Friends along the way

This cutie pie led me down the street I live on during my evening walk and then went onto the lawn and sat, hanging out with me for a long while. I was quite taken by this gesture. Whenever some one from the natural world shows up unexpectedly and remarkably, I always take notice. What a sweet moment. He even let me touch his back :-) !

The message I got was to trust and to pay attention. Trust and pay attention. Very good advice :-). Trust life, trust the unfolding, trust the mystery, the uncertainty. Trust what I see and feel.

I’ve been floating a bit in the gap. I’ve never not been busting my ass holding up a retreat center and private practice in the wilds of Western Maine. Now I’m settling into a different kind of wilderness that is filling me in ways I didn’t know were waiting for me.

My focus and energy expenditure is much more concentrated like this little guy. This I appreciate and I feel so much more available to what and who is showing up. Clients. Friends. Family. Mice. Fun.

What a journey. What a trip life is.

To build with wisdom

A year and a handful of days ago my brother died and my marriage imploded. This opened a vast canyon to step towards.
A seemingly odd response to that was to contact master wooden canoe builder Jerry Stelmok of Island Falls Canoe to build me a canoe for navigating the beginnings of major life changes rapidly unfolding.

Canoes are my favorite mode of transportation and I love sharing paddling with others so I made the leap.

One year later she is complete! Jerry was kind enough to let me help the build project this winter and putting even just a few days into this functional art project was extremely therapeutic-

Just returning from a 50 day solo sojourn aimed at healing, empowering and launching a new season in this life, I now have the canoe! It’s epically gorgeously and feels really good to be in. We launched and christened together this weekend and I am deeply grateful.

My new home river that I am adopting (or is she adopting me?) is the Presumpscot. I paddled upstream for a couple hours and happily allowed the current to take me and turn me round back downstream, in the flow.

I got to witness FOUR bald eagles, a river otter, kingfisher, Canada geese, mergansers and mallards.

One eagle gave me a good, long, close look, eye to eye, for an unnerving and mystical amount of time. We were twenty feet apart and all I could do was breathe and smile.

I am so so happy to be home. In Maine. I feel welcomed back by the spirits of the land here. Also by the CCC: cat, community, and canoe

I feel very complete and renewed. I’m so excited to see where Life springs me.

PS I love canoe coaching and have been offering that service for many years- healing arts practices now on new waterways and in the most beautiful water craft. Reach out to learn more. https://www.spiralsofwellbeing.com/offerings

40 days in…

40 days and nights into this sojourn and quest- into the unknown-can’t know-don’t need to know, anonymously moving about the planet, stepping into a new way and a new phase, warm, silky winds carrying and nudging me along and through to something old and new. Very old and very new. Spiritual endurance. Listening. Noticing. Following impulses like a feral child in the wilderness. Eating papaya and avocado and apple bananas like that’s all that matters.
Tapping into family and community. Tapping back into solitude when called. Balancing. Learning and unlearning so much.

Someone dear told me I couldn’t shouldn’t wouldn’t finish the book I was working on at the time. My head tilted like a curious puppy as I walked into the kitchen. Huh…Isn’t that funny how I let that penetrate my open, vulnerable and trusting heart.

Surprise! That inspiration came back and the ideas and words are pouring out of me now. It’s satisfying and fun and I feel unstoppable around this creative endeavor.

Watch those side paths- all of it valuable and I can’t remove or regret any experiences that led me to this. This. Yet I am very much aware of my gut and heart and shall follow that to the end of my days. I am very tuned in now and it’s fun to practice following the inner voice all day long.

I am being bathed and suspended in human kindness and generosity here with family hosting me and also the woman who owns this beautiful house I’m calling home for now. Sometimes it’s hard to let in. Learning. My host named her place Riversong as it overlooks just that and the sound is mesmerizing. This is opening me further to trust the way of it in regards to the flow of prosperity and how profound the support is as I continue to undo the beliefs passed down from my dear depression-era parents.

Sending warm winds, ripe fruit and flower-essence air to you. Thank you for joining me and remember to listen to your heart’s calling. You are worthy.