Lunatic Love under the Snow Moon

I guess Valentine’s Day is for lovers… that’s what they tell us. And I’m happy I have my sweet Valentine (and happier still that he’s visiting our family giving great big grampa hugs!) But I still like school Valentine’s Days when we all sent everyone sweet small hearts. (I only now think about the fact that there were kids who probably couldn’t afford this…)

But Valentine’s Day was for everyone. And if there was someone in your class you balked at sending an “I love you” card, you had the long discussion with your mom about loving everyone. There wasn’t a problem next year! Friendship like many other things, needs to be cultivated.

Valentine’s day, not just hearts and flowers for star-crossed lovers… (and un-star-crossed lovers)… Love is for everyone. Love is for Peace. Peace is certainly for everyone. Lunacy. You betcha. The best kind under a consolidating Snow Moon. What could be better?

The Lovely Lunacy of Snow Moon Peace

Oh, it was a gorgeous day yesterday; light snow fell and fell and fell!

It kept us busy shoveling, which got me outside enjoying Winter. Where were the children? It was such a lovely snow!

I have nothing deep and meaningful to say about this Beauty. But oh, i enjoy the beauty.

And there’s everything good to be said about going outside and being overcome with delight. I had a fairly relaxed day, Mondays are often down time for me, more about house chores than work. And indeed laundry was done, things put away, sidewalks were shoveled. (And the snow was so light, very little strength was needed to push it around!) The Moon was not admired, the snow had elbowed its way to the front!

But friendships were renewed with visits, chats were had and a gloriously indulgent Hotel Budapest was watched. It was a slow day, dotted with pauses to gasp in wonder.

Lunacy to stand outside in the snow? Perhaps, but what a thing of Peace!

And while I reveled in the Beauty, I was mindful of the danger that many people will be facing today and tomorrow… May all be well.

Cow Peace, llvl

Living in the country, I wind up learning country things.

Who knew that calves could be escape artists between the second and third wires?

I never dreamed I’d be worrying about untangling a goat either when I moved here. After all, I’d lived here before and never untangled a goat in all those years. I never worried about loose calves then either.

But I like having farmers I can ask questions and get answers like, they milk at six, they’ll be home. (It was 5:30!)

I do try and notice the Earth, although I’m not a very back to Nature or dig in the dirt kind of girl. But I take the web of life seriously. And I work hard at being a good neighbor, at doing good. So, when the cows are at Peace, I can be too.

(and besides last night was the night for the animals to have the gift of speech if you’re a Pagan, you wanted him to be around to talk to the sheep, didn’t you? And you didn’t want him to be on the loose…)

Peace on Earth everyone… and watch out for free ranging calves.

Balance in Peace

I’ve had a couple rather inspiriting if sobering days. So it was great yesterday to get in the car and literally and figuratively drive away from those times, give everything a chance to settle.

And what better way than to drive through the Autumn Foliage. Route 80 where i live is fairly high, and driving west it’s fairly wild. So nothing but trees, trees, trees, in varying states of Fall finery. Red, Orange, Purple and still a fair amount of vivid green. Wow!

Emily and I are good travel companions. We share responsibilities easily and laugh just as easily. GPS takes the “where do i turn next?” right out of the question, so, zoom, zoom, zoom.

And then there was a slow and comfortable afternoon, spent, reading and goofing off, drinking a bottle of champagne with the purpose of this trip. EG Kight. I just don’t see her often enough.

And it’s been good to catch up. She was very sick a couple years ago, they didn’t know if she would live and afterwards if she would ever write/sing/play again. But last night but all those fears to rest. Strong of voice. Sweet, sweet songs, and hot, hot guitar licks.

And today after breakfast, we take off for Falling Waters and a big tour. I’ve never been and am really looking forward to it.

Sometimes you have to step away for a moment so you can step forward. And if you’re going to do that, might as well have it be fun. Even Peace needs a break. Sing ho for a small pause for laughter.

Giggling Peace, llvl

One of the fun things about visiting Lorraine is realizing I’m still a teenager in side. When I first came to Sweden, back in 1969, we would sit at this cafe on the square in our little town and laugh. Swedes are many things, but boisterous is not part of the national character in the normal course of the day. (Remember that at the same time I was laughing out loud, I was also learning to curtsey as I walked by my elders — if you can imagine that!)

So Lorraine and I were always having to catch ourselves up from being giddy 17-year-old American girls and trying to fit in — because at seventeen, who wants to do anything other than fit in?

But there we were, laughing through the train (because for some reason our train door didn’t open, so we had to walk through two cars to get to our seats. And laughter doesn’t stop because you walk through a door — even when the door says: Quiet!

And of course being icily told to be quiet just meant that we were going to choke on our giggles. There are times to be serious, and I have a lot of them, but even in the serious times, I’m often laughing! Because even in the worst of situations there’s stuff that’s just funny.

I like that I still can be reprimanded for having too much fun. (And really, the train was 15 minutes away from leaving the station, and it’s a train not a library and we did quiet down!) I also like that I no longer can be made to feel uncomfortable because I’m laughing out loud.

Peace… it’s in the loud, boisterous moments as well as the tender quiet ones!

And as I said as I put my message out today, it’s odd that I can feel like a giggly teenager and still have someone rush to help me with my suitcases, because, oh, right, I’m gray-haired! Although, in my defense, I’m well able to handle my suitcases, even if i insist in taking too much stuff wherever I go!

Peace, my friends, I wish you light giggles and deep belly laughs (although not in the quiet car!) I wish you happy times with dear, dear friends. Keep making new memories and keep holding the old ones sacred. Inviting people into that sweet space is a wonderful way to spread Peace, bit by bit!

Everyday Peace, llvl

Well, I’m off again today, this time to visit Cecilia. Lorraine and I get on the train in just a few hours. But before we left, I had this lovely slow day catching up on things, doing things that are completely Ann… writing my blog, writing a musing, prepping some weddings. A sweet, sweet day.

Even with fun, you have to take a pause once in a while and come back to self. It’s fun to recognize how very much I like my life and my work. And even with fun, once in a while you have to stop…

And stopping in a garden full of flowers, friendship and writing? that’s pretty heavenly!

I’m not sure when I’ll be back to this… can you imagine, people a) have summer homes and b) don’t always have wifi in them. And that, means going with the flow! Peace. It arrives in so many packages. We have to keep sampling, until we find it. Well, by Monday, certainly.

And we have to keep finding new ways to work on Peace, because what we’re doing isn’t edging the world forward, is it…

The Peace of Deep Friendship, llvl

There is no greater joy, I think, than to have fast friends. People who know us. I love making new friends. But oh, those friends who understand where we’ve come from and how we got to where we are today.

I love those instantaneous “oh, I like you” relationships. But I really love those friendships that you grow into and grow in. The ones that just keep spiraling deeper. The ones that aren’t dependent on constantly shared lives but which sweeten on shared understandings.

Being here in these friendships is like swimming in beloved waters. You simply soak them in, gratitude for being alive fills each moment. It’s as if your ability to be present is sharply magnified and you are who you are.

Such friendships call you to account and give you space to reflect.

Such friendships remind you when you miss the mark but offer you the opportunity to try again.

If I have a creation myth, it is about being called into relationship with the Divine. Nothing more sacred than friendship… Oh, we give thanks, for this precious day…

I’ve been singing that a lot recently. Sweet Deep Peace in the rising and falling of conversations with friends.

Second-Chance Love & Peace, llvl

There have certainly been friends in my life who have wandered away or from whom I’ve wandered. But most endings weren’t wildly dramatic. Even endings with most boyfriends were fairly civil not long afterwards, but I’ll confess that I don’t know where some of the formerly important people in my life are.

Maybe that because I’ve moved around a fair amount, so it was easy to move on. No need to hold a grudge because they weren’t really visible in my life any more. A couple of those losses were very painful and I’m happy not

But the interesting thing to me about the man who’s life I celebrated yesterday was his ability to keep his universe intact. Maybe because he lived in this area most of his life, it was more difficult to lose people altogether. But even when he was separated from friends, he knew how to find them again. And he often did. From all accounts, he was pretty volatile. He’d stop talking to folks. But then, he’d miss them, review what went wrong and make it right. He must have been a wonderful friend, because his funeral was packed with guys who had been his friends for years — even if somewhat off and on.

He’s a guy who took the “apologize and make amends” step in AA incredibly seriously. When he found out his cancer had come roaring back, he took a good look at who he wanted in his life as he was living his last years and found them. They made up and they made life happen. As up and down as his temper was, his heart was steady. When it was a matter of life and death, he put aside indulging his temper and simply loved…

I was fascinated and impressed by how hard he worked at friendship. I was touched by how many cherished this hard work. I was inspired to do better. He left an amazing legacy of Loving and Peace-making. May we all do the same…

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

Tag Archives: friendship