Magical Moment 272, "Window to My World"

I spend hours in my music room and office everyday. It's where I write, practice, record, work, grow, get angry, feel accomplished, and create. There is a small window in this room which faces the parking lot behind my apartment building. Through it, I can see the entrance to the community laundry room and a few houses across the street with the American flag waiving by the front door. There are trees and bushes, thick with multi-colored leaves, and no shortage of birds and squirrels scurrying about. In the evening, the sunset casts a soft orange haze over the red, brick walls and it seems as though the autumn leaves are glowing, like a thin lamp shade with a bulb burning bright underneath.

It doesn’t take long for me to feel inspired when I open my white mini blinds and gaze outside. Some days I feel more content and encouraged from five minutes at my window, than I do from a whole day of running around town, “being productive.” Every day is a new view and a different sunrise. This is the spot where I first notice the season changes - snow, clouds, rain, sunshine. Often, it’s the first view I see in the morning, and last thing I see at night. Only a little square, it could be the size of a picture frame, but through it, I see more than any painter could paint. I see my world. What's just outside your window that you love?

Here are some blog posts from the past that were inspired from gazing out this very window, many are my short little nature poems. Some are actually my all time favorites:

A Brave Leaf
The Bird in the Rain
Fireflies
Bird Watching
Blessings that Fall
Fly with the Wind
A Rain Haiku

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

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