Miracles

Miracles.  Faith.  Trust.  Gratitude.  When witnessed or experienced, are worthy of being savored.

Faith and miracles, gratitude, embrace of good things - from whatever traditions they may originate - Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Alabama.

Today was a self-care day, tending to overdue personal and medical maintenance.   Grateful for the advances in science and modern medicine, grateful for good and close friends who were on my team all the way, for their having cleared the way first and done some of the research.  Grateful for modern techniques and pain medication.  Grateful for what may be possible.

At one point, there was a plan to do work, to monitor emails.  Perhaps that was possible, physically, medically.  But mental health is important to tend to as well.  Breaks are sometimes necessary to prepare for what's ahead.

And so the balance of the day was devoted to other rituals ... to a more thoughtful observation of maternal stepGrandmother's death anniversary, which fell today.  Sissy gifted lovely berry-laden branches, a nice, seasonal, rather Christmas-y touch.  Sissy also picked up fruit to share.  And it was the first night of Chanukah, so a hankering for donuts seemed appropriate to satisfy.  Alas, Dunkin' Donuts was closed by the time the hunt began, but SevenEleven remained open, and their remaining stock of donuts was purchased for the cause.  All offerings for Ba Ngoai, who loved Marmy like her own, and us too.  The belief is that the ancestors who provided care in life continue to do so after death too.  Grateful for ancestors who came before.

And why not observe that ritual with all the richness that comes from different faith and other traditions, right?  Grateful for diversity of country.

And tonight, in addition to the miracle of lights celebrated by my Jewish friends, Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore in deep red Alabama.  Grateful for love of country over love of party.  Could work have been done instead of election result viewing?  Sure.  But savoring moments, and self-care, sometimes must win too.

Gratitude. Balance.

Snowy, Snowy Day

(Humming to the tune of "Starry, Starry Night." )

And just like that, autumn tilted strongly toward winter.  Not such a big deal; the snow was predicted.  And at a mere 4 inches or so, well, these parts have seen much more.  But it was the first real accumulation of the season.  And so worth noting, and marking....

...Especially when experienced through the eyes of others.  For the 2-day houseguest in from the mid-Atlantic, reacquainting herself with New York City after a several-year absence, there was the magic of freshly-powdered streets, wandering through Central Park, purchasing new hats and gloves and scarves and boots for the unexpected flurries.  For the longer-term houseguest still more accustomed to California, it was a chance to take snowy nature shots, have hot chocolate, make and gift spiked peppermint hot chocolate, take slow motion kamikaze snowflake footage off the terrace, and leave pictorial messages on the covered surfaces.  Little everyday joys - experiences that, stuck in familiar routines, get forgotten or overlooked.  And, inspired by them and at least in part for their benefit, the evening before, with the onset of anticipatory chill, there was a first lighting of candles in the decorative fireplace - a self-gift without the hesitation that would accompany such a treat if enjoyed only alone. Wintertime pleasures - reintroduced.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

New York City-sized snowman - sized for the micro-apartments popping up about town. 

Up the path from Peter Pan. 

Park lamp with cloak of snowy ivy. 

Hmm - where is he walking off to?

Walking in circles.

Mr. Smiley ...

... has hair, and a sunny countenance.
 
Snow-covered pine.

Snowy stairs.

Christmas tree, enrobed. 

Icy ornaments.

Weighted.

Juxtaposition of autumn and winter. 

Polly in winter.

Cyclamen.

On the terrace.

Red + Yellow = Orange (The Series)

Mindfulness meditation emphasizes being in the present, enjoying the moment.  It does not quite claim to make the time stand still, but with focus and concentration, it FEELS like time slows a bit.  It is the awareness of the moment that makes the time feel like it expands - ever so slightly.

And so, with that elusive aspiration - expanding time - do runs get run.  Sure, physical fitness plays some part in the motivation - but just as importantly, maybe moreso, the runs provide the opportunity to watch nature, to experience the fleeting seasons. 

And so was born the series of photos that lent its name to this post.  Taken last weekend, when it was chilly, but not frigid.  It was that quintessential late autumn period, cold enough that some leaves have dropped, but not so cold that they were all gone.  The climbers still clung, and, of course, the most firey of them were the first to catch the eye.  Bursts of color to store up for the bleakness, the whiteness and greyness, lurking around the corner.  And in spots, standing still, leaves slowly drifted off the trees.  Rewards of mindfulness, and getting outside for runs.

Falling, Into the Holiday Season

The end of November melding into December always brings with it the anxiety of another calendar year almost closed - that season of reckoning: What actually got accomplished?  Where did all those days and months go?  How much can still get done before 11:59pm on December 31st?

The procrastinator always has faith that there is yet time.  Work demands of a tax-focused attorney during a season of legislative change notwithstanding, the hope is there is yet time for it all.

What got done?  The door finally got done late in November.  The change of seasons prompted a call to action before a new round of snow could cause the downstairs neighbor's newly installed ceiling, courtesy of yours truly, to collapse anew.  Pretty, pretty... after a silly, self-inflicted, too-long wait.  And with the door came the overdue update of homeowner policies - all manner of fun goodies that come with adulthood and responsibility.

Pretty new door, with the lovely new trim - courtesy of some hard-working installers who went above and beyond the scope of the job, and the of the good-natured, but insistent, questions of a friend who asked that it be done. 

And then - the re-focusing, the re-centering, the slowing of the breath and the mind to experience the present... the here and now of late autumn.  Found, and made, time - for runs, before the cold sets in; for colors, before the whites and greys come to dominate...

A little precursor of the red-yellow-orange series.

... that little respite before the mind starts to wander and admit the intrusive thoughts of how much more is to be done in the dwindling days of the year... year-end work assignments and targets, holiday cards and decor, gifting and charitable deeds, friends wanting to visit and friends to visit before impending moves... joy, changes, time demands ....

Little neighborhood tree, the morning before its ceremonial first lighting - full of promise and anticipation of the coming busy season. 

And so begins December.