Back to Basics

I have a cold. I hate to complain, but it's been a little bit miserable. Today, as the world seemed to have gone crazy on the news, I was exhausted and dehydrated so I turned everything off and lay down for a much needed nap.

I woke to find more depressing news coming from the television with hopelessness, anger and tragedy occurring all over the world. I had no idea what to blog about. I let the dogs out and ate dinner. Earlier in the week, I started to read a Charles Dickens book (a Collection of Christmas Stories) where I found some inspiration in the introduction and thought I might try revisiting that for some uplifting blog material. Then the phone rang.

It was a friend who was on a long road trip home for the holidays. She had been passing the time by trying to harmonize to a Simon & Garfunkel song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and had gotten stuck near the 3 minute mark. It was driving her crazy and she wanted help figuring out the harmony. Alright.

I pulled up the version she had been listening to and was ready to dissect the harmony when I realized there wasn't any until the end. It turned out that she had been inventing her own harmony. I had to hear what she had been doing. She sang along and I listened. When we got to the end, we came up with a vocal part that was consistent with what she had been creating up to that point. When the harmony on the track came in, she wanted to invent a third note instead of singing along with what was already there. We had so much fun!

She is not a professional singer and it was not work. It was play. It was a nagging problem for her that we solved together. We had a riot trying out different notes, dealing with the cell phone delays and the humor of the situation. Soon after we finished, she reached her destination. So did I.

My focus had changed. I had turned off the news and worked on something creative. My cold didn't seem as miserable and I had a revived spirit. (Smile.) It was just what I needed. It was also in perfect alignment with the song's meaning.

Click here for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on Songfacts.com

Things can get intense this time of of year. Carving out a little space for reading a book and singing a song proved to be the perfect thing for me. As we all go crazy getting ready for the holiday - cooking, cleaning, traveling, standing in line, spending too much money, getting colds and feeling worn out, here's wishing we can all find our own space for peace.

There are always those precious moments. There are those times when we see old friends, when we give or receive the perfect gift, when we smile at the joy of a child on Santa's lap, or that moment of gratitude when the tree seems perfectly magical. There's the humor in typical family squabbles and the warmth of laughter - plenty of good spirit to be found if we look for it. In addition to all of those things, there are those quiet moments in our own heart when it's just us with ourselves. Here's hoping we smile when we are there.

Wishing you all the peace and joy of a beautiful holiday... Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah.

Namaste,
T

I had the pleasure of singing background vocals for this version - behind Jacob on American Idol

The Amazing Human Spirit

I can't shake the thought.

The standout moment I keep coming back to is when I found out someone I know is terminally ill. I had no idea. She spoke of it candidly. I must have seemed at a loss for words. I was.

The human spirit is amazing. Most of us try not to think of our own ending. Those who are forced to and do it with grace and bravery beyond measure, leave an unforgettable, inspirational mark on our hearts.

I am reminded to always be kind. We never know what challenges our brothers and sisters are facing. I am reminded to be grateful. The silly things we complain about are mostly petty. I am reminded that we are all the same. We all come into this world and we will all leave it one day. I am reminded that we should live in a way of which we can be proud. How we journey through our short time on this earth is everything.

Then there was this story of an extraordinary Santa visit... (Warning: You may cry.)

Click here for CNN's "Terminally ill boy dies in Santa's arms"

On Saturday's gig, Joe had the audience members take each other's hands and hold them in the air as he spoke of unity and the power we all hold to make a difference in the world. I just love the people I work with.

Joe, Me, Russ at the gig

So as the trees go up and the Christmas lights come out, I'll remember that we can all make a difference to someone by our actions and kind words. We never know what they might mean to someone.

God Bless Us - Every One.
(A Christmas Carol reference)

Namaste,
T

Follow the Stars

I'm sticking with this as my mantra this week.

It has been so crazy and hectic this week! There was the last day of a class I've been taking (final papers/projects due), family was in town, we put up the Christmas tree, rearranged furniture and more. I almost completely forgot it was Monday!

I did notice there are a lot of star ornaments on the tree. Then I randomly opened the quote book to find inspiration - and there was this quote by Leonardo da Vinci. I guess you could say it was in the stars. :)

Here's to a week filled with starlight and inspiration!

Namaste,
T

Social Media Appreciation Day

Remember when we had to call everyone on Thanksgiving and the list would be so long and everyone would be getting hungry and there would always be someone who you wanted to call but didn't because there just wasn't enough time? Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little (not really) but there were only so many people we could get in touch with. I usually only got to the closest family members. We wouldn't get to see everyone else's Thanksgiving table right away unless we went around visiting. Pictures would come later - if at all.

How times have changed.

Fun with Snapchat

Russell and Me on the Thanksgiving Day Drive

I'm feeling grateful to be able to stay in touch with so many people! Along with having a great time posting, I got a firsthand view into the homes of so many friends over the holiday. Texts, pictures, videos, funny stories, laughter... all made Thanksgiving even bigger. 

All of the special people in my extended family and all of the people I've met and worked with over the years don't always know how much they mean to me. Projects change, people get busy, time slips by and sometimes I think of people that I haven't seen in years and wonder how they're doing. Now they're just a click away. That's great!

Sadie came home from the kennel wearing ribbons. She promptly took one out. 

#ThatDogsGotTheRightIdea

:)

This week I'm celebrating the gift of staying connected with family, old friends and new friends from all over the world thanks to social media. Here's to a week filled with Blessings...

Namaste,

T

TURKEY DAY!

:)

Sometimes, on Thanksgiving, we go around the table and everyone takes turns saying what they are grateful for. I love that part. That, and the pie.

Here's wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and safe holiday with a lot of laughter and warmth. Happy Thanksgiving!

Namaste,
T

#TheRightSide

I was so excited about the prospect of turning off the news and getting back to enjoying nature and the seasons this week.

I thought that getting back to meditation would be a great thing to blog about this time around.

It seems that there is going to be quite a lot of news watching and controversy for some time to come. I would sincerely hope that, no matter WHO you voted for, we can agree on one thing:

Here's wishing we all find a path to peace and understanding.

Namaste,
T

#GoVote

Earlier this week, I mailed my ballot in.

This week's message is simple:

GO.

VOTE.

We've come too far not to.

Click here for History.com's "The U.S. Constitution"

Click here for History.com's "Fifteenth Amendment"

Click here for History.com's "The Fight for Women's Suffrage"

Here's wishing us all a positive experience on Election Day...

Namaste,

T