Category: Reflections On Sunrise

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
~ Plato

A heavy, soothing rain shower had me up before dawn this morning. And of course my concern for Gabby. She’s still breathing, but not showing the remarkable improvement that doc hoped for. So back to the vets she’ll go today.

I thank you for all of your prayers. This morning, my daily metta prayer specifically reached out to my parents, and their best friends. A few posts back, you may recall my wondering why my parents just couldn’t seem to get their plans together for their 50th wedding anniversary. Well, it seems their best friend will be passing away. So instead of a time of celebration, this week will most likely end up being a time of sadness and grief for them. read more

“Change always comes bearing gifts.”
~ Price Pritchett

This past week, I’ve had the opportunity to contemplate lots of changes, for myself and many of my friends and family. Be it loss of jobs, relationships, illness …. We all experience on-going change. And many times, change can be of an unwanted nature and challenging to handle. Knowing that we have to come to terms with it, doesn’t make it any easier.

Life can bring dramatic changes in only a period of minutes. Over the weekend, my cat Gabby became ill. She was fine on Friday, but today, she can hardly lift her head, and we have no idea what is wrong. She needs to head into the vet first thing this morning. I think sometimes, watching another in pain can be even more painful than when we are hurting ourselves. We can feel helpless, in addition to feeling grief. read more

“Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

It’s easy to give in to discouragement. As I sat this beautiful still morning, I wondered … Does the sun get discouraged by clouds? Of course not. It rises above, each and every day LOL …

In a perfect world, all I would have worked on this week is a cook-booklet for Summer Entertaining. It hasn’t happened this way. To pretend I have 24 hours in the day to devote to my cooking would be like trying to get that cat to bark. It’s just not going to happen. And I’m ok with this. I love the other aspects of my life, even if there are days that I’m at my whits end trying to keep them all moving along. read more

“Life without a purpose is a languid, drifting thing;
Every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves:
This day, let me make a sound beginning,
for what we have hitherto done is naught!”
~ Thomas Kempis

What a soft, beautiful sunrise this morning! With a touch of ocean breeze, I enjoyed sitting in the early morning sun for quite some time. I was thinking about my options for the day, and whether my choice would be the best use of my time. I have 60 days before taking an extended off-island break, and I want to make the most of each day. It’ll go by quickly! read more

“Nothing that is outside of you can make you feel sad, angry, weak or disheartened … Without YOUR permission. Don’t put your button out there to be pushed. Develop the attitude of ‘I don’t mind, and it doesn’t matter’.”
~ JB Glossinger, MorningCoach.com

Ah! It’s nice to wake up to another day, clear skies, and a light passing rain shower to clear the air. Our weather guys say we’ll have two sunny days, before possibly another tropical wave rolls through on Sunday. Hello Summer! read more

“Happiness depends on ourselves.”
~ Aristotle

According to the National Weather Service, June 2013 is the 10th rainiest June on record for us here in St. Thomas. It’s certainly felt more overcast than normal !!

And it’s a known fact that weather can and does effect our moods.

Research has proven that warm temperatures and exposure to sunshine have the greatest positive impact on moods. A report published in the British Journal of Psychology found that warmer temperatures lowered anxiety and skepticism, while more hours of sunshine increased positive thinking. The same study showed that high levels of humidity made it hard to concentrate, increasing fatigue and sleepiness. A friend of mine also has concluded that high levels of Sahara dust (or air pollution) also increases fatigue, as it makes it harder to breathe. read more