Our lives are full of choices. From the moment we wake each day, we are faced with deciding what to do, how to act, who to ask for help, when to use our resources, where to focus our energy, and why do we need or not need to react to situations at hand. Choosing can be difficult, frustrating, challenging, rewarding, educational, and enlightening. Leaning best methods for choosing and analyzing information to make the best decisions is an ever-evolving process. Our life experiences help influence our choices, as do our environments. We thought we’d share a few things we learned recently about choices in this week’s post.
Chicory
“Integrity is doing the right thing when you don’t have to—when no one else is looking or will ever know.” -Charles Marshall
Theme of the Week: A, B, or C?
Our theme of the week manifested from a scheduling crunch and trying to keep a sense of order to our lives. This happens in our household this time of year when we have so many chores both outside and in doors to squeeze in along with our activities, relationships, and other events or circumstances that need our attention. When this first occurred years ago, I thought I had to do it all “like normal” to maintain a sense of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual status. However, the realization of how infeasible this was quickly came to light.
So, I had a choice—try to keep doing it all, ask for help, or change standards were the top three options that came to mind. While I did end up trying all three options eventually, what I found worked best was actually a hybrid combination of all the options. Though coordinating it all and deciding what to do, what to get help doing, and what standards to change were difficult questions, the process of asking the questions, analyzing the options, and actually doing what was required was most enlightening. Not only did I learn about my strengths and weaknesses, but also the strengths, weaknesses, and willingness of others.
Bee on a Mission
Not surprisingly, the inner eight-year-old asked the most important question, “Don’t you trust God?”
Well, yes, I do.
“Then what are you so worried about? Stop trying to do everything perfectly. Pray to God and be open to His response. While you wait for His response, move on to other stuff. We’ve got plenty we can do in the meantime, and if what we do is not perfect, we will still learn something, so all is not lost,” the little one said.
Well, that settles that.
“The demand for the perfect is the enemy of the possible good.” -Richard Rohr
Lesson of the Week: Plan G is All You Need
Our lesson of the week came as we let go of the stress and tension in our life and simply did our best with what we had at the given moment. Plan G (God’s Plan) prevailed for us along the way. Not enough time to do a given chore was not an issue because either the weather changed our plans or the supposed necessity of the chore was changed due to life circumstances. This is not to say we did not work our tails off or did nothing this past week. We did the exact opposite, but in a way that allowed us to go with the flow of the moment and even enjoy a few surprise gifts of the present along the way.
Common Thistle
“God has given you everything you need to have a productive life…This starts with recognizing we always have a choice, regardless of how dire the situation appears, and how we choose to respond will determine what history writes about us.” -Amy L. Travis, author of You Can Visit, But You Can’t Live There and The Truth About Love
Science Lesson of the Week: Milk Weed
Our science lesson of the week ties in to choices. In the late 1960’s, land developers and farmers chose to use pesticides and herbicides to help eliminate crop issues. What they did not realize was the choice had a huge impact on native plants vital to the ecosystem. Hardest hit were milk weed and butterfly weed, which pollinators (bees and butterflies) used as food. The result was a huge decline in the Monarch butterfly and honey bee populations, which came to light about five years ago.
While it is important to protect crops from invasive pests, it is also important to consider the full extent of our actions. Most likely, what was done in the past (or even in the present or future) was an innocent oversight or not fully thought out. One thing society has seemingly not yet learned is not to mess with nature or God. Nature and God will win every time, for they are greater and have more resources available to them than humans ever will.
Milk Weed
We noted last summer in several blog posts that we started seeing native milk weed and butterfly weed in the surrounding fields. We are pleased to report that the patches seen last year have grown and even more patches have emerged this year. The butterfly weed has been in bloom since June, but the milk weed just started to bloom about a week ago. Seeing the patches emerge along my running and biking routes, as well as my commute to work has been a reminder of how choices affect us and others, as well as the effect we all have on each other when we make an effort to work together.
The sight of the native milk weed offers potential for some great butterfly sightings in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to seeing the winged beauties fluttering about the fields and along the roadsides beneath the sun and blue skies.
“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.” -Vernon Howard
May we come to see life’s gifts and blessings in time. May we do our best each day to remain positive despite the seemingly negative environments that exist, and do our best to make good choices.
Peaceful Place
Choices
A, B, or C?
Which plan saves the seed?
How do we know?
Which way to go?
Well, if we listen to our hearts
And give in to nature’s art
Directing us upon the journey,
We have refreshing learning
At our fingertips that prevails
No matter the direction of the winds to our sails,
And moreover, if we allow the truth to set us free,
Salvia
We have enough and more to suite our needs,
For our choices are many,
And if we choose God, we choose plenty.
So when the times are tough
And inside is all mixed up,
Let the inner child explore
The wild of the Lord,
For He will be glad to take the hand
Of those willing to take the chance
On the choice of the one
Thank You!
Whose voice is the sun,
Whose arms are the wind,
And whose heart is what gives
Life to one and all
Through a love that forever calls
Us home to peace
As we grow and come to be.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to God for helping us through our latest list of issues both large and small, easy and hard, complex and simple, wanted and unwanted.
Thanks also to Amy L. Travis for allowing us to quote some of her material above.
Editor’s Note: This post was to appear June 29, 2023 but was delayed due to technical issues. We hope we now have all the technical difficulties resolved and can catch up soon with more posts and get back to a regular scheduled post.
The weather in our area has been a mix of rainy, sunny, humid, hazy days for some time now. We try not to let weather deter us from anything in life, especially our beloved outdoor activities. There have been a few occasions this past week where the weather was not conducive to being outdoors (mostly due to monsoon rains or severely intense heat and humidity), so we opted to stay active indoors, pursuing other interests and activities. One of the activities was reading, and in doing so, we found our topic for this week’s post. We also rediscovered our love of the activity, along with how much potential it offers to us every single time we do it. Reading has long been an outlet for me, a way to escape the present moment while formulating a plan for the challenges that await. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of reading is its potential to release our own inner potential.
Seven Sisters Roses
“People usually judge you based on where you are at currently, not what you could become eventually. Don’t’ let one comment stop you from trying. File it away or use it as fuel. Focus on getting better. Someone else’s analysis of your current position doesn’t tell you anything about your current potential.” -James Clear
Theme of the Week: Read, Read, Read
Our theme of the week started with our daily meditations, which we do rather religiously (no pun intended), though not always at the same time every day. Most days, we do our meditations very early in the morning, right after our stretches and exercises. Occasionally, we do them a little later in the morning after we have taken care of any pressing issues or emergencies. (Which is not to say we think the meditations are less important, but is to say given we each have an inner eight-year-old mentality, easily distracted by the unexpected, so it is best to deal with the distractions first, then actually be able to focus on the meditations). Very rarely (usually if am sick or have a really bad migraine), we wait until afternoon or later in the evening.
Clover and Cow Vetch
While focusing on the mediations, we thought about how stories are passed down or along. There are oral stories, told from generation to generation. There are stories printed in books, newspapers, or other media formats. There are also stories told every day in nature, if we are willing to take the time to stop and observe what is going on around us. Every day, no matter our age, we technically have the opportunity to interact with a story or reading form of sorts.
Thinking a bit more about these stories, we realized how much we can learn from them or by interaction with them. Perhaps this is one of the freest forms of learning—we can do it any time, anywhere, at any age, or with a variety of platforms. This brought to mind several questions:
How much learning do we do and not even realize it?
How much of this learning is done by reading?
What is the first story we remember hearing? Reading? Writing on our own?
Our pondering about reading continued with a very interesting (at least to me) short article in Reader’s Digest titled Instead of Going to College, I Read These Books. The author wrote of a woman named Steph who had taken a reading list from a teacher named Mrs. Clark, and turned it into a lifelong pursuit. Mrs. Clark had carefully compiled the list to equate to what one would learn in studying two years at a liberal arts college. Given Steph married young, her husband was away in the Navy, and she had lost her stepfather in a car accident, she knew paying for college would not be possible. So, Steph took the advice of years prior by Mrs. Clark, reading each book on the list, along with others she found interesting as she and her husband waded through the ups and downs of life.
Sunset Potential
The story intrigued me, and the list at the end of the story really got my attention. Many of the books I had heard of. I had read portions of about half the books on the list. Only about ten had I read in their entirety. Admittedly, I felt an immediate sadness, a sort of inferiority for not having read more. However, I quickly realized that the potential to read more of the books on the list was indeed within me, and most definitely something I want to try to pursue as resources (time to read, and money to buy the books) allow.
What an amazing feeling that was, to literally see the potential staring back at me in the form of the reading list! Contemplating the list and re-reading the book titles, I was surprised one of my all-time favorite books—A Tale of Two Cities—by Charles Dickens, was not on the list. A quote from this book came to mind, for it described how I have felt many times in my life, and this quote has resonated with me since the first time I read it. Like Steph in the article, I was moved by the words, determined by their meaning, and hopeful of making myself a better person through reading.
Boundless Skies
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” -Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Lesson of the Week: Recalled to Life Indeed!
Our lesson of the week was inspired by the reading list mentioned above, along with a few historical event anniversaries, and reading what nature had to offer. Mrs. Clark’s reading list took me back in time to my experience learning to read. I recall Mrs. Stegman, my first grade teacher, calling the students in groups to the back of the classroom for reading lessons. We started simple with words like a, an, and the. We read little stories from special books. I started out in a lower-level group because prior to first grade, had not been taught nor had I learned on my own to read. By the end of the school year, I was in one of the upper-level reading groups, though not a great reader.
Ninebark
Second grade was a similar format with Miss Semler. Third grade we advanced a bit with Miss Guckert giving us independent learning lessons. I loved this format as it allowed me to work at my own pace. She also introduced us to writing short stories with our spelling words of the week. Honestly, I dreaded the weeks she did this and preferred the weeks she made us just write the words three or five times or use the words in a sentence. Having to create a story with the words was to me, at age eight, taking too much of my time.
(Yep, I was a handful and even had to stay in at recess one day to finish my assignment. That day was a turning point for me though, as Miss Guckert had a serious heart-to-heart talk with me about the necessity of doing hard things and continuing to learn in the process. Though I squirmed in my seat the entire time, I did take what she said seriously, eventually overcame my mental road block when it came to creating stories on my own, and now obviously as a published author, can write literally and figuratively like Dickens. Sadly, Miss Guckert passed away before I overcame all my issues and became a writer. However, I would like to think she is smiling down from heaven right about now).
Orange Day Lily
Then came the magic of fourth through sixth grade reading with Mrs. McCaskey. Oh, how I loved her approach to reading! It was at this time that I was struggling with the onset of depression, but did not know what was really going on in my head. Back then, we did not have the counseling services available today. So, reading and Mrs. McCaskey’s class were my way of coping. She chose wonderful stories from our reading books for our assignments. We also had work sheets to do and were allowed ten minutes of reading a library book or other book of our choice at the beginning or ending of each class. I also had her for study hall, and if you had no homework to do, she required you to read. The amount of books I read those three years from the school library was very high, and my relationship with Mrs. McCaskey became one I treasured. To me, she helped save my life, allowing me to escape into the world of reading and teaching me how to use positive activities like reading to overcome the negative experiences I was having in life.
Seventh and eighth grade reading classes are a bit of a blur in my mind, though I do recall additional reading that was required in English and Literature classes. Mrs. Zabinsky, Mrs. Leech, Mr. Sekanik, and Mr. Sutton all did their best to help me further my reading skills, though admittedly I really missed Mrs. McCaskey and her approach to the subject.
Dianthis
Ninth grade was another magical year with Miss Naccarato. We no longer had reading class, but did have English and Literature. She made us read some rather interesting works, some of which I honestly did not understand until she explained them to me individually or to the class as a whole. At the end of the year, we had to do a book report and presentation on what we read. That presentation was my first time doing any kind of “public speaking” and I was nervous. However, I did my best, for I admired and respected Miss Naccarato immensely. To this day, we still keep in touch and I have her to thank for helping me develop my writing skills, introducing me to poetry, and helping me discover that deep within me was the writer I was to become in time.
Tenth grade with Miss Barch was also magical. She taught English and literature and introduced me to Greek and Roman mythology, along with books like To Kill a Mockingbird and Silas Marner. Miss Barch also had us to a number of special projects, reports, and presentations, all of which I enjoyed. What I had discovered in my years between third and tenth grade was reading gave me knowledge, and knowledge gave me power, and power gave me character, which in turn allowed me to face and overcome the challenges of each day. For a teenager struggling with depression, this was huge, for it kept me alive and even made me feel recalled to life, which is one of the themes to A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
Recalled to Life
Oddly, it was in Mr. Malobicky’s history class that I fell in love with the book A Tale of Two Cities. Mr. Malobicky used the movie adaptation of the book to help us learn more about the history of Europe. I loved the movie so much that I ordered the book through the school book club reading program. I read it more times than any other book I ever owned, and it still has a place in my book case in my bedroom.
In my junior and senior year of high school, Mr. Staraniec and Mr. Favero had us read a number of excerpts from books by authors like Dickens, Chaucer, Hemingway, Emerson, and Thoreau. I got to revisit my love affair with A Tale of Two Cities in Mr. Favero’s class and recall one of the big tests he gave us on the book. He was big on essay questions, and we had to respond to two questions in essay format with proper sentence structure and specific thought process to illustrate our level of understanding. I still have the test, with my tiny pencil hand writing responses and his pen remarks (all very positive) in my collection of prized writings. Honestly, I think I blew him away with my responses. Back then, I was simply the quiet girl in class who was very shy and not confident in her abilities, so the fact I could read and write at very high levels was what spoke for me. (Not much has changed, still the quiet one who would rather just show what I can do rather than talk about it).
Wisps in the Wind
All the people above, along with other family members, friends, and people met along the way, helped establish a good reading foundation in my life. It is the foundation upon which I have built a life, part of my career, and much hope for the future. Without the challenges of reading not only what these people assigned, but also into their perspectives and the life lessons they interjected with the class lessons, I would not be who I am today.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman
Science Lesson of the Week: Read Me!
Our science lesson of the week is based on our observations in nature. Our experiences have taught us the reading is not only an exercise to be done with printed words on a page, but also in recognizing the signs of nature and what they are trying to teach us.
Nature Lessons
For example, darkening skies full of clouds typically mean a storm is coming. Lightening and thunder indicate the storm is in the here and now. The rainbow after the rain indicates the passing of the storm. The sun rising in the east means a new day is beginning. The sun setting in the west indicates the day has passed and night is on its way. The moon and stars in the nighttime skies illustrate the beauty of the heavens, along with indicators for direction, events, and time.
The sprout from the ground indicates a plant will grow. Buds on the plant mean flowers are coming. Flowers or fruit on the plants, trees, and vines indicate growth is continuing and maturity is happening. Peak maturity in the fruit means it is ready for harvesting. What is not harvested may turn to seed, and this seed dies as the days become shorter and sunlight hours diminish. The falling of the seed indicates not only a passing of time and of life, but also offers a promise for the sprouts and fruits of tomorrow.
Storm Clouds in the Distance
“There is no paycheck than can equal the feeling of contentment that comes from being the person you are meant to be.” -Oprah Winfrey
May we come to view our potential through all life experiences, be they good, bad, or in between. May we not fear what we do not know, and may we come to know more about ourselves, our environments, and others through reading.
Reading
Reading
Ever seeking
Added knowledge
Delving past the depths of college
Hydrangea
Information lost and found
Never bound
Giving all and more to the mind’s tall store.
Reading
Endless meaning
Allotted to the here and now
Descriptive and true vows
In many a view
Nestled among the old and new
Henbit
Growth to be found year round.
Reading
Endured weaving
Amidst the journey
Detoured and straight highways burning
Into the sunset and sunrise,
Nature’s events, and our lives
Going on and on thanks be to God.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Thank You!
Our thanks this week goes out to the teachers mentioned above: Mrs. Stegman, Miss Semler, Miss Guckert, Mrs. McCaskey, . Mrs. Zabinsky, Mrs. Leech, Mr. Sekanik, Mr. Sutton, Miss Naccarato (now Mrs. Cook but known to us as Julie), Miss Barch, Mr. Staraniec, and Mr. Favero for fostering learning environments that allowed students to reach for and exceed their perceived potential.
Special thanks to Mrs. McCaskey and Julie for keeping in touch all these years and still being a huge part of my life. Thanks also to Joyce B., Tognarina, and Vince N. for sharing their love of reading and suggesting even more books or materials to help us reach our potential.
The skies in our area and many other areas the world have been gray due to wild fires in Canada. This reality illustrates the impact of people and events on others not only near, but also far away. Though the world is a big place, we are more connected than we realize (or may even be comfortable acknowledging). This connection is in part (or entirely depending on one’s beliefs) due to nature, for all of life is made from or with the help of nature. There are times when nature appears bleak or gray, and though on the surface it appears as if not much is really going on, more is happening than we realize. We thought we’d offer a different perspective on life’s gray skies in this week’s post.
Yarrow
“All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Theme of the Week: Color Please!
Our theme of the week started with a very disappointing Sunday morning run under cloudy skies that covered a highly anticipated sunrise. It was the first morning in a long time that I could run before church. I was really looking forward to seeing the sun rising at 5:30 AM, watching it’s orange glow crest the trees in the east and cascading over our back fields. As I let the dogs outside that morning, I was surprised to see the clouds so thick. Darn. Now I would have to wait a little longer to start running.
Well, maybe I could read my Bible and do the ironing until it gets a little brighter out. No use letting the clouds literally darken my spirit.
Multiflora Rose
The wait was longer than I had hoped, but turned out to be a good thing as we not only got our Bible reading done, but also the ironing and vacuuming and bathroom scrubbing done. No use wasting good time on doing nothing is our mentality, so even when things don’t go as planned (or as we say Plan G-God’s plan—prevails), we try not to let it derail us.
The delay also allowed me to see and get some nice pictures of nature while running and even inspired a poem. Now, if that is not taking advantage of one’s time or recognizing the blessings in one’s day, we are not sure what is. While the delay did keep us from accomplishing what was on our list, we still accomplished a lot and probably even made God smile a few times in the process.
Admittedly, I hoped for sunlight and bright colors and part of me was a little sulky, which made the inner child in me ask the inevitable question of why.
Well, gee, I don’t get off work many Sundays, it’s summertime, it’s warm, and we actually have a day to ourselves with no obligations or things to do for others. It would be nice to have some sun or some color, don’t you think?
Sunset Delight
Well, yes, but maybe God is offering you a chance to create color in the day? Did you ever think of it that way? The adult in you preaches having an open mind, and I know you do try to do that no matter what most of the time, but if you are going to preach it, then do it, even when it’s tough.
Well, you’ve got a good point, as always, and now we both can have some fun coloring our day, and being thankful to God for the opportunity.
“The soul can split the sky in two and let the face of God shine through.” –Edna St. Vincent Millay
Lesson of the Week: What Gray Means
Gray is defined a number of ways, most of which when paraphrased or broken down mean lacking color, ordinary, or neutral. Considering this a bit more under some less than bright skies while running and biking, the thought of the inner child once again prevailed. So what is wrong with gray?
Poison Hemlock
Well, nothing, really. It just appears dull or worn or drags down the emotions if one lets it.
So, if nothing is wrong with it, why do you let it get to you?
Well, it isn’t intentional. I’ve read articles stating colors can have an effect upon one’s mind, for they connote emotions. It’s just how humans are wired. It’s not that we can’t overcome the enigma of gray, but rather so much ado and fuss is made over the eye-appealing or sensually enticing these days. I mean, it has probably always been this way, but with media and the way things are promoted with technology, it is kind of one-sided.
Well, how do you think that makes God or nature feel, knowing people are not happy with what they work so hard to create and give to the world each day?
Well, I suppose God and nature are disappointed at times with our reactions to any of the gifts they offer. Perhaps that is a good starting point to change our perspective. Instead of feeling disappointed, we could challenge ourselves to think ‘this is appointed’ meaning this whatever is given to us is appointed, allotted, or given to us for a reason. Maybe we should think gray means grace relished all year or use it as you say an opportunity to color our lives in other ways. The possibilities are endless if the mind, heart, and soul are open to trying.
Gray Squirrel Hidden in Tree
And is not that the point? To be open and try no matter what?
Yes, that is the point. Maybe God and nature already know that and are trying to get others on board with the program, but have chosen more unorthodox methods to convey the message of ‘Here you go. Blank slate for you to do as you wish. Make the most of it.’
“God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.” –A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Sights of the Week: Rusty Gleam
Our sights of the week caught our attention because unlike the gray skies, they were colorful. We spotted a rust colored object in the weeds and realized it was a buck in velvet. The buck was smart enough to stay in the weeds, making getting pictures difficult, but we did get one good shot. We also found several doe grazing in various fields in the area. Some of the doe were more rust colored or tan than others, yet they all had their own beauty about them that made us stop for a moment to watch them. Though there are several fawns in the area as well, we did not see them this week. From prior sightings, we know they are a rusty red color with lots of white spots and some pretty shaky, skinny legs that make them appear to be wobbling instead of walking or running as they navigate the fields and woods in the area.
Bucks in Velvet
“Small things matter when they accumulate…The details, when finely polished and carefully combined, add up to something remarkable.” -James Clear
May we come to view life from different perspectives while allowing the inner child to help us. May what we see not be colored in a manner to discourage us, and may we learn to overcome times of disappointment even if the skies may be gray.
The Skies May Be Gray
Dear Lord, the skies may be gray above the road
But like the storms that come and go,
This, too, shall pass,
And the gift will come to have
This Too Shall Pass
Special meaning in due time
Withstanding the fleeting things that fly by
And the grace given along the way
Will come to make us say thanks.
Dear Lord, the skies may be gray
Before the sun’s rays
Come to light the world anew
With notions bright and reasons viewed
From different perspectives
As runs one’s reflections
Sun Amid Fog
Upon the miles of the shores
That come to compile and make us more
Than we had planned or dreamed
Thanks to the gray strands in the skies seas.
Dear Lord, the skies may be gray above anywhere,
Any time of day or night or moment shared
And what this means may elude us,
And what we see may confuse us,
But that is part of life
Along with the stars of the night
And the call of the dove
Thanks From Us
And all the love
You give no matter what comes—
It’s all a gift from heaven.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to the people who inspire us to rise above our current situations. Special thanks to Buffy and Theresa for reminding us of our inner potential and for making our seemingly gray days brighter.
In our last post, we talked about questions of the inner child and how those questions led to some interesting discoveries. One question kept popping up repeatedly this past week as we observed the landscape around us. The question was one I asked aloud several times when spotting something new while running, biking, working in the yard, or walking the dogs. The question is what are you and we thought the title of this post sounded pretty neat, so we went with it. Without further ado, here is what we observed and learned by asking what are you, and since this is a rare “continued” topic, we added the Part II.
Primary Bible
“Nature itself is the primary Bible. The world is the locus of the sacred and provides all the metaphors that the soul needs for its growth. –Richard Rohr
Theme of the Week: Ask Please!
Our theme of the week came as mentioned above when we kept finding things that appeared new to us or caught our attention. I found myself asking, “What are you?” and then doing research to find out more about what we had seen. Admittedly, we had a few things that stumped us on the initial try for identifying or learning more, but true to form, our “dogged” (literal and figurative as Leo and Lena were hot on the trail with me) commitment to finding answers paid off.
Rust
While running early in the week, I spotted a bright orange blotch among the weeds on the roadside. Further along my route, I found another patch, which made me wonder more. Going back to the first patch and bending down to get a closer look, I asked, “What are you?”
Of course, I did not get an answer from the orange leaves staring back at me. After taking a few pictures and making some mental notes, I headed four miles down the road the other direction to check out the other patch. Sure enough, they were very similar. Same leaves being affected at about the same height of the plant and in similar growing conditions. The similarities led to other questions, such as:
What is causing this?
Why is this showing up at this point in the seasons?
Where do I go to find out more?
Who might I need to ask for additional assistance?
When did this first appear?
How will we know if we find the right answer?
Always Wondering
Upon returning home, I grabbed some reference books from the book shelf and flipped through. Short on time, we had to stop looking for the day, which was frustrating, but not life threatening or the worst thing that could happen, so we put it in perspective and moved on to the next tasks at hand for the day.
“The person who focuses on one task and sees it through to completion—even if they work in a somewhat slow or outdated manner—beats the endless optimizer who jumps from tool to tool and always hopes a new piece of technology will help them finish what they start.” –James Clear
Lesson of the Week: Yep, We Still Try Indeed
Having to stop and start our quest for answers led us to another form of the what are you question. In trying to find an answer, we asked what are you (besides the obvious answers of crazy, acting like a child, or wasting time). We found we are determined, trying to learn, accepting of challenges (and the criticism that comes along for the ride), seeking understanding, and working on expanding our skillset.
Red Clover
We also did find our answer! The orange leaves were exhibiting the characteristics of rust, which is a fungal disease. Rust conditions occur in mild, moist conditions, which matched our weather patterns of prior weeks, along with the current week. Rust is spread by spores that travel in wind or with water.
Ways to avoid or prevent rust from occurring include not watering the plant leaves, but rather the roots; cleaning away any debris around the plants; and removing any infected parts of a plant as soon as the rust occurs. Rust can be prevented with proper plant spacing, treating plants with phosphorus, and proper watering techniques.
Rust on plants looks similar to rust on metal. Various shades of orange on the leaves are possible, and closer examination may result in seeing the spores that help carry the disease. In learning what rust is and is not, we realized what we are (or what anything is really) is partially defined by characteristics, perspectives, beliefs, and physical features. All these aspects are carefully intertwined by nature and God, allowing us to exist. In existing, we come to have relationships with our surroundings and others, and these relationships add more elements to an ever-changing sea of life.
In the Beginning…
“Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
Extra Lesson of the Week: Little Spots on Weeds
In addition to noticing the rust on the plants this week, we found some thistle with black dots that intrigued us. Closer examination revealed the spots were moving! Admittedly, I had an initial reaction of fear, for I had just read an article about the larvae of the spotted lantern fly that has been invading our area with less than stellar consequences. My fear was the black spots before us meant our area was now a target of the invasive insect.
We have a belief in our household that fear should not stop us. It may slow us down or make us reconsider, but it cannot stop us from the pursuit of what we are trying to accomplish. (Yes, it helps that Leo, Lena, and I are all eight-year-olds at heart who have no fear of living with reckless abandon despite what the adults in our lives tell us). Though part of me feared what we were about to discover, even more of me wanted to know what was really before us in this patch of thistle, so I stepped even closer, bent down to get a really good look at the black spots, and was relieved to discover they were aphids.
Thistle With Aphids
This is not to say aphids are all that great to have around, as they also can be destructive and cause us humans issues. However, dealing with an aphid issue puts one on more known territory with options for correction and control. The spotted lanternfly is a newer issue with fewer amounts of research or known options for rectification.
Closer examination of the aphid infected thistle later in the week revealed the little black spots were gone. The leaves of the thistle had been eaten, making them look like Swiss cheese, but the flowers had not been harmed and were now in full bloom.
How many times in life do we find little things that we think are larger things only to discover in the longer term that we need not worry ourselves into knots? Life is full of “aphids” or little black spots that eat up portions of our time, talents, money, and other resources. However, they need not stop us from living, and we must remember that living involves the good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant, easy and difficult, small and large, wanted and unwanted and everything in between.
Always a Good Day
“Every day is a good day to be alive whether the sun is shining or not.” –Marty Robbins
May we come to see the questions in life as opportunities of boundless adventure. May our adventures lead us closer to a sense of peace, and may we not fear asking ourselves or others along the way, “What are you?”
What Are You
What are you, I asked aloud,
To tell the truth, I am what I am right now,
Be it a sun, moon, or star,
To Just Be
A place to run, or a view from afar,
For what we are is how God has blessed us
And in our hearts is where the child runs
Free, oh, so free
To just be, oh, to be
And that is enough
No matter what we have or have not of.
What are you, others may say
Well in pursuit of another day
Is a good answer to reply
Oak Leaves Coming to Be
For if we just stand and watch time pass by
What have we accomplished or gotten done,
Is it not God’s love that comes
Through trials and tribulations,
Miles and jubilations,
Everything near and far
Has the chance to embrace or fear the start
Of something new or old,
And truth be told
Better to start even if one cannot finish
For life is an art that has no way to diminish
God’s Glory
In the grand scheme
The plans of God’s glory.
What are you, we all may ask
As we review our days and adventures past
And if we are honest with ourselves
We will be astonished at all the help
That has come in blessings disguised
Even in the messes of this life,
For we are a part of a larger thing,
Thank You!
We are the art of God’s farthest reaching
Arms open wide for miles around
To help each other in life so the lost may be found.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to some of the deep thinkers in our inner circle of friends. Special thanks to Loretta, Joyce B., and Matt T. for helping us open our minds, enjoy life, and not be afraid to ask and to find the answers to our questions.
Editor’s Note: This post was to appear June 1, 2023, but was delayed due to technical issues.
One would think that given how many times and miles I’ve repeated along my running and biking routes that I would eventually become bored with the practice. However, I have managed to find something new to view, consider, ponder, reflect upon, or learn every time. Often times, I find so many things that I was not even looking for that I feel like a kid at Christmas, bursting at the seams, wanting to share whatever I can with whomever will listen. (Which is partially why we keep this blog going, to share what the inner child finds and wants to help enlighten the world along the way while also attempting to lighten any burdens others may have by brightening someone’s day with a story, picture, or quote that might just strike a chord with someone out there). The miles covered this past week, along with our adventures in life, offered up some things we really wanted to share in this week’s post.
Daisies
“The myth is that there isn’t enough time. There is plenty of time. There isn’t enough focus with the time you have. You win by directing your attention toward better things.” –James Clear
Theme of the Week: What Art Thee?
Our theme of the week came as I was running and found a plant that I had thought I had identified last season, but in seeing it once again, began to question my answer. We had done a post on this plant last fall, believing we had found a form of dill. However, closer examination, more digging in our trusty and now very worn copy of Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife, and a conversation with my mom helped determine the original answer was incorrect. The plant is actually asparagus, which can look like dill, but does not have the aroma of dill.
In coming upon the plant this year, I made note of it aloud, “Here you are again. We wrote a blog post about you. Wait a minute, something tells me our analysis was wrong. That stalk looks so familiar. What are you?”
Asparagus
I plucked a portion of the plant from the stalk. It looked so familiar. Bamboo from my aunt’s old bush? No, that’s been dead since shortly after Uncle Jim passed away. That stalk, what is it about that stalk that I know I have seen…and not just once, but many times.
Shaking my head and straightening up from my bend position, I took off for home. I needed to find out what this was and why was it so darn familiar to me? While frantically combing through our trusty reference book while sitting on the porch step with Lena by my side, my mom walked over. “Do you know what this is?” I asked half acknowledging Mom and half deep in search of an answer.
“I have some by my chives,” Mom said, “I think it’s broccoli.”
Immediately, I knew she meant a different vegetable, but for whatever reason had said broccoli. At the same moment, my page turning had put me in front of a drawing of a plant that looked oh so close to what I was holding in my hand. Scanning the specifics and details next to the drawing and keeping Mom’s reference in mind, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. “Asparagus! That’s what it is!” I exclaimed.
Jackpot of Roses
“That’s what I meant,” Mom said, “Why did I say broccoli?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad you offered what you did and helped us figure this out. Now we can write about what we learned in our blog post this week. You would think I would have recognized it right away after all those years of cooking asparagus for Gram. That’s the only vegetable I could get her to eat without a fuss,” I replied.
Mom and I both laughed, as Gram never was one for very healthy eating. Her food groups consisted of butter bread, Frosted Flakes, Cool Whip, Jell-o, and chocolate. (No joke and no wonder she ended up with a heart condition later in life).
Freedom to Ask
Mom and I talked about how much there is to learn just be observing and how being a farmer or working in nature can teach a person. Our conversation was a good reminder that we both still have an inner child’s wonder and curiosity (okay, so I know I’ll always have one because I’m eternally eight years old at heart, but still it was cool to share it with someone who has had to deal with that inner child literally and figuratively). It was also a quick walk down memory lane and how many things we have had to deal with and overcome in life together and apart.
“A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.” –Helen Keller
Lesson of the Week: Diligence Please!
Bittersweet Nightshade
Our lesson of the week also came after finding another “unknown” flower while running. I had gone a bit further than my usual running route and into my biking route when I came upon this deep purple flower attached to a short, woody stem The inner portion of the flower was yellow. It was too small to be clematis and too far into a wooded area to be any kind of lily.
Hmmm… What are you? Where did you come from? Why have I not seen you before? You must have bloomed recently as I know you were not here when I biked last night. How are you growing amid all the acid of these pine needles around you?
The questions continued like a waterfall in my mind as I plucked a portion of the plant and took off for home. (The neighbors probably think I’m nuts, as I have no issue running with things in my hands that I find miles away and hauling it all the way home). I needed to hurry to the reference book if I was going to identify this plant before it wilted away in the rapidly increasing humidity and intense sun of the day.
Thistle
Bursting through the door, I quickly let Leo and Lena out of their crates. They wiggled around me, trying to get to the plant as I headed to the book case for the reference book. Starting at the front of the flowers and shrubs section, I scanned the color coded table for the right flower configuration. Finding a few possibilities, I then flipped to the pages listed on the chart.
First one, nope. Second one, yep, there it is. That’s it for sure. It is called bittersweet nightshade. Wooohooo!!! We found it!
Nightshades are actually a group that offer us potatoes, eggplants, and many wild plants. The group is considered contradictory as some of the plants in it are edible while others are very poisonous. Some of the plants have berries that are edible, but leaves and roots that are poisonous. Black nightshade is one example of a nightshade with edible berries and toxic leaves and roots. Bittersweet nightshade is so called due to the bitter taste of its roots and leaves. The group also includes buffalo bur and horse nettle, both of which are toxic and have berries, but are also thorny, which prevent humans and animals from ingesting them.
Orange Hawk Weed and Clover
Bittersweet night shade blooms from April through October and lives in open woods, fields, thickets, and swamps. It grows one to eight feet high with woody stalks, spade-shaped leaves, flowers with five purple petals, and green berries that turn red when ripe.
With the mystery solved, we could now move on with our day. However, the questions from my inner child did not stop. Which could be considered a blessing or a curse, depending on one’s perspective and one’s to-do list for the day.
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles by it.”-Susan J. Decuir
A Little Different This Week: Which is Okay, Really
New Frontiers
Our post is a little different this week. We will be experimenting with content quantity and topics a bit more as the time we have each week to do these posts is greatly reduced this time of year, and may continue to be reduced depending on life circumstances. We still aim for quality content with a lesson or message to inspire, enlighten, and inform others. And yes, our stories are all true—we don’t do fiction in our house as we just are not good at making things up. Coming up with questions, we can do that all day long. Creating fantasy things, that is not our skillset.
“Find your own unique expression in the world, the seed that was planted within you when you were born. You are a revelation, of the Sacred, and there is only one revelation just like you.” –Christine Valters Paintner
May we come to know our inner child and not be afraid of the questions we have. May our experiences lead us to grow in faith, hope, and love, and may we find solace in the balm of nature’s art.
Balm of Nature’s Art
Water Iris Smiling
Wild cherry in bloom,
White ivory plume,
Blue in the sky
Above the spruce pine,
Water iris with its yellow smile
Waves to the spirit with its hello along the miles
Blowing in the breeze through the day
Showing the soul how to ease its pain
And calm the heart
Blue Sky Above the Pines
In the balm on nature’s art.
Quiet is the wind hushing through the trees
As silence begins the morning’s peace
And as the birds begin to sing
Above the earth awakening
To a new dawn, to a new day With grace heaped upon it by faith,
Through the hope and the love
That flows from God above
Set upon the heart
Thanks From Us Kids!
In the balm of nature’s art.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to fellow eternal eight-year-olds in our inner circle, especially Matt T., Taite H., Tognarina, and Linda S. Thanks for keeping the inner child’s inquisitive nature alive in us. Thanks also to my mom for helping us find answers to our questions in life. We know we always take the most circuitous route, but we sure do learn a lot in the process!
Editor’s Note: This post was to appear May 25, 2023, but was delayed due to technical and scheduling issues.
There are times in our lives when we feel moved to action by a force we cannot see or explain. Other times in life, we are seemingly held in place, as if anchored by a heavy weight. Still other times, we feel like we are in a tug-of-war, being pulled and pushed back and forth with life circumstances. What is it that causes these forces and how do we interpret them? In our household, we have come to view such events as interactions with the Holy Spirit. Most of these experiences do not make rational sense, test our faith, stretch us to learn and grow in ways we did not know nor do we feel are possible, and lead us to questions for which we may or may not have answers (let alone accept these answers). We thought we’d share some observations about the Holy Spirit in this week’s post.
Dutch Iris
“The Holy Spirit within us is the desire inside all of us that wants to keep connecting, relating, and communing. It isn’t above us. It isn’t beyond us—it is within us.” –Richard Rohr
Theme of the Week: Seen and Unseen Being
Our theme of the week came through some reflection readings. We noticed that many of the authors wrote about the Holy Spirit, an inner force, a push or a pull in a direction that felt uncomfortable yet right, or a circumstance that had no scientific or rational explanation. A number of the readings also talked about a gap, space, or void that needed filled. In filling the gap, one has the potential to make not-so-great choices. However, prayerful consideration and patience can help us make better choices in such instances.
Water Iris
We see similar events in the unfolding of nature. Buds open and close with the rising and setting of the sun. Plants sprout, grow to maturity, drop seeds, decay, and start the process over again. Sometimes these events do not make sense, like when the robins show up in the middle of a snow storm or it snows in late spring or early summer months in Southwestern Pennsylvania, or when we find a lily in bloom in the winter snow. Other times, there are gaps or jumps between phases that make us wonder what is going on with nature.
One possible answer is that nature is allowing itself to be led by its inner spirit, which is unseen in itself, but seen in what it produces. How many things in the world can boast such fascinating personas?
“Things may happen around you, and things may happen to you, but the only things which really count are the things that happen in you.” -Eric Butterworth
Wild Raspberry Blooms
Lesson of the Week: Let Us Be
Our lesson of the week came through yet another less than stellar interaction with technology, specifically the Internet connection at our house. We admittedly are not the best with technology, but we do pay our bill on time and do our part to keep as up to date as finances will allow. Yet we continue to have horrible issues with connecting, getting on line, being able to stay online, etc. This makes us wonder why we pay what we pay for technology and services we cannot use.
After our latest experience, we really just wanted to say the heck with it all and go back to what we call the Laura Ingalls Wilder days of the 1800’s where there was no Internet, WI-FI, cell phone, fiber optics, computers, or devices to rule our lives. (And yes, we absolutely refuse to be ruled by any form of technology in our house, no matter the consequences, and this is not negotiable. We will be who we are with what God gave us, not what other humans try to make us think we are or need).
Tall Phlox
Since we could not connect to the Internet and our phone was not working or getting a signal, it was just us and God, which was wonderful on many fronts. No distractions to get the inner eight-year-old off on a tangent or the adult upset about something we can’t control anyway. Just us and time spent in nature and with each other. We wondered how would such an experience impact the rest of the world? What if everyone, just for a day, allowed their inner spirit to guide their activities or thoughts?
Perhaps such a question makes some of us uncomfortable. After all, as humans, we want to control everything even when we know nothing about what we are trying to control. (Which usually ends up in what we call an exercise in futility in our household, or as others would say, stress). What we fail to realize more often than not is holding on or trying to control a situation or outcome has the potential to be a prison of sorts instead of an adventure in freedom. It is in letting go that we find ourselves freed, and the Holy Spirit is not only willing to help us let go, but also hold on to us in the process, leading us to freedom. The key lies in remembering the Holy Spirit is given equally to all, but we must receive it in order for any effective outcome.
Red Clover
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness…” Galatians 5:22
Song of the Week: Setting the Spirit Free
Our song of the week is a favorite hymn that speaks of the Holy Spirit and how allowing this spirit to enter into our lives can help see us through the most challenging of times.
Come Holy Spirit Creator Blest
Come Holy Spirit Creator blest And make our hearts Your place of rest Come with Your grace and heavenly aid And fill the hearts which You have made
Poison Hemlock in Bloom
To You, the Counselor we cry To You, the gift of God Most High The fount of life the fire of love The soul’s anointing from above
In You with graces sevenfold We God’s almighty hand behold While You with tongues of fire proclaim To all the world His holy name
Your light to every thought impart And shed Your love in every heart The weakness of our mortal state With deathless might invigorate
Drive far away our wily foe And Your abiding peace bestow With You as our protecting guide No evil can with us abide
Daisy Fleabane
Teach us to know the Father Son And You from both as Three in One That we Your name may ever bless And in our lives the truth confess
Praise we the Father and Son And Holy Spirit with them One And may the Son on us bestow The gifts that from the Spirit flow
“Whenever you feel you’ve fallen short, perhaps what’s really happened is that you’ve taken a step back to get a running start on the future.” –Kristin Harmel
Science Lesson of the Week: Triangle of Therapy
Sun Spirit
Our science lesson this week is courtesy of one of our readings, which talked about the Rogerian Triad, a concept created by psychologist Carl Rogers. Rogers presented this notion of three points representing the beating heart of a therapeutic relationship. The first point in the triangle he called unconditional positive regard. This is where a therapist lets the person know that no matter what is shared, it will not diminish the deep respect the therapist has for who the person is as a human being. Repeating this over and over through any given time period helps the concept to transfer over to the person, allowing them to start having deep respect and unconditional positive regard for themselves. In other words, the practice helps internalize the concept or resulting positive feeling.
The second point of the triangle is empathy. The therapist states he or she hears what the person is saying. Hearing helps convey understanding, which in turn can deepen one’s capacity to hear and understand oneself, which in turn can go a long way in life.
PJM Rhododendron
The third point of the triangle is congruence. This congruence entails honesty in a respectful way. The therapist might express deep concern over what a person says. The person sees this deep concern, how the therapist is hanging in there with the person through all the messiness of the situation without being invasive or threatening to abandon the person. As the process is repeated over time, one learns not to invade or abandon oneself. Now in alignment with the therapist, one can be re-introduced to love.
The author of the article further suggested drawing lines down from the three points of the triangle, and examining where those three points connect. In the author’s mind, those lines connect each point to God. The synergy of God creates a result larger than the individual points. God is the therapist, we are the person. When we pray, we have the opportunity to experience the Rogerian Triad in action. What God sends us as an answer to every prayer may elude us or seem hidden. However, his answer is one in the same for every prayer—the Holy Spirit.
We (Leo, Lena, and I) picture God’s answer something like this:
Answered Prayers
“Here you go, my little one. Here is the power to handle all you have just shared with me. The Holy Spirit is with you, offering you the power, which is what you need more than the answer. For if I give you the answer, that is not what you really need. You need to experience the power that allows you to find the answer that best suits you, and in the process, you will come to find unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence, which are tools you can utilize in building relationships and character. As you build these relationships and character, you will keep the process going. This process in turn is what builds you and your life, what brings value to you and your life, and what sustains you throughout your life.”
May we come to know who we are through the channels of the spirit within. May we learn along the way how best to use our gifts and talents to help others, and not be afraid to meet the Holy Spirit in this moment.
In This Moment
In This Moment
Lord, in this moment,
I don’t know when,
Where, or how
Your care came about,
But I’m thankful for the Holy Spirit
Who implores and lifts
My heart, soul, and mind
Allowing me to hold on in the is life
Through trials and tribulations,
Miles and stipulations
And circumstances one can’t make up
Blue Skies Above the Maples and Pines
As the sun dances in the sky above.
Lord, in this moment,
I know you are showing
Us how to life
Through the touch of the Spirit
I the birds and the bees,
Earth and the trees,
Phlox, and hemlock
Woven in knots like little plots
Ferns in Sunlight
Along the roadside
With the silence of the morn
To quiet the soul once more.
Lord, in this moment,
I’m not frozen,
But rather free to fly
Thanks to the Spirit’s reach and Your divine
Love for the world as it turns
With so much to come and learn
Through nature’s ways and means
Thanks!
Leading to grace and peace.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to the Holy Spirit for looking over us and guiding us to this juncture in life. We realize we are not the easiest posse of eternal eight-year-old hearts to handle, so we appreciate the patience and understanding that has been shown to us.
Natural Deltas 