new year, new beginnings

it is now officially 2011....

time to look forward to new adventures!

remember this is just the beginning, who knows what will happen next!! i'm ready, so let's get started!!

Holidays

Christmas is over, well the main day is done, we are now into the 3rd day of Christmas and French Hens! The end of this week will find us waiting for the New Year, 2011, to begin.

I don't normally make resolutions, I do try and set goals. Ok, just semantics but the word resolutions is contains the word resolute, "marked by firm determination", and I'm not so sure my "goals" are marked by firm anything!!

I have decided and yes, since I'm blogging on it again I have to do it, starting next week I am going to blog about a book a week!

Thanksgiving

There are 2 pieces of literature that come to mind when I think about Thanksgiving...I thought I'd share them

We Gather Together



We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;

He chastens and hastens his will to make known;

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,

Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.



Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;

So from the beginning the fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!



We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,

And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.

Let thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Amen

--Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn

(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)

 
 
"A Boy's Thanksgiving Day"
 
 
Over the river, and through the wood,

To Grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood—

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple-gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood—

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie



by Lydia Maria Child

not pushing panic button just yet

ok, I'll admit it, I know that it's 89 days until the running of the first cup race of the 2011 season, the Daytona 500 and yes, the 2010 season just ended 2 days ago in Homestead.

I'm fine, really, I'm not Jonesing for a race, I mean why would I? After all it's only Tuesday, the anticipation of race day doesn't start until Thursday night and I figure this week I'll be out like a light thanks to the tryptophan, you know the amino-acid found in turkey thats basically a natural sedative. Of course I'll wake up Friday wondering what time practice starts and worrying about qualifying, then pit selection...wait, that's when I'll be going through withdrawls, oh dear, what will I do???

Inspiration

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."



— Louisa May Alcott





Sometimes you see something that just sticks in your mind, today for me it is this quote from my 4th cousin several times removed. These words remind me of a dear friend who is always smiling, always has words of encouragement and lives her life as if her highest aspirations are mere inches away. Whenever I feel like I can not even come close to my dreams, hopes and aspirations I think of this friend and know that life is possibilities not impossibilities.

Thank you Lori <3

Stranger things have happened

I am doing something slightly out of character, I am planning a head...really! I am writing blog entries for next year! yes, I am going to do 52 entries devoted to books, my favorite books and books of friends! I have January and February written! I did write earlier this year about blogging more, well if I have a blog entry a week already completed I'm hoping it will inspire me even more! That may not make sense to anyone but me and this is my space so for right now that's all that matters!

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Japanese word Zen is derived from the Chinese word Chán, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which means "meditation" or "meditative state".


Ok, that’s what most of the definitions about Zen say, it’s all about attaining enlightenment, a process of rediscovery, introspection, a step backwards, being calm within yourself. I discovered Zen in college as part of a humanities class and a discussion on religions of the world and found it in practice for myself on a vacation in southern Mexico at a wonderful Club Med in Huatulco (It is located on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca.) while learning all about archery; the most Zen sport I know of!

I try to meditate whenever I get frazzled or am feeling snarky; which means I should be living in a constant state of Zen!!

Tonight I rediscovered a book called Instant Zen, a do it yourself guide to awareness and discovery, I’m going to do as the book suggests, go with the flow, open myself to new ideas and get in touch with “the eye of the soul”.

The book is divided in half, like a flip book, mix and match, each page with a phrase when joined they create a zen thought to, well, think about!

Here are some I created and plan on thinking about...


It is not necessary to try

-just be

Seeing is beyond form-

Hearing is beyond sound



We can only know

That we know nothing

Scoop up water,

The moon is in your hands



Everything becomes its opposite

No cold spot

In a boiling cauldron



Enter into your inner self

And behold the eye of your soul

In the midst of all good and evil,

Not a thought is aroused in the mind

 
 
I'll have to see what happens when I open up my mind and just go with the flow. This has definite possibilities.