12 Nights Of Solstice…Night Two

Night Two found me bundling up and venturing outside for a late night soul-stroll.  Cat over at Journey Path Institute:12 Nights Of Solstice, invited us to find a Sacred branch or wand…my wand of choice proved to be my pencil. After my soul stroll in the dark, I came back inside, listened to the meditation, then proceeded to write….

 

imposed my poem on a photo of my tree taken in the dark….kinda like this effect 

As someone who has always been a morning person, these meditations and exercises have me stepping out of my ‘normal realm’ and embracing the dark. 

Welcome to Second Night of Solstice,

A time of traveling and following the heart path. 
This is a time of connecting with your inner expression,
revealing the stripped down self.
This is a time of finding your way between the veil,
and through the edges of time…
seeking assistance in the reflective surface.
Finding the gifts that will illuminate and guide you along your way to
celebrating the deep darkness, and the return of the sun.

 

Creative Hunger

This week in The Sandbox Writing Challenge    

Roberta Allen wants to know:

WHAT DO YOU HUNGER FOR?

And we’re not just talking about food here. What is there in your life that you feel you need to sustain you, or would help to sustain you — it may just be wishful thinking, but identifying that need is a crucial, pivotal point in our dreams and desires. Can’t wait to see what you come up with this week!

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Though this weeks Challenge was presented to us last week, I’m just now getting to it, and I do believe there was a reason I procrastinated, albeit unconsciously.

I went away for the weekend and attended my very first retreat.The facilitator of this particular retreat was a friend, the purpose, writing.

#writepublishpromote has been a dream of Carols. A dream she brought to life. When I decided to commit to this weekend, it was with a bit, ok, A Lot of trepidation at first. Am I really a writer?!? Am I good enough to even call myself that?!? Was I worth the investment?!?! I decided I was…..and I Am!!

Like a sponge ( or for the sake of this prompt, like a big ole piece of bread soaking up all the yummy gravy in the bottom of the bowl!) I soaked up Carol’s knowledge…..

I spent time with crazy talented, creative people. We shared and played off of each other’s creativity. We even had Santa Clause in the mix…….I’m hungry for more time with these amazing people. We met on Friday as strangers….we shared 6 meals together and hours of our words, and thoughts, and ideas. We came together as strangers and departed family. What a gift to be a part of this first writers group. Can’t wait for the reunion 😊

I’m hungry for more words to be written…….more photos to be taken…more pictures to be painted…..I’m finding my creative appetite to be insatiable. Guess I need to get my butt in gear and start feeding it huh?!?!?! 😄

Learning To Fly

I woke wayyyyy early this morning, knowing the date I was not going to fall back to sleep. Instead, words started filling my head so I started typing myself a note…that note to Jim turned into this. I remember and I celebrate ❤ I. Miss. You. Husband ❤

22 months ago you gained your wings.
I did too.
While yours took your spirit ‘Home’
I was left behind,
To
Teach myself and learn
How to fly..solo.
I was like a fledgling
At first,
I couldn’t quite get myself off the ground.
But I persisted.
And, guess what?!
I’m persevering!
I’m flying babe…..
I’m flying.
I’m doing things.
I’m going places.
I’m growing.
On my own.
On my own
Yet…
I know as surely as I’m breathing,
That your spirit and energy
Are helping to guide me……
Giving lift to these
Wings of mine,
I’m now riding the winds of change.
©lindafedroff_august14,2018

My Unique Friendships … Circle Of Friends

This week, over at SoulGifts….Circle Of Friends, Raili poses the following …This week’s theme invites you to share your most unique experience of friendship. What moment, memory, experience, person comes to mind?………

Raili’s ‘swans’ brought back a happy memory of ‘friendship’ for me that I feel fits this weeks ‘unique’ experience of friendship…..and my memory also includes a swan….a swan I named Herbie.

In the middle of sixth grade, we once again were packed up and moved to another town, another new school. This move meant I had to leave the lake behind..the boating and fishing that occupied my time. What was I going to do with my time?!  How would I cope!? We then pulled up to this old, yellow, little house, the paint peeling off the wooden siding, the yard overgrown with knee high grass…..I saw all these things for a second…because there in front of me, right across the road from where I would be living, was an enormous pond…water was still going to be a part of my small existence!!!!

this isnt the exact house, but the color is darn close (photo via goodle search)

I could have cared less about the sleeping arrangements,,,I just wanted to grab my pole and tackle box. Needless to say, I did have to partake in the unpacking ritual (once again). With this move, I was able to bring my puppy Ash and my cat Fluffy…….so not only did I have a place to fish, I had my best friends too……Ash was cute as a button and my Fluffy, the bestest friend any girl could ask for. She got me through many unhappy moments.

Me and Ash

Fluffy

Changing schools again….totally sucked. I was a scared, introverted girl who didn’t/couldn’t talk to people. I was different, and I knew it. The other kids only knew I was loner, not that they could understand why…..thankfully most just left me alone…..all I wanted to do was get through the day so I could get home, get my pole and fish. The pond was stocked with sunnys and bluegill and I eventually would find out they also stocked it with trout…..I didn’t care about all that, just being able to cast my line and sit with my dog, I was happy……though Ash and I caught our share of fish!!! 

Then one day, I noticed a swan. Sure there was the Canadian Geese who stopped in, a few ducks, but never a swan. I ran inside, got some bread and started to feed him….and that’s how my friendship with Herbie began. Everyday, rain or shine, I could go outside, call his name, and no matter where he was, he’d fly or swim to me. I can remember one particular day, it was drizzling rain, and I decided to take a walk around the pond…I was crying and upset,,,,Herbie swam with me the whole way around while I walked and talked…he listened. Nobody else could get him to come to them…my sisters would try, but for whatever reason, I was the only one he seemed to listen to………..which made me feel special. My sisters and their friends would tease and make fun of me..”Linda’s only friends are her animals”, which was true….but they shut up the day Herbie crossed the street and came looking for me ☺️. I was sick, and hadn’t been outside for a few days…my mother had come home from somewhere and said I had a visitor…Herbie was in the driveway!!!! 😄

Herbie and my pond!!

We lived there for 2 1/2 years……right before we moved, Herbie disappeared….and sadly, so did my pup Ash and cat Fluffy……but, like my dog Buffy, Poem About Buffy …my ‘friends’ got me through the rough stuff……