Entry #22 I'll Have A Glass of Bright Orange Flowers Please, Block Island's Hopeful Universe and My Impatient Ways

Dear All:
Sur le bateau, je vous dis. Ca c'est formidable! On the boat, I have to say, it is wonderful! When Brady was just born, my mother's dear friend Anne Thompson sent us a note that read, "Brady, Bon voyage on the wonderful sea of life!"  Is that so true and dear as can be?


The sunshine is sort of dictating our days at the moment, yahoo! The walls of the boat splash continually all day and the sun's rise peaks through our port holes with no shade in sight just at the break of well--morning. The wooden cabinetry has gone from shiny/plastic beige to a deep sunset wooded tan of a color with shiny bright gold jeweled knobs. Hey KK, how long you been on that boat girl? yahoo! Thursday's (7/15) full moon (plus/minus the consecutive days) was as exciting and dramatic as promised. The full moon's shine made that evening's sky appear as light as the afternoon, only it was midnight!

Flowers are absolutely heaven on earth right? I had the pleasure of gathering two wonderful bouquets from the Sunday Farmers Market in Block Island. The fairy like snap dragons, the yellow summer rose buds and the sophisticated Dahlia's regal position in the flower world are making some wildly pretty bouquets at the moment.  These bouquets are decorating every house, every building, every marina and restaurant in the area - what about the gigantic garden going on at the restaurant, Harvest? I will have me a large glass of bright orange flowers today, thank you!


Les Tweets

1. I'll have a large glass of bright orange flowers please!
2. All I know is that I am going with the Flowers
3. "Live by the sun, love by the moon"--unknown
4. "Full moons have a tendency to exaggerate things."-Sally Brompton Astrology

As the summer vacation delights us, there is a profound sense of hope for our local environment. Block Island's success in preserving its natural resources and ecosystem have seemed to create a sound balance to its existence. Balance? Love it! But the hope that we observed changes every thing about every day, particularly on Block Island, what an exciting and environmentally savvy location!


"Block Island is a natural treasure formed by glaciers nearly 10,000 years ago, it is is made up a diverse array of geographical features and habitats such as beaches, sand dunes, coastal bluffs, moraines grasslands (never seen/heard of that word in my life) maritime scrub land, salt ponds, hold ponds, and various other freshwater wetland ecosystems."" The Nature Conservancy currently owns a substantial amount of Block Island's natural resources. Yahoo for the environmentalists on this one! Its no wonder that the nature Conservancy has designated Block Island "one of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere."


The Nature Conservancy mission statement is: " Protecting, preserving life. You depend on nature--we're here to save it. We're working with you to make a positive impact around the world in more than 30 countries, all 50 US states and your backyard." "We're using a broader vision to take a deeper look."--www.nature.org.


Living by way of the sea on a boat is an adventure like no other, and Brady is one scooter of a toddler, oh dear! He is splishing and splashing all over Montauk Lake and having the best time ever! When I am thanking god for everything while worshipping the flowers, the moon and the stars, I still find ways to act out when I am impatient.


My impatience is very present in my life (I can blame it on Brady, but it is a bunch of self serving crap on my part) and it really is time to let it go - as soon as possible. Yikes. What a relief that is -- To Get Over Myself!

Les Twitter

My impatience is unproductive.

Impatience can be very brutal because we do not take responsibility since it is the circumstances that are causing this. Or is it our choices & actions that have become the circumstance? Impatience is one of the easiest character defects to let slip by.  It is a bit of a phantom when you think about it. I display lovely fits of infantile behavior when things are not as quick & nimble as I want. Being impatient is the route of all of our conflicts right? That is an easy one to pass along on someone else, but again, it is our silly bullshit that gets us there in the first place. Oh to the poor lambs who cannot control themselves, starting with me, Get Over It.


When I become impatient

1. I become angry at others (but it is my fault)
2. I react
3. I am critical and judging of those not doing what I need them to do
4. I yell (which is indulgent) 
5. I look irresponsible 
6. I shut off (cause only wrapped in my own agenda)
7. I act like an ego freak
8. I lack all control
9. I feel guilty so why do it in the first place?
10. I am just realizing the frequency of my impatience? That is the scary part.

So how about we toast this large glass of brightly colored flowers today and say, "Cheers to the pirates out in Montauk this summer, (best place ever,) and thank you for the brilliant universe that currently exists on Block Island (to name one of the millions) and thank you for helping me address my impatience and its frequency. If we keep on our paths of good thoughts, good will and hard work, what could go wrong right?


Thank you all for reading in your busy summer vacations. Gotta love the days filled with sun and shine, yahoo! 


Lastly, let's pray for the children who need our fierce protection at all times on a local, national and global level. If our awareness is heightened we can be there to help everyone and everybody! We're so on it.


Tweetie
Remember the Children - Darrell Ford Jr.'s Button 


With Love and Sincerely,
Kristen


P.S. Love you til the cows come home.

Entry #21: The Bumble Bees' Dramatic Return, July's Liberty and The Privilege of Sweating the Small Stuff

Dear All:
The shrubs are beaming green, the trees are proud and the leaves are as giggly as could be on one of the most breath taking days of the year.  Our sprinklers are singing; the flowers are bejeweled in every rich color that exists and I have to say, July is radiant in its final bloom. 


Brady and I spotted a ruby headed Woodpecker this morning on our south lawn as this wizard of a bird; popped, popped, popped on the maple tree, then clucked, then chirped, and quickly shot away. I was like Brady, "Let's put this sighting on the calendar"!


As we watch nature's beauty each day, (realizing how fragile it is & nourish our thoughts for its survival,) we are honoring our independence on Monday - which is amazing if you look out into the world and observe the continual struggles for freedom. If we reflect how fortunate we are and are in agreement that sweating the small stuff is a privilege, right? We already knew that though, of course!  


Lately, the bumble bees' have us in wonder of their unique behavior and potential collapse. However, bees had their moment in Chinatown earlier this spring - which was as always, phenomenal. 


It seems a swarm of about 15,000 bees descended on a lamp post in Chinatown, which is one of three that have hit Manhattan this season. Good things are happening if these bees have showed up in NY of all places! 


I experienced a swarm -- the width of my block & approximately fifteen feet high (on Coleridge Street in San Francisco) on my way to work one morning. As I looked up and quietly passed along their sweet calm humming, I was not afraid, just stunned of how many there were. I remember thinking to myself, oh boy, I have to walk through this?


I did mention this to our dear guide Peter at Seatuck Environmental and he explained that this occurs when the "Queen Bee" is being replaced. 


"There is a definite seasonality to swarming. Bees of all ages join a swarm but the majority are younger (4-23 days old) bees. Most swarms settle within three meters (ten feet) of the ground but some land on the ground while others cluster at higher locations."--www.dailymail.co.uk.  


As July enchants us (like Memorial Day) with its red, white and blue fun, we should honor this day where we signed the US Declaration of Independence! We can all laugh now that I am trying to even discuss the Declaration of Independence. He He, KK Get Over Yourself! 


But when you think of the the people fighting for their lives at this very moment (Mid East and Africa) for their freedom to vote as they want, marry whom they want or worship who they want, you have to take a breath and thank god everyday that we live in this country. 




July 4th is the day we signed this controversial piece of paper and made our rich lives what it is today. "The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature, particularly over the second sentence, a sweeping statement of human rights."


"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amount these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."--Wikipedia. How dear is that? 


I suppose I am going within for the answers on this one, but how can we dare sweat the small stuff when people really have no chance out there, even when they are born? Everyone knows I am always up for a negative yak every now and again, but inside I know it is not right to complain of the heavy rains, or the traffic (because I am late) or other's actions that I may see as unfavorable. I do not believe any of us take being "free" for granted - ever. But maybe when we are bibbling about the super small stuff that we don't really have any control over, we may look inside for a little light to guide us in the right direction.

Thank you for reading in your busy days. I am sure that the bumble bees are much smarter than we give them credit for, "take that" they buzz! I am going to thank god everyday for giving me freedom (to vote; to marry whom I want, and to worship nature if I please) right here in the United States. I am going to look for the light inside to guide me in the right direction when I am not focusing on what is important. 

Also, please keep "hope" close to the heart & pray for the women, children & animals who need our fierce protection at all times. 

With Love & Sincerely,

Kristen

P.S. Love you all til the cows come home!