Meri's Musings

I enjoy the orderliness of beautiful markets jumping for joy finding heart shaped rocks pink, ruffly peonies live music the changing phases of the moon in the night sky the pop of red metal chairs, arranged to watch a sunset over the Olympic Mountains listening to cats purr the moment when the sun breaks through the clouds.

I've been writing a bunch recently, and for some reason I started thinking  about my former husband's sister Randi and her fridge magnet. It said Even if the marriage wasn't magic, the divorce can be. It sported the logo of Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, at least I think it did.  I remember it was from a place right near  the Cathedral and Marie Laveau's fits the bill. Since my sister-in-law  never had anything nice to say about her ex, in fact didn't say anything about him at all, I wondered how much help the magnet was in making her divorce magic. I don't know if she tried any other self-help remedies. Now, lest you think of sticking some mean thought pins into an effigy of your former beloved, I've checked and all their voodoo dolls are meant for good purposes. Apparently, you'll have to go elsewhere if you're inclined toward the...

Bless those who challenge us to grow, to stretch, to move beyond the knowable, to come back home to our elemental  and essential nature. Bless those who challenge us for they remind us of doors we have closed and doors we have yet to open.                   - Navajo Saying May those I have resented be truly happy. May they live in peace. May they live in love. May they know the power of forgiveness. May they live in recognition that their life has deep meaning and good purpose. - Loving Kindness Practice

Besides sending financial contributions  to reputable organizations doing hands-on services in the heart of the quake-tsunami-nuclear disaster zone (and don't forget the quake victims in Christchurch, NZ) I think we need to meditate on LOVE and HEALING ENERGY because ....... Well, that should be obvious. The Japanese find the chrysanthemum  symbolic of the sun.  They consider the orderly unfolding  of the chrysanthemum’s petals to represent perfection. Confucius once suggested they be used  as an object of meditation.   Given the devastation wrought by earth forces, I think we could all benefit  from meditating on healing for the Earth and her people. Sending blessings and pure love -- in all its perfection -- can only help.

Sending you love and the pink roses of friendship this Valentine's Day. May you be showered with love from a special person, may you return that love and then some, may your love multiply and blanket the world.

Sit for a while with me, here in this grotto, where leaves filter the light so it forms a warm shawl around your shoulders. In the quietness, let your energy attune with mine. © 2010 Meri Arnett-Kremian Be silent. Let your heart speak. I will hear and understand.  For more Virgins, click HERE .

May all the chairs at your table be filled with those you love. May there be much laughter and sharing of stories. May you give each other the precious gift of attention, and may your hearts be full of joy today and always.  Thanks for helping build a web of  friendship and peace, one blog post at a time. -Meri

Little man, so full of life, with so much wonder ahead of you, "if I could teach you anything, it would be to hear your heart, and to know your beauty and to believe in your possibilities." - terri st. cloud bonesigharts.com  Be curious. Keep learning. Keep all the pieces of you intact.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.  I love you straightforwardly,  without complexities or pride;  so I love you because I know no other way.  – Pablo Neruda There are so many beautiful photographs I could post showing the bride and groom from last weekend's wedding.  But the scene that eradicated my mascara, sending it streaming down my cheeks, was this one. When she finally reached the end of the long center aisle and he took her hand, they both broke down. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Blessings! To the bride and groom, their family and friends. And blessings to all of you who remember the overwhelming emotion of joining your life together with someone you love without knowing how it happened, without knowing why you should love this particular person beyond reason. You just do.

I'm wishing you a world where each and every one of us sees everyone and everything through the eyes of love, through the eyes of compassion, through the eyes of peace.

Remember my friend Sarah? Sarah was one of the intrepid "girlfriends" in the girlfriends trip to Mexico in September. Sarah is an amazing woman -- a single mom who, at 40 or so, took on the custody of a neglected infant who was failing to thrive in the care of his drug-afflicted mom. He's made amazing progress and is now a robust, verbally adept, intelligent preschooler. Sarah's been granted permanent custody of this little boy who thinks of her as his Mom. Sarah is also a physical therapist of great skill who has developed a sub-speciality in working with post-mastectomy clients who developed lymphodema. And given that physical therapy requires a lot of exertion and being on your feet, (not to mention the stamina required of a 40-something mom of a preschooler) Sarah's body has to be in good working order. Except that a couple of months ago she injured her back and figured she'd grit her teeth and get through it. It didn't work that way. Sarah's havin...

Steven of The Golden Fish recently talked about a meme in which he decided to participate, one in which the assignment was to choose a book, turn to page 161, find the fifth complete sentence and cite it on your blog. He'd been tagged by The Road Less Traveled who referred back to someone named Susan at Stony River Farm , who had tagged her, and well you can see it can get complicated in this blog world trying to figure out where a good idea originated. (But it's fun to follow the trail, visiting places you've never gone.) Deciding to play along, though I hadn't been tagged, I chose a book of blessings by the late John O'Donohue called To Bless the Space Between Us . Here's what I found. So at the end of this day, we give thanks For being betrothed to the unknown And for the secret work Through which the mind of the day And wisdom of the soul become one. "At the End of the Day" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian How many of us fight the uncertain...

One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you'd be stricken blind. -Dorothea Lange "Photo Meditation" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian sometimes the things that bring you lightness of spirit are things you never expected to see in a million years and yet there they are just waiting for you to stumble upon them just waiting to make you laugh out loud just waiting to make you dance for joy and (if you have your camera at the ready) just waiting for you to freeze-frame the moment so you can recapture the ecstasy whenever you want we find the blessings we seek without even knowing we're looking we give the blessings we are just by being truly ourselves ************ How were you blessed today in ways you didn't expect? How did you extend your blessing to others?