Beginnings

With encouragement and support from friends, I'm venturing out into this public space for the first time after making a promise to my Taos Writers Retreat "Buddy" yesterday that I'd post something before our next weekly call. I've been a "closet writer" for decades, only occasionally sharing anything with a few trusted friends so this is a BIG STEP.

"Today I choose to embrace changes. I open my heart to its hidden but abundant blessings."
(from Transitions) by Julia Cameron

I'm a "newbie" to Blogs ... jumping in with both hands and all my fingers to see what happens this morning. Because I usually journal with my favorite mechanical pencil in hand ... darkening the page with whatever crosses my mind as honestly and fluidly as I'm able, composing at the keyboard is a new experience for me. I've long created some unusual "visual" pieces that I've framed and given to friends as gifts. I'm hoping I'll figure out how to upload a few here eventually, but for now ... just posting something will have to be good enough because I've procrastinated far too long already.

"Wisdom lies neither in fixity nor in change, but in the dialectic between the two." Octavio Paz

With gusty winds blowing and devastating fires burning all over Southern California, I'm grateful to live where I do in a relatively "safe" flat area of the southland near the ocean ... though the closest fire is less than 20 miles away burning out of control. Smoke and particulates fill the air making breathing difficult, but the only actual challenges I'm facing today are the huge palm fronds littering my yard, my front patio furniture blowing into the neighbor's yard, the awning on my 2nd story patio deck flapping precariously as it threatens to self-destruct and fly away, my feral cat hiding out, my Labrador Retriever pup driving me crazy indoors because walking is not an option at the moment, and my lovely garden being sucked dry.

I'm praying for all those affected by these fires and am hoping that the weather will calm down enough to get these infernos under control quickly with minimal destruction. May we each go about our day gently and compassionately, gratefully counting our blessings and generously giving of ourselves as we're able.