tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11655594152686095342024-03-13T02:29:34.847-04:00COLOR MY SOULThis blog is a celebration of life- all of it, every color and hue! Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-3280548982316006352020-06-26T11:28:00.000-04:002020-06-26T11:28:21.897-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows 6.26.2020
Brock Creek Meadow at sunset
"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise." ~George Washington Carver Or in this case, the creek meadow before sunset.
Oregon View Farm, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
September 28, 2009
Starry Meadows Farm, Rockingham County, Virginia June 15, 2020
I could say so Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-32756985595851643162020-06-19T07:37:00.000-04:002020-06-19T07:37:51.071-04:00Friday with Starry Meadows 6.19.2020
"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
~ William Shakespeare
We are enjoying watching a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers fill their beaks with suet and fly to Meditation Path woods to feed their chicks. The nest is inside a hole in a dead tree. We watch the bird family as we walk the path and pray for our own families Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-43613620540159767682020-06-13T08:07:00.000-04:002020-06-13T08:15:31.844-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows 6.12.2020
Bowman Root Wildflower
June 8, 2020
“When the absence of mercy is witnessed in society, we've hit bottom." —Caroline Myss
“But I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright …” —Sarah Grimké, quoted in Ceplair, Public Years, 208
We’ve hit bottom so many Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-49549394187946643652020-06-13T07:55:00.000-04:002020-06-13T07:55:41.151-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows 6.5.2020
Night Sky Petunias are perfect in a pot along the gates of Starry Meadows Farm
June 3, 2020
My heart is heavy for my black family and friends, for our country. I lament deeply the injustice, systemic racism, the militarization of police. I examine myself. I am open to see my white privilege, where my own biases show up, and and what I can do to change things. I Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-9736382060669306392020-05-30T16:24:00.003-04:002020-05-30T16:49:10.022-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows 5.29.20
Monday, May 25
I woke up out of sorts for the last four days. This is the first day since that 4-day streak that I’ve not dreaded my morning journal question. “What will you do to make this day great?”
Today’s answer: Absolutely nothing. I will use this meaning of the word great: of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average, and say,Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-7485874822770431482020-05-23T14:06:00.000-04:002020-05-23T14:06:28.533-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows May 22, 2020
Poppy by Brock's Creek at Starry Meadows
It may be that when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real workand when we no longer know which way to go,we have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.The impeded stream is the one that sings.
~Wendell Berry in Standing By Words
Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-39454819883369778622020-05-19T12:06:00.001-04:002020-05-19T12:06:02.893-04:00Observing Nature Helps Us Hold Things Gently
Do you ever notice how some flowers close tight on rainy or cold days, then open again as the sun shines?
I've enjoyed watching our Star of Bethlehem flowers as they are bold and beautiful one day, closed up tight the next. The second photo is not the bud stage. It's actually the same plant, just with closed petals on a chilly, cloudy day.
Naturalists don't Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-6745407372152945112020-05-15T14:26:00.001-04:002020-05-15T14:29:13.750-04:00Fridays with Starry Meadows
For those friends who aren't on Facebook or Instagram, I've decided to include my postings there on this blog, here every Friday. "Friday's with Starry Meadows -
Sixty acres of meadows, stars, woods, and quiet. For contemplatives, writers, nature lovers, bird watchers, and tired folks to come rest and restore.
Starry Meadows posts typically includeSharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-6355305009822753782020-04-29T11:32:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:25:28.272-04:00The Welcoming Practice - Welcoming and Releasing Fear in a Pandemic
One of my favorite calming places - the hill beside our driveway at Starry Meadows
One of my favorite contemplative practices is more challenging in this pandemic. It is meditating with the Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating.
One line of the prayer catches me now - "I let go of my desire for security and survival." I struggle to Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-79495780611587975962020-04-21T13:57:00.002-04:002020-04-21T13:57:26.929-04:00For Bored Hunker-Downed Kids ~ Backyard Wildflower Treasure Hunt
Wildflower Backyard Treasure Hunt!
Hey kids, see if you can find these common weeds and
flowers.
During this pandemic, go outside for some nature sleuthing.
Keep your distance from other nature sleuths, and wear a
mask if needed, but get outside for some fresh air and
sunshine! Celebrate earth day tomorrow or any day! Enjoy the&Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-82957984852183113002020-04-08T10:24:00.002-04:002020-04-08T10:28:08.565-04:00By the Waters of This Babylon
By the Waters of This Babylon
My eyes soak up
all the greens:
chartreuse, shamrock, lime,
pear, moss, seafoam, along
with the blues of sky
and gray-white clouds.
My soul sings with beauty
juxtaposed with heaviness:
coronavirus, loss of life and freedom,
burdens of first responders, and workers
who can't stay-at-home, the poor,
people of color, and all
the confusion. Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-75598065738399639872020-03-30T10:48:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:27:39.866-04:00The Welcoming Prayer
This is not a photo of a gorgeous flower or a beautiful sky. It is a photo of my daily prayer practice. It’s not an easy practice, or prayer to pray, especially in these times. But it is a prayer that will change you.
And the change will be utterly beautiful!This prayer got me through my deepest fears when diagnosed with stage 4 NH Lymphoma. Letting go like this changed me Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-90236772635264392732020-03-19T19:57:00.000-04:002020-03-30T10:51:38.195-04:00Flattening the Curve- A Vacation with a Side of Nightmare
Tiktok- therapy dog in training. Photo by Stephanie Landis
This pandemic feels like a vacation with a side of nightmare.
It's also a roller coaster of emotions. Every
other minute I’m either laughing or tearing up. Some of the best dark humor is coming
out of friends and family these days!
Over the weekend I was with my elderly mother-in-law to help in
her recovery from rehabSharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-65852602155825975402019-10-29T15:47:00.003-04:002019-10-29T18:52:04.195-04:00Me and My New Shadow
It's been 9 years since I've been in remission from Lymphoma. After 5 years, I was considered 'cured.' It's also been nine years since Hutch, the star of Who Will Come for Pup, died. I had to say goodbye to him while fighting for my life. He spent his last days trying to protect me from cancer. After he was gone, I visualized him as a furry angel eating all the cancer cells in my body. Kinda Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-2086498752890643432019-10-08T07:09:00.003-04:002019-10-08T07:11:12.110-04:00
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”— Jimmy Dean
In the last six months, I've had to adjust my sails quite a few times. This past weekend, while readying for my book launch
Cake for my launch party!
party and setting out kites for kids to fly in our fields at Starry Meadows, this song kept playing in my head...
Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-80614147792828726002019-08-22T07:43:00.001-04:002019-08-22T07:43:12.480-04:00Invitation to Come Back Into Balance
Can you even imagine doing this? -stock photo of stunning sand raking
Often I'm drawn to the things that my soul needs, whether it makes sense to me or anyone else.
I really wanted a sand circle at Starry Meadows. I thought it would be a nice addition to the contemplative offerings at the farm, for retreatants, for children to play in, and possibly a small source of income. Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-90541894381599452132019-06-03T22:49:00.000-04:002019-06-03T22:49:14.504-04:00Weeds Never Killed Anyone
Last week I succumbed to the tyranny of my to-do list. I drove myself like a crazy person, making myself work longer hours each day. Since the farmer's surgery and recovery, I've become so adrenaline-filled I barely recognize myself. Especially the part of me that can become a slave to the voice in my head saying, 'Don't be lazy! There's work to be done so woman Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-91745381677130414232019-04-09T14:18:00.001-04:002019-04-10T09:12:37.927-04:00When Was the Last Time You Marveled at Something Ordinary?
Dandelions fill me with wonder!
While harvesting and cleaning some young plants yesterday (to eat stir-fried with morels, squash, and prosciutto), I noticed the center of each tiny plant contained one large bud with quite a few tiny buds forming around it waiting for their turn to develop. I never knew this before. How interesting!
When is the last time you marveled at something most Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-67276281322717234662019-03-27T09:15:00.000-04:002019-03-27T09:50:48.958-04:00What's the Point of Meditating?
During a conversation with friends the question came up, "Why do people meditate; what's the point of meditating anyway?" As typical of a deep thinking introvert, I didn't have a good answer at the moment. This question was asked last week and I'm still pondering a succinct answer! I've finally answered the question - for myself anyway.
I meditate in order to be a non-anxious presence Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-44696338641197605882019-03-06T08:34:00.000-05:002019-03-06T08:45:42.259-05:00Don't Pick the Bud
ripe persimmon
For Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-19925242775340215532019-02-26T16:44:00.001-05:002019-02-26T16:46:51.415-05:00Placemakers: Honoring and Tending the Landscape We Inhabit
Recently I sat in the theater at the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center and watched a delightful movie about the Sonoran desert. The movie offered fascinating details of place, the land and the beliefs of native peoples, all told with dignity, respect, and honor both for the land and the inhabitants while completely immersing the audience in wonder and beauty.
Just when the Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-23967701064123022822018-11-11T17:20:00.002-05:002018-11-11T17:20:44.513-05:00Music, Mosaics, Leonard Cohen
"In the broken places, the light shines through."
"Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything, and that's how the light gets through." ~ Leonard Cohen
I've experienced a wonderfully, moving weekend. A trip to Charlottesville's 'Front Porch' on Friday night to hear Indiscriminant Lovers - the music of Leonard Cohen - by Trent Wagler and Derek Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-77713796194975315242018-10-01T09:50:00.000-04:002018-10-01T09:53:50.110-04:00Surprising Connections
Blue Ridge Mountains
I recently spent 3 days on the Blue Ridge Parkway. What a wonderful place for 'nature bathing' and keeping myself grounded during the collective angst of last week. I did not want to return home, to normal routines and news cycles, not even to my beloved Starry Meadows. Taking breaks from work and for self-care is so important, but returning is always part of leavingSharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-81982916884649874952018-08-29T09:03:00.000-04:002018-08-29T09:03:37.896-04:00Do Caterpillars Poop?
"The world is vast and variable. Just as our diet must be varied and succulent for optimum health, so too the rhythms of our days must have variety and altered tempos so we can appreciate the musicality of life." ~Julia Cameron, Transitions
Since relocating to Virginia a few years ago, I've enjoyed reading the book Transitions. This entry is especially poignant with recent Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165559415268609534.post-13233986556442361322018-07-16T08:13:00.002-04:002018-07-16T08:24:55.197-04:00Abundance
Sunrise at Starry Meadows
My word for 2018 is 'abundance.' I had completely forgotten! Now, remembering, I ponder my word choice.
Spring brought an abundance of rain; so much so we had a flooded lane for two months. Then came an abundance of mosquitoes and gnats. And weeds. We lost an abundance of trees, and hundreds of new saplings are rising in their place. I received an Sharon C. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03996959287041945425noreply@blogger.com0