My Chocolate Miracle #JusJoJan

 I don’t know, this is my first year to attempt Linda Hill’s #JusJoJan prompt and I would swear she is custom designing it for me! First unicorns, now chocolate. Next thing you know it’ll be mermaids (hint, hint) 

As it happens I love chocolate. No, I mean it is a genuine food group for me. Just ask the hubs. He keeps me in dark chocolate which in turn keeps me happy. My sons all know it as well and one of them has made a tradition of gifting me with Godiva collections on major holidays. He knows I love truffles and has been sending lovely boxes of them to brighten my holiday. I wasn’t, however, expecting him to send them to me in Central America. It was to be a surprise and, not knowing, I gave him the sea cargo address for our gifts which takes about two to three weeks time to arrive. It is less expensive on our end when receiving. I had a moment of panic although Godiva is great with shipping, using perfect packaging and rock solid ice packs. 

When he found out about the shipping he told me about the chocolate and we both laughed, shrugged, surmised about salvaging melted goodies and prayed. As difficult as it might be to believe, those chocolates showed up here in two weeks, the inside of the box was cool as a cucumber and my little sweet babies looked like they were just waking up. He sent two boxes so I am set for at least a couple of weeks. 😉😏❤️

Thanks Willard! My chocolate miracle!And thanks Godiva! You rock! 

Taking Cover

I'm going into 

hiding

and won't come out

until the storm

has passed

at last

the sun returns

within and

without.

Fear 

so 

powerful

drives 

dark agendas

that block

the light

of truth

and

hope

and

healing.

We cope

by believing.

Wake me

when 

it's over

please.  

Cheryl KP 

2020

Never Give Up

This simple video, made by my grandson’s mother some time ago, is more relevant now than the first time I heard it. In spite of the grim news we hear, the unsettling changes in our day to day lives and the frightening uncertainties that loom on the horizon, we must remain focused on what we want to manifest in our world. When you remove the material aspect of what we consider valuable, what is left is our physical and mental health. It is imperative to our physical well being that we have a strong mental state. Sometimes all we have is the certainty that our souls will live on, that our will to survive is our greatest defense. Children have simple faith, based on the lack of experiences they have gone through. They carry the promise of eternity in their hearts which they share freely. 

It is time to return to that simple faith and understanding, to be diligent and wise in our choices and to share love in every moment. Love and fear are at war, not from any outside source, but from within the heart of humanity. 

In the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, the final scenes find our hero pleading with an alien omniscient entity for mercy and to give  humankind one more chance. If only we had such a tangible force to reckon with. Instead we have an evolving, unpredictable alien virus that can neither be reasoned with or held at bay unless we put aside our own agendas and work for the good of the whole. 

Then, perhaps, Bob Marley’s words will not have been shared in vain. I think he would be proud of Noah’s rendition. 

“This is my message to you.hoo.hoo....”

Stay well, my friends. 🤗💕

Renewal

During these difficult seasons of what seems to be a breakdown and dismantling of so many familiar processes, institutions and the way of life we have come to count on, it is encouraging to me to see that Nature knows nothing of politics and marches on with Life. The warmer temperatures may have its biological system confused but it continues doing what it does best. Nature renews, regenerates and carries on, for it knows no other way. Things bloom, grow, blossom and creatures bear offspring.  I, for one, am honored to be able to observe these miracles.

I awoke to this delightful surprise Saturday morning. 

An even dozen! If you recall, a few weeks ago I posted about the males fighting for dominance on the little lake. I suppose the best ‘Daffy’ won, but we see who gets the prize and the responsibility. 🤔

She swam right over to me, with them in tow, likely hoping for tidbits; but it is best not to feed them extras.

“Mom, you wanna check behind my ears? Hey! Where’s my rubber human?”

She really is quite stunning in the right light.

Yep, they’re all mine! 

We took a short hike at the nearby Sugarmill Ruins park and found another feathered friend preparing for a happy upcoming ‘big event’

This Osprey couple diligently working at making a home.

Take a moment today to observe the natural world around you. There is so much life going on as usual without any regard for who is running for president, who is the hottest rising star, how much money is in the bank or choosing what to have for dinner. Nature is busy carrying on as it is wont to do, as it was instructed to do, as we were all created to do. I suggest you enjoy their presence as much as you can. Life holds no promise of tomorrow. 

The Letter P

As it pertains to life's mysteries...

When contemplating the best way to summarize my current emotional/mental/spiritual state today, I find it difficult to connect my heart and mind in the usual way.  Sometimes words are all that pop into my head, and once spoken the dam that blocks my soul's winding path disintegrates, allowing me to float freely into that comforting space of understanding and hope once more. 

The letter P popped into my head and seeded itself, inspiring me to post, finally a light in the darkness that has seemed to be invading my creative flow.  As I pondered my dilemma I thought of the recent pain I felt at the pretentious, placating practice of polite, political correctness that has permeated everyday conversation and how self-conscious that makes me feel.  Not that I have outwardly been anything otherwise in my entire life, but knowing that judgment and the need to proselytize is paramount to society at large has paralyzed my tongue in many ways. It has had me depressed, feeling repressed and removed from my sense of purpose.  The pain of loss was as great to me as losing some of the people who were my soul allies.  I miss them dearly.  

Their presence in my life was constant and now seems so brief in sharp contrast to the vastness of Eternity.  Yet, when I quiet the panicked voices in my head, the truth that remains patiently waiting in my soul permeates my being, reminding me that the true enemy lies within us all.  While the fear which incites pain, its presence undeniably indelible, promotes discord in my heart and mind, the memories of the people who have always been there for me prevails, lifting me from the grip of such despair.

We have played together and stayed together, the pleasure of their company lifting me to heights they may never truly comprehend.  They have been my portion in this life, promoting my joyous endeavors to push on toward a dream, whatever it might be.  

They are precious, constant and never far from my thoughts. When my mind begins to push, prod, poke and try to evoke the dark agenda of fear, the mere thought of these people are like pieces of the puzzle that is my life; and as I begin to reassemble the lovely images of how we laughed and lived together, I am renewed. Joy is the healer of old wounds, and prayer is the incantation of the soul.

It is impossible to be constantly in step with one another, for we are all evolving, trying to pinpoint our own place in the grand illusion of Life; but this is normal.  It is a part of true growth and necessary to progress emotionally.  The platitudes that have driven us often seem weak, for I have "turned the other cheek" enough times for a multitude of humans. Sometimes we must sit and ponder our differences,,,

while remaining close enough to embrace them in the end, realizing that it is our commonalities which define our connectedness, that when all pretense is cast aside, we are all perfection in the thought of the Creator.  In that moment of true realization the mind is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. The heart sings for the knowing, and showing gratitude becomes as easy as taking the next breath. 

Rejoice!! 

You have climbed one more rung on the ladder to complete understanding, acceptance and hope.  Take pleasure in the sweet perfume that is Peace.  

Consider the possibility of a new moment, be grateful if you are not penniless. Pick up a pen and scribble your thoughts, your whims, ideas, worries and dreams.  Choose the delights of your heart and the sweet memories of a life well lived...

and put away the armor you have girded your soul with.  One cannot escape the road to destiny, but must plod onward if there is to be change; and change is inevitable.  It will find us all.  How much more joy is there in understanding life's purpose than putting off our lessons.  The lowliest of God's creatures understand this as they persevere, making homes of bottle caps, crossing perilous highways and accepting that they don't know what the next step brings.

I find true peace in the understanding that we are never alone.  The sun rises and sets each day as a reminder of Creation's constant abidance and abundance.  

I plan to find something pretty today, to remind me how perfect this life is.  How about you, my friend? It all began with a dream...

How about a bit of Patrick Park?  I love this one.  

Silent Watching....

The elders watched from the precipice of destruction,

stoic, unmoved in their constant vigil,

feeling mildly perturbed

by it all.

The ancient one shivered against the untimely chill

that had crept insidiously over the season,

forcing his tribe to take to the skies

all too soon, seeking warmth-

sustenance.

The Great Hunter finished the remains of its meal

wondering when the last kill would be

as the Keepers pushed further in,

stripping away the vestiges of

their life’s blood.

They bowed their heads in reverent shame for

such disregard of their Mother’s world,

their chirping drowned by the clamor

of progress, the cacophony

maddening.

She made them stewards of her Creation,

they hold her Essence in their hands,

delicate, brilliant, mighty, precious!

How could they betray her trust

for gold dust?

Can they not see the universe in a grain of sand,

feel her breath in the rush of the wind,

see her artistry painted across the 

canvas of a blue sky in the 

rainbow after a storm?

Her children remain hopeful in their quest

for new awakening, their message plain 

to the loyal who choose to see it

etched on their faces-

“Her heart is breaking..”

What is written on the shores of time for

this human race, then, as it spins itself

wildly into eventual extinction,

guided not by love decreed

but stark, unbridled greed?

Words of shame and empty dreams lay

 broken, fading under a remorseless sun

as Creation toils to rebuild itself

as it is loathe and wont to do-

again and again.

The sun rises and sets

as Nature weeps

for what was lost

awaiting eventuality...

for they understand they are the true Keepers,

the constant, faithful, vigilant

unrelenting survivors

that honor the

 dream...

The simple, hopeful thought to not be alone

within the vastness of Eternity

that became an idea of 

the expansion

of Love.

How can we, the Keepers

of the Creator’s original thought

betray such a gift? 

The Trickster speaks,

your mind he seeks

to have and hold

next to his gold

while the hell

He creates

festers and waits

to be fed

with the dead

flesh he vowed

 with head bowed 

to the lie.

Look up!

Reach for the Light

within plain sight

and live! 

CKP words and photos

2020

Let’s hope so, Bob.....click the link for his message to you..oo..oo....

https://youtu.be/zaGUr6wzyT8

Be sure to stop off for a beer and conversation over at Dan Antion’s Place 

And please don’t be silent. We love comments! 

My Soul is a Tomb

My Soul Is a Tomb

My soul is a tomb-

moldy bones of contention

litter the dusty floors 

and congregate in the

murky shadows to avoid

the shards of filtered light

that steal through the gilded

windows, their arches softly

contrasting the hard lines of

mortar and cold stone. 

The faint strains of a waltz

hang on the stale air like

a fog drifting across the

stormy sea of destiny.

My soul is a prison

where cave dwellers make fire

to roast the flesh of dragons

slain by knights on ivory steeds

deep within the forest of lands

ruled by fairies with 

pixie slaves that live among

the thorns of the rose garden

where children in crips linen

dresses and brown britches

play hide and seek with 

gray wolf cubs that venture

into the daylight while their

parents sleep off the night's 

successful run with the red

blood of the farmer's dog  

staining their tongues as they

dream of being eagles.

My soul is a highway

paved with yellow brick,

lined with bright poppies in

shades of crimson, lavender, magenta

to soothe the senses of weary travelers

on their journey from rough hewn

cradle to the quiet shadows of

their final rest.  

They amble and trot, skip, jump,

race, fall, dance, trip and crawl

towards the promised land where

hand in hand they stand to face

the final judgment.

My soul is a legend 

of hunters, servants, kings

and jokers, dancers, builders,

bakers, forsakers and breakers

of hearts, of saints and sinners,

losers and winners, creating each

life with new vigor, new hope, new

understanding and a vow to make 

the next journey more complete 

than the last-without error,

leaving terror of the past behind

liked shreds of colored paper

to litter the road of memory 

with bright distraction-such

attraction impossible to deny

and so begin again..

and again...

For the prison can be breached

and the highway paved with gold

while the legend will be told in the 

etching on the walls within the 

tomb.

CKP Words and Images Copyright

2020