August 25, 2015
“Our true gift to ourselves lies not in what we have but in who we are.” – Marianne Williamson, from Everyday Grace
August 7, 2015
“When we say that ecstasy is like the drop melting back into the ocean, it must be made clear that we are the drop and the ocean at the same time, just on different levels.” – Deepak Chopra: Path to Love
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July 10, 2015
As a child growing up in the rural area of Massachusetts’ Northshore, my family grew our own vegetables as so many rural families did in the 1950’s and 1960’s. There were also many small farm stands around the area, and by the time I was in high school in the early 1970’s a few of the local farms were starting to go by the wayside.
The farm policy had changed drastically during the Nixon administration thanks to Earl Butz, who was Nixon’s Secretary of the USDA. Many small farmers found it difficult to stay afloat without the subsidies they were accustomed to receiving from the federal government. The documentary King Corn, is a very informative film about how Butz’s policies shaped factory farming and growing corn as a the number one staple in processed food.
Very few working family farms remain in the Newburyport area that were working farms when I was a child. Most of the smaller farms of my childhood days are gone with the land being sold off for housing and commercial development. A few small farms continue to grow their own and sell their produce and meats at their farm-stand businesses. However, two newer, more enterprising larger farms in the area also carry other local and non-local produce and products as well as their own locally grown vegetables and fruits.
On a late spring afternoon in mid-June, I decided to take a drive along the backroads of the Newburyport area to take stock of the local farm stands and what they have to offer. Newburyport also has a vibrant Farmer’s Market on Sunday mornings at the Tannery on Water Street, but locavores in the area also rely on local farm stands for fresh vegetables and fruits in season as well as grass fed meats and free-range poultry. (more…)
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June 15, 2015
The Boston Globe names Crane Beach in Ipswich one of New England’s Best Beaches. It is great to see this local beach made the list:
We happen to love Crane Beach, with its undulating dunes and secret maritime forest, and so do the folks at NationalGeographic.com. They hailed it as one of the Top 10 US Family Beaches. “Calm waters, warm tidal pools, and on-site amenities such as a snack bar . . . make this an ideal destination for families,” they noted. Not to mention the pure powdery-softness of the sand, and the cool views of the Great House, rising over the beach.
I know Crane Beach is a fabulous beach for the reasons the Boston Globe cites, warm tidal pools and powdery soft sands but for me there is a beach that rises above the cut of all of New England’s Best Beaches and that beach has a view of Crane Beach. (more…)
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May 12, 2015
Our path is always changing, as is the scenery. One day we find ourselves heading in a completely different direction then we had planned. What happened, we ask ourselves, how did my life change so suddenly without my approval of the plan? Lessons appear in our lives when we least expect them. These life lessons are our opportunities to rise above the adversities in our lives and become more than we were when the lessons presented themselves. How we handle those lessons determines whether we learn from the lessons or stay stuck, wallowing in despair.
Life can be harsh and life can be filled with wonder and joy. It is up to each of us to make the best of what we are presented with each and every day. Each day, I re-mind myself to find even the smallest sliver gratitude, joy and happiness. Even in the midst of the most profound grief and sorrow, we can all find something to be grateful for each day. Gratitude matters. When we strive to live in the moment we begin to transcend the difficulties placed in the midst of our path.
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February 5, 2015
It is very difficult sometimes to let go. We hold on to many issues and past transgressions in our lives, that serve only to keep storms brewing in our minds. And then, in our moments of weakness, those things of the past creep into the framework of our mind and the storm clouds blow in.
Today, I re-mind myself that the process of letting going is an ongoing practice, and forgiveness is a major part of that process. Each time I begin to think of the past and lay blame, I recognize that in order to let go, I must forgive all, including myself, for the past that did not go as I had hoped it would. The past is past. We can not change that. We can in the present work daily on letting go and forgiveness. If we don’t, we keep storms brewing in our hearts and minds.
Namaste… Pamela
Photo: Storm at Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey
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