As I type this post, I’m watching snow fall outside my windows.
A steady snowfall like this is unusual in my part of the country. This is our second one in two weeks.
Schools are closed. Many businesses are closed, too.
Friends who live or used to live in more snow-prone areas tease that we Southerners are just wimps about snow. Maybe we are. Maybe hurricanes have taught us to honor and respect our limitations regarding Mother Nature.
I spent some of this morning online, reading Facebook and Twitter posts. One that struck me was from NBC broadcaster Ann Curry. She tweeted (yup, she tweets!) this reminder from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn ,” Smile, breathe and go slowly.” So that’s my plan for today.
Sure, there are LOTS of THINGS I could DO today. I might even do a few of ’em.
For the most part though, I’m going to take advantage of this Nature offered Retreat. I’m going to be grateful that I have:
- a roof over my head;
- a fire and plenty of dry wood;
- a working stove to simmer some soup;
- a family who is safe and whose most ‘mentally unbalanced’ member (me) doesn’t own a gun;
- a memory strong enough to recall this day when The World gets back to Normal;
- and oh yeah, chocolate.
How do you live into Nature inspired Retreats?
Lisa’s Cheap Therapy blog 
All that sounds pretty good to me! I really should have my own little teacher workday huddled here with all my papers to grade, but I’m probably going to have more of a blogging/reading/cooking day. : )
P.S. The snowflakes right now are huge!
YAY Rachel ~ blog, read, cook and… away!
thanks…
I am using this Nature Retreat to putter and do things that need attention, but a slow pace. I am not rushing around to do anything.
Yes, I am going to do computer stuff for work, but I’m doing it my dining room table where I can look out the windows and enjoy the lovely snowflakes as they fall gently to the earth. (Yes, Rachel, they were huge a few minutes ago, but are back to very fine right now…and the HUGE ones were so much fun to watch!) And I’m working in my pajammas, with a cup of bottomless coffee at my side and just after having eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Thanks Mom for the reminder to slow down and the time in which to do so!
I had a wonderful, restful day. I puttered around the house and read. I loved the early morning when it was white and QUIET! Not a sound–no cars, nothing. Like the world was padded with fluffy cotton!
I often retreat into the visions offered by Mary Oliver – by reading her images taken from Nature – such as In The Storm – or Wild Geese – with her words she provides a doorway into a center of WOW – a place of still, quiet and deep gratitude.
I have recently discovered a fabulous website flylady. net and have been spending both these snow storms with blinds pulled up enjoying the beauty as I use the flylady’s motivational starters to help me clear out what needs to go & has been procrastinated about! … Lake living is such a blessing we genuinely are “On Lake Time’
Judi, am still grinning over the image of you in PJs eating a PB&J. hope your slow day was exactly what you needed.
ML, YES! loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee your image of a fluffy cotton day. hope it was as perfect as it sounds.
Carol, oh YES ~ Mary Oliver! hope your snow day at the beach was GRAND.
Anna-Marie, LOVE flylady.net. she jump started my big organization shift a coupla years ago. hope your lake day was just productive enough.
thanks, ya’ll. LOVE hearing from you.
Oh, yay! This is one of the things I love about your blog, Lisa–so many interesting people who turn me on to good things! Thanks to them, thru you, I have found a new poet and a website to help me de-clutter! I looked up Mary Oliver, and from a brief look at her work, I can see she is someone whose poems I want to spend some quiet time with. AND, I’m (once again) trying to live up to the signs I’ve posted op my fridge FOR YEARS, “A place for everything, and everything in its place” and “Clear Space!” Flylady might help me there! Thank you to Carol, Anne-marie, and Lisa!
In reading everyone’s comments it, reminds me of the gift of giving to myself. I was extremely grateful for our “Winter Wonderland” last Monday and Tuesday. I returned from a beautiful wedding in St. Louis and went from a wedding that looked like a “Winter Wonderland” to Mother Nature’s magical “Winter Wonderland.” I was grateful for the time at home to reflect on a weekend with friends and laughter. I gave myself the gift of staying in my Pj.’s, taking in the aromas of the wonderful soup I had on the stove, and de-cluttering more of my house!!! In the words of Thich Nhat Hahn, and a few extras from me, my prayer for all is that we all Smile everyday, breathe and be aware of every breath, and most of all move slowly and enjoy all that is good around us!!
ML, this really IS a cool community, isn’t it? am thrilled you’re part of it and learning as much from it as i am…
Robin, your gratitude just plain makes me grin.
thanksssssssssssssssss, ya’ll!