THIS MOMENT

Welcome to Sunday in my little corner of the world where Mother Nature is wearing a gown of silver grey and hiding her smile today.   It has been cloudy since yesterday afternoon and we therefore missed seeing the Supermoon in all it's glory.  I was disappointed to have missed that and then realized while I was being miffed at not being able to share the beauty of it ~ I was missing so many other things.     Sure I couldn't see the moon in a crystal clear sky, but I could see the beautiful cloud formations and the wind whisking the clouds along across the moon and that was beautiful in itself.  I could feel the gentle wind that was blowing and smell the damp earth that comes with autumn days.   All simple but very beautiful things that are there if I will be present to the moment.

A restless night for me meant an early start to the day and a long distance phone call in the middle of my night got my head on straight again and I was again present to the moment and able to go back to my bed and get some more sleep.   When I finally did rouse and get out of my bed I felt that Sunday had started without me ~ but I have caught up now and all is well.    I realized that even though it was ten o'clock in the morning and I was still in my nightdress and robe, that the world would not go into a holding pattern and that it was okay to be a little lazy - a big lesson to learn for one who is usually showered, dressed and ready to face the day by 6.00.a.m. 

Busy days often mean a preoccupation and times when we do not listen carefully to what is being said - or what is not being said - it is important that we really try to be present to the moment as the moment is really all we have.  Cherish the time with those you love and don't forget to be sure they know that you love them.

I was going to take a walk at the River today, but have decided that can wait until tomorrow when I am less tired.   The leaves will be turning and the reeds bending and quivering in the water and there will be ducks and other water birds all waiting for me tomorrow and each autumn day.   Today I need to be at home and be present to my own surroundings,  I have lots of things to do, lots I could do but won't and lots I would like to do   I am content with what I achieve and I no longer stress about things I just don't get done.

Music is my companion today  - lots of  lovely pieces ~ some with vocals and some just soul stirring music and the hours go quickly as I listen.   I watch very little television, numerous DVDs but generally find music and radio my companions.   I play music in the car and there is usually a collection of Cd's to be selected from..

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” 

― Arthur O'Shaughnessy, Poems of Arthur O'Shaughnessy

I am a dreamer , that I know for certain and a romantic through and through ~ so yes I am a music maker and a dreamer of dreams.

Wherever you are in your part of the world I hope that you can find some time to be a music maker, a dreamer of dreams and to be present to the moments of your life.

Thank you for visiting the Musings of My Heart - a contemplative but happy heart today.

Love and hugs,

Linda. 

SATURDAY SUNSHINE ON SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Welcome to Saturday and it is the day for the wearing of the green ~ Saint Patrick's day and I wish all who are Irish, or who claim some Irish heritage  (and those who just think it's a great excuse to party and celebrate) a very happy day of celebration.   If it is green beer you are drinking or you are eating Colcannon sure By gosh and Begorrah have a wonderful Saturday.

So much is going on in my life ~ and the lives of those I hold dear to me that the days are just going by in a blur.   Happy, healthy days filled with love and care and generosity of spirit.  

The weather has cleared up and we have sunshine again and open clear velvet nights with diamonds gleaming for all the world to see.   I have been "sky watching " a bit lately and viewing the moon and the stars and realizing that my northern hemisphere friends view the same sky as I do and that does temper the distance somewhat.

I have had lovely mail in my Post Office box this week ~ sent with love and care and very much thought and it has brought me to tears of joy to read the lovely handwriting and words penned with love.  I am very blessed indeed.

Once again it is time for me to get back on the Merry Go Round of appointments and I have been busy scheduling appointments with Eye Specialist, Podiatrist, Dentist, Doctor, Dietitian and Dermatologist.  It is interesting to note how quickly the year has gone but it must have done as reminders are coming through for all of these things.    I am blessed to live within close proximity to most and to be well enough to cope with any distance involved.  This is all part of life post transplant for me ~these are annual events which is a very good reminder that I am into my third year of "life with Oliver" ~ having written that and come back to re-read I am amazed that I am talking in terms of "years"  ~ my scar is fading and most importantly I am alive and well and thankful.

I have been shopping today and spent a fortune at the Pharmacy and enjoyed a lovely sojourn with a beautiful young woman and we shared so much of how life has been for both of us  ~ one of those friends that you meet for just a few moments of your day.   One of those times I shall remember clearly ~ we talked for a little while about health, life and attitude to life and although her path has been rough she was able to be positive enough to want to live, to laugh and to love.  We parted with her saying for me to be safe and I left her with the worlds I hope for you there is joy in your journey.   She smiled and waved and drove off ~ I hope that there is joy for her.

At times I feel as though I am on a mission to bring some calm, peace and joy to lives that are hurting ~ and I know that today some one's step was a little lighter because our paths crossed.  Today my words helped her and I am sure that now her candle is lit she will be lighting other candles.

Celebration time for the Golden Girls with a March birthday for Karen ~ so dinner out and lots of giggles for us tonight and it will be lovely.   Karen is our Golfer, so it won't be a late night because she is probably teeing off at seven in the morning.   I am to be chauffeur driven ~ "Thanks Di." ~ it will be great.

Sickness and pain is troubling many friends all over the world and I am holding them close and encouraging them as I can ~ there is much sadness, but it gets to a stage where some one's time has come and we need to let them go and get on with the next stage of their journey.  So much of our grief is for ourselves.

"Courage friends ~

You do not walk alone

We shall walk with you

And sing your spirit home"

Off now to get on with the next part of my day which will be putting the shopping away ~ I have been all over the place and doing lots of little things and not achieving very much , but once this blog is posted I shall be feeling very much happier.

Our River Boat cruise is next Friday and the weather forecast is for a cool day with the chance of showers ~ perfect when compared with how hot is could have been.

Thank you for calling by and visiting the Musings of My Heart ~ a heart filled with compassion and care and yet one that sings for the joy of many things. 

Love and hugs,

Linda. 

RUBY TUESDAY - BEAUTIFUL MOON IN MY SKY

Good Morning and welcome to my early morning - sleep was not my companion and I have been awake for a very long time and up for a couple of hours.   The first thing I noticed when I opened my door this morning was a beautiful moon in a clear clear sky.   The air is crisp and there are clouds across the moon -and the shadows of the trees was truly lovely.  It was worth getting up so early just to see this beautiful sky.

I am off to the hairdresser early this morning and will enjoy time with the girls there  - they spoil me and fuss me and I love their company.  Hair does need a trim too.  

Viewing the moon this morning took me down the path of the moon and all the phrases we use connected to it:

Aim for the moon

Harvest Moon

Crescent moon

New Moon

Man in the Moon

to moon about

the Moon is made of green cheese

Crying for the moon

Over the moon

Promise someone the moon

Many moons ago

These are just a few phrases and we could of course list words

moonshine

honeymoon

moonshine

moonface

moon child 

moonlighting

moon child

blue moon

The moon features well in our language and has all sorts of romance attached to it too - our oceans rise and fall with the pull of the moon and the seasons change and our earth responds to the moon too.   Lots of people choose to plant their gardens according to the seasons of the moon.  

It really is fascinating how day after day, month after month. season after season the moon rises and sets in our lives and we really don't take much notice of it, until like this morning we are made aware of it's beauty.

How often we take things for granted in our lives - sunrise/sunset -the changing of the seasons, our family and friends.   Just because they are always there we tend to overlook the things that make them shine for us.

When I sat down to write this blog I had no idea which direction it would take and here we are waxing lyrical about the moon.  I recall when my children were very small they would want to go outside to say goodnight to the moon, and then would happily go off to bed.   This got to be a problem during daylight saving as their theory - no moon - no bed.  

I hope this post reminds you to look at your world and to see the beauty that is there every day - it changes but is still beautiful.   I have been noticing that the days are getting shorter for us as we have well passed the longest day and soon the winds of autumn will grace my days. I love autumn with the glorious colours and the crisper days and lengthening shadows.

All is well in my little corner of the world and I hope it is the same for you - take your children outside and look at the moon and try to see it through their eyes and find the joy of wonder once again.   There is so much beauty out there and seen through different eyes it all becomes fresh and new.

I wish you a day filled with wonder, a day filled with beauty in the little things and there are oh so many of those to be seen, enjoyed and relished.

Thank you for visiting the Musings of My Heart - a heart today filled with the wonder of the world and in awe of the changing of the seasons.

Love and hugs,

Linda. 


Sparkle and shine on this beautiful Ruby Tuesday.


"Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars."

RUBY TUESDAY AND TRAINS AND BOATS AND PLANES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzZnQ7hX8cM

Dionne Warwick - Trains, Boats and Planes

Good Morning and welcome to Ruby Tuesday - the sky is blue and the sun is shining.  It is cool but warmer than it was at five this morning when I was on the road.

I took a friend to the Airport and the roads were quiet and peaceful - and we saw a beautiful crescent moon in a diamond studded sky - it was really special to be out and above and able to do the Airport run once again.  I didn't park the car but just dropped Ilona off and then it wasn't calm or quiet - at the drop off point chaos reigned supreme with people parking at silly angles and others just stopping in the middle of the road.  We found a spot and Ilona was on her way.   Happy Trails to you my friend - enjoy Perth and your time with your family.

They are doing alternations at the Airport (and almost everywhere else) and there are cranes and workmen everywhere and the exit from the airport is very different now - the road out took me much further west.  So many changes, buildings and new roads.  I love the Airport and love to watch the planes come and go and have very often been the driver for many people.   Ilona and I discussed this morning that we had made this trip many times.

I am very fortunate where I live - I have access to the CBD by car or bus and only about a 20 minute journey, I am close to Outer Harbour and just a few miles from the Airport.  I have access to hospitals, schools, shopping centres and administrative facilities.   I love my City of Churches on the banks of Lake Torrens and no other City in the world could give me more.   Others could equal it but none could give me more with access to the beach and the hills.  It is Home Sweet Home to me.

Adelaide is built on a "grid system" with the CBD being surrounded by four terraces and Adelaide University, The Central Library and the Museum and Art Gallery are all on the northern side of North Terrace along with our War Memorial.  Our Cathedral is north of the CBD.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=19&gs_id=20&xhr=t&q=map+of+cbd+adelaide&biw=1536&bih=1034&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6ab0c93b70926705:0x5033654628ea7f0,Adelaide+SA&gl=au&ei=qPalTrXIN8qSiAfopPyNDg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQ8gEwAA

That huge link will show you the map of the City of Adelaide CBD.

I rarely go into the City centre because I have everything close at hand near home, but there are a few things that are only available in the City - our Central Market (fruits/cheeses/bread/meat/vegetables) is a very popular place for shoppers particularly on Friday evening and that is in the CBD - it is a hive of activity on Market Days and the smells are wonderful, the crowd busy and the coffee shops doing a roaring trade.

http://www.adelaidecentralmarket.com.au/

Read all about our Market and take a virtual tour - sorry I can't provide the crowd, the bustle or the lovely market smells.  All the information you could ever wish to know about our Market is on that page.   Enjoy !!

When we live in a place we grow accustomed to everything and we forget how magical it can be - I was reminded of this on the first Anniversary of my Transplant when my family took me out to lunch and most of them were working and we had to do something central.   We had lunch at the Museum and it was wonderful - we were captivated once again by the things we have seen so often.  It was wonderful to hear the girls talking about their School time experiences of the Egyptian Room - and nothing has changed there either.

Our Zoo is on the outskirts of the City and very popular and we have entertainment centres and now very tall buildings. 

We are a City of fountains (but most got turned off during the drought) and the view of Adelaide City lights from the Hills at night is spectacular.  Windy Point is a very romantic spot and often used for proposals and engagements - mine included. 

This is the view from Windy Point.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramble about my much loved City - and that it prompts you to rediscover where you live, to visit again places you have forgotten in your busy life style.  This all began with an early morning trip to the Airport.

I hope that you rediscover lots of little things on your journey too and find joy and happiness as you travel on and I thank you for visiting "The Musings from My Heart"

Love and hugs,

Linda.

MONDAY MORNING MOONLIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwnJzm-kubE

Good Early morning to you all - from a very cool Adelaide , the ground is heavy with dew and the day holds the promise of sunshine and gentle breezes.  A perfect way to start my day was to spend some time watching a full moon in a crystal clear sky.

I have been awake for quite a few hours, spent some time staying warm and reading, then I got up, made coffee and wrapped up warm and sat outside with the cat and enjoyed looking at the beautiful moon.

The air was crisp and cool and the atmosphere still and quiet  - it was truly lovely.

I love the moon and the changes it brings,  I love the way the moon pulls on the tides.

When all my will is gone you hold me sway
I need you at the dimming of the day

You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
You know just where I keep my better side
 

These words come from the song "The Dimming of the Day"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6kjCd7QRbw

Richard and Linda Thompson.

This has been a really special way to start another week - it is another Monday and I hope for you that it is not "Just Another Manic Monday"  I hope that you are able to maintain the freshness of the weekend and carry it through with you into the week.

Apart from lunch out my weekend has just gone in a blur - I don't seem to have achieved very much at all, but I have enjoyed many things - a fleeting visit from Naomi and Alexis, some television - SPOOKS - British Television Drama at its brilliant best, some reading and lots of good conversation.

My lunch out was with friends I have worked with.  It was lovely at an Italian Cafe not far from home and we chatted, ate, laughed and share much of our lives and hearts.  It was a great time and we plan to do it again soon and often.

Friendship is a treasure and a gift we give ourselves.  I think one of the nicest things about it is the trust and the exchange of confidences and the knowledge that a problem shared is a problem halved.  Life has not been easy for these Three Musketeers - health issues and family problems are taking their toll.
These two friends have been kindness itself to me and during my times in hospital they would visit, always with some laughter and compassion.  They would brush my hair, massage my feet and hands and generally make me feel loved and pampered.  Now that I am much better in health I am able to share their burdens and help them along their pathway which is a nice feeling for me.

I have been counting my blessings and there are lots to count and lots of people to include.  I am rich indeed with my "real time" friends and my "on line" friends.  Both groups care and share troubles, share laughter and tears and are all special to me in their own way.


So here we are at Monday Morning and another week stretches ahead - this time a short working week with Good Friday and then the Easter break. I don't have many plans for Easter, but do have a breakfast planned for Easter Sunday morning with a much loved relative from Melbourne and her husband who we haven't yet met.
My girls are having a busy time at Easter and friends are going away or family coming to stay and I wish them all a wonderful time.   May Easter bring peace and calm to your lives and may you enjoy a break from the routine of work.


My Gratitude for today is:


"I am grateful for the moon, its beauty and how it affects my life."


Today stretches out before me as a lovely "ordinary" day filled with sunshine and ordinary things. Ordinary things they may be - but we live in an extraordinary world and my time with the moon was beautiful and as I venture forth to see what I can discover today - my wishes for you are for kindness, sharing, caring and safety.


May there be love and laughter in your day and I send love and hugs to you and thank you for visiting and taking the time to read "The Musings from my Heart."