Perspective

As most of you know I am a photographer...Early one morning while sitting in my back yard area, camera in hand, I began to look up and found myself thinking about how different things looked from that perspective. This led to walking through my yard with my lens pointed upward or downward or in front or behind and adjusting the focus to each perspective. I found that the same thing looked quite different if I were laying on my belly on the ground as opposed to laying on my back, or sitting in a chair looking upward or outward. It also depended on where I was standing and which direction I was looking from...the same item, scene, image changed as my perspective shifted.
This shifting camera perspective started me thinking about my perspective on life. I have been told many times though out my life that I 'view life through rose colored glasses'. I would definitely say that I am a 'glass half full' type person, an optimist in most situations...I think this is due to my perspective on life. I thought about where that perspective came from, how I reached the conclusions I have reached. I kept thinking that no matter what one's situation, circumstances, challenges might be it is all about the perspective from which one views them...this is what makes life wonderful...or not.
I remembered a quote from one of my favorite books, Illusions by Richard Bach...

"Perspective- Use it or Lose It. If you turned to this page, you're forgetting that what is going on around you is not reality. Think about that."

I did think about that...I thought about what 'reality' really is, how we create our own reality, how we live in that reality...and how our perspective changes our reality with time. I grew up on the California desert, an 'only child' of sorts (both my older brothers were married by the time I was born), the child of 'older' parents (Dad was 56 and Mom 40 when I was born), we attended church regularly, my mom's family was close-knit yet lived miles apart, my dad's family lived close by but weren't 'close', my dad and both brothers served in the military...all of these things and many more played a part in the formation of my basic belief system, as has living in the southeast, being married, being a mom, being a grandmom. Each time my life undergoes some change...my perspective changes. As I grow older...my perspective changes. If I lose something or someone...my perspective changes. If I see someone suffering...my perspective changes. As I move through life I believe it is important to look at things from varying angles, different vantage points...to listen to others when they express their opinions, share their fears, sorrows, joys, experiences...and to keep my own thoughts positive, and my words encouraging. To speak from my perspective and also try to see things from the perspective of others.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Life is all in the perspective you take on it. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
People only see what they are prepared to see. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

PHOTO OF THE DAY: 'Looking Up"

Moving On

Well, as you can see it has been sometime since I last posted here. Turning 60 yesterday has got me thinking that perhaps it is time to revive this blog. I've been pretty busy in the 2 years since that last post...working in a little Tea Room/Cafe, for the Census Bureau, and at a cool little market & deli, learning the ropes of being a grandmother, and taking lots and lots of photographs. I've also done a little writing and had a couple of articles published in a local magazine...and I'm hoping to do more of that. I'm not anywhere near ready to 'retire'...however, I am starting a new chapter of my life. It is this 'moving on' I want to share here.

Change has always been a bit of a fearful thing for me...I don't much like it. When I find a place I like I want to stay there forever...whether it is house, town, job or just a comfortable place in life...unfortunatly in many instances that just isn't possible...things change. And so it is that as I turn 60 and begin a new decade of my life I also find myself looking for new employment opportunites, new ways to stay involved in my community. The Tea Room Cafe where I have worked for 7 years is closing...I am sad, I loved it there, it was the perfect job...good hours, pleasant atmosphere, wonderful customers. I loved dressing up to go to work. Loved serving Tea and scones, helping folks celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or just being alive. I still have my job at the market/deli...and I love it too...good hours - check, pleasant atmosphere - check, wonderful customers - check...all good, just different...the new perfect job. The only problem is I am not sure how long it will last...nothing lasts forever...except...

God's love and support. And it is with His help I will move on...to new adventures.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished...If you are alive, it isn't." ~ Richard Bach

IMAGE OF THE DAY: Our home covered in snow

Sunday Morning Reflections

It is a beautiful morning here in the NE Georgia mountains...cool and crisp, partly cloudy with the promise of a beautiful day. Living here is a constant reminder to me of all of the wonderful gifts our Heavenly Father has given us...I am privileged to observe the beauty of nature and to feel the Father's presence and feel His great love surrounding me here.
This past week I came upon a book I would like to share with all of you...it is called "So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore". The title alone spoke volumes in regards to my current feelings about 'attending' church in the traditional way. From childhood through my early 20's I was a regular church-goer...as an adult I have become increasingly dissatisfied and disillusioned with the church and religion although my faith in God and my relationship with him remains strong.
At times I have felt somewhat ashamed of not regularly attending church and have 'tried out' a few, never really fitting in for long and eventually becoming dissatisfied and finally drifting away again.
I'm sure there are many other's out there who feel the same...I hope that this book will be an inspiration to all...

http://www.jakecolsen.com/JakeStory.pdf

Our Father's love is big and constant and COMPLETELY UNCONDITIONAL.

God Bless You.

Tuesday Tea Time

This week's Tea Time post is going to take a different direction...

As many who read here know I work in a small Tea Room, what you may not know is that my friend who owns it is also a pastor's wife. This past Sunday she was involved in a book signing for a book called "From My Heart To Yours", a collection of inspirational messages written by women whose husbands are in the ministry...she made several contributions to the book and brought me a signed copy yesterday. Last night as I was realizing that I had not posted here on my blogspot in 2 weeks, and trying to decide what I would write, I remembered the book and took a 'detour' to spend some time reading. And there is was, the first message on the first page of the book was written by my friend and it was about Tea. Not only that, it blended in quite well with other happenings in my life recently as well as things that have been happening in the lives of many of my friends...things that have led to questions for which I have been seeking answers...questions like 'Why does God allow us to experience so much pain in our lives?' or 'How can a loving God allow such tragedy to happen to His children?', and 'If God is in control and all knowing, why is our world so out of control...why doesn't he fix it?'

And so, for today's Tea Time 'The Agony of the Leaf'...(part of the following comments are my own, some are quotes from my friend's message)...

This past week some troubling times arose for several friends I talk with daily on another site...prompting questions like those above. Hoping to help I posted a quote which has become somewhat of a mantra to me "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in it's hand. You seek problems because you need their gifts." (Richard Bach...'Illusions'). Several of my friends immediately commented that they could not see any 'gift' in the troubles or sorrows they were encountering (or had encountered) in their lives, or knew other's had encountered. Now I admit, sometimes the answers to the questions and the 'gifts' in the problems are not so easy to see, however, I still contend that they are always there...we need simply to open our eyes and our hearts to see them.
'So,' I hear some of you saying 'what has all of this got to do with tea?' Well, to quote my friend, Dea...
"In learning the art of making tea, I discovered each tea requires a specific temperature of water and length of steeping to bring out the best taste. The term used for the tea in hot water is 'agony of the leaf'...It is not until the leaf goes through the agony of hot water that it's flavor and health benefits are released. Isn't that how it is with us? We do not yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness without going through hot water. The fragrance of the tea reaches the nose before the flavor touches the tongue. Our lives give off an aroma of righteousness when we are trained by our discipline. We are flavorful to the world around us when we come through trials."

So perhaps the 'gift' in the trials and tragedies we suffer in our lives is that it brings out our true 'aroma' or 'fragrance'...it allows our 'flavor' to be experienced by those around us...in other words...it frees us to be who we are intended to be, allows us be real and gives those around us the opportunity to experience knowing us in a deeper, more meaningful way.

I will end today's Tea Time with another quote from Dea along with her short prayer at the end of her message...

"May I suggest you prepare yourself a cup of loose leaf tea(whole leaf if possible) and watch the leaves unfurl and release their treasures. As you sip your 'cuppa' praise God for his discipline that will end in righteousness.

Father, help me to be thankful for trials and to be trained by them that I may yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Amen."

Tuesday Tea Time

Goodness where do the weeks go? Here it is Tuesday again and time for tea. Today's Tea Facts and information comes from a brochure printed by the Tea Council of USA...

TEA AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Like fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods, tea has been shown in numerous studies to have significant health benefits. Some scientists believe that tea's beneficial effects may be the result of the naturally occurring compounds called flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Flavonoids are present in fruits and vegetables, but are more concentrated in tea. Both decaffeinated and regular tea provide substantial amounts of these antioxidant flavonoids.

In the body flavonoids are believed to work to neutralize harmful molecules called 'free radicals' which, over time, can damage cells and tissues and contribute to chronic disease. Interestingly, laboratory research indicates that tea has similar or higher antioxidant power than many fruits and vegetables. While tea should not be considered a substitute for fruits and vegetables, it may be a valuable addition to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Studies suggest that flavonoids and other natural components found in tea may be beneficial in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. This may help explain why tea drinkers tend to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease as well as certain types of cancers and many other chronic diseases.

I have already discussed tea's benefits in regards to heart health in a previous posting so will move on to other possible health benefits.

BONE HEALTH

While tea is no replacement for other calcium rich beverages and foods associated with bone health, preliminary studies suggest that tea drinkers have stronger bones later in life. One European study found that women who drank tea actually had higher bone mineral density measurements than those who did not drink tea. While it is unclear how tea provides a bone-strengthening function, tea is a source of fluroid, which supports bone health.

TYPE 2 DIABETES

Preliminary research suggests that drinking tea may reduce the risk of Type-2 Diabetes. Several laboratory studies have isolated potential mechanisms by which tea may decrease the risk of Diabetes, including changes to energy balance, food intake, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and the antioxidant activities of flavonoids. Population-based studies also have found a reduction of risk for this disease amoung tea drinkers compared to non-tea drinkers.

Additionally in regards to Oral Health, tea - black, green, white or Oolong - may contribute to better oral health. Some experts believe that the flavonoids in tea may inhibit the ability of oral bacteria to form harmful plaque deposites. In additon, tea's naturally occuring fluoride may support healthy tooth enamal.

And in regards to Endurance and lean body mass some animal model studies have shown that tea flavonoids help prevent excess calories from being stored as body fat while others have found that tea improves endurance during exercise. In human studies, tea flavonoids have been shown to increase resting energy expenditure, while increasing at metabolism, making it easier to achieve lean body mass.

So have a cup of tea, or 2, and enjoy a healthier life.

Whimsical Wednesday

When I decided to dedicate my Wednesday posting to Whimsy (whimsey) I had no idea where my search for information on the topic would lead me. Each week I am surprised anew. This weeks search led me in an entirely now direction...

Introducing 'Lord Whimsy'

"Once, sissies were mistaken for gentlemen;

alas, now gentlemen are mistaken for sissies."

- Lord Whimsy

LORD BREAULOVE SWELLS WHIMSY (or "Whimsy" for short) is a gentleman who defies easy description; and as such, has been said to be both a noted dandy and a “glassgazing meacock”; a doyen of culture and a “jack-a-pudding”; a renowned lepidopterist and a “mere grammaticaster”; a Parnassian man-childe and a “finical dapperling”; an exemplar of male splendor and a “chutney-bottomed ninnyroger”—and of course, he has also been dubbed an Affected Provincial. But most importantly, he is the milky gnome who has conjured into being the collection of treatises and epistles entitled THE AFFECTED PROVINCIAL'S COMPANION, VOLUME ONE.

Whimsy delights with his jaunty prose and fanciful theories that leave in their wake a shimmering cloud of visions and ideas upon which the enchanted reader may ponder. The book is a distillation of Whimsy’s daily life: a sort of “personal folklore”, if you will. And like all folklore, it has roots in fact: Whimsy does indeed live near farms, raise moths and ride his highwheel bicycle through the rural town in which he resides. Whimsy has earned a loyal following through his regularly published articles in the Philadelphia Independent; readers have been known to give him handmade quince candies, love letters, and shouts of recognition as he strolls by. In return for these kindnesses, Lord Whimsy makes himself available to those in need, as he did when he once conducted a wedding for a couple of his readers. To quote a gentleman attending the event: “Dude, Whimsy’s real!”

In his attempt to live as beautifully as his modest means will allow, Lord Whimsy has lived in a former army barracks in a small rural town in the New Jersey Pine Barrens for twelve years. There he has created for himself a garden-choked naturalist/aesthete's outpost filled with books, animals, and artwork. He regularly posts his dispatches on an online journal, where he discusses topics as diverse as carnivorous plants, moustache grooming, French nineteenth-century cameo glass vases, and the great Wallace Shawn.

You can read Whimsy's journal and other interesting information about him at the following website.

http://www.lordwhimsy.com/

Tuesday Tea Time

Did You Know...

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world next to water?

Tea was discovered by accident nearly 5000 years ago?

Tea contains naturally occuring plant compounds that may be good for your health?

Tea is an ancient beverage that is loved by people around the world. Green Tea is most popular in Asian countries, while Black Tea is the brew of choice in the US and Western European countries. All tes comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is a warm weather evergreen. The types of tea are determined by the freshness of the tea leaves at processing and the amount of time they are in contact with oxygen. There is a wide variety of flavorful variations of both Green and Black, as well as White and Oolong Teas, because each tea takes on the name of the district in which it is grown and each district is known for producing tea with unique flavor and character. Additionally tea is divided into different grades, determined by the leaf size.

Herbal teas do not come from the Camellia Sinensis, but are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of a variety of plants. Although Herbal teas lack many of the unique characteristics of the traditional teas and are not linked to the research on potential health benefits of such, many believe these herbal infusions have potential health benefits all their own.

According to legend, the custom of drinking tea began around 2737BC when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water belonging to the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. Whether enjoyed hot with milk and sugar or honey, or sweetened and served in a tall glass over ice as we southerners prefer it, tea's popularity continues to grow. Always savored as a flavorful refreshment, ancient people believed that the brew cured a variety of ailments. Today, scientist continue to find a variety of health benefits may indeed be linked to this beverage, and that the natural compounds found in tea may, in fact, help to maintain good health.

If any of you would like to learn more about TEA I would invite you to participate in a 'Professional Tea Tasting' event. For more information you can contact Dea at The Baron York Tea Cafe... www.baronyorkcafe.com