Happy New Year from Homer, Alaska

The view from our back yard, as we welcomed midnight and 2013.

Looking Forward to the New Year

How about you?

It's All I Have to Bring Today

It's all I have to bring today

a Poem by Emily Dickinson

It's all I have to bring today-- 

This, and my heart beside-- 

This, and my heart, and all the fields-- 

And all the meadows wide-- 

Be sure you count--should I forget 

Some one the sum could tell-- 

This, and my heart, and all the Bees 

Which in the Clover dwell.

***

I really love the simple beauty of this poem.

And it resonates with me because I am still laying low due to my knee injury.

Every day, I alternate between breathing in the simple joy of being alive and finally being still enough to see, really see what is around me and screaming inside at this grounding of my physical being when I want to walk on the beach and in the woods, snowshoe, ski and move my body...

This poem returns me to the place where I am internally quiet and at peace, realizing that all I have to bring to the world today and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that is my heart.  Everything begins with my heart.

This is an important reminder as the New Year beckons with promise and possibility. 

Gifts within the Stillness

Having injured my knee while skiing on Christmas Eve, I have a lot of time to sit and watch the sun and moon both rise and set over the mountains. What a view it is!

While I'm not thrilled to have to be so still, I'm finding tremendous gifts within this stillness... like seeing, really witnessing this daily miracle.

Merry Christmas

Having injured my knee while skiing yesterday, I spent today housebound and ultimately basking in the wonderful caring of friends and neighbors who brought well wishes, gifts and goodies my way.

This was the first time in nine years that I was in Homer for Christmas and though my injury kept me from skiing and walking the beach as I'd planned, it was a beautiful day filled with much love, light, beauty and silent contemplation... along with chocolate, Christmas movies, phone calls, face time calls, chocolate, skype calls, emails,  snuggling on the couch with Zip and Angel, and chocolate.

My Christmas Day was one of simple joy, where my banged up knee forced me to be still, allowing me to savor every moment. What an unexpected and lovely gift.  Sometimes the Universe provides what we didn't even know we needed...

I hope your day was a very special one too, filled with many blessings!

Ho Ho Ho from Homer

Hot cup of tea in my new mug from Kevin and Holley

Angel in Repose

Christmas socks

Zip with treats

Angel with catnip

Baking cookies

Janice's decorations

Janice's decorations 2

Janice's snow globe

A Christmas toast

Gifts friends drop by as a joke to help me deal with knee injury

Janice lends me her knee brace

Ornament gift from Darlene

Remembering Christmas last year in New York City

Chocolate treats from friends

Doug and Katie's cinnamon buns

My favorite jelly, thanks to Joseph and Irene!

Canada Goose ornament from Janice

Gifts from Mom

Mom's cookies

A new Christmas tradition - thanks Mom

New and old ornaments adorn our tree

Christmas Eve - A Good Day to Ski = an Injured Knee

Zip and I enjoyed a great afternoon ski to celebrate Christmas Eve.  The trails were icy and I was having difficulty staying upright on the bumpy, slick path. I was too excited to be out skiing that I didn't listen to my instinct to stop and instead, I kept on skiing.  On the return back to the trailhead, I lost control of my skis, took a turn too quickly, followed by a jump over an unexpected mound of snow and wiped out.  As I fell, I heard my left knee pop and an immediate rush of nausea kept me on the ground for a few minutes while I regained my bearings and my balance.

With my leg wrapped, iced and elevated, I was able to still enjoye dinner at my friend's house.

Hopefully, this injury is just a strain or a sprain and nothing more serious.  That's what I want in my stocking...

Christmas Eve - Spotting Santa All Over Town!

3 Days to Christmas: Packages, Cards and Pink Parcel Slips Oh My!