

This White Feather Farm community is full of large and small stories of love, hope, kindness, successes, happiness, peace and inspiration and I am inviting you to share yours here today and tomorrow. I would love it if we could get 100 (or more?) great stories from 2012: cats that have found their way home, dogs adopted, reconciliations, engagements, weddings, job and business successes, acts of kindness (both given and received), moves, spiritual awakenings, a new skill that you learned, a blog that you started (please share the link), a trip that you finally took, the birth of a baby, the biopsy that came back negative, the healing that was instantaneous, a compliment from a completely unexpected source, the near-miss, or any positive story that comes to mind. If you have shared it before, please do so again (and comment as many times as you would like to). I’m already thinking back over the year with a happy anticipation of sharing some of my own.

These are the small stories that make up our lives, give us pause to say “thank you”, and help us to know each other a little better, and yet many never get told (or make the evening news) because they ended well.

I look forward to reading your stories, and to starting 2013 refreshed, renewed, and a little lighter, and I send each of you the same heart-felt blessing. Love, Mary

“In the sweetness of friendship, let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” Khalil Gibran

Read Full Post »

“I distinctly remember forgetting that.”

Fred has taken over Ben’s suitcase/bed

I went upstairs on Saturday afternoon and found Fred peacefully sleeping in what had been Ben’s bed. I’d noticed Ben downstairs on the couch, but that they had exchanged places (or more likely, Fred just took over Ben’s spot and Ben adjusted accordingly) didn’t occur to me until I was taking their pictures. I love the way that animals adjust to each other….and how we adjust to them.

On Friday morning, I decided to take a drive and as I opened my car door, the smell of cat urine hit me. I’d been leaving my car windows open and usually Esther (who doesn’t want to come inside at night) will end up in there. Well, Ben has been getting in there too, and I guess Esther thought she’d better claim the car as her own.

I was on my way to visit my friend Nancy at the Coop, told her about my car, and she handed me a bottle of Bac-Out that completely removed the smell. I’ll leave the car windows up from now on, but I’m not holding it against either of the cats. I took care of the problem and let it go.

But I wonder;  if a human had sprayed some very unpleasant smelling thing in my car, would I be so quick to forget it? Probably not….but I’d like to think that this is where I am heading spiritually: taking each next step into new life, and with each new step, letting go of any past hurts, problems, regrets, worry or anger. Moving with ease, like a dance, with all of the other beings (human and otherwise) that I am privileged to share this life-experience with.

Clara Barton (founder and president of the American Red Cross) who never bore any grudges, was once reminded by a friend of a wrong done to her some years earlier. “Don’t you remember?” asked her friend. “No,” replied Barton firmly, “I distinctly remember forgetting that.” Taken from September’s Sun Magazine and sent to me by Susan A.

Ben happily moved to the sofa for his nap

Carolyn was the winner of the Blue Moon give-away!

 

Read Full Post »

Friendship, and a Blue Moon Giveaway!

1961 summer trip to “Magic Land” (I think that was the name of the place) with my cousins. I’m 4th from the right. the only ones who look like they are having fun are the 2 little guys (my brother on the far left and my cousin Matt running in front!) To this day, these are the guys you want to have at any gathering!

Years ago, I was very good friends with a woman (who I really liked a lot) but she wasn’t the first person I’d call when something wonderful happened for me. She struggled with life and so other people’s victories or happiness felt unfair, or even like an unkind barb to her. As much as I liked her, it wasn’t any fun at all to share my joy with her, so often times, I would either down-play what happened, or not tell her. I learned a lot about what I wanted to be from that friendship and set one of the intentions for my life: ”I want to be the kind of person who people love to tell good news to, and I want to be fun to be around.” These sound like such small things, but they are  two of the qualities that I cherish in people as well.

Thinking about what we value in friendships (or relationships in general) is a great way to look and question ourselves to see if we are giving what we would like to receive. And if we find that we come up a little short in this area, it can become a new point of focus, to grow into the people we want to be.

A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends. Ralph Waldo Emerson

BLUE MOON GIVE-AWAY!!

Today is a blue moon, and so I am going to give away 2 skin balms to one person! To enter this giveaway, just comment with one quality you love in your friends (or feel free to tell a story about friendship). I will pick a random winner on Monday Sept. 3rd (Labor day)

2 tins of the skin balm I make , website, http://www.marysskinsurvivalbalm.com

Read Full Post »

Flowing along with Life

The very fun and whimsical glass jewelry made by my friend Nancy at http://www.spinningglassstudio.com          (she wrote in her blog that she’d made these for a friend and to my delight, I found out yesterday that I was the friend she was talking about! They are delightful to wear and make a little ‘tinkling’ sound when they move as the silver touches the glass….they are my new reminders to listen for the Good in Life!)

I wrote the other day about our 4th of July plans not going forward as I had hoped: James Taylor concert, picnic on the lawn, with fireworks after at Tanglewood. We didn’t make another plan, but on Sunday, friends asked us to come to dinner on the 4th, and said they’d like to do a seafood grill if that was ok with us …it was way better than ok with us…we both love seafood. Our contribution was a mousse-cake from Mrs. London’s bakery.

As we sat on their lovely screened porch suddenly the music came on,….it was James Taylor.  Knowing that we’d wanted to go to his concert originally, they downloaded a bunch of his songs to play that evening. The food was incredible, the company relaxing and fun, and the background music perfect. On our drive home, we were going through a tiny Vermont town and up in the sky, guess what we saw?! Fireworks!

We turned down a dirt road by a corn field, and a family with 3 children were parked by the edge of the field. The kids were sitting on the roof of the car. We asked if the fireworks were finished and they all chimed in enthusiastically, “They just started! Are you going to watch them with us?!”

Yes we were. We pulled up next to them, on this dirt road with tall corn stalks on either side, and could not have enjoyed a show more if we’d paid to get in. After each set of fireworks went up, the kids all squealed and laughed and clapped and one of the parents beeped the horn.

Driving home, we both felt amazed at how the day had unfolded. It was better than the original plan in every way.

I know in my heart that life is meant to be an ever-expanding, flowing, richer, deeper, more joyful journey of Self-discovery, and that so often, all I need to do is relax and be delighted at what shows up.

“You never know what events are going to transpire to get you home“. Og Mandino

Read Full Post »

Kindred spirits: A sea of Love

We’re leaving for Mexico in the morning. I’ve had dreams of swimming in warm turquoise-blue water for years, and tomorrow night I will be. I feel a deep desire to float…just to float without a plan: to suspend thought, and let the beautiful ocean hold me up for a while. Although I won’t be posting during my time away, it is my intention to hold all of you in my heart. I feel that we are kindred spirits here…friends of the deepest kind, even if we have not met face to face. Your presence is such a profound gift to me.

So what about a 10 day “assignment”!? Mine is going to be to repeat,(often over the next 10 days), “I am never alone. I am surrounded, suspended and connected to all of Life, by a sea of Love.”

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” C. S. Lewis

*******************Bodhi and Noah sitting together on our front walkway Thursday afternoon******************************

Read Full Post »

best friends

Fred

For many years, I was friends with a woman who was funny, smart and interesting. She was also extremely critical.  I never quite knew when this critical part of her would come out. It might be after having a nice lunch, or talk on the phone, but several days later, I’d receive a letter or phone message saying that she was very upset about something that I said or had done (or didn’t say or do). Many times, I had no idea what she was talking about, so I’d be scrambling mentally to figure it out…feeling terrible.  Eventually I let the relationship go. It was just too tiring.

What I also came to see, is that the most relentlessly tiring and critical people were cupcakes compared to the one that lived inside my own head. …talk about never getting a break! If constant self-criticism worked, many of us would be perfect beyond measure, but it doesn’t. I cannot mentally beat myself into being “better” and neither can you. Incessantly looking for defects, just magnifies what is not right, and makes us feel perpetually inferior, afraid and insecure.

If we don’t like this quality in our friendships, why do we accept it in ourselves?

How about taking this weekend to refuse to think critically about yourself? Just for 2 days, treat yourself like you treat your best friend.

We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. Carl Jung

Read Full Post »

Letting my heart lead the way, changing my mind

Noah investigating the, "Peacock with very interesting praying god (?) riding on its back" statue that I recently found at Goodwill

We  spent a wonderful Easter with Tom and Lindsay (my oldest son and his girlfriend) and her family. Tom moved back to the northeast a year ago, and this is the first time, in many years that we’ve lived within driving distance of each other.  On Sunday, it struck me that if Jack and I moved to the seacoast, we’d be 4, (instead of 2 1/2), hours away from them…. It was as if a curtain was drawn back and the options on the blackboard were:

You can live by the ocean and see it everyday, and visit Tom 4 or 5 times a year, or  You can live closer to him and go to the ocean 4 or 5 times a year.

The answer felt so obvious that I was a bit awe-struck. I was talking with my good friend Jon yesterday about out potential move, (and how we had changed direction and were now looking at Middlebury, VT instead of the seacoast) and he said, “That sounds right. Don’t ever move for a view, because after a while, you don’t even see it.” His words went right to my heart. Simple words spoken with such clarity.

I was 22 years old when Tom was born. I thought that I was an adult. As I look back over those years, I see how “un-present” I was, and I’ve done my best to accept the past, make amends where needed, and embrace the life that is now mine. But at 56, and with this opportunity to re-enter his life in this new way, and at this stage of my life; knowing more fully who I am (and having my priorities much clearer), my heart knows the right move.

“I reserve the right to change my mind.” Charles Fillmore (co-founder of Unity)

Read Full Post »

as we think of ourselves

Eleanor

A few years ago, I was starting a new venture in my life, and as I sat with a very close friend talking about it, feeling somewhat discouraged that it wasn’t right, she said, “It’s too small for you Mary.” She went on to tell me, what she thought some of my real talents and abilities were, and I listened to her. I didn’t brush off or dismiss her positive thoughts about me. So many of us have been conditioned to refuse “compliments”;  To see them as empty and valueless, to believe that we shouldn’t listen to them, and this is true about “empty praise”, but I think that the greater danger is in not taking another persons more expansive view of us, to heart.

I have had people say some very nice things about me and thought, “If they only knew me, or if they could see inside my head they wouldn’t think that.” which is really the internal chatter that goes on day and night telling us how sub-par we are, how inadequate. If someone says that I am kind, my mind will throw up examples galore of how I was impatient. There is a part of us that blocks these higher opinions of ourselves from “taking root”.

Our lives and our worlds change for the better when our conception of ourselves changes for the better, but if we won’t “let in” any new information; any new and better view of ourselves, we don’t change. The people in my life that have helped me the most are the ones who have had, and held, the highest and best thoughts about me.

How about making a decision to listen, and pause, and to really take in, the next compliment that you are given. Take a minute to consider it to be true.

“As A Man Thinketh,  FORWARD, by James Allen

THIS little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that—  “They themselves are makers of themselves”  by virtue of the thoughts, which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness”.

(this entire little book is available on-line as a free download)

Read Full Post »

How are we doing?!

Fred taking an afternoon nap

I am very glad that I wrote a post, several days ago, about staying calm, peaceful, and enjoying holiday preparations, because it has given Jack the opportunity to say (multiple times), “Remember, you talked about doing this year differently Mary, and having a good time instead of getting stressed out.”

I was headed upstairs to vacuum and mop the hallway (where the kitty beds are) yesterday and saw Fred sleeping with his head sticking out of one of the cubes. It stopped me in my tracks. I love this cat. He is the epitome of flexibility; if the cube is too small, sleep in part of it. No big deal. I decided to take a picture of him to share with you today, instead of mopping that hallway.

Sending you all blessings of peace and happiness and fun…and if you get a little nutty, we here at White Feather Farm will love you anyway!

“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same“. Elbert Hubbard

Read Full Post »

Friendly play

Noah and Bodhi playing

After we had Noah for about 3 months, the thought came to me that he needed a friend to play with. The next day, Jack and I took a ride to Second Chance shelter in Shaftsbury, VT and started looking. I noticed a beautiful grey, long-haired cat in one of the cages and asked if I could take him out. The name on his cage said, “Buster”.

As soon as I picked him up, he started purring. He looked petrified but didn’t stop purring. He had the feel of a very friendly being.

We adopted him and renamed him Bodhi. Within a week of getting him home, he and Noah were playing, like i’ve never seen adult cats do before. They are the only cats that we have, that we have ever had, that do actually play together, and they’ve done it for seven years.

When I think back on this, I am amazed by a couple of things. First,  I had never even had the thought before that a cat of mine needed a play-mate. Second, we found a cat (or he found us?) that actually played. Third, neither of these cats plays with any of the other cats in our home.

When I have doubts about being guided, think that I am generating all of my own “good ideas”, all I have to do is think about Noah and Bodhi. What a friendly Universe this is!

“Most of us don’t need a psychiatric therapist as much as a friend to be silly with“.  Robert Brault

Read Full Post »