Quotes – Page 2 – Valerie's Voice

Cross Country Skiing

The weekend snowstorm brought fresh snow, and enough of it to make it decent for cross-county skiing.

We went out skiing the day before the snowfall and it was icy, cold and cloudy.

We went out a day after the snowstorm and it was sunny, warm (relatively), and good skiing conditions.

We’ve been going to Riverbend Nature Center to cross-country ski. It is a nice park, close to home. The trails are well groomed and there are a lot of trails – both flat and hilly.

We stop every once in awhile to look at the horizon and listen to the silence. These are peaceful stops.

Recently this quote caught my attention, from the book, Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple.

“When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It’s the same as a runner’s high. These days, we all spend our lives staring at screens twelve inches in front of us….”

Taking pictures while skiing requires a different kind of stop. It more complicated than a listening/peaceful stop. You have to stop, unstrap your ski poles, take off your gloves, get the camera ready, and shoot. Then put the camera away, put your gloves back on and poles back in place and continue skiing, all the while hoping you don’t drop the camera in the snow. It slows us down and that is another reason I don’t take many photos while skiing.

I am always attracted to tree lined paths or streets.

On cloudy days it’s easier to get better photos because I can see the screen. On sunny days I cannot see the screen on my camera so I just point and shoot and hope for the best.

Ornamental sumac pods hang on and stand tall in the winter landscape.

Cross-country skiing helps us enjoy the great Minnesota outdoors for fresh air and exercise in the winter. Our stops along the trail to look out over the horizon seems to be an added benefit.

This Morning’s Sky

Whenever I see red in the sky I am reminded of this quote:

“Red at night, sailor’s delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning.”

And this one: “The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1

Wounds, Healing and Scars

I’ve been thinking about wounds, healing, scars…

First we get a wound: stabbed, cut, or an incision, and it hurts.

The wound will get better…it will heal…but not instantly. It takes time – and it depends on the severity of the wound. But, most often, it will heal. Our bodies are amazing that way…truly amazing when you stop to think about it.

The saying goes “time heals all wounds”…this I believe, but the question is…will it leave a scar? Some do, others do not. You never know, you just have to wait and see.

Not only does this apply to our physical beings but our emotional beings as well.

I have always liked this quote by Isak Dinesen, “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”

Although those three elements are not a cure for everything physically, I think it may be true for emotional healing.

This idea is goes along with a haiku my friend and writing partner, Sharon Ginter Eichhorn, wrote on healing and nature:

Healing is aqua
Corralling the sky and sea
Into gentle hope.

Snow and Cold

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'” -Lewis Carroll

A quilt of snow fell Sunday night and we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland.

However, the weather forecasters predict we will experience our coldest temperatures in 20 years this week, with 25-30 degrees below zero temperatures. Brrr…We will need to bundle up with our own warm quilts, inside.

A Few Thoughts On Gratitude

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens

“None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”-Alphonse Karr

On Sunday there was an article in the StarTrib titled, Thanks For Everything. It focused on gratitude and the health benefits of being grateful. Being thankful is not only good for the soul but it is good for the body too. Research has proven the health benefits for years and people have begun taking it more seriously…they’ve discovered it to be true.

Some excepts from the StarTrib Variety section on Sunday, November 18 issue:

“People are looking for simple things they can do to improve their health and well-being,” says Mary Jo Kreitzer, a professor at U of MN School of Nursing. “It’s (being thankful) such a simple process. There’s no cost. It’s accessible; anyone can do it. It takes just a few minutes. And research has shown that this really does make a difference.”

Most people don’t need to be reminded to be thankful for something monumental. It’s the little, everyday things that brighten our lives but are taken for granted and rarely acknowledged – if we’re even cognizant of them – that are the focus of most gratitude programs.” Sarah Gierke, manager of the BE Well program for Park Nicollet Employee Health.

“If you know that everyday you have to write down three things you’re grateful for, you start looking for them. So much of our life is on autopilot. In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to go without noticing things. But we can train our brain to be present.” Kreitzer again.

Kreitzer said that energy is one of the best parts of gratefulness. “It’s contagious.”

Here are two (out of nine) suggestions on practicing gratitude I found on a website when I Googled the word gratitude. (Check here for the other seven ideas at Unstuck.com)

-If you identify something or someone with a negative trait (the cold conference room), switch it in your mind to a positive trait (the conference room with a great view).

-Gratitude requires humility, which the dictionary defines as being “modest and respectful.” Explore where it fits in your life.

Thanksgiving Day has always been a favorite of mine because of the simple message of focusing on being thankful. But I try to keep an attitude of gratitude in my heart all year. I try be mindful of the present moment and see beauty in all things, and in all people around me. May it continue throughout the season and beyond.

Morning Stroll

“Make a morning ritual of strolling through your garden. No weeding allowed – do it for the pure and simple joy of observation.” Jane Austin Miller

Every year, about this time, I think of this quote. I like it.

When I do stroll, I like carrying a cup of coffee in my hands.

It’s not a long stroll, and not daily, but it is an early morning stroll, and I do not pull any weeds…just enjoy.

It’s fun to watch the garden grow.

Ben Franklin’s Amazing Glass Instrument

“Of all my inventions, the glass armonica has given me the greatest personal satisfaction.” ~ Ben Franklin

While visiting the Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg one of the scheduled events that sounded intriguing was a multi-media concert of glass instruments. So we made sure we were seated in the auditorium before the demonstration began.

Mr. Dean Shostak was demonstrating three glass instruments. The first instrument, the armonica, was created by Benjamin Franklin in 1761. It is a series of glasses cupped together and you use wet fingers to play it. Each cup produces a different tone. I had not heard of this instrument before. However, it has been featured on Mr. Rogers. Mr. Shostak showed a video clip from one of Mr. Rogers television programs where Mr. Rogers was introducing the instrument to the children.

The armonica. Dean Shostak was playing the instrument which was projected on a screen for better viewing.

Mr. Shostak played several pieces for us on the armonica.

Next he showed us his glass violin. He had it made for him in Japan. It was a beautiful instrument with lovely etching on the sides. He let us come close after the concert to take photos and touch it. There are not too many of these glass violins around. He played one song on it for us. To my untrained ear it sounded nice and much like other violins

Dean Shostak was proud of his glass violin.

The beautiful etching on the side of the glass violin.

The third instrument was similar to the armonica only formatted differently. Instead of the glasses cupped together they were upright in a wooden box, but you still needed wet fingers to play it. I forgot the name of it.

The instrument he was playing was projected onto the screen.

It was a very enlightening, interesting and entertaining 45 minute concert in the Williamsburg’s Folk Art Museum.

On a side note; while we were looking at the dress design exhibit in the art museum we recognized a fellow Northfielder as we turned a corner. We stopped to chat and laughed about our meeting unexpectedly in this place so far away from home.

Movement at Temperance River State Park

One beautiful afternoon during our stay up on the north shore, we walked along Temperance River towards Lake Superior, from the parking area to a wooden bridge that crosses over the river to the other side of the park. While on the bridge we looked downstream to the mouth of the river and there was a young man fly-fishing. As we looked upstream, towards the water falls, our son and his wife alerted us to watch for fish jumping out of the water trying to swim against the flow. It was fun to spot several fish jumping over the course of a few minutes. Some types of fish return to the stream of their birth to lay eggs. To accomplish this, they must swim upstream against the current of the stream. It looked like a tough job.

If you observe closely you can see a fish jumping in this 9 second video. Click link:

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The fish jumping was one of the interesting movements we saw that afternoon.

The other interesting movement we witnessed was on the rocky beach of the state park.

I didn’t have opportunity to get a good photo of this lone dancer on the rock, but I wanted to capture the memory.

We continued hiking to the lake and found a semi-shady spot to sit down and read our books on the rocky beach when I noticed on the other side of the beach a woman dancing by herself on an outcropping of rocks. I was far enough away so she didn’t know I was watching her, but there were others close-by and she would have known they were there, but still she danced with abandonment.

And it brought me much joy.

I sensed her enthusiasm and love for the beauty surrounding her and she was expressing it by dancing. I try to express these feelings by writing and photography but part of me wants to secretly find a hidden beach somewhere and dance to my heart’s content!

“Let all who come to Love rejoice, let them sing for joy! And protect them, so that those who live in your love may dance in your light!”

An excerpt from Psalm 5 from the book Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Quote

“Silence alone is worthy to be heard.”

I have remembered this quote, and repeated it often, since I read it on a sign in a national park out west years ago. (It may be a Henry Thoreau but I could not confirm that.)

I am in favor of silence and quiet. My favorite time of day is early morning; sitting in my chair, in silence, drinking coffee, thinking, praying, reading, getting energized for the day.

There can be silence when standing in awe of beauty. There is the companionable silence of friends together not always conversing. There is precious silence while holding a sleeping baby in your arms.

All worthy to be heard.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10