Dearest Barbara, you are not alone by any means in your love of Nature... If not for these small gifts and wonders (and the BIG ones!), I would cease to thrive.
It is daily, continual, and deeply deeply moving to me, just to walk among the trees.
Oh, yes, I think our group is FAR bigger than we know!
"I marvel at so many things." And I've no doubt many things marvel at you! Ahh, what a joy reading your posts, Barbara.
Thank you sincerely for the beautiful pics and videos that allow us to see into this world of yours - so cherished.
It's a perfect first day of summer here in CT- must be quite similar to your in NH. I'm grateful.
And I'm praying for enough breeze to keep them bugs at bay during walks and for temperatures to refuse going above 80 degrees! I know, but why not ask for it?
So happy to read how well you are. What a gift spotting that turtles and watching over her eggs.
Love and even more wonder and joy wishes to you. 💕
Thank you, dear Kathleen. Yes, same cool breezy weather here! I am savoring each day of it and hoping it hangs around for a while.
So much Love back to you, my friend. Thanks for always taking the time to read and leave such heartfelt comments. I am so grateful to have met you and the others here on Substack. 🩷🩷🩷
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sheila! And the bracelet you and Heide mentioned sounds amazing! Happy Solstice, dear heart and beloved supporter of The Quaking Poplar. I so appreciate you. XOXO 🐢
That stream!!!! The power !!!! Just WOW. Hypnotizing!!!! What a gorgeous post!!!!!!! I'm glad youre making your way and finding a way to get out despite the stinking bugs!!!!! I love you 🩷
I am so in love with She Drinks From the Stream! Every time we get a hard rain, I rush like the Stream to visit her. Say hello to Lake Huron for me. Love you, dear Jamie Lynn. 🐢XO
Much love back atcha, Barbara. I'm so with you in the mode of watching a turtle dig for 90 minutes. I'm now spending my days going on garden strolls in my backyard. All I do is gaze and gaze. I feel like I can see things blooming if I pause.
My landscaper Jose just helped me bring home a hogwire arch and prop up a VERY heavy and leaning Zutano avocado tree. It now is a hobbit hole in which I can stand while combing out the dead leaves from the viny branches. Along with some avos it wanted Jose to have, I found an empty bird's nest! And the Zutano is loving up its partner Lamb Hass, so she's sprouting dozens and dozens of little baby avocados--which will be huge, given the 3 or 4 she's birthed previously. A bumper crop!
Do you have strong Taurus in your chart, Tereza? Just curious. I feel like I've been leaning into that part of me (Taurus Moon and Rising) since I moved here. Your garden sounds amazing! Hello to the baby avocados... :) 🐢XO
My zodiac sun sign is Baat, the cow goddess with inward curving horns that face the mystical world and the material world. You could call the constellation Taurus (Baal) but who ever heard of a bull that tended the flowers? And from your Scottish-Irish legacy, the white cow would be BoAnn, whose wandering way we call Milky.
I never felt like the descriptions of a Taurus fit me. Then when I realized it was the horned cow--the earliest and most universal of the metaphors for Goddess--it felt relatable. Talk about being present and patient!
An image of her horned head topped the corners of the temples, that were also the communal bakeries and pottery kiln. So the aroma of baking bread was the incense that was sent in offering, her own grains as food for the Goddess turned into a palatable food for humans. Such efficiency!
Also, your note on Mary's post was so heartfelt. I went for my morning garden stroll thinking about Jane. You would particularly like the flower bed I'm next to now, with its many shades of pink--a hot magenta and maroon ruffled leaf plant, some hot pink calla lilies, coral poppies and snapdragons. And rhubarb, with pink in its veins!
I don't know anything about the Zodiac you're referring to, but regarding the Bull... how about Ferdinand the Bull and his love of flowers??? For some reason (gee, I wonder why!) I tend to think of the Turtle as a more appropriate animal for Taurus. It's all so interesting, isn't it? XOXO
Yes! Grace is the name I chose when I was ordained. For me it is the bone marrow knowledge that I am in God and God is in me no matter what…. And in Nature too, of course. This morning I got to commune with a playful member of my dolphin tribe from a kayak at sunrise. That’s Grace too!
This is weird, Katie, as I was reading and watching the turtle dig in Barbara's post, I suddenly remembered that you had mentioned the dolphin in your email earlier, but that I had forgotten to comment on it in my reply. I'd say this is a synchronicity of sorts because I was given another chance to thank you for sharing. Who doesn't like dolphins? Right?
Beautiful. Oh my goodness! What a gift! 🐬 I just pulled the Dolphin card recently. It's one of my favorite cards in the deck. But seeing them in person...well...that is Grace in action!
Barbara, thank you for sharing the wonder of your observations through your words and photos! Your love affair with the natural world is beyond inspiring. There’s such sacredness all around us if we have eyes to see. Your essays give us a glimpse through your refined eyes so we can see as you do. That is such a beautiful and generous gift.🥰
Aww, thank you, dear Katie! I don't know whether Grace is your surname, a middle name, or a chosen name, but you surely embody its essence in your comments. It's one of my favorite words, and I'm going to guess it's one of yours, too. 🩷
It’s amazing how many gifts are right outside. All we have to do is stop and look and with that comes peace and wonder. Beautiful post about all things beautiful.
Thank you, Bonnie! I love how you embody this - spending as much time outdoors as possible until the little beasties drive you inside. :( They think they own the woods, and the ponds, and the road... XOXO
Turtles are reptiles that can live for centuries. Hey are senescence, which means their risk of dying does not increase with age. I just looked this up because I sent my friend a turtle bracelet that tracks a specific turtle and tells her it’s migration. Very cool! All the best!
I was diving in a Hawaii in college when I woke 13 sea turtles out from the sandy ocean floor. They were completely hidden. I was 20 and thought it would be cool to touch one. After a bit of ingenuity I sunk my hands into a swimming turtle’s shell, which was so soft and mossy….not at all what I expected. The turtle slowly turned her head to bite me and I let go. They have quite the beak! To be young and dumb once again seems more fun than now….to be old and dumb. Thanks for the video link.
Dearest Barbara, you are not alone by any means in your love of Nature... If not for these small gifts and wonders (and the BIG ones!), I would cease to thrive.
It is daily, continual, and deeply deeply moving to me, just to walk among the trees.
Oh, yes, I think our group is FAR bigger than we know!
xo xo
By the way, I had to create ANOTHER page... This is me, Jaan! ;)
I literally just looked to see who J Dogg is and saw that it's YOU! And now seeing your comment.
Yes, we are a worldwide community of beings who are one with Nature. How amazing is that? XOXO
"I marvel at so many things." And I've no doubt many things marvel at you! Ahh, what a joy reading your posts, Barbara.
Thank you sincerely for the beautiful pics and videos that allow us to see into this world of yours - so cherished.
It's a perfect first day of summer here in CT- must be quite similar to your in NH. I'm grateful.
And I'm praying for enough breeze to keep them bugs at bay during walks and for temperatures to refuse going above 80 degrees! I know, but why not ask for it?
So happy to read how well you are. What a gift spotting that turtles and watching over her eggs.
Love and even more wonder and joy wishes to you. 💕
Thank you, dear Kathleen. Yes, same cool breezy weather here! I am savoring each day of it and hoping it hangs around for a while.
So much Love back to you, my friend. Thanks for always taking the time to read and leave such heartfelt comments. I am so grateful to have met you and the others here on Substack. 🩷🩷🩷
Your posts always have a calming effect on me. Thank you, Barbara.
Thank you for reading, dear Ronnie! 🐢 XOXO
Thank you Barbara loved the turtle story, I also have a turtle bracelet of endangered turtle, safe now and tracking her.🫶💕
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sheila! And the bracelet you and Heide mentioned sounds amazing! Happy Solstice, dear heart and beloved supporter of The Quaking Poplar. I so appreciate you. XOXO 🐢
That stream!!!! The power !!!! Just WOW. Hypnotizing!!!! What a gorgeous post!!!!!!! I'm glad youre making your way and finding a way to get out despite the stinking bugs!!!!! I love you 🩷
I am so in love with She Drinks From the Stream! Every time we get a hard rain, I rush like the Stream to visit her. Say hello to Lake Huron for me. Love you, dear Jamie Lynn. 🐢XO
Much love back atcha, Barbara. I'm so with you in the mode of watching a turtle dig for 90 minutes. I'm now spending my days going on garden strolls in my backyard. All I do is gaze and gaze. I feel like I can see things blooming if I pause.
My landscaper Jose just helped me bring home a hogwire arch and prop up a VERY heavy and leaning Zutano avocado tree. It now is a hobbit hole in which I can stand while combing out the dead leaves from the viny branches. Along with some avos it wanted Jose to have, I found an empty bird's nest! And the Zutano is loving up its partner Lamb Hass, so she's sprouting dozens and dozens of little baby avocados--which will be huge, given the 3 or 4 she's birthed previously. A bumper crop!
Enough writing, back to playing in my garden.
Do you have strong Taurus in your chart, Tereza? Just curious. I feel like I've been leaning into that part of me (Taurus Moon and Rising) since I moved here. Your garden sounds amazing! Hello to the baby avocados... :) 🐢XO
My zodiac sun sign is Baat, the cow goddess with inward curving horns that face the mystical world and the material world. You could call the constellation Taurus (Baal) but who ever heard of a bull that tended the flowers? And from your Scottish-Irish legacy, the white cow would be BoAnn, whose wandering way we call Milky.
I never felt like the descriptions of a Taurus fit me. Then when I realized it was the horned cow--the earliest and most universal of the metaphors for Goddess--it felt relatable. Talk about being present and patient!
An image of her horned head topped the corners of the temples, that were also the communal bakeries and pottery kiln. So the aroma of baking bread was the incense that was sent in offering, her own grains as food for the Goddess turned into a palatable food for humans. Such efficiency!
Also, your note on Mary's post was so heartfelt. I went for my morning garden stroll thinking about Jane. You would particularly like the flower bed I'm next to now, with its many shades of pink--a hot magenta and maroon ruffled leaf plant, some hot pink calla lilies, coral poppies and snapdragons. And rhubarb, with pink in its veins!
I'll pass on your hello to the baby avocados!
P.S. Your flowers sound divinely PINK! Ferdinand would love them, I'm certain!
I don't know anything about the Zodiac you're referring to, but regarding the Bull... how about Ferdinand the Bull and his love of flowers??? For some reason (gee, I wonder why!) I tend to think of the Turtle as a more appropriate animal for Taurus. It's all so interesting, isn't it? XOXO
Yes! Grace is the name I chose when I was ordained. For me it is the bone marrow knowledge that I am in God and God is in me no matter what…. And in Nature too, of course. This morning I got to commune with a playful member of my dolphin tribe from a kayak at sunrise. That’s Grace too!
This is weird, Katie, as I was reading and watching the turtle dig in Barbara's post, I suddenly remembered that you had mentioned the dolphin in your email earlier, but that I had forgotten to comment on it in my reply. I'd say this is a synchronicity of sorts because I was given another chance to thank you for sharing. Who doesn't like dolphins? Right?
And I had just pulled the Dolphin card! 🐬 Synchronicity strikes again! XO
Ya gotta love it!
Oops! I already mentioned that below! LOL
Beautiful. Oh my goodness! What a gift! 🐬 I just pulled the Dolphin card recently. It's one of my favorite cards in the deck. But seeing them in person...well...that is Grace in action!
Barbara, thank you for sharing the wonder of your observations through your words and photos! Your love affair with the natural world is beyond inspiring. There’s such sacredness all around us if we have eyes to see. Your essays give us a glimpse through your refined eyes so we can see as you do. That is such a beautiful and generous gift.🥰
Aww, thank you, dear Katie! I don't know whether Grace is your surname, a middle name, or a chosen name, but you surely embody its essence in your comments. It's one of my favorite words, and I'm going to guess it's one of yours, too. 🩷
It’s amazing how many gifts are right outside. All we have to do is stop and look and with that comes peace and wonder. Beautiful post about all things beautiful.
Thank you, Bonnie! I love how you embody this - spending as much time outdoors as possible until the little beasties drive you inside. :( They think they own the woods, and the ponds, and the road... XOXO
Turtles are reptiles that can live for centuries. Hey are senescence, which means their risk of dying does not increase with age. I just looked this up because I sent my friend a turtle bracelet that tracks a specific turtle and tells her it’s migration. Very cool! All the best!
Thank you for sharing, Heide! They are AMAZING! Have you ever seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-zZuftQG3M It is incredible! XOXO
I was diving in a Hawaii in college when I woke 13 sea turtles out from the sandy ocean floor. They were completely hidden. I was 20 and thought it would be cool to touch one. After a bit of ingenuity I sunk my hands into a swimming turtle’s shell, which was so soft and mossy….not at all what I expected. The turtle slowly turned her head to bite me and I let go. They have quite the beak! To be young and dumb once again seems more fun than now….to be old and dumb. Thanks for the video link.
😲 I love that you counted them and still remember. And yes, they surely can bite! What a beautiful memory, Heide. XO
much beauty!! thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading!! XO