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Tag Archives: Celebration

The Gentle Autumn Sun…

30 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Blessings, Change, Contentment, Gardening, Gratitude, Happiness, Joy, Life, Nature, Opportunity, Outdoors, Seasons

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Autumn, Celebration, Desert, Garden, Heat

Finally, I’ve gotten to my favorite time of year, time for the gentle Autumn sun! The scorching Summer heat has finally abated and I can do all my outdoor chores without concern as to the temperature, how sunburnt I might get, or if I’ll get heat stroke doing it all! This is the first week we’ve cooled down into the 80’s F, which is idyllic here in the desert Southwest! Nights have been cooler for a month or so now, but the days were still creeping into the mid to high-90’s, even hitting 100, which meant it still felt pretty hot by midday! But, now it’s the ideal time of year here, in my opinion. With cool nights and pleasant days, it’s possible to open the windows, to shut off the air conditioner, and to enjoy outdoor hours without concern!  

This morning, I spent a few hours raking up leaves and assorted messes around the yard. I filled three big tubs of debris and watered some plants without even working up a sweat! It was a sweet reward for all the days during Summer, when faced with night-time lows in the high 90’s and days well over 115! On those kinds of days, the sun races to beat everyone in getting up, heating up all the surfaces and even the water in the taps and garden hoses to scalding temperatures! And all those tremendously heated surfaces usually retain that heat even well after the sun finally sets at night. The air conditioner runs almost constantly, frantically trying to keep my home at a livable temperature of 79 degrees, while fans assist in keeping us content. The pool water can even become more like a warm, unrefreshing bath after many consecutive days of truly dangerous heat!

Each year when Autumn finally sets in, usually well beyond the calendar’s mid-September date earmarked for it, is a reason to have a celebration as a gardener and outdoorsy person! The unrelenting heat of Summer keeps me indoors or in the pool if I’m outside. But when temperatures finally become not only tolerable but enjoyable, it’s time to go out and catch up on all the chores long waiting for my attention! I can busy myself each new day with watering, clean-up, pruning, and my favorite pursuit, planting! I adore working in my garden, honing my landscape into something of beauty, which is truly hard to do when I am limited by the intense Summer weather. Unlike places which endure the dormancy of cold and snowy Winters, here in the desert, we endure a long, hot, dry Summer season. That is our period of doing less or just the bare minimum, while our plants, gardens, and landscapes struggle to survive until a softer, gentler season ahead. And finally, Autumn arrives on some random day like today!   

This morning, I opened the windows and left them open until noon! The only reason I closed them at all, I was heading out for the afternoon. I wouldn’t dare think of going for a swim now, the pool is far too cold for comfort. But that is a trade-off I am willing to make for weather which is finally comfortable! I hate to feel as though I’m wishing for days to pass quickly, but each Summer here in the desert stretches on for usually four or five months. By the end of that period, I look so eagerly towards the sweet return of Autumn’s gentleness, just what we’re finally now having! I don’t resent Summer, but I do consider it a necessary part of what must happen here so that we might finally be rewarded with this! I’m so thankful for what is ahead in the next weeks and months, days spent doing so many of my favorite things under the warmth of a gentle Autumn sun! I’ll surely take my time enjoying all the moments ahead outdoors and in, savoring the sweetness of a softer sun and an easier time of things!  

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All That He Has Enabled . .

06 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Blessings, Celebration, God, Goodness, Gratitude, Happiness, Joy, Nature, Opportunity, Outdoors, Peace

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Celebration, God, Gratitude, Nature, Peace, Swimming

There is nothing quite as refreshing on a hot Summer day here in the desert than taking a dip in a freshly drained, thoroughly cleaned, and refilled pool! Mine has been recently given the full treatment, as it was more than ready for a surface refresh and clean water.  It took the better part of four days for my pool man to get it all done, but it finally got done by yesterday.  I looked forward to the opportunity to swim in the pool since draining it last week. And as the sun remained hidden behind a rather large pine tree hovering around 50-60 feet overhead, leaving the water shaded, I indulged in my habit of swimming laps early this morning. It was sublime and a fabulous way to begin a Summer’s day which will reach about 108 degrees Fahrenheit! 

The water was so clear and clean, I could see through my goggles the most minute particle of leaf or petal floating on its surface, rare as they were! The calm and quiet of the half-awake atmosphere all around me, at that early hour, made for the perfect opportunity to use my swimming routine as a time for reflection on other things! While slicing through the water, I focused on the gratitude I had for having such a perfect moment in life and for having such a wonderful personal space in which to dwell. Everything I have is on loan to me from God, so I want to take care of everything as best as I am able! And I purposefully want to celebrate the abundance of everything around me, and appreciate all the moments I have cognizant of those special people, things, and moments! God is so good, He provides everything for us, and we should honor Him by taking care of all that which is really His first! Even we are first His, so we honor Him by taking good care of ourselves!  

Rarely can I be so engulfed in serenity and peaceful calm as I was while swimming this morning! It was such peaceful surrender to the workout I was getting through the exertion and force my body made against the water as I swam repeated lengths of the pool with well-practiced and certain ability. It made for a wonderful chance to connect with God and to share with Him my gratitude and joy in all that He has enabled! After all, He made me able to swim each lap, He made the water, with its specific surface tension and molecular weight, and He made all the surrounding creatures and living matter in which I have come to dwell. God is so great! I hope I never forget to appreciate and to celebrate all His glorious creation and all that He enables, as well as all that He has provided in me, through me and to me!  

SHINING FOR NO REASON

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Uncategorized

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Celebration, Empathy

SHINING FOR NO REASON

If you haven’t realized it lately, you don’t have to have a reason to celebrate being you, you just have to be you, you don’t need to do anything nor be anything but just be you!  Too many times, we convince ourselves that we must accomplish things to applaud ourselves, to acknowledge our worth, or to give ourselves accolades.  We needn’t, we don’t have to have any reason.  Just being is reason enough . . . that’s what is called, shining for no reason!
When was the last time that you just realized how fabulous you were, without having a reason?  When was the last time you looked in the mirror, noticing something beautiful, attractive, well-formed, or special about yourself?  When did you last compliment yourself for something you did well?  When was the most recent time you felt really special in your own skin?  If these aren’t registering on any memory scale, and seem unlikely reminders for any recent behavior, then you need to re-examine your own self-nurturing.  You are not giving yourself enough praise.  Why is it so natural for most of us to give these kind of comments and compliments to others, including our close friends and family, our loved ones, but for ourselves, we are unable to think so highly?  If you aren’t able to see the God-given near-perfection of the person who looks back at you every time you look in a mirror, then you aren’t going to be able to hear the compliments of others, nor to feel the level of self-appreciation necessary to have a complete, happy, fulfilled life.  Loving yourself means that you see your own beauty, appreciate your own unique qualities, and cherish the “house” which contains the spirit and soul of your life.  

Does loving yourself and appreciating your inner and outer qualities mean that you are vain?  Sometimes, yes.  But there is a healthy level of self-love which most of us should have, that we often deny because we think it is selfish to be able to see our own good qualities and traits.  Nurturing ourselves requires that we learn to respect our entire person, body, mind and spirit.  It also means that we can have moments of appreciation, far from selfishness or narcissism, when we see the beauty of our own creation.  We are afterall, one-of-a-kind works of art, designed and formed by God in His own image.  
Too many people suffer from low esteem, poor self-images and lagging self-worth instead of narcissism and inflated senses of self.  In this present-day world, we are beaten down, battered and savaged by the media, the public, degraded by the onslaught of what we presume we should be in our competitive world, we lose our sense of self.  So, in lieu of having a crew of cheerleaders and enthusiastic fans on our beckon call, we must learn to prop ourselves up when life takes us down.  That is why I propose that you always include in your daily routine, a generous helping of self-love. 

What does this entail?  It just means, that each and every day, you should remember to celebrate your own wonderful and unique qualities, cease putting yourself down, give your thanks to God for whatever compliments your receive, as all that you are, you’ve gotten from Him, and never hesitate to be your own best supporter and promoter!  If you don’t love yourself, support your own life and your endeavors, and see yourself as a valuable human being, then you will never be able to give love to others, support others in life with their endeavors, and value other human beings appropriately.  To love yourself, is to know that you are a beautiful child of God!  Repeat after me . . . I love myself, and I am a beautiful child of God!

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