Day 19 - Puggle Lesson

December 28, 2014

(This is day 18 of a 365 project during my 70th year, each day a gift.)

In spite of covering my ears with blankets, it didn’t work—grand-doggie Roxy awakened me at 6 a.m. this morning. Staying with us while our daughter and son-in-law are in Florida,  this dog is perpetual hunger personified. The early morning wake up is the down-side of dog-sitting. The up-side is walking in Downs Park, something we both love to do.

These walks are always an adventure for me, even if I go there every day. With a canine companion, an extra layer is added. I’ve noticed that even a puggle can make me think about how to live my life:

•  Stop to smell everything. You never know what you will find. 

•  Play with falling leaves as if looking foolish were the coolest thing in the world. 

•  It’s okay to run around in circles as long as you feel joy. 

•  Stop often to leave something of youself behind so others will know you have been there. 

•  Sometimes it is good to chase something, even if you don’t understand it.

• Take your time pooping and don’t forget to look around. You don’t want to miss anything. 

•  Pick your nose up off the ground so you can see the deer watching you. 

•   On your journey, travel with a sweeping motion to experience both sides of the path.

Today’s gift is a puggle lesson.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> DAY 20 Dome

You can read my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 18 - Shadow Rules

December 27, 2014

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

My mother used to sing to my sisters and me when we were little. She did not think she had a good voice and she only sang to us when we were young enough that we had no critical ear. So in my memory, she was a singer. Some of her favorites were Let Me Call Your Sweetheart, Put Another Nickel in the Nickelodeon, Me and My Teddy Bear and Me and My Shadow, from the late 1920’s. Even today after more than 60 years, those tunes still stick in my memory. Musically, I always liked the way the fourth note of the chorus, “Me and my shadow…” changed from major to minor. It sounded like it slid just the way shadows slide over the ground as I walk.

It is a good thing that some things never change. For example, if my shadow became erratic and didn’t follow certain rules (I’m serious), it would confuse me. It keeps me grounded knowing how my shadow always behaves.  

Shadow Rule #1: Shadows sleep when the sun sleeps (or when the lights are out.)

Shadow Rule #2. All shadows must belong to someone or something.

Shadow Rule #3: Shadows must always be near their owners unless there is no strong light.   

Shadow Rule #4: Shadows do not have faces.

Shadow Rule #5: A shadow must imitate its owner.

Shadow Rule #6. Everything has only one sunshine shadow

Shadow Rule #7: Shadows begin long in the morning, shrink, and then grow longer again at the end of the day.

Growing up in a stable and loving family, I always knew that the love that surrounded me would never change. This grounded me too and followed me throughout my life, just like my dependable shadow.

Today’s gift is constancy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> DAY 19 Puggle Lesson

You can read my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 17 – Coltrane’s “Equinox”

December 26, 2014

Kevin Robinson of KERQ performed at Baltimore's Lexington Market.

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

KERQ, always a treat to hear, performed at the Lexington Market. The group’s name stands for Kevin E. Robinson Quartet or Quintet, whichever it happens to be. I first met Kevin at the Baltimore Museum of Art where I was mesmerized by an original piece he created in response to Matisse’s Blue Nude painting at the museum. Since then he and his wife, Regina, have been friends with my husband David and me.

Whether Kevin performs Santana’s Black Magic Woman, Prince’s Purple Rain or Miles Davis’s Footprints, the music is always about more than playing the notes and keeping the rhythm—it goes beyond. And it is this spirit that reaches out to the listener and tugs at the soul.

Today, one of the early pieces KERQ played at Lexington Market was Coltrane’s Equinox. Although we are not at the fall or spring equinox, the music resonated with me. Yesterday I wrote about the role of balance in the Tree of Life, about how the hidden roots are as important as what is above ground. Kevin’s music is about the roots of emotion beneath each piece he plays.

The equinox is all about balance; it occurs when day and night are equally balanced.  It represents transition, the crux of a passage. I am going through a passage this year from my 60’s to my 70’s. It is an important time that requires a mind open to evolving. To be fully alive, one cannot merely just be. We must evolve.

Today as I listened to the spirit of Equinox, I felt that all those who heard were in the process of evolving.

Today’s gift was Kevin Robinson's Equinox.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> DAY 18 Shadow Rules

You can read my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 16 – Tree of Life

December 25, 2014

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

In the 1990’s, I reconnected after many years with an old Palestinian friend, Salim. He came to my house and not only gave me the gift of his visit and friendship, but also the tree of life on an Armenian tile, which hangs in my kitchen. Sixteen days ago, my husband David gave me the tree of life, created from one piece of silver wire with bends and twists.

We did not put up a Christmas tree this year but at the last moment, I decided to add a few holiday ornaments to this silver tree. This morning it holds an antique glass ornament from my late grandmother, and handmade ornaments made by my mother, daughters Lauren and FL, a former student and my late great Aunt Leona. It also displays a delicate snowflake just sent from my longtime friend, Marge Schondebare, which, according to her note, is a reminder of my uniqueness. My new silver tree holds history, love and hope.

The symbolic tree of life represents balance, change, cycles, interconnectedness, giving and receiving.

Balance: What is invisible below is as important as what is visible on top. If the roots beneath the soil are not healthy, then the rest of the tree will die.

Change and cycles: The tree changes from green to rusty orange and then to bare...and back again. Cycles continue. The brittle brown leaves fall and become part of the soil which nourishes the roots and new green shoots appear in the spring. My father passed away 23 days ago. He created many roots which are still nourished by the love he gave to us, the love that continues.

Interconnectedness, giving and receiving: We are all part of the tree of life. We breathe the oxygen it provides.  We benefit from its filtering of harmful pollutants, its shade, its role in preventing soil erosion, its offering of food and protection to wildlife. We receive beauty and inspiration from our tree of life.

We can reject its gift and spiritually die or we can embrace it and celebrate. I celebrate life and its possibilities for forgiveness and love, for joy and connecting.

Today’s gift is the tree of life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

> DAY 17 Coltrane's "Equinox"

You can read my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 15 – Ilux Aquifolium

December 24, 2014

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

No Christmas tree for us this year but we do have one decoration. I walked to the far end of our yard where trees, bushes and weeds often hide deer, fox and coyotes, and cut a few sprigs of holly, the ones from the female tree with red berries. Then I tied them with red ribbon and put them on our front door.

It looks good. It is simple. It is free.

We have several holly trees at the bottom of our yard, some with and without berries. A male plant must be near a female plant for pollination to take place. Besides its attractiveness throughout the winter and its food offerings to birds, the green leaves have been used in herbal remedies for conditions such as dizziness, fever and hypertension (little proof though), and its hard wood is good for carving things such as chess pieces and walking sticks.

I like holly plants, a source of winter food for many of the berry-eating birds in our yard. (Its berries are toxic to humans.) They symbolize a winter ecology. They also represent both pagan and Christian beliefs. The druids held holly as a sacred plant, a fertility symbol, a lucky charm to discourage witches and bad luck. It was a plant, they thought, with magical powers and it represented eternal life. The pagans planted holly close to their dwellings because of its power.

The Christians saw this plant as symbolic of Jesus. The pointed leaves represent the crown of thorns placed on this head before he died on the cross and the red berries reflect the blood that he shed then. Legend says that the berries were originally white but that the holy blood stained them forever. There are several Christmas songs with “holly” in them, the most famous, The Holly and the Ivy, Deck the Hall and Holly Jolly Christmas.

As I was hanging the holly on our front door, a thought occurred to me. If we can infuse such diverse beliefs as paganism and Christianity into this one plant, maybe there is hope of assimilating some current polarized views in some way that can bring us peace.  

Today's gift is a sprig of holly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

> DAY 16 Tree of Life

You can read my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html