Saturday morning at Bayview Market, swapping songs with my good friend Richard Choquette — guitar, ukulele, and a whole lot of joy. Music does what words alone can’t: it turns a market full of neighbors into friends. Grateful for mornings like this. 🎶
On our walk among hundreds of large evergreens
my friend singled out one small deciduous tree-
a lovely Red Alder now turning fall colors
We paused to ponder the quiet joy it stirred within
and Joyce Kilmer’s poem came to mind:
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Today I will walk mindfully with a friend
in a lovely park
here on Whidbey Island.
Walking mindfully with a friend blends the stress-reducing power of present-moment awareness with the deep benefits of social connection.
Moving side-by-side will naturally create a comfortable space for vulnerability, emotional processing, and shared clarity.
Walking together in awareness, great joy awaits!
“There is a place out in the woods,
Where shadows bend and tall pines stand,
Far from the noise of iron and streets,
Untouched by any human hand…”
I am blessed every day to live in the woods. Yet, I know there are other places we go where our souls can be soothed and the energy of life, like sunlight through trees, beams into our hearts.
Sharing poetry and songs with friends is one such way to bring light and warmth into our souls. That’s why I look forward to the start of a monthly gathering of seniors for wellness in our older years.
I’m thankful and excited that Island Senior Resources has invited me to offer this later life circle for seniors on Whidbey Island. Because making new friends and taking a walk in the woods have a lot in common.
Meaningful friendships don’t stop being important as we age. In fact, moments of connection, conversation, and shared experiences can become even more valuable during life’s later chapters.
This fall, I am happy to partner with Island Senior Resources to launch the Later Life Friendship Circle, a welcoming new gathering designed to foster friendship, creativity, and meaningful connection among older adults.
For years I’ve enjoyed morning devotions
and even longer still, making music
near and dear to my heart
But only recently have I segued directly
from scripture and prayer in the morning
to singing with stringed instruments
The fruits of doing both
regularly
are a tasty delight!
What form of art might you include in your daily devotions?
I love to sing “One Raindrop” a bluegrass song about how one small event or a tiny touch of love can heal deep loneliness and completely transform a person’s experience of life
Imagine!
One little song,
one tiny touch of love
turning darkness into diamonds
by the light that’s from above!
There’s a child in us all
longing to express
a song in our souls
How can I learn to better care for creation?
One way is to simply step into nature and pay attention
Creation has so much to teach us!
“Very Good”
That was the seventh day
voiced with a loving look at all of creation
And how very good indeed that we be born
in the likeness of Divine’s capacity
to delight and give expression to Love’s creativity!
(The colorful drawing is from Creative Art.)
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