Fountains of Peace

I love fountains. I know that in places where there is a shortage of water fountains are wasteful. Tell that to Nature who threw up all those waterfalls and said, watch!

Cascades of water are such a wonderfully extravagant statement. Look at all this beauty.

And to watch this one dance on the still water? Such a delight!

And that Mommie story is one of my favorites. It’s one of the things I got right with Mom, insisting there was a bath for her. Looking back, there’s lots I’d do differently but baths are not one of them. Remember when I am old, put me in a bath and read any of the stories that are on my kindle. Baths and reading are such a perfect, perfect delight.

(One of my great invention ideas in seminary was that someone should print a binder version of the bible and that the pages of each chapter should be waterproof. Trust me that a bible is too heavy to hold in the bath!)

We’re having an unbelievably beautiful day here along the Susquehanna. I hope it’s beautiful where you are!

Peace of the lovely fountain to you. Peace is abundant and as extravagant in her display as any fountain. Enjoy the beauty, bathe in it if you get a chance!

A Breakfast of Peace Champions

What is your champion breakfast? What is it that gets you going, ready to face the day?

I loved Terri’s pic of this plate and this cup. Here, eat your breakfast and get ready to face the day, filled with things good for you and things a bit indulgent. Look at your cup and remember how courageous you are.

I must say when I see this cup, I don’t think about doing “bad” things, I think about doing things that are no good for the status quo. I think about doing things that are good for Peace — that sort of no good.

We work for Peace in so many different ways. It’s always good to begin your day with a moment of calm and reflection. Breakfast is a very important meal.

And then? Go out there and make Peace. Go be its Champion. You’re prepared. You’re ready! Every day Peace. Everyday Peace.

A Slow, Peaceful Sabbath Morning

I love days that start slow. I love the ones that come into being without a lot of rushing around on my part. No fanfare, just small, sweet beauty.

Our lives are so fast, we often need the extraordinary to slow us down. And make no mistake an extraordinary sunrise is, well, extraordinary.

But the sun rises every day, bringing us twenty-four hours to explore, time to learn and accomplish, time to work and play and even just sit and contemplate. There’s a lot to be said for quiet Beauty.

There’s nothing like a quiet Sunday! I hope you make something wonderful of yours! May it be a day of Peace.

Let us Build Peace for the Babies

Dagny, who takes these critter pics, is a large animal vet. We don’t see (or haven’t so far) the intimate messy details of her work, but she does offer us the wonderful gasp of wonder with this tiny preemie llama.

And it’s true that at the same time I’m oohing and ahing over the red-coated llama, FB is also allowing me to breathlessly watch my friends’ tiny, tiny baby insist on life while the two of them fall in love.

New life. It’s astonishing and fragile and so, so precious.

When we see it, when we look at it and allow ourselves to be seduced by the wonder, then I think we need to put the world to rights. Those precious fragile babies deserve Peace.

If we’re caught by their deliciousness, human and critter… then we need to build a world for them that reflects a commitment to their growing into their potential. Babies deserve Peace. Llama babies. Human babies. Aardvark babies. Babies. Peace.

Every Day for Everyday Peace

Already, and it’s only March, we’ve seen some fabulous Sunsets, here on this blog and out in the world. But most days the Sun sinks quietly. Many days we only notice it growing darker because it’s been a gray and cloudy day and promises to be a gray and cloudy night.

For me, that’s the point of this year’s picture taking. Every day is a beautiful day. Every day is the perfect day to make Peace. We make it ways both big and little. We make Peace in our own environment and lives — tidying up what needs to be tidied, fixing what needs to be fixed, replenishing what needs to be replenished and appreciating it all. After all, in too much of the world, people are starved for safety and regular days.

And other days are for making Peace out in the world. For most of us, that’s finding small ways to better our community. For others it’s doing huge international projects. Whatever you do, Peace.

Today, is just another day for Peace. For me, it’s a day of everyday matters and making today matter. Because Peace.

Wake Up! Get Going for Peace!

Ah… that first caffeinated hot beverage of the morning!

As I say, coffee is not my beverage of choice, but I like the rituals people develop around it. There’s a sense that their day depends on that first cup’s being just right.

I’m a tea drinker, and for me, it’s as much about my beautiful mug, warm in my hands, and the scent of the rising steam as it is about the taste and (acknowledging reality) the caffeine!

But I like hanging in a cafe — any cafe, anywhere — and watching people come to life with their morning drink. For some people you can see it’s a daily occurrence, everything happens quickly and efficiently. Others take a longer time… but the delight is palpable.

We’re funny people with our individual habits. All of of us different and, yet, so very much the same.

Grab your cuppa, whatever it is, and make this a morning of Peace.

Growing Sun for Peace

Solar is finally happening. Having lived in California all those years, you became, if not an early adopter, an early believer. It was easy living out there to believe that change would happen so much more quickly. Long before I left there were parking stations at one of the local BART stations, close to the station as a reward, for electric cars. And then they went away victims of both corporate America and not enough development capital. Why, yes, they were related!

And then back to Pennsylvania and the news is all natural gas. (Word is those companies have completely quit PA now). Solar, pfffft! Not going to happen. Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t live in a place where there is enough sun. Except we do. A friend tried to put solar on her property; it took the local peeps forever to approve.

But go on a trip, and you begin to see solar fields appearing. In this area, someone was far-sighted enough to envision such a field as a resource for a school district and community center. Huh.

Wouldn’t it be loverly? If slowly, slowly the world began to see ways forward that did not demand the destruction of the Earth? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Peace on Earth we called for was also Peace with the Earth?

Grateful for this picture — and this prodding! Thanks!

Honking for Peace and Memories

The returning geese carry such memories for me. There’s a road I drive along the river that gets me to most places I travel. In the late Winter and early Spring, there is a field that helps you keep a fairly close tab on what’s happening in the bird world.

The field is mostly corn stubble and it seems there’s plenty for migrating flocks to dine on. Hundreds and hundreds of birds hang out. It’s just a short flight to the river where you also find them.

The river is the expressway the birds travel.

This road is the last road my father rode. I asked the driver to stop and let him see the geese who were migrating then. It had been a colder winter, they were a bit later. But I now measure my grieving for my dad by the migrating of the geese. Ah, I remember…

March is living up to its myths. Today it will be warmish — 15˚ above normal and then a new front blows in and it will be chilly again. Wind and bluster coming up.

This is one of those periods when I find it hard to understand why people long to dash on to the next season. So much happens now. There is so much to see! Change happens now! Slow down, be amazed.

Let’s make Peace with the changes. And let’s allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the extraordinary things that happen. We live on an amazing World. The more we appreciate that, the better care we’ll take of it. And the Earth needs our care. The geese are arriving, honking of Peace. I used to think of harbingers as quiet peaceful things. Not the geese! The weather roars and soothes by turns. Let us Peace. Every beautiful day.

Leap into Peace! Today!

It’s Leap Day. if you’re going to leap, Leap into Peace!

Nancy Cleaver, that most wonderful woman has done a collage to encourage us. It’s pretty encouraging, eh? See more of her art here!

Why is this so exciting to me? It seems as if we have an entire extra day. Let’s use it to leap! And what needs us more than Peace?

Leap for Peace. Look how beautiful it is!

Food: Memories, Geography, Peace

I like food. You may already have suspected that about me!

I love the tastes and textures and I love what it teaches me about the lands it comes from.

Cold Sesame Noodles helped me understand that people from different regions in China migrated with their people to different regions in the US. So what we learn about Chinese food (China, that vast, vast country) really depends on where we live.

When you think of it, it all makes sense. Every region has its own style and delicacies. Certain foods grow better there than elsewhere. And when you leave your home, you tend to move to a place where people speak your language and eat your food. Comfort. Security. Familiarity. Home grows from these things.

I don’t often think of the vastness of China or the incredible number of people there. It’s not part of my daily existence. But something as silly and insignificant as noodles can send me to look at a map and get some info! Slowly trying to rectify what a bad student of geography I was. I’m telling you, people should have taught me with food, I’d have learned a lot more quickly!

Making Peace is work. It takes understanding. Might as well have a plate of good food to fuel yourself for the journey. Peace of the Cold Sesame Noodles to you, my friend! And happy Leap Day!

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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