Peace

Susan Cozzarin also made this picture. Isn't it beautiful??
I would love to have that one framed in my house!!!!
I hope you enjoy the quote below!!!
Namaste,
Michele

Forests and fields, sun and wind and sky, earth and water,
all speak the same language:
Peace, Solitude, Silence.
-Thomas Merton

not needing to know

This picture was made by my friends daughter, Susan Cozzarin.
She really has a gift. She made it with colored pencils and ink.
I thought it looked very cool.
I hope you like the words below.
Have a great day!!!
Namaste,
Michele



"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity."
-Gilda Radner

Peace

This tattoo is a graduation present that we got for our friend, Emily.
It says "live, love, laugh"....in Spanish........she had it put on the inside of her foot.
I thought it turned out pretty cool.
Now that is a gift that will last a lifetime!!!
Namaste,
Michele




Wilderness memories are ballast in my life but, to find peace in the human world, something more is needed. Peace comes from knowing what you want out of life, paring down, simplifying, focusing on a few important things. Do works of beauty. Serve something bigger than yourself. Pour yourself into satisfying work. Then, deep relaxation. Make an art form of deep relaxation.

Nurture your friendship with yourself, with your inner world. Minimize the extraneous. Minimize the number of moving parts. Be careful of who and what you let into your life. Protect your time. Do creative work. Be gentle on yourself. Make room for love in your life. Build close friendships with good people.

Read. Think. Spend time alone. "The primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid: the state of being alone."

- James Baldwin

Love

Do you see "Love" planted in the flower box????
Let the deers try to eat that. :)
I hope your are having a great day and that you enjoy the words below!!!!
Love,
Michele


Father in Heaven!
When the thought of thee wakes in our hearts
let it not awaken like a frightened bird that flies about in dismay,
but like a child waking from its sleep with a heavenly smile.
-Soren Kirkegaard

Nothing left to do but just smile, smile, smile

This made my day today.
I hope it makes you smile.
love,
Michele

Letting Go

A view from Bud Preston's house....Mira and Marko's guitar teacher.

I hope you enjoy this poem below....it speaks to me :)

Namaste,

Michele

Woman with Flower

I wouldn't coax the plant if I were you.

Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.

Let the soil rest from so much digging.

And wait until it's dry before you water it.

The leaf's inclined to find its own direction;

Give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself.

Much growth is stunted by too much prodding,

Too eager tenderness.

The things we love we have to learn to leave alone.

Naomi Long Madgett

The Weather Report

Letting go

To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

-Mary Oliver

our connections

Baaa.....Baaaaa................Baaaaaaaaaa

"Happiness lies for those who cry,
those who hurt, those who have searched,
and those who tried,
for only they can appreciate
the importance
of people who have touched their lives."

Author Unknown 

Encouragement

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you."

William Arthur Ward

On Being Alive

These pictures were taken at the Olentangy Caverns.
I hope you enjoy the quote below.
Namaste,
Michele

"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life.
I don't think that's what we're really seeking.
I think that what we're seeking
is an experience of being alive,
so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
-Joseph Campbell

Coming into your light

Very beautiful......hope you enjoy this!!!
Namaste,
Michele

Possibilities

Above are pictures from camping from this past weekend.
I love being out in nature :)
I hope you enjoy the words below.
Namaste,
Michele




"Possibilities for salvation do exist.
They are beyond our conventional
thinking patterns and our conventional forms of discussion
but they are
as real as a wireless Internet or a Hubble telescope in space.
All that is
possible for humankind to achieve
in the technological sphere is also
possible in the social, ecological and spiritual sphere.
The intelligence that
was capable of developing electronic weapons is equally capable
-- if
focused differently -- of developing systems

of non-violent co-habitation."


- Dieter Duhm

The mad ones :)

We went to the Coventry Street Fair last night.
lots of fun.
Hope you like the words below!!!
Namaste,
Michele



I've been doing all my life after people who interest me,
because the only people for me are the mad ones,
the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved,
desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones that never yawn or say a common place thing,
but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding
like spiders across the stars
and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!'


— Jack Kerouac

Love

I have been reading and practicing the lessons from "A Course in Miracles." I am doing it by myself thus far, but might join a group after I complete the lessons....they seem to be something that will be ongoing for me. The thing that I have noticed the most is the theme of learning to let go and embrace change.......helpful for me because things are constantly changing around here :) ( my nursing unit is moving in 6 mos. to another hospital, Mira just got her temps, Marko has been redistricted to a new school, the girls switched dance studios...etc...blah, blah, blah).......I guess the only constant is change so I might as well learn to love it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the quote below......it was from one of my past lessons.
Namaste,
Michele


"What we give to others, we give to ourselves.
What we withhold from others, we withhold from ourselves.
In any moment when we choose fear instead of love,
we deny ourselves the experience of Paradise.
To the extent that we abandon love,
to that extent we will feel it has abandoned us."


— Excerpted from
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of
A Course in Miracles

The Shack

picture by Macy :)



"So, will I see you again?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course. You might see me in a piece of art, or music, or silence, or through people, or in Creation, or in your joy and sorrow."

-Paul Young (The Shack)

Two different people have told me about The Shack recently, so I took it as a sign that I need to read it. I just ordered it yesterday......looks pretty good. do you like the quote above???? Namaste, Michele

Truth

Telling the Truth:

You can kiss your family and friends goodbye

and put miles between you,

but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart,

your mind, your stomach,

because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.

-Frederick Buechner

OM

Well, I got a tattoo tonight......a present from Mark for my birthday.
It is an OM symbol.
Below is the meaning of the OM symbol.....hope you enjoy it.
Hope you have a great day!!!
Namaste,
Michele

Meaning of Om

Om, according to the ancient scripts of the Vedic civilization, is the sound of life. It is the infinite vibration that shimmers through the Universe, providing life and sustenance to everything. Om is the beginning and will continue till the end; the one constant that unites all of creation at its deepest level............

If Divinity were to be represented in sound codes, it would be Om. Om is the purifier, the all powerful tool that awakens in us the deepest reflection of Spirit, or God, or the Universal energy. This is because Om is the representation of this energy and flows through our breath in our waking and sleeping state. Om is the essence that unites all of us at our most intuitive level.

-http://www.omvillage.com/meaning-of-om-symbol.htm

I am grateful

dog days of summer

We went to the Dog Days of Summer today at the Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Hope you like the pictures and the quote below!!!
Namaste,
Michele

Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life. -Brian Andreas

Ripples

Macy took this picture at the zoo at few weeks ago.
I thought that it looked pretty cool!!!
I hope you like the words below!!
Namaste,
Michele




I want to remind us all that the world is listening, all the time.
How we are ripples out from us into the world and affects others.
We have a responsibility-an ability to respond-to the world.
Finding our particular way of living this responsibility,
of offering who we are to the world, is why we are here.
We are called because the world needs us
to embody the meaning in our lives. God needs us awake.
The world we live in is a cocreation,
a manifestation of individual consciousness woven
into a collective dream. How we are with each other as individuals,
as groups, as nations and tribes is what shapes that dream.
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer

On being alive

We went to this really cool store on vacation. It is called Loose Lucy's. (which is a Grateful Dead song.......... Very cool store) They play Grateful dead videos all day long in there.
What a great place to work.
Hope you like the words below!!!
Love,
Michele



Stay close to any sounds That make you glad you are alive.

-Hafiz

Sing out!!

Enthusiasm

I loved the energy of the is crowd!!! Now I know where my hat came from........a security guard gave it to me......it was on the ground in front of the stage. :)
I hope you enjoy the quote below!! Have a great day!!!!!!
Namaste, Michele

Fires can't be made with dead embers,
nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men.
Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort
and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.
-James Baldwin

Transformation

This is a picture of my friend, Roberta's sons. (Ryan and Ian)
They were drumming in the drum circle on July 3rd at my parents' house.
I loved this picture and the quote below.
Namaste,
Michele


"At this point in history, the most radical, pervasive,
and earth-shaking transformation would occur simply
if everybody truly evolved to a mature, rational, and responsible ego,
capable of freely participating in the open exchange of mutual self-esteem.
Then, there would be a real New Age."
-Ken Wilber

Hey Now

Another great show!!! below is the set list from the RatDog, Black Crowes concert. with special guest, Jackie Greene (Phil Lesh and friends lead guitar player) Namaste, Michele Jam > Jack Straw > Easy to Slip > Dark Star > Little Red Rooster, Mississippi Half-Step > Samson and Delilah > Milestones > Stuff, Dear Prudence* > Dark Star+ > Touch of Grey+

*-with Chris Robinson (Vocals); +-with Jackie Greene (Guitar/Vocals); Stuff - Jeff/Jay/Robin/MK/Kenny; Bob sat in with The Black Crowes on "The Dolphins" (guitar) and "Girl from the North Country" (guitar/vox)

(Jackie Greene opened; also The Black Crowes)

if it is odd, it is God :)

People who live a little outside of the box seem to have longer,
happier lives. Embrace your oddness.
-Loretta LaRoche

graditude

picture by the great Logan Robertson

Today, I feel grateful for the beautiful weather, and the cast of characters that are playing with me in this life.....even my bad dog. :)
It is going to be a great day.
love,
Michele



We have thousands of opportunities every day to be grateful:
for having good weather,
to be able to sit in such a beautiful room on such comfortable furniture,
to have slept well last night,
to be able to get up, to be healthy,
to have enough to eat.
... There's opportunity upon opportunity to be grateful; that's what life is. --Brother David Steindl-Rast

Something Beautiful

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful...

And I thought that I saw, a light Shine, I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I think I see a light shine, now...

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful...

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful...

And I thought that I saw, a light Shine, I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I think I see a light shine... now

From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a light shine
From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a light shine

And I thought that I saw, a light shine, I thought that I saw, a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I thought I saw a light shine now
(From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a light shine
From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a light shine)
And I thought, than I saw, a light shine, I thought that I saw, a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I think I see a light shine now

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful...

Alexi Murdoch Something Beautiful lyrics

what is normal anyway???

Mira got her temps today.........what a day :)
hope you enjoy the quote below.
Namaste,
Michele

The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal.
-Deepak Chopra

on this path

picture by Logan Robertson




"What would I do today if I were brave" ~ Jana Stanfield

If I could look down on this path I walk
From somewhere way up high
I could see the crooked road that I have come
I walked a mile with sorrow
I walked a mile with joy
And now I'm less afraid of either one
For every tear I've cried
There's a smile that I have earned
For every mile I walk there's a lesson I learn

CHORUS:
I'm not lost, I am exploring
Life is an adventure worth enjoying
Though I may not know where I'm going
I am not lost, I am exploring
I am not lost, I am exploring
I am not lost, I am exploring

Some people to choose to live their lives
On quiet avenues
While others find a place in the parade
Some like me are seekers
We take less traveled roads
Believing we can find a better way
And though I get discouraged
I won't be turning back
I have joy as my compass and faith as my map

REPEAT CHORUS

All of us are headed for the same destination
So why not blaze a travel that's got imagination

REPEAT CHORUS

Copyright © Jana Stanfield ♥ Jerry Kimbrough

Balanced Living Magazine

The summer issue is available in a digital edition.
check it out here:
Balanced Living Magazine Summer issue 2009