The Beauty around that will help us get through

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the saying goes. But the problem is we tend not to look.
And in the days of the corona, and the constant reminders on the news of the bad - through the constant drumbeat of stat after deadly stat - we need reminders of the ever- present beauty all around.
I was reminded of this while trimming down my cache of photos, in prep for a new laptop.

One of my favorite flowers is foxglove, with its self -seeding habit and its tall rows of painted flowers.
The O poppy starts out like a creature from outer space, but then bursts out with brilliant color 
And the green growth comes in different variations



often with other colors mixed in. Please take time today to look around you and see the beauty that is there. Take a literal "breather" from the chaos. It will do you a lot of good and help us get through.

connections

Have you ever experienced a time where you wanted to toss your computer out the window?
You got so frustrated with the resistance you were getting while just trying to do your job, or
seek information, or just connect with someone. And you found that the "HELP" section was "helpless"? Despite our high tech society there seems to be so many places where interruption of service happens. And whether it is your home internet connection, your computer or laptop, your work connections, you can get cut off in an instant. And it usually happens with no warning, and
worse - when it comes back on you often don't know why.

And the worst thing is, when you try to get help reconnecting,  nobody knows how, or takes responsibility for the problem. It's always - "it's not our system , we're fine. It must be yours"
To be sure connection issues can be complex, and computers do have personality and gremlins.
But it seems many times people want to wash their hands of it, blame it on someone else, or just give up when it's not them that is having problems.

Those are the times I remember how I love to garden. Things stay where I plant them And most often they grow and flourish if I make the simple effort of giving them good earth, enough sunlight and water, and simply dig in the dirt.  i can wrap my hands around the process and plants and I can get answers when I need by simply asking fellow gardeners, who are always ready and willing to help.

It's not perfect, like my current crop of bulbs which are resisting growth. And I am limited on space
But I am in control of the process and it is therapeutic having hands on experience,

It is that way with communication. It isn't complicated. Even in these days of self-quarantine we can still reach out and communicate It's not in person very much, except for those we share living space with. But we are in control of the process. When miscommunication happens we have the ability to make it right, ask what happened, take the time to mend fences, and we benefit from the shared pleasure of touching base with another human soul. If we notice that we have not heard from someone in a while we can call, email, text, even write to catch up, And it can happen across thousands of miles, or just next door

And maybe that is a positive to the downside of physical distancing. We have the time to reach across the distance to if nothing else commiserate in our mutual "isolation" Take the time to walk away from the technology and reach out in real conversations.

Bird Houses for the Vulnerable

There are two of the bird houses from the forest trail behind our local library. There are over a dozen and I have walked by them often during the time we have live here. I have enjoyed them and the birds that live in the forest nearby. But today I looked at them differently - the openings are not the same size. Not all of the birds that live here could use them. Most of them have holes the size of the one on the right- too small a hole for the jays and crows and other medium sized creatures of the air. They are the size that would accommodate quail and chickadees and finches  the more vulnerable.  And I believe they were built and set in place for that reason. To help those more vulnerable,

As it is in nature, so should it be among human kind. Not everyone can be like the woodpecker who can hammer out their home. Or the majestic geese who can soar away, or the owls who hunt by night.

The small are at the mercy of the large, just like those who were not born into money, fame, or position are much more vulnerable when the storm and earthquakes come, or the virus hits and the economy plunges.

So we cannot expect everyone to react to the struggles the same, nor need the same amount of help.
Just because we can work from home, order out groceries online, and don't have to venture out into the danger zones, doesn't mean that everybody has that advantage. We see everyday those who are on the front lines of vulnerability - whether they are first responders or just in "essential" jobs who can't just "shelter at home".

And in the recovery we have to make sure that those who struggle to survive have the protection of affordable healthcare, protection against both downturns and disasters. and a safe place to call home,

Try to remember to think outside your own "birdhouse"

the benefits of a quiet time

The benefits of social distancing - or as I like to phrase it - distance socialization.
We all chafe a bit at this 'sheltering at home" situation. Even introverts like me, who love peacefully curling up with a good book and not moving for hours, can get cabin fever. One thing that gets me through is my daily morning walks. I imagine there are extroverts out there that are tearing their hair out and bouncing off the walls, deprived of their energizing interactions with the crowd.

We know that it is for our own good, and that it will pass - eventually. But all too often we focus on what we can't do and miss the things we can do. We have the time to slow down and ponder, meditate, and maybe do more careful examination of and planning for our lives. We have quiet to hear ourselves think. In the midst of not running around gathering things we can think about what we really need. As some have said, don't automatically rush back to what and where you were before.
Maybe we can leave some of that "baggage" behind.

In the midst of lack, be grateful for what we do have and realize that we may not need all that we think we do. Minimalism is not a bad thing. In the absence of the crowds, be grateful to the ones we have and hold close.

And we do have the ability to connect with others. We all have phones and their not just for setting appointments and meetings, etc. They can be a lifeline to friends and family. This is a 'round to it" moment, taking advantage of the time to connect. And our social media is another way to connect.

Those of us who are in the Toastmaster World have made the transition from in person meetings to conducting our club meetings online and keep up communications with lots of laughter as we struggle with the technical connection issues. And we even conducted speech contests online.
Zoom is now my friend. And we have been able to make contacts across the country and around the world. We had recent visitors from India and South Korea, who like us in the US are dealing with sheltering at home.

Please use this time to contemplate and grow, spend some time on making an impact on those people and tasks you have near. And don't be too eager to rush back to your "former" life. The world will still be there, no hurry.

#Chalk the Walk

In these days of social distancing, let us not forget to do some distance socialization. This is a time for physical isolation, yes, but not social isolation. While we can't assemble in groups physically, we can
still - and must - keep on gathering across the miles to maintain communication. And we can communicate messages of hope in many different and unique ways.

In daily walks around my neighborhood I have seen signs of hope. Post-It Notes on street signs and lightposts that say "Flatten the curve", and "you are not alone". School neon signs that say "we miss you" and "stay safe".  Even when the post-its fade (sun, rain) just seeing them reminds us of the important message and we give thanks to the ones who put them there. A "Mukilteo Strong" on top of an electrical junction box today reminded me of the spirit of our community - plus the waves of runners and dog-walkers as we greet each other from across the street, maintaining our "social distance"

One unique thing recently has been chalked messages on sidewalks. I think it started about Easter time, since some of the first messages were "Easter Sunday" and "He is Risen". But there were other messages, like "Happy Birthday" and "thanks___". And then there was the stretch of sidewalk around the local library sign that was labeled #chalk the walk. A whole stretch of sidewalk was covered in chalk messages of hope and encouragement, with a piece of chalk placed where anyone could pick it up and add to the "message board".

Today in the pouring rain the chalk drawings had faded, but I believe that when the sun returns and the walk dries off , the "chalking" will resume. In the midst of our often lonely silent endurance of "sheltering at home" there are signs everywhere of the hope to come. One day we will emerge into the light of day where we will not fear to embrace each other and life. Hold on , and chalk the walk

Words of wisdom

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. We grew up with that mantra, a saying we throw back to name callers. But we grew up to find out that it wasn't true. Names can break hearts, as one singer put it, and other ill chosen words can do great damage.

For this and other reasons we must choose our words carefully, especially in a time of stress like now.
We tend to make three mistakes in our use of words. One is the use of hyperbole - instead of a good player we say they are the best ever, instead of saying someone is bad, we say they are evil. Our descriptions of events and people and causes go beyond reality to extremes - leaving no room for accurate descriptions for real extremes.

Another way we misuse words is similar. We tag so much as priority that we are torn between the things we really needed to do. We encounter this at work often. If everything is priority, then nothing is priority. We need to use our words carefully to focus our efforts on the things that really matter the most.

And the third way we misuse words is throwing out strong words carelessly. Such things as gunpowder words- words that are often used just for shock value. Some are obviously extreme, some are dug up and tossed , like a hand grenade in the middle of a crowd, verbally very dangerous. Some are not even matching the situation. People take a word that they know would get a strong negative reaction and use it to amp up the opposition to something they personally don't like.

Two examples stand out recently. Many who have opposed the common sense "shelter in place" regulations to safeguard public health have used the word "draconian" to describe those regulations.
Public health is important for all, yet those who want to go about their lives without restrictions harm us all. The regulations are not draconian, but really common sense. Especially as shown by a recent religious leader of a church who strongly pushed for large public gatherings, who shortly thereafter contracted the virus and died less than 2 weeks after his bombastic outburst

Another example involves the controversy around a touted "cure" for the virus - a medicine that had been pushed by some in the absence of a vaccine. Many in the medical field have countered the push because of legitimate concerns about side effects of it. And while there is room for discussion and debate over the merits of medical help. But there have been some who have gone ballistic over the criticism of this "cure" and called the efforts to oppose it as a "jihad". Not only is the a failure to fully understand the 2 different applications of the word - personal and political - it also uses it way out of context. And also using it just for shock effect to get people to oppose the effort to realistically handle the remedies for the virus.

So, in the time of stress and worry, etc, let us watch the words we use. Let us be realistic - and kind.
Words of comfort and encouragement, and wisdom will help us all come through it better.

I saw the Easter Bunny this morning - in fact there were 2 of them.:) I even got a picture of them.No , they weren't laying out Easter eggs....seriously, they were just wild rabbits. Just a sample of nature's creatures went on my usual morning walk. I also saw a woodpecker -actually saw him hammering away, not just hearing him "knocking on wood" from a far off tree. I recorded a video of him, with the croaking of frogs in the background. I was scolded by a squirrel for getting too close to "his" tree.  There was a flyover by the local ducks and geese, plus the usual chatter of the robins and crows.

There were a few joggers and dog walkers about , but we kept our proper 6ft distancing , waving and saying hello from across the street. Other than that it was a quiet reflective morning. Good exercise and opportunity to reflect. In this worrying time, where we are so conscious of what we can't do, it is important to remember and cherish the things we can do.

We can visit with friends, just have to do it online, or over the phone. We can share love with each other - acts of kindness don't necessarily have to be in person. We can encourage each other, listen to tales of struggle with empathy, and share messages of hope. We can laugh, cry, sing with each other and help pull each other through. Social distancing should be renamed remote socialization. Let's not be isolated.

And we don't have to be isolated from the hand of God in nature around us You know, God's creation is not just about man. I believe He cares about all of the living creatures around us. Let us not be blind to that on this Easter Sunday. And we don't need to be in a building packed all together to worship. We can also do that out in the world of nature among the other creatures he made.

Happy Easter everyone:)