Author: Victoria

“Equality comes in realizing that we are all doing different jobs for a common purpose. That is the aim behind any community. The very name community means let’s come together to recognize the unity. Come … unity.”
~ Swami Satchidananda

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone! For me, I celebrate May 5th as Grandparents Day. It is the day of passing for two of my grandparents, as well as Spencer’s grandmother. While our grandparents weren’t big party people, they loved life and family. It seems fitting that they left this earth on a day of celebration, released into the grander community in the sky. read more

Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen … that stillness becomes a radiance.
~ Morgan Freeman

Back in the day, Morgan Freeman was a frequent visitor to the Virgin Islands via his modest sail boat. I met him once. He was hanging out at a local marina bar, just like everyone else. And when I came upon this quote, I knew in my heart that the radiating intelligence and aura that shines from this beautiful being likely has come from watching many a sun rise, and many a sun set. He seems to embody stillness, doesn’t he … read more

“In a very real sense, we’re all made out of sunlight.”
~ Thom Hartmann

Everything feels renewed today. Open and alive. After nearly 6 months without a dribble of rain, we finally received a good downpour yesterday morning, bringing close to an inch of rain, and apparently another shower early this morning. And I could literally feel the energy radiating from the plants and birds as I sat in this morning’s slow sunrise.

Thom Hartmann writes: “Sunlight – radiating heat, visible light, and ultraviolet light – is the source of almost all life on Earth. Everything you see alive around you is there because a plant somewhere was able to capture sunlight and store it. All animals live from these plants, whether directly (as with herbivores) or indirectly (as with carnivores, which eat the herbivores). This is true of mammals, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and bacteria . . . everything living. Every life-form on the surface of this planet is here because a plant was able to gather sunlight and store it, and something else was able to eat that plant and take that sunlight energy in to power its body.” read more

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunity and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life, but this.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

I loved watching the sun play on the clouds this morning, with brilliant hues and little rainbows of color. A lone seagull hung out with me, playing above in the light winds. And it gave me a bit of extra time to wake up, as I didn’t get the best night’s sleep. The cat kept waking me up, scratching at the end of the bed, wondering where her most favorite human had gone LOL. read more

“Human Beings, indeed all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness and live in peace and freedom.”
~ Dalai Lama

I came to the computer this morning, prepared to write about freedom, when indeed, every photograph of the sun I took today, held the message of peace.  How perfect to have found a quote by the Dalai Lama that held both messages 🙂

So today, Spencer will head off island for nearly a month, beginning with a yacht delivery, from the VI up to Florida, followed by a couple weeks vacation. He’s crewing for an old friend, Harold, whom we’ve known since our earliest days here on island. Last night, Harold held a wonderful going away, send off party on the spectacular, 112 foot power yacht, catered with mounds of sushi and a well stocked bar. read more

“Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one’s liberty.”
~Henri Frederic Amiel

I awoke this morning with a song in my heart. So much to be grateful for, including the sunrise, every so gently diffused by the clouds. It gave me a little extra time to sit and be, before the brilliance put spots in my eyes, my signal that it’s time to go inside ….

So yesterday I was described as “persistent”. As a teacher or coach, I sat and asked myself this morning how this has come to be?  How did I learn to be “persistent” (assuming that persistence is a good trait LOL)? How do I teach that? read more