Good morning! Welcome to "Morning Musings".

Musings: to meditate, think, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, reverie, daydream, introspection, dream, preoccupation, brood, cogitate.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Looking Back

Looking back over the year is always fun to do.  That's why I keep several journals.  I have my daily journal, a Christmas journal, a journal to keep track of the meals I make for guests,  my photo scrapbook albums, as well as this Blog and Another Perfect Day.  Here's a brief look back at 2012 starting in May when I began Morning Musings....

May:  Serenade to Spring

June:  Paris

July: Let It Be Easy

August: To Be An Artist


November: TA-DAH! Week 9


December: Let It Snow

hope you've enjoyed reading my "morning musings" this year.  I look forward to next year and hope you'll continue to follow my Blog.  I love getting comments!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Monday, December 24, 2012

A Christmas Story





A Christmas Story

The church bells had just finished chiming the midnight hour across the valley.  It was Christmas.  Snow had been falling all evening and now as Elizabeth walked down the church steps she gripped the railing and carefully placed her foot on each step making sure not to slip.  Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and she could not afford to slip and bruise herself, or something worse. 

Pastor John’s homily kept running through her mind as she walked the few blocks to her home.  He’d said Christ came as a babe and lived among us so that we’d feel he was our friend as well as our Savior.  Elizabeth desperately needed a friend.  She was getting on in years and much of her family was gone now.  She’d never married.  It was just her and her dog and cat in the little cottage.  But tomorrow she’d have a house-full.  It was the day she opened her home to the people in the Shelterthose who were temporarily without a home for one reason or another.  The Shelter cared for them well enough, but Elizabeth couldn’t bear to think anyone might spend Christmas anywhere but in a real home and so offered hers for the day.

Turning the key in her front door she turned her face to the sky for a few moments to take in the night sky.  It was then she noticed the North Star.  It seemed brighter tonight and she thought about that night long ago in Bethlehem.  How Mary must have felt giving birth in such humble surroundingsaway from home.  Elizabeth’s house was humble, but she’d made it into a home and hoped those who came tomorrowno it was today nowwould find comfort and hope to meet the challenges that lay ahead for them.

AS Elizabeth lay down in her bed to sleep the few remaining hours of the night she thought about her hopes and dreams.  As a little girl she’d looked forward to growing up and having a family of her own.  Marrying a good man and having as many children as she could were at the base of her dream.  From there she imagined how her life would go with her little family around her.grandchildren eventually as she grew into old age with her husband..

She awoke with a start!  Elizabeth lay there waiting for her head to clear.  Had she heard a noise?  Is that what woke her?  The curtain was slightly parted and a stream of light found its way across her quilt.  She hadn’t noticed a full moon earlier, so she went to the window to see where the light was coming from.  It was the North Star.  It was much brighter now.  The snow that graced the landscape shimmered in the light.  Bare branches cast long shadows across the back garden.  Elizabeth’s eyes were drawn to an outline of a child standing there.  Who could be out at this time of night?! 

Before she could move from the window the small figure dissolved before her eyes.  Was she just dreaming?  Dreaming.dreams.  She was reminded of her childhood dream and tears welled up in her eyes.  She blinked causing them to spill out and as one lone tear landed on the sill Elizabeth began to feel a certain hope warm her heart.  She thought about the people who would be arriving in just a few hours.  Some would be children.  They wouldn’t be her children, but she could love them all the same, just as much.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Decorating for Christmas


We just got our tree today so I can show you what I've done throughout the house.  My daughter-in-law, Paola, and her sister, Marijose, decorated it for me.  Isn't it beautiful....

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Christmas City USA


We visited Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known as Christmas City USA, last week.  The area was settled by Moravians in 1741 and named Bethlehem by visiting Count Zinzendorf, a pietist nobleman from Saxony, who, in 1722, had given them refuge on his estate in Saxony before their migration to Georgia in 1735.  

One of the yearly events is the outdoors market called Weihnachtsmarkt (pronounced vy-naukts-markt) held in the historic section....

Saturday, December 8, 2012

More Holiday Decorations


One of the wonderful aspects of the Holidays is the decorations!  I've been photographing them while out and about and will add more to this post in the next two weeks, so be sure to come back to give a look-see!

Rural Heritage Museum, Boonsboro, Maryland:


Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Ta-Dah! Week 10




#10 - Tolerate More, and Give Thanks Often

This is the last week for the ten Ta-Dah!s Loretta LaRouche wrote about in her book "Relax--You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left".  She ends with saying that optimists live longer and suggests ways to become more optimistic:

     1.  Anticipate that something unexpected could happen     
     2.  Accept some things as they are
     3.  Live your life with meaning
     4.  Live mindfully
     5.  Set realistic goals

She reminds us to reframe things using humor and to take time for manners.  

What I love about the song I included above is that it reminds us to "chill out" about the differences that exist between us--whoever "we" are.  If you stop passing judgments and quit thinking only your opinion matters, you'll be on the road to being more tolerant and in a position to incorporate LaRouche's 5 ways to become more optimistic....because optimism is actually HOPE.  And HOPE is the conduit for LOVE.



Tuesday, November 27, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 9



#9 - Try to be Different

"Unconventional people do not take themselves too seriously" and eccentrics are healthier according to Loretta LaRouche.  She encourages us to step outside the box in which we've put ourselves.  She suggests things like wearing a tie or scarf with a bit more flair or underwear that is unique, if we're not ready to make a change everyone else can see.  She has some wackier suggestions, but I'll let you think of your own.


Throughout my life I've been drawn to these sorts of people--people willing to go against the trend.  Tasha Tudor, in the above photo, was one such person.  She celebrated life and found joy in hard work, eschewing modern devices for a lifestyle more akin to the 19th century even though she lived into the 21st century.  Because she was also a recognized children's book illustrator/writer her eccentric lifestyle was an asset.  For those of us without a particular talent we must compromise in order to gain acceptance from our peers.  Unfortunately, this can cause a great deal of unhappiness since we may feel pressured to abandon who we really are.  
Hence, LaRouche's comment about unconventional people not taking themselves too seriously explains how those who dare to be different are able to be so.  

Your assignment this week is to throw convention to the wind if it allows you to be and do what you truly feel led to be or do....then deal with any uncomfortable feelings by reminding yourself not to take yourself too seriously.  Just to be clear on what that means, I found this wonderful definition on-line:  "When someone says you "take yourself too seriously" they may mean that you worry too much about yourself and you're maybe a little bit self-conscious/have a bit of an ego. It's hard to put into words...but in a nut shell it means uptight/lacking a sense of humor about yourself (lacking the ability to laugh at yourself/let loose)."  


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 8




#8 - Tap Into the Universe of Humor

My youngest son constantly made faces for the camera when he was little.  So much so that as I was making his "This is Your Life" video for his high school graduation the theme for it became apparent early on since every video of his growing up years showed him making a face.  I often said he was given to us for our old age (I was 38 and my husband 42 when he was born)--the son that would keep us feeling young.  

Loretta suggests we should keep a Groucho Marx glasses and nose/mustache handy to don when we're really feeling stressed.  I can picture my family coming into the kitchen and seeing me standing at the stove wearing such a get-up.  That would surely break any tension in the room, don't you think?  Her other suggestions are:  look in the mirror and ask yourself, "How serious is this?"; do something nice when someone least expects it; write down your favorite profanities and assign them a number, then when someone gets on your nerves just say the number; adopt an attitude of playfulness--keep your mind open to silly, irreverent, iconoclastic thoughts; and lastly, a sense of humor sees the fun in everyday things.

That last one sent me to the Internet to look for sense of humor tests.  Just Google "sense of humor" and see what you find.  You may find you need work on yours.  This might solve all your problems.    Be sure to let me know if you try one of the above suggestions and what happened.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 7





#7 - Tidy Up Your Life

This week's Ta-Dah! is about forgiveness.  Loretta says, "It's healthy to identify what has caused you pain, to gain insight, and, it is hoped, to move forward."  She adds, "However, if you've been emotionally wounded you may need help to move on...parts of the brain seem to function differently in those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder."

I was looking for one of my photos to illustrate this post and the only heart I could find was the above.  It was only later that I realized the significance of the heart being a stone.  What a perfect illustration of what so many of us do to our hearts by our unforgivingness.  We allow our hearts to harden.  It's the way we deal with the pain at the moment, only to find out that we eventually no longer feel anything.  This is not the solution.

Loretta offers these suggestions for dealing with the effects of someone's negative behavior:  be direct and gently but firmly discuss the situation; change our attitude toward it; or just let it go. 

Here are some ways to let something go:  think of the things that turned out well with that person/situation; imagine what's troubling you as an ogre perched on your back and yell out loud, "Get off my back;" find a surrogate to fulfill a missing part of your life; create a value system for your life so that you'll do things from a positive position rather than a negative one, i.e., rather than trying not to be like your mother/father, instead focus on what you would like to be; write your eulogy and epitaph.

And while you're at it, she says, clear out the clutter in your life.  Often we hang on to "things" or go shopping as a substitute for what's missing in our lives.  The early Quakers strived for simplicity in their lives with their possessions because they believed in being good stewards in all that God gave them.  They did not want to have more than they could properly care for.  Some of the best Clutter consultants will tell you not to bring anything new into your house without getting rid of something first.  But first, we have to tidy up our lives.  Perhaps this week's assignment will be to declutter one room in your house....and while you're doing it examine your heart for any unforgivingness that you need to sweep out the door as well.  Let me know what happens.


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 6




#6 - Turn on Your Imagination

Children have no problem using their imaginations.  During their growing up years my three boys were at various times Superman, the Hulk, Star Wars characters, "workermen", spies, race car drivers, pilots, and a host of other characters.  They used their imagination to create little worlds of their own to act out their new identities.  For me, it was playing Mom to all my dolls or I'd imagine being on the Mickey Mouse Club and singing along with the Mouseketeers

Loretta writes, "Our subconscious minds can't discern what's real and what isn't, so your imagination can help you fake it till you make it.  Close your eyes and picture yourself jumping for joy, smiling, whole and content." She also says, "Worrying is like viewing a bad movie over and over."

She lists several suggestions of what we can do to turn on our imaginations.  One is to ask yourself where in the world you'd go if you could?  What would you do once you got there?  Because I journal the one that intrigued me most was "Keep a journal and write only fiction in it."  If you decide to do this I suggest you preface it as such in case someone finds it after you're gone!  Let me know how you used your imagination this week.

If you are just now finding my Blog, look in the Archives under October to find my Week 1 posting about Loretta LaRoche's TA-TAH! suggestions.


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 5




#5 - Treat Yourself to Pleasure and Passion

I found this rather amazing:  Loretta writes, "In a study of ninety-six volunteers, Arthur Stone, Ph.D., a psychologist from the State University of New York, found that pleasant events such as dinner with friends or a weekend hike in the woods gave a boost to the immune system that lasted for two to three days.  In contrast, a stressful encounter such as an argument with a boss or spouse had a lesser effect, slightly depressing the immune system for just one day."  It seems the absence of ordinary pleasures has a worse effect on us than stress.

When my children were little I was really into playing my guitar.  As you see we'd "jam" sometimes.  Interestingly, the one on the drums went on to play the drums in the middle school band and then switched to the piano in high school and ended up getting a degree in music composition in college.  It is not his career now, but he has a band and so still keeps it a part of his life.  

We all need to find what gives us pleasure and make it a part of our daily lives, if possible.  I took up gardening once my youngest child became more independent at around age 2.  It was something I could nurture and gave me an outlet for my creativity.  Over the years I've found more interests and as I found the time added them to my "play time".  Your assignment this week is to allow yourself at least a few minutes EVERY day doing something you love--even if it's just soaking in the tub for 15 minutes--then let me know what kind of difference it made in your day.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A Day Away - Part 2


After our day away in Winchester and our visit to the Museum of Shenandoah Valley last week we decided this week we'd head over to Front Royal, Virginia, "where the Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Shenandoah River" and is the gateway to Shenandoah National Park where Skyline Drive begins.

We parked at Front Royal's town square....

and browsed the several antique/thrift shops on Main Street stopping for lunch at an outdoor cafe. That is Ken waiting for the bill while I go back to the Square to take the above picture of the trees....
Then it was onto Skyline Drive.  You can see it was a hazy day, as it always seems to be when we come.  That clearing on the side of the mountain is where we just drove from to this overlook....
We stopped at the overlooks to the West as we drove South.  That is Massanutten Mountain in the distance....
These next two photos are the same shot using my telephoto lens to zoom in closer....

We only drove as far as Skyland Lodge at the 41.7-mile marker.  The Pollack Dining Room was closed but we were able to get a table in the adjacent Mountain Taproom overlooking the dining room so we could still take in the fantastic view while we ate our chocolate cake and blackberry cobbler with a couple cups of coffee.... 
Then we headed back north stopping at the overlooks on the East side.  There we could still see the results from the Chestnut Blight.... 
It was growing late in the afternoon now and the shadows were long....
I climbed up onto the stone walls to get a better shot and thought about all the men who built this Park in the 1930's as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the New Deal.  I'm sure there were folks who thought it was a waste of taxpayer money, but it employed 2.5 million men around the country and millions more are still enjoying the results today....

This particular overlook had some interesting rock formations with trees growing out of them....
The moon was already claiming its spot in the sky....
I couldn't help but take note of the grasses and bushes at my feet when the setting sun lit them so magnificently....
Mary's Rock Tunnel is considered one of the Drive's engineering feats....
You can see why this mountain range is called Blue Ridge....
This names the peaks in the above photo....
This was our last stop at an overlook so I could zoom in on the pond in the valley....



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

TA-DAH! Week 4



#4 - Take Time to Listen to Yourself

Loretta says meditation helps us to listen to our inner voice and that there are two basic components to getting yourself to relax:  use a mental focus such as watching your breath or repeating a word/sound or phrase; and second, have a passive attitude toward distracting thoughts.  

In the book I mentioned in an earlier post, "The Untethered Soul--The Journey Beyond Yourself", Michael A. Singer encourages us to step back from our thoughts and just observe them.  We're not to judge them.  I had a recent experience that illustrates this.  Last week I did a post about our weekend in Garrett County.  Going back and taking a look at the post I found I had warmer feelings about the weekend than I did at the time I actually experienced it.  Looking at the post with the pictures and details of our activities was like standing back and just observing my thoughts and feelings.  Because I was just an observer now I did not get tangled up in the disappointment I felt at the time about the rain and not being able to do all the outdoor activities I'd planned.  If I'd thought to step back from my thoughts and feelings at the time, I would have been able to enjoy the activities we were able to do together.  My perspective would have changed.

So your assignment this week is to try meditation if you feel you can, but if not, at least be aware of your thoughts and feelings so that you can step back and just observe them for a few moments to see if your perspective changes.  Remember don't judge your thoughts and feelings.  Just observe.  Report back your findings.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

A Day Away


Friday we decided to take a day away and drive the hour to Winchester, Virginia to visit the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  Along the way we saw this roadside pumpkin stand and stopped to purchase the pumpkins for the Pumpkin Carving Contest I'm having for my family next weekend....
 These gourds had been painted with colored shellac....
 Winchester is a charming little big town.  We wanted to visit their pedestrian mall and have lunch there.  This is the alleyway from the parking deck....
These puppies caught my eye.  It seems they had the run of the store.  I did not notice the sign until I saw my photo....
 We lunched here because it had a lovely outdoor area....
 The lunch special was crab-swiss-asparagus quiche.  It was delicious....
The old County Court House, now a museum, was across the way from us....
My parents drove down from Pennsylvania to be married in Winchester in 1950, and I wondered if that is where it took place.  Ken suggested we visit their records department to find out.  We went to the City Hall on the next street....
....but we were referred to yet another building for the records.  When we could not locate their names in the records I began to wonder.....so I asked if there might be a reason we weren't finding their marriage certificate.  The Clerk told us they may have been married at City Hall instead of the County Court House and we should check the records in the next department.  Still no record of my father....So the clerk checked under my mother's name and there she was.  The Clerk went to get the certificate leaving me wondering if I was about to find out my father wasn't who I thought it was.  But, there his name was.  I think the Clerk had checked the wrong index for my father's name.  So, with that settled we headed for the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  

The museum is located on the grounds of Glen Burnie, the home of the founder of Winchester, James Wood.  The house was closed for renovations but the Museum had this replica made--right down to the furnishings....

 The grounds were extensive.  This is the entrance to the family cemetery....
 The house was passed down through the family to the last descendant, Julian Wood Glass, who died in 1992 and stipulated in his Will that the house should be opened to the public.  He renovated the house and added structures such as the Pink Pavilion....
...along with the formal gardens....
A small stream runs through the property which lies in the valley, or glen, of the Shenandoah mountains, hence the name of property:  Glen Burnie--burn being the Scottish name for stream.  There I found these geese....

This is the drive in front of the house....
We eventually found our way back to the Museum for a tea/coffee and scone/brownie break before going through the Museum.  There was an entire room of miniature houses and rooms created by Mr. Taylor who did the Glen Burnie replica.  This was one of my favorite because of the copper pots....
There is another room that chronicles the history of the Shenandoah Valley exhibiting several of the handicrafts....

....and a room with Mr. Glass's art collection such as this painting of Harper's Ferry by Ferdinand Richardt in the 1850's....

We ended our day with a visit to a used book shop and the SPCA thrift shop where I found this beautiful vase for just $2!
A perfect ending to a lovely day!