Sunday, January 20, 2013

Today was absolutely magical!

When I was a little girl, there was a TV shoe called, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom that weekly depicted wondrous glimpses of nature’s animals. The show always ended with a take down/kill, me fleeing from the room just prior, not wanting to witness Bambi or whoever get killed and subsequently eaten.

I only got to watch the show every other week, while staying with my father. I loved that show! Whenever the program focused on pods of whales, I’d promise myself that someday…somehow I’d get to witness the beauty of whales—in person.

When I moved to my current beach house, a lifelong dream, I began looking into local whale watching boat and also helicopter tours. I wanted to make my little girl dream of personally spotting whales become a reality.

Today was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm, brilliant enough that people flocked to my beach to soak up some fun in the sun, myself amongst them. Not long after arriving at the beach, I caught sight of something I’d never seen before—least not in person. Straining to see it again, I was rewarded and realized that what I had just seen was a whale blowing water out of its blowhole, right in front of me, just on the other side of the waves!

OMG!

My mind reeled with the wondrous beauty before me. I scanned the water, hoping to again see proof that a whale was right there. What greeted me was more than I could’ve ever hoped for. There, right in front of me, was an entire pod of whales, swimming along at a graceful pace, spouting water from their blowholes every once in a while.

Sooooo cool!

As I continued to look on, the whales moved a little father offshore, picking up their pace. Then I realized they were likely killer whales. Why? Well, just as in the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom shows of my youth, the mighty mammals began to arch their way out of the water then come crashing down—over and over again—all in a centralized area. Then came the birds. Just a few at first, but then their numbers grew. Similar to watching flocks of sea birds trail behind a fishing boat, what I was witnessing were killer whales killing their food, the birds coming to pick up what scraps the whales left behind.

Nothing to waste….

Unlike when I was a little girl, I couldn’t take my eyes off what played out before me. It was surreal, like watching a movie, though my brain kept reminding me it was real, not some cinematic bedazzler. It was soooooo much more than I could’ve ever hoped for! Allowed my little girl hopes and dreams of seeing whales up-close-and-personal become a reality. Made today absolutely magical!

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Still taking a break from posting new excerpts from my latest story, Learning Lea. Will resume with my story posts next week. 

As I’m prone to do, I was sifting through collected fortunes I’ve gotten, reading their messages. One struck a chord in me, saying, “You find beauty in ordinary things. Do not lose this ability.” The fortune made me smile, as much as it did back when I first pulled that slip of paper from its crunchy cookie.

The fortune couldn’t be more fitting—least for me. Some might say otherwise, but those who know me—really and truly know me—are always commenting on I get the greatest joy out of the simplest things. Guess you could call them ordinary, though I prefer to think of them as little gifts that capture my full attention and make me smile from the inside out.

So what kinds of ordinary things do I find beautiful? The sun dipping behind the islands across my beach, as the day winds down, giving way to the dark veil of night. How the sun explodes into a literal colorful pallet of breath taking colors for up to half an hour after the sun sets, painting hues of blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, black, grey, etc across the sky, bringing alive everything in the fore and backgrounds. Watching an animal at rest. Glimpsing birds doing what they do best—busying themselves with staying alive. Watching hawks play in thermals. Dolphins arching gracefully out of the water. Seals peeking their heads out of the water to see what’s above the surface. The way the sunlight glistens on dewdrops that cling to nature’s garden of wonders. Observing children at play. Watching a couple hold hands or embrace. The crevices and knots found in tree bark. How sunlight shimmers over the surface of water, almost blinding in its beauty. The endless array of colors nature puts on display for us every time we take the opportunity to notice them. Finding hidden treasures in those items cast aside by others. And the list goes on and on.

Like I said, some may call these things ordinary, though I prefer to think of them as valued gifts that capture my full attention and make me smile from the inside out.

Friday, January 18, 2013

There are times that call for reflection. Sometimes, more than others. Things that make us laugh…or cry…or celebrate…or stop and ponder, those are worthy of reflection. Why? Because when we take the time to reflect on things, they make a deeper more lasting impression on us.

Being affected by those things we partake of is a good thing. No matter whether those things bring us happiness, regret or just plain retroflection, allowing them to sink in to a deeper level allows us to more readily go outside ourselves to view things on a broader spectrum.

It’s when we surface react to things, meaning we make our way through them without letting their implications, etc take hold, that we live on a shallower plain, one where we tend to focus more on ourselves rather than those things that surround us and how we affect those around us.

So why not take the time to reflect? Let life’s elements and occurrences sink in on a deeper level? One that takes us away from how we perceive the world and allows us to view the world—and its inhabitants—on a broader plain?

What do we have to lose? It’s not as if taking the time to reflect will prohibit us from laughing…crying…celebrating…or stopping to ponder. And besides, we might just learn a thing or two about ourselves—and those around us—that we might otherwise have missed.       

Thursday, January 17, 2013

When I left off last with my newest story, Learning Lea, Lea is in bed with Carl. But Lea isn’t at peace. How could she be when her body is going through a metamorphosis where her alabaster skin darkens and becomes covered in spots just as her nails lengthen to dangerous claws?

But then, something happens. Continue reading to se what becomes of Lea when Carl touches her.

Learning Lea

She had no idea how long she laid there, feeling her metamorphosis slip in and out like the dimmer on a light switch being turned first one way and then the next.  Each rotation of the knob either intensified Lea’s transformation or caused it to fade, morphing her china doll alabaster skin back to its flawless state.

The razor tips of her nails receded to smooth rounded edges. The spots faded, going…Lea knew not where. She didn’t need to know. Not really. Lea was content with the knowledge that the blemishes left—could leave—at all.

Each time she went through the change, Lea worried it might be the last.  That this time might be the one where the spots would remain—forever.  That her alabaster skin would be a mere memory, replaced by silky tan fur decorated with chocolate brown splotches that were outlined in black smudges.

Lea’s rapid-firing brain began to slow. With each breath she took, her body relaxed. The tension she’d been carrying slipped away. Each of her troubled memories lifted from her like layers of sheer fabric being pulled away, until all the remained was…her…Lea.  Not the spotted being she’d been mere moments before.