Winter Food; Winter Peace

This time of year, it’s so easy for our taste buds to crave carbohydrates. But no matter the season, we still need our veggies. There are not very many of us who live those heavy labor outdoor jobs that require lots of carbohydrates to get through the day. Then with 29 holidays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are ‘way too many reasons for cookies!

Because we’ve had no more than one hard frost, there is still kale growing in my landlord’s garden — and they are so generous with their renter!

There are all sorts of winter vegetables for us to eat… And we should. This salad’s a pretty delightful offer: warm parsnips and pears on arugula. Oh, Yum! And you? What are you eating that’s good for you and incredibly yummy? What are you sharing with a friend and family.

Peace is made by happy, healthy people.

Short Winter Days, Long Winter Nights, Peace

Wherever you live, however much Sunlight falls or doesn’t on your days, it’s always the right day to make it a day of Peace.

Night is so beautiful. Day is so beautiful. Winter is so beautiful. So are Spring, Summer and Fall. Peace adds its own incredible Beauty.

The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and the Earth bring the days and nights and seasons. We bring the Peace. They’re doing their job. Are we? Now more than ever, we must Peace.

Get Out in the Peace of a Winter’s Night

Cold weather, clear skies and stars! Nothing more extraordinary.

And yet it’s become extraordinary. No where near enough walking around outside in the dark. It’s a fun family exercise; it’s a fun neighborhood exercise.

And the dark and the cold are beautiful. They’re an integral part of life.

What if we all just decided not to hate winter this year. What if we decided to embrace it and it’s unbelievable beauty?

Why throw away half of life? Especially when it’s beautiful!

Peace is in the long Winter’s night. Promise.

Rolling in the Peace

It’s not just the plants that come dancing back to life in the Spring. Most of us do too. (A special shout out to those who feel about Summer the way the rest of the world feels about Winter).

But for those of us whose faces turn eagerly Sunward, there’s something that pulls sheer, giggling exuberance from us.

For me, it’s always great to see the crocus, but It’s the stalwart daffodils and narcissus that make cheery. I fret about whether it’s time to run to Catawissa hill to see the grape hyacinths that my family always visited. And I wait eagerly for the violets to rampage across lawns. C’mon violets. (And Spring, don’t you go getting too warm on us so that the violets can play a while. pleeeeeeeze?)

There’s something about the freshness of the air that thrills. And the changed angle of the Sun. Whatever it is, enjoy whatever great laughing, Springing Peace you’re called to. This intoxicating moment is brief — that’s part of what makes it wonderful.

Spring! Peace! Life! Enjoy them all. Oh — and pay your taxes.

Yellow Daffodil Peace

It is that time of year. I had to go drive along the North Branch of the Susquehanna yesterday. As much as I love Lewisburg, that’s my part of the river. I know how it reacts.

This time of year, as the road runs between the hill and the river, you drive past the beginnings of the forsythia. The forsythia stretches for a mile or two. Half the year it’s simply bramble; the other half, it’s green. Except for these astonishing two weeks when it’s gloriously yellow.

And these daffodils. Ha! it says to this snow. Ha! I will bloom bravely and defy what is leaving, however reluctantly. Winter is leaving. Spring is coming. They know their minuet intimately. It sometimes confuses us, but that’s not their problem. The seasons know the steps to the dance.

There’s a message in that for us I think… Peace. Make Peace. Declare Peace. Dance Peace. If our time is short, make our mark in Peace.

In the name of what we believe in, in the shadow of Ankara, Brussels, Paris, and on and on and on, let us pray and work for Peace. Let us Peace.

The Peace of a Winter’s Night

There are so few perfect Winter nights. I know, this year’s column is all about being at Peace whatever comes, but those spectacular winter evenings when there’s snow on the ground and you go outside into the quiet Darkness.

I love the nights that are not the in-between nights best. If it’s snowing, that’s great — Gambol in the snow! If it’s clear it’s amazing — Bundle up and tip your head back to watch the sky.

Trish’s picture really caught the magic of a perfect Winter’s night.

I hadn’t realized, there seem to be far more great Summer evenings. Get a warm night and out you head to the ice cream stand… You could, if you didn’t care about your hips, do that several times a week.

But these perfect Winter nights? There are only a couple to savor each Winter. Inertia can keep you from getting out and enjoying… and then you miss it!

There is Peace in a beautiful Winter’s night. Don’t miss it!

Peace of Sunset at the Farm

One of the reasons I like snow is that it lets the sun paint it colors.

It is so beautiful to have those golden colors reflecting off the snow. It’s so easy to imagine coming home to this Peaceful and Beautiful place…

Beauty — just one of the reasons I don’t want to rush past winter… And the cold is another one.

Today the cold brings my little town our ice festival. Hurrah. There were lots of pictures from last night of friends sitting in ice chairs and having their pictures taken besides ice sculptures. The Ice Fest has arrived. We’ll have to walk down to see folk plunge into the river this afternoon… (crazy people, i tell you, not me!)

Both the picture and this festival are reasons for me not to rush past winter. Every day, there’s something beautiful. Every day in your life, there’s something beautiful. We should welcome and celebrate that.

Peace needs every day to be complete — just as it needs every person!

Winter Peace — At Last

It started, at long last, with ice on the river. Finally. Winter was showing up. Put on all those warm clothes; it’s mitten season! Hurrah!

And then, last night, snow. Beautiful, beautiful snow.

What I love about snow, more than anything is the quiet. The world stills. it’s wonderful.

Shhhhh. It’s snowing. The Peace of a silenced world.

Yes. I know I am privileged to have warm shelter and adequate food. We’re not frightened by threats of heavy winds and blackouts in the cold. My feet are steady and so far there’s no ice. My prayers are that people be safe…

But here where I live, it is quiet.

I was a bit grumpy when, snuggled in my bed, I heard the snow blower. They’re so loud!

But then I looked out the window and he was cleaning my walks. Um hard to complain too much… Now all I have to do is keep up with the sweeping.

And the muffling snow continues… Naps! Books! Cooking! Shoveling! Delight! and oh, right… finish that sermon!

My wish for you is that there is beauty in the Winter that surrounds you. And that you are safe and warm. May you find Delight. May you find Peace.

Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow!

(yayayayayayayay!)

Looking through the Windows of Peace

The photo is so beautiful. Here we are there it is. Do we move through to the bounty? Or live where we are. The wheat is young, just now making its presence known… but it is growth and a reminder of what to come.

Here we are on the other side, the side of the dormant vines.

It’s so easy to see them as dead — but it’s Winter, they’re sleeping. They’re readying themselves for the next big show. It’s not easy work. It’s so easy to assume they’re lying around doing nothing; that only the green stuff works.

Because of this, we often don’t give ourselves enough rest and enough time for preparation. We don’t honor the cycle. Or is it that we think it doesn’t apply to us?

Peace is on both sides of the window. The winter wheat has been engineered. Sometimes it helps to remember that, even as we bask in its beauty.

Peace. And thank goodness for windows and the reminders they bring of where we are and what lies ahead.

Peace in the Dead of Winter.

It’s been cold, cold, cold… There’s something pretty wonderful about that.

I have the clothes. I make sure I’ve got lotion on my face and hands. And off you go, invigorated.

Shockingly, here we are at the 19th of January, what meteorologists call the Dead of Winter and this is only the second time we’ve had bitter cold. The light is slowly changing, by the end of the month we’ll have almost enough light to wake a ground hog!

Yes I know it’s cold. This is what winter’s about. Pests and Germs are dying as we complain about the cold… But heat up yesterday’s soup and admire the beauty!

The cold, clear Peace of the Dead of Winter be with you.

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

Tag Archives: Winter