My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Glorious early morning sunlight on grass.
2. Beginning to see a few (emphasis on “few”) early indications of Approaching Autumn here in Savannah.
3. The simply amazing Ability to Walk! What a blessing. The next time you walk today (if you can), shout (or think loudly), “Look at me! I am WALKING!”
4. The beautiful opposite of Happy Bringer #1 above …
… evening sunset.
5. Watermelon with a mouth.
Happy Weekend!
Marveling at these luscious hydrangeas HR and I saw on a walk near us here in Historic District Savannah …
In February!
October!
I saw (and smelled) these aromatic beauties on a cool morning walk here in Historic District Savannah.
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, Day Three of Advent … “TAKE A WINTER NATURE WALK.”
Here are today’s instructions:
Time to get outside and go on a winter nature walk.
As you start your walk, be mindful of the physical sensations of walking, like the lifting and falling of your feet, their contact on the ground, the movements of the muscles in your legs and body. Feel the cool, crisp air as you breathe it in.
Be attentive to nature as you walk. Take in the sights, sounds and smells. Take time to stop and examine things more closely. Consider the feelings and emotions that these things evoke. Be alert to the aspects of nature that contribute to the wintry feeling: the bare branches of trees, a layer of frost, your breath in the air, a brittle twig snapping underfoot.
If you are lucky enough to have snow, feel and hear it as you press it under your feet. Feast your eyes on how it dresses the world in sheets of white. Pick some up in your hand and feel the icy tingle. Examine it close up, study the beautiful pattern of a single snowflake. Note all the emotions and associations that come to mind while walking in the snow.
Spending time to mindfully experience nature is a healthy way to reduce stress and freshen the mind.
A sampling of our winter walks over the years …
May you Walk into Joyful Peace today.
“Sticking”
What am I seeing? What should I do?
I don’t know about you, and I don’t claim to be an exercise physiologist, so correct me if I am wrong, but I always thought that walking involved movement. Especially your legs propelling you forward.
HR comes from an alternative school of thought. The “Walk Till You See Something—ANYTHING—That Grabs Your Attention Philosophy.” Then stop and take multitudinous (Is that a word?) photos of the attention grabber. You can always edit—and walk—later.
So this morn, we ventured out on our SMW (Sunday Morning Walk), which we often do instead of church (nature’s sermons are much more interesting).
If I wanted to hold a grudge, I could document at least a dozen “attention grabbers” Robert stopped for this morn. But let’s allow two to suffice.
We paused for a good five minutes at this “interesting” old chopped-up bush.
I think I’ve told you this before, but Robert NEVER thinks to inform me that he is going to “stop for the op.” After all, his attention has been grabbed! I usually end up walking at least a block away, chattering animatedly about some important topic, like how disappointed I was in the last season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. When I realize HR’s nowhere near me, I turn around and head back, ignoring the sympathetic stares and giggles of people who heard me talking to myself.
And looky here …
A caterpillar! (A good ten minutes.)
This stop was multidimensional for Robert. 1. To take twelve dozen photos. 2. Good Samaritan-ly to save an innocent life. The caterpillar was in the middle of the sidewalk. (We watched the Tiny Worlds documentary series.)
It’s important to take the time to document the caterpillar’s body from EVERY conceivable angle.
Here are a few of HR’s pics …
See what I have to put up with?
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But when all is said and done—and photographed—I do love our walks. And I do love HR.
He’s my blossom.
So this is what I have to put up with when Robert and I go out for a morning walk.
“Just a second, let me snap a quick picture or two.”
I can either put my Apple Watch fitness thingy on Pause and just stand there, or shake my arm to confuse the watch into thinking I’m still walking. Which causes great exhaustion after one long minute.
Or throw together a quick blog post.
NealEnJoy 