Surveying a Joyful Garden

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

“Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest.” – Goethe

Sometimes we don’t notice the beauty we’re surrounded with until we look with fresh eyes.

I was focused on a major cleanup project in the garden when I finally took a breath and looked up. It was only then that I noticed being surrounded with the joy of color. Everywhere I turned, I was greeted with the wonder of nature.

Blooming calendula…

Felicia amelloides variegata: ‘Variegated Marguerite Blue Daisy’…

“Let us come alive to the splendor that is all around us and see the beauty in ordinary things.” — Thomas Merton

Yellow Marguerite Daisy…

…and prolific white daisy groundcover…

There’s so much to be grateful for!

Acacia in bloom…

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” — A.A. Milne

You’re totally right, Piglet!

All photo credit to Enchanted Seashells

How Do YOU Hygge? | Word of the Day

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Embrace your “hygge” (pronounced hoo-ga).

This word has been showing up everywhere so I needed to discover what’s it all about.

Hygge is a Danish word and concept that means creating a warm atmosphere and the enjoyment of simple pleasures..

The warm glow of candlelight is hygge; a mug of ginger tea is hygge; fresh sheets still warm out of the dryer is hygge.

It means creating a world of restorative self care and well-being, especially being outdoors in nature, to deeply feel the beauty of a sunset, not to merely look, but to see.

For me, spending time with the Angels is the ultimate hygge, especially if we’re at the beach or when we bake or read together, or when I’m lucky enough to spot a dolphin or a whale. Or a coyote.

It also means mindful appreciation of cozy socks when it’s cold.

Right now hygge is watching the torrential rain through the window; grateful for being indoors, warm and dry.

Shades of Gratitude in Monochrome

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Late afternoon on a beautiful day after Thanksgiving, these are my favorite humans standing in the sun-sparkled ocean.

No filters or editing.
#Monochrome-Madness

Grateful

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

There’s always, always something to be grateful for, right?

This morning, I’m thankful for the sky’s breathtaking sunrise. What amazing colors!

The fiery intensity is surreal. No filters, no editing; this is exactly how the sky looked at 6 a.m.

Happy Thanksgiving… or as Jon Stewart said, “I celebrated Thanksgiving the old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.“

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

While we’re in the midst of plans to enjoy a feast with friends and family, I hope we don’t forget to honor, and with gratitude, recognize the Indigenous Peoples.

“Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.” Chief Seattle

“When you know who you are when your mission is clear, and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will; no cold can touch your heart; no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you are alive.” – Chief Seattle, Suquamish/Duwamish (1786-1866)

Chief Seattle (more correctly known as Seathl) was a Suquamish and Duwamish chief. A leading figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, The city of Seattle in Washington state, was named after him.

Photo of people and tents and quote credit to Chief Seattle and Native Red Cloud Maȟpíya Lúta~Hińhan Wakangli. Photo credit of Chief Seattle from Wiki

Harvest Moon Gratitude

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Tomorrow, September 29, the full Moon will also be a Supermoon because it’s at the nearest point in its orbit of Earth during the full Moon.

Known as the Harvest Moon, it will also be the year’s fourth and final Supermoon.

If your skies are clear and you can see the moon appear on the eastern horizon, you might notice that it’s orange, which is due to Rayleigh scattering, the deflection of light off molecules of nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Harvest moon will be radiating with gratitude, a perfect time to take a few minutes to acknowledge, appreciate, celebrate, and manifest positivity, joy, and abundance.

I took this a couple years ago in early October. I have no idea how I got such an amazing photo, but it’s one of my favorites. I’ll try again tomorrow but I think it might be too cloudy…

Feel It

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Susan Jeffers was a psychologist and best-selling author. Although she died in 2012, her universal messages of love and gratitude continues to touch us, along with her belief that joy, not happiness, is the goal of life.

From her book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway:

And what is joy? It is something that expresses the ebullience of the spiritual part of ourselves. Joy is characterized by lightness, humor, laughter, and gaiety. Lighten up. If you have ever been around a person who is centered and enlightened, you are struck with their humor and ability to laugh at themselves. All the brittleness is gone and only fluidity remains.
So commit! Commit yourself to pushing through the fear and becoming more than you are at the present moment. The you that could be is absolutely colossal. You don’t need to change what you are doing— simply commit to learning how to bring to whatever you do in life the loving and powerful energy of your Higher Self.

Silver Linings

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Full of #gratitude and being #grateful with a poem by one of my favorites, Becky Hemsley, to help dispel any lingering Saturday blues and also because it’s too hot to stay outside.

When the ocean waves engulf you
And there’s water all around
And when you feel you’re in so deep
You might as well swim down
When the forest’s looming darkly
And you can’t see your way through
When the trees are overbearing
And they’re closing in on you
When every path is dangerous
And treacherous to tread
And you decide to stop
And stay forever lost instead

Well…

I hope the sea is sapphires
That buoy you with their blue
I hope they shine a little
Of their precious light on you
I hope the forest prides itself
On all its emerald leaves
And helps you see your brilliance
Through the darkness of the trees
I hope your paths are gilded
And are lined with golden hues
Where ruby roses grow through grass
That shines with diamond dew
I hope you feel the sunshine
And the warmth that it possesses
I hope you see the way the clouds
Are shining at their edges
‘Cause there’s richness in the darkness,
When you’re lost, beneath the surface
There’s treasure waiting for you
And I promise you it’s worth it
So don’t give up or in
‘Cause pressure builds a precious stone
You’ve everything you need
And you are stronger than you know
So please keep going up and through
Keep walking, swimming, climbing
And keep on searching clouds for silver
Sewn into their linings
—Becky Hemsley

the little moments

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

I captured the final glimpse of the sunset with my son still out there surfing. Can life get any better? I think not. #grateful

And, one day
We shall look back and see
It was always those little moments
That mattered the most

(A little poem written by Athey Thompson)

Sky Gazing

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

This is what I saw when I looked up early this morning, an unfiltered tropical sky. There’s a 40% chance of rain tomorrow, but I don’t really think it’ll happen.