Spring – The Miracle of Rebirth – Photography

Crocus in the rain –
my garden

This article originally appeared last year in Rhythm of the Home Magazine. I’m reprinting today in honour of the Spring.

When we align ourselves with the primary action of each season, we can harness the energy that permeates the natural world and, thus, facilitate our own transitions. During autumn, as we witness the falling of leaves, we open to the energy of shedding and ask ourselves, “What is it time to let go of?” In winter, as we watch the stillness settle over the land and notice the hibernation of our own soul, we ask, “What arises in my quiet and solitude?” In spring, the literal and metaphoric seeds that lay dormant for several months tentatively poke their heads through the warming earth then burst into full bloom. And in summer, we celebrate the fruits of our labor and enjoy the days of water and sunshine, asking ourselves, “What is it time to celebrate?”

On the threshold of spring, we begin to notice a quiet awakening within. The intentions that we set during the long days of winter, both for ourselves and our children, may have lain dormant these past months, but now we see the first green heads pushing through and realize that the dawn of something new is upon us. Spring is the season of hope and renewal when, encouraged by the increase of light and warmth, we find the energy to take the necessary action that can push the tentative new beginning into full awakening. Now is the time to ask yourself: “What is longing to be born? If I set intentions on New Year’s, how can I draw upon the energy of renewal and call those intentions into action? What changes and rebirths do I observe in my children? What seeds of new beginnings were resting in the underground caverns of my child’s mind and are now bursting into fruition?”

Spring is green, tender, and alive. It’s the childhood stage of the seasons of transitions where innocence and purity permeate the atmosphere. As nature wakes from her winter slumber and you observe the first pale green leaves unfolding out of the buds, ask yourself, “What is childlike inside of me that wishes to come out? What is it that is longing to be born? What do I see in my child that is aching for release?”

The early weeks of spring often bring a restlessness. As hopeful and optimistic as this season is, there’s always an element of discomfort in the world of transitions. Said bluntly, change is hard, so even when the change is positive – like birthing a new part of yourself or watching your child master a new skill – there’s an itchiness of psyche that occurs when the old self or skill level falls away and the new one hasn’t fully emerged. In summer we celebrate with joyous abandon, but spring is still tentative, and there may be days when winter settles her snow over the land and we’re pulled back into the silent, underground world. When we understand these natural cycles of death and renewal, we can make space for them in our inner lives and help our children make sense of the process of change.

If winter was a season of sorrow, allow the light winds of spring to wash away the residue of grief. If winter was a season of sickness, let the freshness of spring restore you to health. If winter was a season of loss, notice the new life and rebirths that surround you. If winter was a season of silence, invite the birds of spring to bring song back into your life. If winter was a season of hopelessness, connect to the perennial signs of hope that rise up in the natural world as if to say, “Today is a new day. Today I can start something new and find that place of beginning within. Today I am alive and for that I am grateful. Today I see love manifest in the miracles of nature and I whisper a quiet but certain ‘Yes.’” Photography by Eve. Photos taken with a Lumix LX7 camera.

Wild Violet growing all around

Anemone in the garden

Violas in a pot

growing with the Rosemary

Kitchen Window Box in March

In the shade of the old Weeping Ash Tree – Primroses

Ah, how wonderful is the advent of the Spring!—the great annual miracle…. which no force can stay, no violence restrain, like love, that wins its way and cannot be withstood by any human power, because itself is divine power. If Spring came but once in a century, instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake, and not in silence, what wonder and expectation would there be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change!… We are like children who are astonished and delighted only by the second-hand of the clock, not by the hour-hand. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Kavanagh, 1849

Macro – tulip stamens

Tulips in a vase

Happy 82nd Birthday Elvis!

Pure unadulterated Sexiness

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Happy birthday Elvis Presley – your 82nd. You never stayed around to grow old but your light  and your music has never faded. I remember you from my childhood, when my brother mimicked your moves to the music of “Blue Suede Shoes.”  I used to giggle at his “wiggle” and  often we’d  both end  up on the floor laughing.  I loved your songs and I loved the way you moved and grooved to that old rock and roll music. I don’t have a favourite song from back then – all are magic.  There’s no one like you. Keep on  Dreaming Elvis, wherever you are tonight.

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“Before Elvis there was nothing!” ~ John Lennon.

Then the famous singer began to speak, incorporating a favorite Roy Hamilton Rhythm and Blues tune, “Without a Song.”

“When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times. These gentlemen over there, these are the type who care, are dedicated. You realize if it’s not possible that they might be building the Kingdom, it’s not far-fetched from reality. I learned very early in life that: ‘Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain’t got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend, without a song.’”

About The Video posted.

“Way Down” is a song recorded by Elvis Presley in October 1976, it was the last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine, Jr. and was later covered by Status Quo and Cliffhanger. Released as a single (with “Pledging My Love” on the B-side) on June 6, 1977, it was his current single when he died. It was racing up the top 40 when news of his death broke. Shortly after his death, it became the 33rd Number 1 of his career. It reached #1 on both the American Country and British Pop charts just days after his death, and almost six years after his previous Number 1 single. It was re-issued in April 2005 and reached #2 on the UK singles chart.

Comments – Saying Nothing At All – Poetry

Just saying:  

My thoughts for today were about weeding the garden but instead, and after a thorough search on my blogs followers, I am beginning to question the authenticity of my followers. I wish I could WEED some of them from  my blog. I have well over a thousand, yet I only hear from a handful of those! Now something is dreadfully wrong here! My blog is over four years old, thus, I suspect, most of the original followers have long since left blogging. ( Makes sense due to the fast pace of today’s lifestyles. )  Then why can’t I delete them? A question I should be asking  “The  Happiness Word Press Team”, I suppose. Then there are those that follow and “like”, but never comment. How can anyone like a post, almost each and every one, and not comment? Beats me! I would like to suggest that there are fake “likers”, and “speedy likers”, who are hoping you will “like” them back. This is not really blogging is it? I had hoped blogging was about sharing like-minded interests and building a blogging community. Am I wrong?

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The idiots Guide To blogging says:

Blogging Rules and Etiquette 

Your blog is your own space on the web, and depending on your goals, you can publish the type of content you want and not publish the type of content you don’t want. That’s where blog policies come into the picture. Policies are intended to protect you and your audience as well as set expectations about the type of content that will or will not be published on your blog.

Comment Policy

As your blog grows and your posts receive more and more comments, you’ll undoubtedly receive comments you don’t want to publish on your blog or that require minor editing before you’ll publish them. For example, hateful comments that attack individuals usually aren’t welcome on blogs, and comments that include obscenities could be offensive. Similarly, comments that might be spam can hurt the user experience on your blog and should be deleted.

A comment policy allows you to define what types of comments you will delete or edit using the comment moderation tools in your account. Your comment policy also protects you, so you can refer visitors whose comments are edited or deleted to your established policy to understand why their comments were revised or not published at all.

 

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After reading Maureen McCabe’s post,  “ActiveRain – Saying Nothing At all”, I became aware of the discussion revolving around leaving GPTFS (Great Post, Thanks For Sharing) comments on a post. Is there value for anyone in doing it? Personally, I believe there is value, but that is because I think compliments are gifts. However, it did make me think — how can I write better comments myself ? I came across some good, basic advice from Meredith Farkas — 31 Day Comment Challenge.  She is “Head of Instructional Initiatives” at Norwich University (VT) and teaches a class on blogging.

http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/

 

 

Comments should be  as below listed.  The point is most people do not receive comments or if they do, they are few and far between.

 

1) Relevant to the post 2) Thoughtful and insightful 3) Use your unique voice 4) Keep it civil 5) Make it short and readable, but also meaningful.

Her own personal, reflective thoughts and commitment to commenting

1) Commenting is a critical component of community-building in the blogosphere.

2) I feel more connected to others when I comment.  ~ (My thoughts exactly)

3) I take commenting very seriously and that’s ok.

4) Never comment when you’re angry or frustrated. (errrr well, my mistake sometimes)

5) I need to be better about responding to comments. (Yes indeed, we all should) 

 

Good thoughts to remember. In the future, I will try to keep her points in mind, but if I should ever slip up and just pay you a simple compliment — don’t deduct points from me.  🙂

 

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Humour is always a great way to end on, so here’s a song and a poem. 🙂  ( I wish you all a happy blogging Sunday. 🙂 )

 Music When You Say Nothing At All – for all the silent ones. 

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Could Be A Bloggers Lament? Smile. 🙂

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Sometime when you’re feeling important;
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom
Sometime when you take it for granted
You’re the best qualified in the room,

Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul;

Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining
Is a measure of how you will be missed.

You can splash all you wish when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But stop and you’ll find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.

The moral of this quaint example
Is do just the best that you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There’s no indispensable man. –

—  Saxon N. White Kessinger, Copyright 1959

 

Any thoughts on this topic? Merci   –

The post is sticky for now.  By making the post sticky, I feel, it gives an opportunity to new bloggers to get acquainted with the ups and downs of the blogoshere.  There are also a number of very interesting comments posted by others on this topic. Do read. thank you.