True Colours

As I set out on my late afternoon run, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty I saw all around me.  The ground was covered in a mosaic of warm yellow, orange and red leaves, and the sky was dusted with soft lilac hues.  Autumn is a magnificent season, neither cold nor wind can subdue its flamboyant spirit, or hide its true colours.  It is the last Friday of a very mild Autumn and, despite my laboured breathing as I plodded along, it felt as if there was a hush over the day, as if nature was taking a brief pause while drinking in the last sunrays of the day.  I could not help but think that maybe, like nature, we should also sometimes pause for a moment and just be.  Breathe and enjoy the moment, allowing the glow of autumn to enfold us.  It reminds me of what is written in Ecclesiastes; there is a time for everything - a time to be born, and a time to die, a time for laughter... Seasons.  Seasons begin, and seasons end, yet each one has its own beauty and its own purpose.  For me Autumn is a season of contemplation, a time filled with gratitude for the good times, to give thanks for the joys and gifts of past seasons.  It is a time to enjoy the harvest after the labour is done.  It is also a time to prepare for the winter that awaits, when the days are cold and the winds are harsh against our cheeks.  It is the memories of these golden days that sustain us through the gray of Winter.  

Enjoy the last few days of this gentle season for soon the frost will steal the last colours from fallen leaves.

I leave you with this quote by John Donne , 

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face."

[The Autumnal]” 

― John Donne, The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose

His Perfect Plan

A while back somebody told me this story:

A little boy was walking along and in the veld he found a cocoon, he picked it up and noticed that on the inside there was a butterfly struggling to come out. He immediately took out his pocket knife and cut the cocoon open. Very proud of himself, he helped the butterfly out and placed it on the nearest flower. However, instead of spreading its wings to fly off, it fluttered weakly for a few moments and then fell over and died. Dismayed the little boy ran home and told his father about the incident. The father explained to the little boy that the butterfly needed to struggle its own way out of the cocoon in order to grow its wings strong enough to survive. When the time was right, it would have emerged from the cocoon, delicate yet strong. This story made me think of us as humans. So often, when we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we wait for somebody to come along and help us out. Some knight in shining armour to fight our battle for us, some Samaritan to help carry the burden and often we will just give up the fight, but it is in the struggle, in overcoming, that our strength lies. The butterfly is exquisitely and perfectly created by God, and the inborn struggle it has to go through is also part of God's perfect plan, it serves a divine purpose. When the time is right, God's plan will reveal itself to us, and looking back we can see how it all worked together to complete the picture. Without that time spend in the cocoon, the struggle towards freedom, the caterpillar would forever stay just that, a caterpillar. In Jer. 29: 11 the Lord promises that He has plans for us, plans that we may prosper, not plans to harm us, but when the time is right, His perfect time......

If you flutter by here I hope you will be kind enough to leave a comment, I would appreciate it.

Blessings to you all,

Charri

Pull the Plug

Listen...can you hear it?  It is there.  It is everywhere. We are surrounded by it every day.  It is woven into the silence around us.  It is so subtle that we are not really aware of it, that is, until load shedding reveals its sudden absence.  It is the constant humming of ambient noise that envelops us daily.  Mechanical noise pollution it is called.  Without realizing it, we are actually addicted to its presence.  When power cuts leave us in silence, most people find the sudden absence of sound unsettling at first.  It suddenly feels as if we can hear our own hearts beating, and we feel the urge to whisper reverently.  Yet, soon we are filled with a sense of relief, a feeling of release as if we can now breathe freely and more deeply.

Without us being aware of it, this background noise actually hinders our concentration, and as it gets louder it has an increasing effect on our stress levels.  It can even cause us to feel irritable or aggressive.  Some individuals may suffer headaches or migraines from this low level droning.  People suffering from high blood pressure could experience a worsening of their symptoms.  In today's modern and fast paced world we seem to be unable to escape it, as our livelihood depends on the electronics all around us - computers, cell phones, television, security cameras, lights and power supplies, refrigerators, coffee machines and power tools to name a few.

So what should we do?

Sell everything and head for the mountains, maybe?  Quite a romantic idea, but not very practical.  I, for one, will soon miss the comfort of my ambient noise when the shrill chattering of those furry flying night creatures pierces the night!  However, I do suggest we all try to spend one day each month totally unplugged!  Yes - UNPLUGGED!

Switch off the computers, unplug the television sets and put your cell phone(s) on silent, hidden in your drawer for the day.  Make sure your gas cooker is ready and get out the candles.  Make it an adventure for the whole family, it can be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your children.  Teach them the art of board games and hopscotch.  Organize an Easter egg hunt by candle light. Tell stories at dinner time, watch the play of shadows thrown against the kitchen walls by the flickering oil lamps.  If we start this month, then we will have had ten unplugged days for this year.  Invite your friends or family over to share in this new tradition with you.  This might be the perfect opportunity to strengthen friendships and create memories.

Going wireless can bring us back in touch with a slower pace and with each other, maybe even with nature itself.

Share your thoughts about this idea with me, and if you have tried this, please let me know how you experienced it.

Blessings,

Charri

Maya Angelou

I love the poetry of Maya Angelou. 

She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928 and named Marguerite Annie Johnson.  She was an  author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer.   Over a period of five decades, she published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry.  She also wrote many plays, movies, and television shows during this period.  Maya was the recipient of countless  awards and a host of  honorary degrees.

In her first autobiography she recounts the story of  first seventeen years of life, published under the title  "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1969).   She was the second child of Bailey Johnson, a doorman  and Vivian (Baxter) Johnson who was a nurse. When she was three years old, her parents divorced and she and her brother were sent to live with their  grandmother, Annie Henderson, Stamps, Arkansas. 
When Maya was eight, she was back with her mother in St Louis.  It was here that she was raped by her mother's boyfriend, a man named Freeman. Maya told her brother, who in turn told the rest of their family. Freeman was found guilty, yet he was  in prison only for one day. However, four days later he was murdered.  It is suspected that her uncles might have been responsible for Freeman's murder. Following this incident, Maya, for a period of almost five years, never spoke again.  The reason she gave was, "I thought, my voice killed him; I killed that man, because I told his name. And then I thought I would never speak again, because my voice would kill anyone ..."

Here is one of Maya's well known poems.  I hope you enjoy it with me.

ALONE by Maya Angelou

Lying, thinking

Last night

How to find my soul a home

Where water is not thirsty

And bread loaf is not stone

I came up with one thing

And I don't believe I'm wrong

That nobody,

But nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone

Nobody, but nobody

Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires

With money they can't use

Their wives run round like banshees

Their children sing the blues

They've got expensive doctors

To cure their hearts of stone.

But nobody

No, nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone

Nobody, but nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely

I'll tell you what I know

Storm clouds are gathering

The wind is gonna blow

The race of man is suffering

And I can hear the moan,

'Cause nobody,

But nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone

Nobody, but nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Forgive Yesterday

Today I want to talk about Yesterday.  The Beatles sing "Oh, I believe in yesterday", while David Guetta says "I got no use for yesterday".  

Whichever song you sing, Yesterday is a fact, and it is a part of our lives.  Our photo albums are filled with yesterdays.  Precious moments captured, happy smiles and memorable events.  In between each snapshot are hundreds of unrecorded yesterday moments.  We cannot change any of our yesterdays, nor can we live there, and like it or not, yesterday has an impact on each one of us. However, we can decide what impact we are going to allow our yesterdays to have on our lives today.  In fact, quite often it is this decision that has a direct effect on the quality of our happiness today. 

Let's take a closer look at Yesterday. Yesterday started out as a beautiful and perfect day just like today. It had all the potential of today, yet stuff happened during the day, some of it wonderful, some exciting and some of it unpleasant., but one thing about yesterday - it had just 24 hours.  Try as we might, we cannot re-live those 24 hours, we do not get a do-over, or a play-again.  No amount of regret, remorse or resentment can change what happened during those 24 hours.  Not even when we spend all of today's 24hours on re-living or re-thinking what happened yesterday, can we change a single thing about yesterday.  Good or bad, joyful or sad, it is done and dusted.  We can paste the memories in an album, we can count the scars or the gold stars, we can tick the day off on a calender and we can learn from yesterday, but we cannot alter it.  Yet, that is what most of us do.  We feverishly hold onto yesterday and all its moments.  We worry about every decision we made, agitate over every action we took and in the process, we end up with a half-lived today which leads to yet more regrets.

It is time to forgive yesterday.  Look at it for what it is.  It is a day made up out of a mixture of good and bad, happy and sad moments.  It may be filled with precious memories or just a few little moments of everyday things to treasure, it may also have some moments in it that we never want to repeat again. It also has lessons to be learned from, opportunities for growth and enlightenment for our days ahead.  So, learn from it, remember the wonderful moments, but also forgive it and forgive yourself!  

Make a decision that 2015 will be the year where yesterday will no longer ruin today or rule over tomorrow.  Yesterday is a series of photographs in your memory book, but it is no longer a banner across your life, you are not your past, you are, however, the decisions you make about your past.

May you have the courage to embrace this day and LIVE it!!!

Anything to share?  Please drop us a note, we would love to hear your voice here on the blog.
Blessings!!!

Here's to William

One of the most well known poets of all time is certainly William Shakespeare!  Here is a little bit of information about him.

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616)^[nb 1] was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.^[1] He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon".^[2][nb 2] His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays,^[nb 3] 154 sonnets, two narrativelongpoems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.^[3]

Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.^[4]

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.^[5][nb 4] His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. In 1623, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare, published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's. It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson, in which Shakespeare is hailed, presciently, as "not of an age, but for all time."^[6]

(the above information is courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare )

Peace to You

This year I am sharing some thoughts or ideas  to help us live this year to the fullest, to make this a year of remarkable living.  Join me here for an astounding journey through 2015.

This past week I have been listening to what people are saying to each other about their lives in general.  Many people are talking about the issues they have with the government and even more people are lamenting about the cost of living.  However, the theme that seemed to come up most often is about them not having enough time, and about how hectic their lives are.  This year is still in its infancy, yet they are already feeling exhausted.  Calmness, peace and quite seem to be in short supply.  The question that came up in my mind was how could we address this problem, after all there are only so many hours in the day.  So I started experimenting and found that it is not about finding extra time somewhere, but rather a question about how to recharge your batteries effectively and thus having more energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead.

It all came down to taking 10 to 15 minutes OUT of your day.  Yes, taking 15 minutes out of your busy schedule. "Where must I find those 15 minutes?" I can hear you cry out.  The good news is that we all have 15 minutes spare in a day, whether it is those 15 minutes we are awake before the alarm goes off in the morning, or 2 o'clock in the morning when we find ourselves suddenly awake for no reason, or before we settle in for the night.  Wherever you find those 15 minutes, book them as exclusively YOU time.

Ok, so what do you do with those 15 minutes?

Spend them being still.  Here on the blog I have put a link for some soothing instrumental music.

Find a quiet place, in the house, the garden or the attic.  Close the door, ban all outside interference and put the music on to play softly in the background.  Put a timer on for 10/ 15 minutes so that you do not have to worry about the time.  Sit down quietly, and comfortably and close your eyes.  Empty your thoughts of all your worries, your deadlines, the staff meeting, the chores awaiting you for the day.  Focus only on the music flowing around you, through you and in you, if you want to, you may think of a verse of scripture or an encouraging quote, but do not allow any worries or fears or the pressures of everyday to hijack these 15 minutes.  Just listen and feel the gentle melody touching you, and lifting your spirit...

When the alarm rings.  Switch off the music and carry on with the rest of your day, refreshed and recharged.

For centuries, many cultures have realized the benefits of meditation, yet most of us believe it to be hocus-pocus.  However, studies have shown that there are several benefits of meditation.  Just like a calm, peaceful body of water, a lake or river, best reflect the images of nature all around, the same way we are able to focus better when we are internally calm.  It is this calmness that can bring greater clarity to issues we might be struggling with.  Meditation can refresh our minds and bodies and fill us with energy and enthusiasm which in turn help us to perform better and faster.  Meditation can also help to calm us down after a stressful day, it can help us to relax and sleep better.  Meditation can create feelings of peace and happiness, and in turn we can pass these feelings on to everyone we come into contact with.

Still sceptical? Try it, even if only once a week, you will soon realize that you start to look forward to those 10-15 minutes just clearing your mind and letting the music soothe your soul.  If you want to share your experience with us, please feel free to do so here on the blog.  I would love to hear from you.

Here is the link for the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnfj6QCGLyA

Words have Wings

Words.

I love words.  I love the way they feel in my mouth, on my tongue, the weight they carry.  The way they can be sweet, or heavy or sometimes just a gossamer whisper slipping over my lips.

Words can heal, but also hurt.  They have wings.  Once they leave your mouth, they fly away, never to return unspent.

Words have to be used carefully.  They carry a responsibility.  God created by means of a word.  He IS a word.  Words are to be treasured.

As a child my father taught me that cussing or swearing was proof of a poor and inadequate vocabulary, and my sister told me to always choose my words the same way that I would pick flowers for a friend, just the most beautiful.  I have passed these truths on to my children.

This post is all about WORDS.

A single word can be a poem by itself, it is loaded with suggestion and meaning.  It can calm the storm or ignite a fire.  It can instantly conjure up a meaning, tell a story or unleash a song.  My children and I often play this game with my husband.  We would say a word and he will sing us a song with that word in it.

I decided that on Mondays I will share posts about words, poetry or any form of writing with you.  It is for all the word artists out there, or anybody interested in the beauty of words and their meaning.  I will share poetry, little literary titbits, quotes, books to read, etc with you on a weekly basis.  Please feel free to share, comment or contribute in some way.

Let your words have wings......

Today I want to share a bit of information about poetry itself.

"Poetry as an art form predates literacy. Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung. Following the development writingof, poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms, though much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away from traditional forms towards the more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats.

Poetry was employed as a way of remembering oral history, story (epic poetry), genealogy, and law. Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements. Many of the poems surviving from the ancient world are a form of recorded cultural information about the people of the past, and their poems are prayers or stories about religious subject matter, histories about their politics and wars, and the important organizing myths of their societies.

Poetry as an art form may predate literacy^[1] Thus many ancient works, from the Vedas (1700 - 1200 BC) to the Odyssey (800 - 675 BC), appear to have been composed in poetic form to aid memorization and oral transmission, in prehistoric and ancient societies.^[2] Poetry appears among the earliest records of most literate cultures, with poetic fragments found on early monoliths, runestones and stelae.

The oldest surviving poem is the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor,^[3] writtenin Hieratic and ascribed a date around 4500 B.C.E. Other sources ascribe the earliest written poetry to the Epic of Gilgamesh written in cuneiform; however, it is most likely that The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailorpredates Gilgamesh by half a millennium. The oldest epic poetry besides the Epic of Gilgamesh are the Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey andIndianthe Sanskrit epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The longest epic poems ever written were the Mahabharata and the Tibetan Epic of King Gesar."

(The above information is courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_poetry )

If you would like to share something with us about poetry, feel free to do so.  I would love to hear from you.