Happy #53: Pay attention to the real spring around you.

It's snowing again in consistently surprising Salt Lake City. I've been keeping my windows open at night to offset the hot flashes. (Too much information, I'm sure. But this is my blog. Lol.)

Anyway, last night it got COLD. So freshing... When I woke up, the trees were flocked once more in the ever delightful greatest snow on earth. Light, fluffy, powder. Who could ask for more on a fresh (very nearly May) spring morning?

It reminded me of a day not too many days ago when I was looking out my kitchen window as I did the morning dishes.

The sun was streaming in, setting my dish water bubbles ablaze with rainbows. The sky was blue, blue, blue and the pear tree in my back yard was budding the most magnificient spring green. Off to the left in my yard is a HUGE plum tree. It is probably the size of my garage. I'm not kidding. It sits on my neighbor's land and spreads it's draping branches over the area I would like to see become a flagstone patio. I love it.

On this day, the tree was especially spectcular. It was bursting with enormous, white blooms. Explosive with blossom. Explosive. I am unable to draw up the words to adequately describe it because it looked like heaven to me. And it was one of the most stunning, beautiful things I've ever seen.

I thought in the moment that I needed to go and take a picture so I could share it with you. But I was doing the dishes and I wanted to finish. And, I thought, this illustrious display of spring will be here for a few days so I have time to take a picture.

That's what I thought.

So I finished the dishes. And although I can't remember, I'm sure I finished several other things as well. But I didn't get the picture.

Ever.

A windstorm came up that night and blew all the blossoms off the tree. When I got up the next morning and stood again at my kitchen window I was so saddened by the lost opportunity to capture something that was so uplifting to me. I said to Kelsie, "I just didn't know they'd be gone so soon."

I realized the moment I said those words how true that is for the people in our lives. The real moments of splendor and beauty and new life of spring.

We don't know how long we have someone. And we're always so busy doing things, finishing stuff, paying attention to matters that don't matter nearly as much as the people around us.

We're always surprised by the sudden departure of someone close. We all seem to say the same thing. We didn't know they'd be gone so soon...

So on this spring day, whatever the weather may be where you are, pay attention to the real spring around you. The real life. The people. The essense of this world that makes the real difference.

There's another 2" of snow on the ground in my yard. And on my blossoms of spring.

But you are the real spring in my heart.

And I'm so happy you're still here.

Share the love. :)

Happy #52: Give.

What says privilege like a Lear jet? That's Juliet and Christy adorning those perfectly crafted leather seats. And me, the flash in the mirror capturing the memory.

Drum up $12,000,000.00 and you can have a Lear for yourself. Yes. That's right. Twelve million dollars. An Ivy league education? Pocket change.

It's all relative.

For most in this country, if you're managing to keep your mortgage paid and escape foreclosure during this economic uncertainty, you're doing well. That said, 20% of humanity (that's us) hoards and holds 83% of the world's wealth. On average, even if you're poor in America, you're wealthier than 75% of the world's population.

Gratitude for what we have is a good thing to have. Because we have a lot. Even if it's not a Lear. And you don't know poverty until you've seen real poverty.

We had a wonderful time on this airplane. Don't get me wrong. It was an exceptional experience to draw from in thinking bigger than we have been. But to think bigger for the means to do good. To give. To share. To help others have a better life.

Years ago someone said to me (when I suggested wishing I could do more), "It's not how much you would do with more, it's what you're doing now with what you've got."

What do we do with what we've got? This weekend one of the Beauties in the photo said, "When I pass a homeless person I may feel I don't have the cash to give, but sometimes I have an apple. Or a muffin. And I can give that. I think it's just the giving that counts."

She's right. It is the giving that counts. And that we give in whatever way we can. To all of our brothers and sisters in our human family.

In response to the current political environment, my fellow planning commissioner Mary Woodhead posted this note on her Facebook. It reads:

"As we listen to talk of secession from the Tea Party and the importance of state rights, let's remember the real horror of the Confederacy. From the Texas declaration of secession: "...in this free government *all white men are and of right ought to be entitled to equal civil and political rights* [emphasis in the original]; that the servitude of the African race, as existing in these States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator, as recognized by all Christian nations; while the destruction of the existing relations between the two races, as advocated by our sectional enemies, would bring inevitable calamities upon both and desolation upon the fifteen slave-holding states...."

I am appalled people actually thought and believed this. Then again, the whole idea of slavery is appalling to me. I've never understood racism. Or prejudice. And I do not understand the mudslinging and heated argument that goes on over issues like the ones our country is facing right now.

But I think it's fear related. And people will always find something to fear if that is where their brain is inclined to go. Fear of the loss of freedom, the loss of personal rights, loss of property, fear of change. Fear of failure, fear of the uncertain, fear of rejection, the loss of love. I could go on, but I think that pretty much sums up racism, political divide, and every other social and personal ill.

Maybe if we pushed our fears aside we could find a little hope. Maybe if we thought of new ways to give (like the apple), new ways to share, new ways to love and serve and be open with each other, we would realize that we're all afraid together. Created equal. And in our mortal condition, equally afraid is my guess.

We can help each other. And with a little honesty we could actually talk. Communicate. Say something that would be meaningful and helpful to another human soul.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm not trying to solve the world's problems. Nor could I. And as I also said, that's not what this blog is about.

But when it comes to happiness, which comes from love, the pathway includes kindly giving to and lovingly caring for each other.

So give. Share. From what you have and from who you are. Because that's all we've got to give anyway, isn't it?

It's enough.

And it feels good.

Thanks for the cookies Mark. :)

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Happy #51: Spend time with people you love.

Christy, Juliet, Kiki (my neighbor) and I took a twenty minute drive across the border from Blaine, WA to the Vancouver, B.C. Temple open house. Who wouldn't want to drive along a bay of water that sparkles like a sheet of diamonds and end up at a temple where the chandeliers sparkle like a rainbow of jewels?





The day and the temple were simply exquisite. And the company, of course, was priceless.

Spend time with people you love.

Happy #50: Share something you love with people you love.

I took this picture in Blaine, WA today. It shows the marina where I'm doing my work and a sparkle I caught from the sun.

I love it. So I'm sharing it. With you.

You do the math. :)

Happy #49: Make biscuits.

If you haven't tried any home cooked goodness in awhile, give it a whirl.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. milk
Heat oven 450 degrees.

I lightly knead the dough into a thick circle about 8" in diameter and cut it into four pieces. Sort of like scones. It fits nicely in a pie dish for baking. And goes perfectly with butter and raspberry freezer jam from last summer's berry harvest in Bellingham.

Add Black Cherry herbal tea served in a china teacup, one beautiful breakfast companion named Christy, and you're there.

But be inventive. Use what you've got. (Qualifier: You may not be lucky enough to find Christy because she's fresh (not frozen) and you can't find her everywhere. Do feel free to substitute your favorite dish.)

The point here is to cook for and with one another.

Enjoy.

And feel the love. :)

Happy #48: Follow your heart.

There is peace in truth.

This is not to say the truth is easy. Or even comfortable. Or convenient. But living a life for the benefit of other people at the expense of what you need never made anyone happy. (I'm not talking about service here.)

Many years ago I had a profound experience while standing in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was a life altering moment.

Reading Jefferson's words inscribed on the wall, I understood for the very first time that I had a God given right to happiness. I came home from that trip with priceless clarity that God intended me to be happy. And wanted me to be. I also came home with the acute awareness that I had to choose it for myself, regardless of the difficulty of the choices involved.

I saw that nothing was going to happen to magically change my situation, much as I wished it would. And nobody was going to make choices that would free me from the painful decisions I didn't want to make.

The hand of God aside, only I had the power to change my life. Only I could choose happiness for myself. A gift, I came to realize, God gives his children in helping us understand the principle of accountability. You know, choice and accountability?? Why? Because other than God you are the only one who knows your heart and what you really need.

I learned that I needed to summon the courage and find the strength within myself to choose for my heart. I needed to take accountability for my own peace and happiness. (And misery, for that matter. But that's another post.)

I discovered that the path I needed to take to live my truth, in spite of how "wrong" it was for everyone else, was in fact the right choice. And as hard as it was to actually choose what I really wanted, God gave me the fortitude to step forward for myself. He was teaching me to be true to myself...

Here, I found happiness.

Choosing happiness can seem impossible when you feel stuck. The choice it takes to honor your heart and give voice to what you need for peace can be the most difficult choice you will ever face. (Especially when your choice bumps up against what everyone else thinks you should choose, or wants you to choose, or hopes you will choose for THEIR happiness.) But all things considered, a life without peace and happiness hasn't got much hope. And a life lived from duty will only get you so far.

Knowing the heart takes time. And a willingness to see the truth. Seeing the truth in a heart happens gradually until that crystal clear moment when suddenly you know and there is no turning back. In that moment, that perfectly clear moment, the honesty you find frees you.

"And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

There is a feeling that follows truth, and the light of it changes everything. No matter how hard it was to see the truth and no matter how difficult it will be to make the choice.

Follow your heart.

It's the place of peace.

And the only way to happiness.

Happy #47: It's all in your head.

Your feelings follow your thinking. Experiment with that idea. When you feel bad, change what you're thinking.

And when you have a spare couple of hours, open your mind and watch this film.

May all your dreams come true.

Ever wonder why mine do? :)

The cognitive, prayerful life... Something to think about.

Happy #46: Have hope.

Easter is a message of hope.

It gives the promise of life, shining as a beacon of light in the darkness.

Earlier this week I was reading in John of the New Testament. The risen Lord had performed a miracle, feeding 5,000 people from scraps of bread and fish. Following this Jesus said, "Ye seek me not because ye saw miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled...I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. And he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Preoccupied with satisfying their hunger, the people didn't appreciate the miracles executed in their behalf.

The Easter message of hope, the resurrection and the life of Jesus Christ, is a sounding call of victory over death. But It is also a call to have faith. Through the power of the atonement and with his life, Christ is capable of helping us live ours. He is able to carry our burdens and lift our sorrows. He is able to strengthen us, succor us, and heal us. He will give us direction, lighting the way when we don't know which way to go. (You know, "I am the way, the truth and...") And he can give us peace.

But He is also capable of producing miracles to sustain us. His ways and His means are infinite and limitless.

What I'm trying to say is that He is the bread of life and He can put dinner on the table.

So when you need help, ask.

And have faith. And hope.

Heavenly Father is listening. Jesus Christ lives. And he's ready to deliver.

Happy Easter. :)