June: I Intend to Stretch Time

Tick-tock, tick-tock⎯we all know time has a way of getting away from us whether we are doing something enjoyable or not. As June begins to roll by and turns into summer, Mother Nature provides us with longer days, so I aim to make the most out of whatever I am doing. I am going to add just a bit more time to my day to enjoy what is happening in my world.

How does one stretch time? As with all my monthly intentions, when the light of the day comes into focus, I will focus on the intention of stretching time. As I find myself stretching time, I will remind myself of my intention⎯this should prove to be infectious. By stretching time, I will slow down and take heed of the moment⎯I will be mindful. This mindfulness will be good for me as it will assist me in letting go and just being in and of the moment. I intend to stretch time while…

• Meditating
• Drinking my morning cup of tea or coffee and listening to the birds as I sit on my front porch,
• Enjoying friends, family or my dear husband,
• Holding my yoga poses and breathing deeply,
• Taking a break from anything work or chore related,
• Having a glass of wine,
• Doing whatever it is I would appreciate more time with!

In March my intention was giving myself time. I look at giving time and stretching time to be similar but different. Time unto itself is an issue for everyone. It takes gentle reminders in my life on a regular basis for me to get in touch with it once again. As time passes, it is what it is, but why not grasp every tick of the clock and be present. I am going to stretch time and enjoy every last second. Shall we grasp the hands of the clock together and enjoy the longer days good old Mother Nature has given us? Tick-tock, tick-tock...

I will suspend my weekly posts until fall, but will continue to share my monthly intentions at the beginning of each month. Enjoy the summer ahead!

Time photo courtesy of Alan Cleaver

Thriving and Growing

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

Margaret Atwood

When the rains of the fall season started last October, my husband and I planted a small grove of deciduous trees. These were all cuttings we had received from friends, which I rooted in pots the previous spring. As of the last few weeks, I am happy to report that all cuttings have new leaves.

I love starting new plants, whether by seed, cuttings or simply dividing the root mass. Although, it’s the propagation of shrubs and trees over the years that really gives me a certain sense of wonder and satisfaction. There is truly something magical about planting a small tree and watching it thrive and grow. The soil on our place is made up of rock and clay. It is definitely an experiment in “tough love” when one plants anything in it. With my patient hands, and yards and yards of compost, I have learned how to give plants the love and care they need.

Of the many things gardening has taught me over the years, patience has been one of its greatest gifts. It takes patience beyond measure to watch a tree cutting grow into a mature specimen. I have taken this patience and spread its seeds into many areas of my life. With patience, I grow, I thrive. When one is patient, and smelling like dirt, life has a way of rewarding us one leaf at a time.

Photo courtesy of Nate Steiner

Lilacs in Bloom

Lilacs and the month of May go hand in hand. My light purple lilac bush has started to bloom. Each year the heady fragrance evokes memories of days gone by. I gently hold the panicle of blooms in my hand as I draw the scent deep within. When I do this, I can detect a slight taste on my tongue of what must be the taste of light purple. There is no other scent like that of a lilac in bloom⎯and one must simply adore the mere presence of any shrub with heart shaped leaves.

As I draw in the intoxicating scent each May, the movie reels of my mind begin to play and I am drawn back to:

• The lilac shrubs in the backyards of my childhood⎯as they would beckon me to leave winter behind to join them outside to play⎯many a mud cake was decorated with these fine flowers.
• The May procession down the center aisle of our church⎯when the statue of mother Mary was crowned with lilacs, and huge bouquets of lilacs filled the church with spring and the scent I so adore.
• The huge light purple lilac shrub growing at one end of the clothesline on the backside of my grandparent’s home⎯the very plant my light purple lilac bush originates from.
• Giving a bouquet of lilacs to my mommy on Mother’s Day⎯which she lovingly accepted even if those were the only flowers growing on the shrub.
• The white double lilac bush currently just waiting to bloom and memories of the home my husband and I once lived in⎯and yes, where my white double lilac originated from.

Such memories remind me of the rhythm of the seasons⎯month-to-month, day-to-day. Scent is such a powerful enchantress. She gives us the surprise of bygone days and brings us back to those moments when we least expect it or just seem to need it. So take a breath, and draw the scent deep within.

Photo courtesy of nightmares in technicolor

Faking It

I have to admit there are times when I fake it. I’ve faked it:

• first thing in the morning and last thing at night,
• in the car, on a plane and a train,
• while talking on the phone,
• in the garden, and more than once hiking in the woods,
• looking in a mirror,
• during several parties, a lecture or two and a musical Broadway hit,
• in the changing room at the department store,
• while at the gym
• sitting, standing, lying down and every possible position in between,
• at school, work and multiple times in every room of my home.

In fact, I fake it wherever and whenever I possibly can, and I know I’ll fake it again and again. Why? Because by faking it, I might just begin to enjoy it for real⎯and real is what we are all looking for. It is the feeling we are trying to express, and if slapping a smile on my face is what it takes to motivate me towards happiness, joy, or something close to it⎯I’m going to:

• smirk,
• beam,
• show my dimple or that twinkle in my eye
• and grin from ear to ear.

So how about you, where do you fake it? You can tell me⎯I know you want to.

Photo courtesy of Pulpolux