It’s absolutely amazing… any President of the United States can pardon a serial killer if he so desires, but he is NOT allowed to save the life of an innocent, disabled woman who is being starved to death. Something is wrong with this picture.

Yesterday was the first day I noticed a change in the light outside…Spring is actually around the corner I think!! I sure hope so, because this was a long, cold and very snowy Winter for the Northeast, for sure. That’s the beauty though of living in a place with the four seasons….it always reminds me that no matter what, a change will come…thus is the nature of life!!:)

I have come to the conclusion that it is FEAR that separates people and cultures…that if we could find as much common ground as possible the world would be a better and happier place. We are all simply Souls inhabiting different shapes and sizes, speaking different languages, but united as one human family through our shared experience of birth and death, and all of life in-between…for in the end, we really DO all speak the same language….the language of Humanity.

This morning it was 2 degrees, and the power went out…in the Northeast climate where I live, I have found that owning a down comforter for nighttime, and having a real fireplace, a warm pair of boots, wool hat, and wearing several layers of clothing really really helps fend off the chill of winter. Also, having batteries in my flashlights, and a couple of battery powered camping lanterns is a good idea too. I count my blessings, and know that when summer does come, all of these frozen days of winter will be forgotten, until next time.

The tsunami that devastated Indonesia is of such epic proportions that I suspect it has touched nearly every heart around the globe….I know it has mine. It is a huge reminder of how important it is to often tell our loved ones how much we love them, and to realize that every day we have on earth is a blessing, partly because it can be so suddenly taken away, without a moment’s notice.

This time of year I re-think my de-stressing strategies:)…trying to get enough sleep, taking time to meditate, doing yoga, and walking, walking walking! Watching the t.v. news broadcasts tend to stress me out…so I need these things to cool out. I can’t NOT stay tuned to the domestic and world news, because I am, like all of us, a Citizen of not only my own country, but of the World.

I sat down to write Christmas cards yesterday, and I couldn’t believe how much has happened this past year. A lot of changes…..both personally, professionally, and globally. Good things, difficult things, and a lot of learning and growth, which is what it’s all about in the end, right? At times I wish I could put my arms around the whole world…..sometimes it seems like it needs a BIG HUG. We are ALL in this together, and we must never forget this.

This has definitely been the “summer that never was” in Massachusetts! The weather has been generally overcast and cool…very strange. I wonder if collective human emotions can affect the weather…meaning, with all the stress around the prospect of terrorist attacks maybe those emotions can cast a certain “atmosphere of air?”

Today is the third year anniversary of my Dad’s passing….Happy “Birth-Day” Dad….I hope you are enjoying the peace that surpasses all peace….and I hope you can see the candle I have lit for you.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written in this journal, but today was a glorious Fall day and I spent a part of it raking leaves, which felt great! Just to look up at the blue sky, and the Autumn leaves still swirling around my feet…..a challenge to rake them up, but a privilege to witness God’s handiwork:)