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ardysez

~ surrender to yourself

ardysez

Tag Archives: Mary Oliver

viewer, reader, twitcher, life…

20 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by Ardys in Books, films, Life

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

australian birds, Books, films, Mary Oliver, thetappingsolution

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morning light on volunteer basil plant

It is true, that our misery occurs, not because of what happens to us, but the way in which we react to it. Wiser persons than me have said this in very many different ways, but this is how I say it to you.

I shared with you months ago that I was seeking treatment for plantar fasciitis**, an inflammation of the fascia on the bottom of the foot. Over the last few months I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about the manifestations of plantar fasciitis, as well as the treatment. I’ve learned a bunch of other things as well, among them…patience.

I have only just twigged that, for me, this time around, is a much longer process of healing than my first encounter of it some 15 years ago…if, in fact, it will heal at all. It is nothing ‘serious’, as when I had cancer, except that it is. It has threatened the quality of my life significantly. Since October my movements have been very, very curtailed. Even though I had faithfully followed the stretches, the shoe and orthotic support recommendations etc, progress has been slow and frustrating.

Until…

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My collection of shedded gecko skins

I renewed an old acquaintance with a man called ‘Dances with Wolves’, felt a kinship in pain from the death of a tree (Avatar), wept at the horrors of Japanese treatment of soldiers in WW II (The Railway Man), delighted in the wisdom of a Maremma guarding penguins (Oddball), learned about historic figures like Queen Victoria (Victoria and Abdul) and Winston Churchill (Darkest Hour), and felt the anguish of a person who suffers greatly from a wrongdoing they cannot change (Japanese Story). I’ve wept with William Thackeray’s (Hugh Grant) friends for at least the 10th time (Notting Hill), and been completely charmed by a bear named Paddington. I have seen that the chasm of differences that sometimes exist between humans can be traversed more easily than the tinier things that separate us.

Through the porthole of reading I have been allowed inside the suffering and resilience of people who have survived the worst day of their lives (Any Ordinary Day – Leigh Sales). I have gone on a journey with the child of alcoholic and abusive parents, and seen him triumph (Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton). For some ‘light’ relief I learned a new way to meditate that had an immediate and profound effect (The Tapping Solution – Nick Ortner). And then I plunged back into the gritty, horrific reality of someone doing something I could never do (The Trauma Cleaner – Sarah Krasnostein).

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daily twitcher, caffeine and landscape fix

I also became a ‘twitcher’ and joined the week-long annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count with Birdlife Australia. I’ve always been a bird lover, but taking more time to sit and watch has made me keener. ‘The Genius of Birds’ by Jennifer Ackerman has given me a deeper appreciation for their habits, humour, intelligence and social structures.

I’ve taken fewer photos in recent months, having not previously realised how dependant on mobility I had been for inspiration. I began to look more carefully at the light, and the detail in my own surroundings. Experimenting taught me a couple of new editing processes as well.

Our daughter sent us a jigsaw puzzle that has occupied a few hours, so far…. it is a hard one! The photo is by Australian Wildlife Photographer Georgina Steytler who is based in Western Australia. (@georgina_steytler on Instagram). Her photos are stunning and she also works toward conservation. A portion of the cost of the puzzle goes to Georgina and other artists whose work you can select to be made into puzzles as well, @jigsaw_gallery on Instagram.

jigsaw puzzle photo taken by award winning photographer, Georgina Steytler
jigsaw puzzle photo taken by award winning photographer, Georgina Steytler
don't judge...it's a 1000 piece puzzle...
don’t judge…it’s a 1000 piece puzzle…
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light coming into the kitchen in a rare moment of cooking

The summer weather has not been kind to us. We have broken record after record from heat duration and intensity. If ever there was a summer to have to ‘sit things out’ this one would have been an easy choice for me! Since cooking has been very unpleasant, both for the time on my feet, and the heat, I’ve created quite a few meals in the way of salads. I’ve been grateful for some resources in my freezer, and also sourced some new recipes online. The new barbecue/grill that my husband bought before Christmas, and his willingness to use it, has been a godsend!

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feather amongst the withering leaves and bark from summer heat

So. What have I learned?

  • To love and respect my body more.
  • To spend more time reading.
  • New Depths of Compassion.
  • New depths of Patience
  • To live in the present more. I was anxious. I’m less so now, focus in the present.
  • I was reminded that Things/People are often not what they seem.
  • To try and keep an open heart about every situation. We never know what a journey will teach us.

I close with this favourite quotation, because it seems so appropriate, and because once in a while there is a celebrated artist/person whose passing deeply stirs me. With sincere appreciation to you dear reader, and for the wisdom and words of the great poet, Mary Oliver who died last week…

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.

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new editing technique using double exposures and distressedFX app on iPhone

 

**The plantar fasciitis has had a complexity to it called ‘nerve entrapment’. As well as the standard PF treatment of stretches, foot massage, strapping, sturdy shoes, orthotic inserts, I have had a nerve block and saline injections to the foot and area around the nerve. That had only minimal impact so I am currently having a series of ‘shock treatments’ to the bottom of the foot to try and ‘encourage’ the tissue to heal itself. Cortisone injections are not a panacea for this condition, but may provide temporary relief, tho are very limited in their use. The journey is ongoing. I am grateful for it all.

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your dreams miss you…

08 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Ardys in Inspiration, nature, photography

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

inspiration, life, Mary Oliver, Philosophers Mail, photography

Here, next to my computer, is a line I cut from a magazine quite a few years ago now…

your dreams miss you.

your dreams miss you

It is a reminder to me, to attend to the things that are important to me. To do that requires making an effort to keep my dreams in the forefront of my mind. (the penguin and the turtle are keeping guard… Don’t judge!!)

In a recent issue of the Philosopher’s Mail, I read an article that reinforced my feelings about the value of this lifetime habit. The title was ‘The Importance of Staring Out the Window’.

There is something so relaxing and rejuvenating about daydreaming… that’s really what we are talking about. What a luxury, in this very busy world, to be able to put one’s life on ‘hold’ for a few moments, or an afternoon, and just let thoughts and dreams bubble to the surface.

At about the same time I read the above article, there came a lovely, thoughtful comment and quotation, from my blog friend, Joanna:

And I am walking out into all of this with nowhere to go and no task undertaken but to turn the pages of this beautiful world over and over, in the world of my mind. –Mary Oliver

Pure serenity and inspiration.

Shouldn’t our dreams really be at the centre of our Life experience? Fortunately, I realised years ago that is what I do on my morning walks. The walks are as much about turning the world over and over in my mind, as they are about exercising my body. Once I realized that, I pursued the walks with renewed purpose and enthusiasm. It is MY time. It feels to me like a moving meditation. Many ideas for photos, blog posts or paintings come to me in those times. I feel connected to something bigger than myself.

bird of paradise??

bird of paradise??

Nature reveals itself in startling glory, dappled light, stunning creatures, golden hours, and my little worries are reduced to tiny fractals of memory.

Our minds whir and gurgle away all the time. Staring out the window is like the little whirring icon on my computer—processing, processing, presto! Information stored for future consumption… or discarded as no longer required.

I stare out my kitchen window often. A new bud, a drop of dew or a feint ray of light inspire. Sometimes I even act on it! You would have seen this photo small, in the mosaic of other photos in a previous post a few weeks ago. You wouldn’t have realised it was taken in our courtyard, though, and is a favourite object of daydreams from my kitchen window. The gentle morning light and soft dreaminess revealed themselves in a rare image that equals (or nearly) Mother Nature. Have a lovely daydream, wherever you are.

Cherry Allamanda

Cherry Allamanda

 

 

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