Friday, June 13th 2014

This Day

Did you receive your daily bread today?
Then today was a good day.

For some though, it was a day of superstition.

Fear of Friday 13th gained strength in the 

20th Century for many reasons. Everyone

has their own history with this date.

Many cultures embrace the idea that other certain

numbers and days of the week are unlucky.

William Butlers Yeats was born on this date
in 1865. As it happens he did have strong
leanings toward magic and numerology.
But the better point for us today is that he
wrote some beautiful poems. 

End your day on a peaceful note.  "Cloths of Heaven" is
now in the public domain. You can read it on the Internet.

                           Tread softly . . .

Thursday, June 12th 2014

Summer Recess

You may have noticed that little by little
schools are letting children out for summer.

In 1963 Nat King Cole made famous
these lyrics:

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days

of summer . . . You'll wish that summer

could always be here."

Judges call a recess

in the courtroom and

Congress must take

their recess in summer,

but children just want

to sleep in and go to

the beach and ask the

question: What are you

doing this summer?

Children, have fun! 

Summers do come to

an end too soon.

Today the Library of Congress announced that Charles Wright

will be our 20th Poet Laureate.

"Every true poem is a spark, and aspires to the condition

of the original fire . . . "  -Charles Wright

                        Congratulations!

Wednesday, June 11th 2014

Cups & Kindness

Do you ever wonder why so many sports

 these days seem to be about the CUP. . . 

Stanley Cup

World Cup

America's Cup

We forget there is another cup in the world:
The Cup of Kindness.

We often teach our children

to be kind and then forget

that the cup should rest on

our lips also.

"You cannot do a kindness too soon,

for you never know how soon it

will be too late."  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

If today you are inclined to kindness, you might share

your story at  RAK.(Randomactsof kindness.org).

The poet Robert Burns wrote,

 "we'll take a cup o' kindness yet . . ."

Is today that day?

Tuesday, June 10th 2014

Nature

"In all things of nature there is something

of the marvelous."  -Aristotle

Many would amend the words of the ancient 

philosopher by saying:  

"In all of nature there is something of God."

Have you ever taken a day to disconnect from

the news and events of the world and just gone

for a walk in the early morning? 

You might find . . .

All cacti are succulents,

but not all succulents

are cacti.

Mallards search

wherever they 

must in order to find 

their breakfast.

It seems trees tell

something about 

their age -- and the

times in which they

live and die.

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have

my senses put in order."  --John Burroughs, Naturalist

Note: if you are a photographer (though you have heard it

before) always carry a spare battery for your camera!

            Here's to you -- and the gift!

Monday, June 9th 2014

Locks of Love

Today the BBC reports that a piece of the fencing on a bridge
in Paris has fallen due to the weight of the padlocks that lovers have
attached. (Keys are then tossed into the River Seine.)

Perhaps, France needs Doris Day to come over and sing her
Academy Award winning song, "Secret Love."

       

The song shares the story of one who had a secret love that

"became impatient to be free." Anyway, lovely Doris tells the

stars and then, sooner or later she . . .

"Even told the golden daffodils."

In many ways the weight of Love can be heavy. 

We need ways to share our feelings.

                     LOL

If you have lots of love and hair and you want

to share, why not make a donation to Locks of Love.

This organization makes hairpieces for children.

Children who have lost their own hair due to cancer

or an auto-immune disease.

Will you Share Love today? 

Sunday, June 8th 2014

Pentecost.

Fifty days after Easter the Holy Spirit was sent 

in flames of fire upon the followers of Jesus.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit include: 

Wisdom, Counsel, Understanding, Fortitude,

Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

The Bible is believed to be the inspired word of God. Yes! . .  

but how many interpretations have you heard in your lifetime?

The Third Person of the Trinity gives inspiration for the task

because as Thomas Merton once said,

    "Our idea of God tells us more about
            ourselves than about Him."

Here are two writers who may inspire you, if you

are one who finds the interior life and its meaning

important in your life:

Jessica Powers, cloistered nun and poet 

Frederick Buechner, novelist and nonfiction writer

Saturday, June 7th 2014

The Race

"There are a thousand ways to lose

and only one way to win" or so the

saying goes. 

                                                               Looking & Seeing

Were you one of the thousands who

watched the 146th Belmont Stakes 

today?

California Chrome had everyone

cheering for that infamous breathing strip,

as well as their own nine million plus bets.

No doubt the trivia about this day will
be included in future books about racing.
Were you counting the seconds, the minutes,
and the hours as you waited to finally view
this race?

Well . . . on this day in 1989 you might have counted
the seconds of the clock for a very different reason.
At one small point in time on that day, you wouldhave read: 1:23:45, 6-7-89.

For another view of a racetrack, you might go to

the movie, My Fair Lady and watch Audrey Hepburn

at the horse race. With her grace and civility and humor

she wins!