A Place That Beckons

At the beach, life is different. 
Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. 
We live by currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun. 
~ Unknown

We are bidding adieu to the bitterly cold, snowy winter.
Not sorry at all to see it in our rear view mirror.

We are packing up our Maizie Grace and escaping someplace warm and happy and comforting.

Someplace that continually beckons our hearts and calls to our souls.
A place that heals.
A place where we feel God's presence in an incredibly tangible way.

We are bagging up our sadness and stress

and dumping it in the trash can on our way out the door.

We are going to quickly adapt to becoming lazy beach bums

with sunburned noses and tangled beach hair;

squinty tan lines around our eyes,

and peeling shoulders;
wearing a fragrance of salty air and suntan oil.

We are going to spend hours gazing at the rolling waves;

doing absolutely nothing but

listen to the tinkling of the shells being pulled back into the ocean

watch sandpipers scurry up and down the beach

drink too many Angry Orchards
read piles of books

walk miles along the coast
watch Maizie explore and discover sandy treasures

 chill out with tanned feet propped up on a porch railing
watch a sherbet colored sun kiss turquoise waves.

We will not think of returning;

only focusing on the present moment with toes sunk deep in the warm, shell strewn sand

with clacking palm trees overhead.

We will tilt our heads together in love.

Walk hand in hand through the surf.

Heave deep sighs of relief.
Relax. Unwind.

Hug, smile, and hug again.

We are going to regroup.

Reconnect.
Heal.
Remember what it's like to laugh again.

Lift our faces to the warmth of God's never failing love...

appreciate how blessed we truly are...
and savor every single moment He gives us.

~  Eucharisteo  ~

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Seasons of the Heart

It's been a busy, busy month here at Heaven's Walk...thus my long absence from Bloglandia.

My heart seems full to overflowing
and my mind has been stretched to it's limit.
I have truly missed visiting you all and hope to start finding some time in the near future
to stop by and catch up with you all once again.

Besides the usual seasonal chores like blowing leaves,

 watching the first snowflakes of the season mix with more falling leaves,

cleaning gutters,

winterizing the pond,

putting the veggie garden to bed,

storing the porch furniture,

blowing more leaves,

mowing for the last time,

hanging up all the hoses in the barn,

placing heaters in birdbaths,

blowing even more leaves,

 covering the fountain and rain barrel,

and cutting down that huge, old, dangerous mulberry tree in the middle of the yard...

there's been meetings with lawyers, financial advisors, realtors, and bankers

over Trusts and Estates and Probate.
It seems to be never ending.

I also signed closing papers on my parents' house...

and watched a young couple walk away with my dad's keys in their hands.

It was sad.

Bittersweet.

Emotional.

 Heaving another huge sigh....I took another step forward in my life ~

finding it difficult not to look back.

 As I mentioned in my previous post,

I entered the world of Young Living Essential Oils

and am embracing their incredible healing properties.

Mind, body, and soul.

At this time in my life,

they are so comforting, anchoring, empowering, and grounding ~

and bring me into God's presence continually throughout the day.

Their scents remind me of the gifts and blessings He faithfully promises,
and their healing properties have helped both my husband and me sleep more soundly,
reduced our bodily aches and pains, wiped away tension headaches,
and boosted our immune systems.

This beautiful blend of oils wafts through the rooms in my old farmhouse every day during this late autumn season

filling it with a sweet, clean, earthy fragrance.

 Orange boosts immunity, induces relaxation, and reduces depression.

Clove is antiviral, antioxidant, and creates a sense of protection and courage.

After a clear mammogram result (the first one since my surgery),

I ditched all of the chemical-based perfumes from my medicine cabinet, 

(you'll find only YL oils there now)

and all cleaning supplies from beneath the sink were put in the trash.

I am using Young Living's natural, cleaning products that are full of clove, lemon, rosemary, cinnamon bark, and eucalyptus radiata. 

Not only is it antiviral and antiseptic, but also antibacterial and anti-infectious ~ 

protecting us from any cold or flu bugs that may make their way into our home.

 While the temperatures slowly sink into the 20s and 30s and winter makes its unwelcome appearance,
homemade French onion soup simmers on the stove next to a French baguette topped with Gruyere cheese.

Maizie Grace waits patiently for her own dinner ~ with Flopsy close by.

 After dinner, surgery is performed on her Bear.

Her maternal instinct kicks into high gear as she nervously lays at my feet,

watching my every move...

until...

arm reattached...

her beloved 'baby' is safe and sound.

It was also time for me to step into the 21st century.

I finally upgraded to a smart phone and practiced posting to Instagram by taking some photos around the house.

It's such a joy to continue to connect with friends from all over the world via another media venue.

I'm still learning my way around this phone that uncannily seems to know more than I do,

but am enjoying the challenge.

So, as Michigan bids farewell to a short summer,

an even shorter autumn,

and watches warily as winter creeps in...

 I pray that we are spared from another overwhelming season like we experienced last year

when this was the continual view out my kitchen window

before we had over 100 inches of the cold, white stuff

for six long, dreary months.

I will swipe on my favorite YL oils to keep me healthy,

rub some on the Husband's sore shoulder and neck,

clean my house with clove and rosemary,

share IG photos,

close my eyes,

count the days,

and dream 

of 

this...

~  Eucharisteo  ~

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Sun In My Heart

"God meets us in the stillness of our souls.  
It is there that he seeks to commune with us."
-  excerpt from "Jesus Calling" 

Car loaded with luggage and snacks.
Pointing the car toward the warm breezes of Florida.
Driving past meadows and prairies,
hills and mountains,
walls of stone spouting waterfalls,
with little Garmin
(fondly called"Road-duh")
leading the way.

Two 12-hour days of driving and our eyes see
the causeway.
My heart beats faster
knowing that the hot sun will soon spread across my shoulders
as I press my feet into shell-filled sand.

The island main street is a welcome sight
holding the promise of slow moving, stress-free days ahead ~
if only for a little while.

Our sweet little cottage with a screened porch overlooking the ocean...

and a charming little room that would ensure nights of drifting off to sleep to the sound of the ocean waves caressing the ocean's hem;
with the ceiling fan clicking softly overhead
as we sweep sand off our feet before tucking them between covers.

Making our way up sandy paths past beach grass, sea oats, and sea grape
tossed by the salty breeze
for early morning walks together.

Mornings broken by a foggy mist
rising above palms.

Mystical, moody, and mesmerizing...

turning to days of brilliant blue.

Always in the company of tern and seagulls...

our feet churning through warm sand;
thighs burning after miles logged.

Seashells offered up by the ocean and scattered along the shore as far as the eye could see.





Discovering sandy micro-worlds
and collecting seashells with holes and rough edges ~
giving up secrets of time spent under the waves.

Footprints and paw prints leaving untold stories in the sand.

Bare toes and brown shoulders.

Flip flops and frizzy hair.

Grasping every lazy thought winding through my mind
and transferring it to paper.

Sunshine, dancing diamonds, and sea foam.

An endless sugar sand beach under an azure sky.

Evenings witnessing God's glorious artistry.

A few mornings painted with stormy clouds...

changing ocean blue to sea green.

Solitaire snowy egret watching dolphins surface in the waves;
their soft dove-grey backs slick with salt water.

Spending every sunny hour on the beach...

lounging together....

next to mermaids in the sand.

Reading a good book in Coppertone scented sea air.

Holding the sun in my heart.

Watching it kiss the ocean...

and melt into a sorbet night ~

whispering on seagull wings...


"Remember me."

~  Seaside Blessings  ~

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