Winter Break is Almost Here...

 As I look forward to a two break from work, this week feels long. Every year brings its new challenges, this year being no exception - a welter of unspoken, only-to-be-guessed at expectations, the annual Christmas program, and staff breakfast/mug exchange have left me feeling rather jaded. Of all the people on staff to get the actual Christmas mug (it's been nearly 20 years since I celebrated this holiday)... and who thought it a good idea to have the program on a Tuesday so our Wednesday felt like a Friday? Conversation causing me to ask why some people think their way should be imposed on all, not even caring that some do not share their view - can anyone say white privilege? And, I have a cold... Enough kvetching already.

Yet, as I begin to practice mindfulness and delve into the practice of meditation, the tools I have found are a treasure trove of strength and awareness. Breathe. In. Out. Deep. Slow. Calm. Ease... This too shall pass. All is impermanence.

So, we managed our mostly monthly beach clean-up today as we were in need of a diversion from the usual routine.  Scouring through the beach grass collecting 66 lbs of flotsam on a nearly windless day was fun for us all (despite the frozen landscape and faces). Well, except for Mary who cut her hand on the beach grass. She was doctored up by my cohort in crime and felt better with a tootsie pop in hand.

On the way home (I managed to leave before dark today - a first in several weeks), I got to experience this amazing display going through Copalis Beach! And, the roads weren't icy as they have been the past couple of mornings!

Agates

I am continually drawn to find agates whenever I walk at Damon Point. Why, and what are they exactly?

"Most agates occur as nodules in former cavities produced by "Volatiles" in the original molten mass, which were then filled, wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. Agate has also been known to fill veins or cracks in volcanic or altered rock underlain by granitic intrusive masses." ~ Wiki

So, they're made from molten, gelatinous mineral that filled in empty spaces in volcanic rock.  The predominant mineral in them is chalcedony, a microcrystalline type of quartz. Wiki goe on to say that agates are often pitted on the outside due to the original outer layer being removed. For the full article, read HERE.

One source  spoke specifically about the AGATES common to the Damon Point area, here on the Washington coast.

Apparently agates have more properties than I realized... maybe those that I've collected are what caused the imminent 'storm of the century' to pass by us last month! Haha!

Prevents insomnia Promotes pleasant dreams Makes you more persuasive Helps you to be less disagreeable Helps cure skin diseases Protects from danger Promotes good agricultural crops Diverts dangerous storms Helps predict the future Keeps the blood healthy Relieves thirst Helps you to be truthful

Encourages a broader perspective Attracts good fortune Increases concentration Promotes good will Is an aid in overcoming flaws Helps eliminate bad luck Calms fear and stress Provides a sense of strength and courage Stimulates fertility Helps bone marrow Relieves allergies Enhances creativity

Phone Pics

Photos never quite capture what I see yet they still remind me of those instances when I am captivated by breathtaking beauty around me, moments when I am living completely in the present and feel fully alive. Though the colors are never quite true nor the essence quite captured, these still bring me pleasure at the remembrance of such times...

Sittin' in the swing on our deck, this sunset captivated me.

I like to stop at the Roosevelt Beach access on my way home from work on those rare days of sunlight, warmth, and not staying too far past my paycheck.

Love this feature on my phone, and walking at Damon Point on an early Fall evening.

Or, taking a shorter walk after work down to the bridge over the canal. The reflecting clouds were amazing that day!

Even though it's an invasive species, the milfoil off of our dock creates interesting patterns.

In between parent conferences last week, I went for a walk to the gazebo overlooking the beach near school. Where else could I experience such a view by walking only five minutes from my job?

And, a rare and glorious sunrise captivated me for quite a distance the other morning, so I had to pull off at the first opportunity to try to capture it.

And, finally, an unexpected sunny morning and a walk at Damon Point letting the foamy waves chase me back. Liz was able to take time away from her studies and join me - what a treat!

Camera Break

Yesterday, we poked around Snohomish enjoying the many shops along the river, attempting to relax with our cameras. 

Spring Flowers

Just taking some time to enjoy the few flowers in our yard this week with the sunshine brightening them all.

Flowers don't worry about how the're going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful. ~Jim Carrey

Time for a Little Contemplation...

Today is the first day in a very long time (maybe ever) that I took a little afternoon drive to Ocean Shores all on my own. All I wanted to do was walk on the beach, breathe in that ocean air and think - a wonderful way to spend a Shabbat in my humble opinion.

As I drove along the familiar way, memories came to me at random - times that my bestie and I took the kids on letterboxing excursions or just to walk on the beach - days when Larry joined us, and days when just she and I had a 'girls' day out' laughing, singing, talking... oh, how we talked, solving all the world's problems together.  Emotions flowed through each event - fondness, sadness, uninhibited happiness, gratefulness - so much gratefulness that I have each of those experiences. I just let them come with the accompanying feelings, examining them and trying to put each in its place.

Love the texture!

More texture!

Valuable it was to take the day and work through the many changes in my life from the time I first set my feet on this shore till now.  Now... I am grateful for now.  I have hope now, emotional safety, and the opportunity to learn who I really am.  I pondered enabling and codependency - my experiences with these are starkly clear in my mind.  I recognize my tendencies more readily.

This reminds me of some of those pithy quotes on Facebook...

Lots of people on the first sunny, semi-warm day in ages.

What do I like to do at the beach when it's just me?  Apparently, I like to do what I always do whether I'm alone or with friends - play with my camera, walk, drive, sing, think, pray, collect beach treasures. Oh, and I talked with a dear friend who is half way across the country, while walking along Damon Point (below)! And, I found several tiny agates and a lovely piece of green sea glass that now reside with my other beach treasures. See, Kev, I can multi-task!  Thanks for a wonderful conversation!

A young fisherman contemplates...

So, here's to a happy day well spent in one of my favorite parts of the world - for that, too, I am so grateful! Now, I'm home, comfortably ensconced in front of my computer with a glass of wine and Miss Sasha nearby waiting for me to come to bed.

Blessed are You, Oh LORD, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who guides each step we take, and provides our every need.  Thank You for this restful, happy Shabbat Pesach!

Looking Back... Haha!

Several years back now, my family and I were visiting my mother in Idaho.  We made a little detour into Hell's Gate State Park near Lewiston on the way home (I was planting a couple of letterboxes that have since disappeared).

I couldn't resist taking pics of these signs in the parking lot of the marina.  Since then, they've been removed (some are not exactly PC... you've been fairly warned).

Sasha - A Series

Sasha thinks she's pretty cool up there on the banister...

The Neighbors

This little hummer sat at our frozen feeder long enough to let us see his brilliant coloring.  When you stand in just the right spot, his feathers are iridescent.

This one sits and waits... watching...

Regarding Finches

3 finch

2 finch

1 finch

"House Finches are small-bodied finches with fairly large beaks and somewhat long, flat heads. The wings are short, making the tail seem long by comparison. Many finches have distinctly notched tails, but the House Finch has a relatively shallow notch in its tail."