The gusting March winds have died down after their days long quest to blow away everything in their wake. When the winds blow they come right through this old house I live in. The Spring Equinox is March 20, just 4 more days away. The Spring Fever is intense this year. Last Spring I planted a pandemic garden and I excited to be able to start gardening in the weeks to come. It’s good to have something positive to anticipate.
I wish you all a bright and beautiful day. May you find grace in this and every day. Bright blessings to all…
The clouds roll in to the skies like problems roll into our lives. These problems are our life’s storms and they are temporary, even when they seem to last forever or go on longer than we can stand. In those times of cloudy skies and storms and I seek to re-mind myself that everything is temporary, nothing stays the same. When I apply the principles of being in the moment, I find the storms of life easier to withstand. Change is inevitable.
Cooler weather is upon us now in many areas of the country, including New England, where I live. I find myself looking for things to cook that require turning the oven on so that I can heat up my apartment without turning on the heat yet.
I have no idea where I found this recipe (possibly my food writing class over the summer), but it sure does look good and looks easy… I think I will be trying it sometime soon and when I do, I will post more about it.
Cranberry-Pumpkin Muffins Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir in pumpkin, oil, eggs, cranberries and walnuts until just moist. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm.
I think a lot about traveling these days, but time and money are not easily accessible at this time. So instead, I spend my time traveling the places I would like to visit through my daydreams. I imagine I am walking the green hills of Ireland, or standing on the rocky cliffs watching the blue ocean waves roll gently to the shore.
Uncertainty had plagued me for a while on a few different levels and yesterday was the day to cast that aside. I had made a rash decision based on financial concern, and the decision made the situation worse on a few levels. It was time to put the stress the situation caused behind me.
I drove to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge knowing that off in the distance there was a storm moving in. I wasn’t sure when I entered the Refuge if I would drive to Sandy Point, at the southern tip of the Refuge, or turn back and head home when I reached Hellcat Swamp, where the road turns to dirt. I drove on…
Sandy Point, Plum Island, Massachusetts ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey 2014
As the clouds moved closer and the sky darkened, cars were leaving the beach and the Refuge in attempt to beat the storm. I knew instinctively, watching the skies as I drove, that the storm would for the most part, pass north of Sandy Point.
I walked the beach keeping my eyes on the dark clouds, as they moved west to east. I felt a certain sense of safety there, heedless of the swiftly moving storm. I had come there for a reason, to let the storms that had been brewing my heart and mind pass through me with the storm moving across the sky.
Sitting on the beach I felt relieved of the negative energy that had prevailed over my usual positive mindset for a while. The dark skies were moving quickly and far off in the distance to the west, I could see the clear skies following. Sit out the storm, I told myself. It will pass.
I could hear the thunder booming and crashing, and see the occasional flash off lightening light up the dark skies to the north of where I sat on the beach. I felt alive and giddy with energy generated by the storm.
Life brings storms to our door. Some we create on our own, some are nature’s doing. No matter where those storms originate that always pass. In those times of storms in our life, sometimes we must face them head on in order to release them.
As I sat on the beach, I knew I was there to face the brewing storm head on. The release I experienced as I watched the storm roll in was tantamount to giving all things troubling in my heart and soul over to the universe. Trust and let go.
As the wind picked up and the rain began to fall softly at first, I felt cleansed and renewed in the tears of the Great Mother Goddess. My grief moved through me and shifted to happiness and joy.
Sometimes you just need to sit and let the storms in life pass by…
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Musing and Rambling
Sometimes I muse and I ramble because I can... I muse about life and things that matter to me...
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