When Kindred Spirits Meet

I had placed my little elephant on the concrete to take a pic and this little boy made a beeline for it. His mom yelled, “Stop, that’s not yours. Don’t touch it!” I looked up and saw him. And his little dinosaurs, and his little brother, who’d all come to the plaza to play in the fountain.

“Here you go. Can my elephant meet your dinosaur? You can hold him but I need to have him back….Can I take your picture?”

The encounter didn’t last long. He handed back the elephant, reluctantly. I kept taking pics. And moved on.

So, I’m on my free-range road trip visiting lots of people and places, and taking along my micro-elephants to focus my eye on the smallest meaningful moments and metaphors. These little guys (boy, his dinosaur, and my ellie) remind me how the littlest things can connect people, if we have the courage to stop and relate.

This morning, days later, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have been more generous and given the elephant to him. Note to self, perhaps I should carry extra elephants with me at all times.

P.S. Just noticed something. Look at the last pic and reflection…do you see the other elephant face? What is that!?

#connecting #micromoments #elephantlove #freerangeroadtrip #couragewaylife #relate #reframegame

After the Windowsill

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Today was the day. It was time to let my seashell friends and stones go back home. They’ve been gracing my windowsills nearly a year, coming to stay a few at a time over time. The spiders and dust motes made them sneeze. So in the spirit of Solstice next Tuesday, it seemed the right day to let High Tide give them a go.

So off to Point Robinson, north of the lighthouse.

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Out of the basket, landing in the sand with happy chirps.

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Ah, what a beautiful crew. I’m going to miss them.

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They jumped onto the just-right-size driftwood to take in the view, get their bearings.

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Then we sang songs. I wish you could have heard them harmonizing.

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When it was time for me to say farewell, one little green stone asked to go back in my pocket. I said yes, of course, yes.

I must admit, the basket wasn’t empty when I left the beach. New stones had invited themselves for summer vacation. But that’s another story.

     Enjoy the whole movie story with music:  

The Dandelion and the Seashell

 

I found a tiny pink seashell

It was half-past high tide and love at first sight
when the tiny pink seashell
caught my heart from her spot on the sand.

She paused in her talk with the shell-shard and seaweed
to blow me a kiss of hello.

Pleased to meet you

“Oh, hello! Pleased to meet you,” I said
as I sat down and scooped her up in my palm.
“I’ve never seen anyone like you before in this cove.”

“That’s cuz I’m new here,” she replied.
“Can you show me around?”

We went down to the driftwood

We walked up the beach
and I showed her some sights
she’d never seen from the height of my hand.
At the Driftwood Plateau we met a lone plant
who had grown in the sea-tossed-up soil.
“Seashell, meet Dandelion.
Dandelion, Seashell.”

Seashell, meet Dandelion.

“I thought dandelions were bright yellow with petals?”
Seashell asked with a pure questioning heart.
“I am still a yellow dandelion,” said the flower,
“But my yellow has transformed into seeds.
What you see now are my daughter ideas
almost ready to spread.”

“Is it true I can blow on your face
to make my wishes come true?”
asked Seashell.

What you may not know
(Because I know I didn’t)

is that dandelions can make wishes, too,
by blowing into the face of pink seashells.

Who's making the wish?

Each blew hard as they could
to send their wish flying.
Seashell did a backflip.
Dandelion launched seeds.

Shell's wish to stay

“Ha! Now my wish can come true,”
laughed the shell when she landed.
“I’m hoping a wave will arise
and sweep me back to the sea. That’s where I belong.”

Dandelion's wish comes true, too

Without a word Dandelion smiled,
Trusting her wish would come true.

Going With the Flow

{Spoiler alert: There’s a movie at the end.}

The first step of an adventure…

The first step of an adventure

combines peril with pause
and a push…

And a push

Your heart pounds a bit
like the waves rolling in

The waves rolling in

You must remember to breathe.

Remember to breathe

Lean in, use your legs
and don’t mind the spectators
sitting like the rocks that they are
wishing they had your verve and your nerve.

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Pray for strength and strong rope.

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Hope your ballast means balance

Whirlpools

Wish on the whirlpools
and wait for the waves…

And plunge into the waves
Push! Kick! Jump!
Off you go!

The clouds part

Clouds part.
Sun comes out.

You’re now on your way.

Add some friends.

Pick up some buddies,
Take turns being guide.

Set your course

Set your course
See the sights

Salute the seaweed and mermaids below.

See seaweed    More seaweed

 Enjoy sailing

Engage your reflection
in fun conversation

Who knows what she sees from her side.

Enjoy being afloat

Enjoy being afloat.
Race the clouds.
Race the whales.
Raise your sails, in spirit at least.

Go ashore

Ahoy there!
There’s land.
An uncharted island.

Let's go explore.

Let’s go explore.
Stow your boat.

Say farewell

Say farewell to the shells
who began to get seasick
and are glad to land back on the sand.

So long for now

So long for now.

16-bye-bye

It’s time for adventure on land
(after Old Driftwood tells me a story).

See you next time!

I’ll send a postcard!


P.S. Here’s a glimpse of our ocean adventure in motion.

Dancing with a Shadow of My Current Self

My shadow snuck up on me

I was just standing there
enjoying the view
breathing in the salt air
when I felt a presence behind me
breathing out.

I froze for a second
afraid of what I might find.

I turned suddenly

I spun around
and said “Ha!”
as if to surprise the intruder.
And I saw it was me.
“Ha!” my shadow said back
unsurprised
and happy to see me
face to face.

Hello old friend

Hello, old friend
she said to me
and I said to her
in the same breath.

Shall we dance?

Shall we dance?

She whistled a tune
while we danced a jig
and laughed when
I tripped over my toes
and almost fell into the tide.

Let's go explore

Oh, I’ve missed you!
Where have you been?

Here. As always.
You forget to listen
for my whispers,
she said without hurt.
Life gets loud, doesn’t it?
she said with compassion.

And then, to change the subject
and get back to some fun,
she said,
Let’s go on an adventure…

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As we peered round the corner
seeing where to go next
we drew close enough to swap secrets.
Nearly one as shadow and light
but not quite.

I love sunny days.

Last dance

The Answer Was Yes!

We've moved!

We’ve moved!

Is this mine, was my October question. This place with the blue door in the meadow. This cottage with the piano inside. This yard with swings in three trees.

It takes courage to say Yes to your life when it shows up with a gift without warning. Like love at first sight. Your mind can come up with a long list of reasons (and fears) to say No.

It’s too much. It sounds hard. I’m not ready.

Or you can open your mind by hearing the thoughts of your heart.

It’s what I always imagined…in detail. It feels like a gift. I’m singing silly songs I’m so happy. It feels like home and we’re not even there yet. I believe I can do this! I will trust in the process…and outcome…and future.

Then give it some time. Take some deep breaths. Accept the October invitation. Wait for the November answer.

Yes. Yes. Yes!

Uncross your fingers and slap a high five!

Pack your boxes and move! Unpack. Bake a turkey. Give thanks. Begin to get settled. Add a tree. Hang some lights. Do the dance of a happy December.

Then let the adventure begin!!

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Blue Door Signs from My Soul

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Blue doors have been my thing for a very long time. I’ve always claimed blue as my favorite color, sometimes periwinkle, sometimes cornflower. But blue. I’ve never had a blue door though I’ve painted blue walls.

I have a blue door in the alpine meadow of wildflowers where I go when I meditate really deep. It stands there, no walls, in the middle of the meadow, as if I’m supposed to go through.

But I couldn’t. I would sit down with my back against the door. I heard a laughing invitation to just walk around the side, that I didn’t have to go through. But I couldn’t. I was stumped.

Another time, not long ago, I landed in my meadow out of the blue. I opened the door. Beyond it was a dark midnight sky full of stars. I stepped through and soared through the stars for a bit, tethered to the doorway by a silver cord. I didn’t stay long.

A few weeks ago, I finally stepped all the way through, not just that door but a whole series of doors. I erased some hard parts of the past, walked down paths now easier to see and to choose. And I heard, “Trust and believe. Expect miracles.”

I didn’t expect what happened the very next day. I saw my blue door, live and in person, around the bend in an old country road, in front of a cottage for sale, with a tree swing out front. I screeched the car to a halt and pointed. “Look! A Blue Door!”  We sat there in awe. Then we got out of the car.

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bluedoor-opening600This blue door beckoned. It seemed to lead to a land of bliss and enchanted forests and talking trees and one friendly sit-on-your-shoe kind of squirrel. The cottage holds a piano, built-in bookshelves, and wrap-around windows with a view to the sea. Only a cane in the corner would have made it feel like our own Miracle on 34th Street. It seemed to say, here is your doorway to heaven. You’re welcome. Come in.

So the question is whether this cottage for sale, this land of bliss, this tree swing, this door, this meadow with room for a horse and some chickens, is supposed to be ours.  It sure feels like a soul sign. It sure feels like a miracle.

I do know, at the least, that this real-life blue door is a sign from my soul to pay attention to miracles. To pay attention to gifts that come out of the blue. To open the door and walk through, with courage not fear. With hope, not with doubt. With wonder and more wonder and more wonder yet, and some patience to wait for the answer to “I wonder what this all means?”

I don’t know the answer. Not yet. We’re doing some work called Logistics and Research. That hard human work that makes miracles happen for real. Or at least invites the result. Accepting the invitation to a miracle takes as much courage and work as you can muster, it seems.

And I’m waiting to see if the sign was a “Yes, this is your home.” Or if it means something else. Trust and believe can mean anything. But I do believe in blue doors. And I believe that miracles might have a different answer than the one I first thought of. I don’t know the answer. Not yet. I just hope I am asking all the right questions so the right answer will come when it’s time.

Trust and believe.

Fingers crossed.

 

How it began upon meeting my friend.

 The other day I was down at the beach at low tide.

I’d been talking to seaweed and jellyfish
When I saw him half submerged in the rocks.

Well, not so much submerged as laying there with a mouth full of sand.

Washed up on the beach

So I went over and introduced myself

And asked if he wanted a hand.

So I went over an introduced myself

 I wish I could spell the sound of a shell spitting sand from it’s mouth.
I gave him a shake and he was clearing his throat.

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He coughed and he sputtered and was about to say thanks

when

Oooops!

Ooops

I wish I could spell the sound of a shell hitting sand.  I didn’t mean to drop him.

Slippery little sand feller.

I’m so sorry!

Let’s just a sit a minute.

Ahhhh.

Warm sand. The sound of soft ocean waves.

Shhhh.

There now. That’s better.

Let's just sit a minute

So once we had rested a bit, I suggested we go.

Let me take you up to the stairs
where we can see more of the sights.

Let's go up to the stairs

I know. It’s a great view from here.

Yeah, I come here a lot. I love these old steps.

Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to my friends.

We’re going to have such a good time…

 

A playful day at Cedarbrook Stables

Curious equine

A curious equine
leans down to sniff

Hey horse, come over hereHey, horsey
Come see me

What's your name?

What’s your name?

He tried to eat my hand

A second later, this one bit my hand!
I’m done.

I'm gonna explore

I’m gonna explore

Hi little mushrooms

Hi little mushrooms

Do you see the four-leaf clover?

Can you see spot a four-leaf clover?

Silly rooster

Rooster wants to play lookout

He's comin to get me

He’s comin’ to get me
Tough little bugger

Pretty feathers

Pretty preener
(Kristie, this one’s for you!)

Out back of the barn

Out back of the barn there’s this
old worn down lean-to

I have to go see

I have to go see

Magical blossoms

Magical blossoms
A moth a’lit there a moment ago

Balance beam angles

Balance beam angles

Blue beams

I love these blue beams

Walking toward the barn

Wobbley balance beam to the barn

Emerald green pastures

Emerald green pastures
sploch splish splooooch

Another pasture fence

Can I balance around the bend?

The answer to the previous question.

No.

Guess it’s time to go home.

Going on a hunt for the elusive West Seattle sand crab…

GreetingsGreetings, viewers (said in a whisper). Thanks for tuning in to our show.
Today we’re going to take you on an adventure into the driftwood caves
of West Seattle  in search of the elusive sand crab.
I’m in costume so that when we find one, it won’t be startled.
And my producer and I thought it was really just more fun.

Driftwood cave spelunkingFollow me and my camera crew as we enter this old log.

Deeper still into the driftwoodDo you see that mist? Legend has it that the older driftwood caves
exhale a vapor rich in iodine, which these sand-crabs need for breeding.

Getting darkerIt’s getting colder as we go deeper. Do you hear the crab’s melodic whistle?
It’s very faint, but those of us with trained hearing know what to listen for.

Squeeze around this bendWe have to squeeze sideways through this cave to get into the next room.
We’re getting closer. I can feel it.

Almost there...the last cave roomQuiet now. We’re almost there.
Dave, are you getting this on camera?
Here, shine your light over here!

Found one!We found one!

And there you have it!There you have it, folks! We have to cut to commercial now,
but I’m going to sit and chat with our new friend awhile.

We hope you enjoyed today’s show.
See you next week as we explore the…