Snowflake Hearts

written by

Jeannette Zink

January 31, 2016

The snowflake hearts were beginning to twirl downward just slightly east of full moon’s glow.  It was definitely the beginning of a theatrical stage-setting and mystical venue for a historic blizzard.  The nice weather people had succeeded in forecasting the approximate time for the arrival of the first snowflakes and their anemometers were primed to measure the howling winds that were promised to reach the criterion for blizzard conditions.  Most of the weather reporting viewing community had abided by the expert guidance to stock their shelves with enough non-perishable eatables to sustain a hearty soul for at least 3 days or more.  The acquisition of water, milk, toilet paper, chips, hot chocolate, batteries and hand warmers were all on the “must-have-to-make-it-through” this historic Blizzard of 2016. 

I was as prepared as I could be for history to make its dramatic entrance in my little part of the world on the east coast of North America.  In fact, the nights and days to follow were best described by the great literary connoisseur and author of the simply stated descriptive opening sentence to any story – Snoopy of Peanuts fame … “It was a dark and stormy night.”

The fear of losing power, a literal and emotional prospect, was my big psyche monster under the bed.  If the snow drifts were to accumulate up to the levels of the predicted 30 – 40 inches, how could I possibly keep myself warm for several days until my power had been restored?  The variety store hand warmers would not be enough to make it through this monster of a storm.  I would have to face my other fear – fire – and test the fireplace in my home, a perfectly fine fireplace that had never been used in 13 years.  My brother, who lives a mere 1,800 miles from me, was so kind and supportive to give me the step-by-step instructions on how to check out the fireplace.  So, putting on my be strong and be brave armor, I began my expedition to explore the safety net of power alternative, if needed. 

My strength in opening the fireplace flue damper was surely tested, but I did finally manage to open the damper.  I could almost see the glimmers of light from the heavens, which was the indicator there were no bird nests obstructing the escape hatch for uninvited smoke vapors; and, the cold chill of blizzard winds definitely invaded the confines of the fireplace – another sign, I determined, that the fireplace was ready for use, if I absolutely… back against the proverbial wall … kind of moment arrived, and I needed to touch a flame to the simulated firewood gathered for such an occasion.

The next opposition to surmount was the closing of the fireplace’s damper.  I am now going to share with you a key mental note from my fireplace checking experience… use your Smartphone camera to take a picture of the “before opening the damper” setup.  To be more specific, the camera must capture the image of where the vital “lug” goes in the essential bracket.   Because it will be at this decisive moment when you may question … how does one know with unquestionable certainty that the damper is closed? … that you will save yourself a lot of grief and valuable home heat by just taking a refresher view of the camera’s photo of that precious “lug.”  I was not so clever to employ such strategy, and my mental camera was a bit foggy.  Thus, I did not return the lug to its proper position and the night’s cold chill found its resting place in my fireplace.  However, the next morning upon my check of the blessed fireplace, my instincts told me something was amiss.  The thought of flue dampers and lugs were twirling in my anxious minds-eye.  I turned to modern day technology and search engines to explore the possible mishap in my fireplace checking adventure.  Thank you to the people of Google-land for solving my dilemma.  I was able to find a picture of what constitutes a successfully closed damper and exactly where the royal “lug” goes in the bracket.  I am so proud of me and I am so grateful to Google-land!!!  With this drama now resolved, it was now time for a hot bowl of gluten-free quinoa and a cup of hot apple cider.

The Blizzard of 2016 did indeed arrive, all 24 – 40 inches of snowflake hearts with the winds of 40 – 60+ gusts; and, blessedly, few people lost their power … literally and/or emotionally.  New skill sets were developed … fireplace check-up and lug placement.  But, most importantly, the love and support of my family 1,800 miles away were never as close to me during these monster-under-the-bed-scary-times as they were during this historic Blizzard of 2016.  Thank you, my dear and beloved family, and thank you gods of power for never leaving my side!

Stay warm, my kindred spirits, and be of encouraging heart … it is now just 7 weeks until the astronomical spring will come tap dancing on our souls and refreshing signs of renewal will set in motion our hopes and dreams of boundless warming possibilities.   

You may enjoy visiting my blogs:

http://jeannettesartandstories.blogspot.com/

http://doodlngwithwordsbyjeannette.blogspot.com/

Sometimes I forget to release the Pause button

written by

Jeannette Zink

January 17, 2016

It is the season of winter… my mood now synchronized with the pause button on any electronic device … life set to hibernate (pause) until the first sighting of spring.  The image of tea leaves settled at the bottom of my cup, as if huddled in a state of hiatus; patiently wait for the bitter fingers of freezing cold to perform their burlesque cabaret -- tossing gloves of warmth to the cheers of a more temperate agreeable climate.  Just to get through the first three months of a new year is the goal… that’s how to survive … just to get through.

The only problem with this lifeboat survival tactic for the dreadful days following the winter solstice is that surprisingly “life is happening” during this same time slot.  There are things to do, places to go, and goals to be achieved within contracted expectations.  One cannot require life to pause.  Life itself perpetually moves forward in an upright tray position … whether we hibernate or not; whether we want to move forward or not … life is in motion.

What to do with this dilemma … living vs. hibernating … is one for the mystics, literary essayists and the Bible to address.  In my state of lethargy, I turn to one of my favorite English essayist, James Allen, and to one of my favorite books in the Bible, Book of Proverbs, to find the antonymic wisdom in this season of my freezing discontent. 

The title of James Allen’s 1903 essay, As a Man Thinketh, was influenced by the biblical Book of Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 7 (King James):  “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Mr. Allen’s literary application of this verse was one man’s attempt to help all mankind to pull the strings of cerebral thought to a higher level of understanding and bring … perhaps, kicking and screaming … to a place of tolerance and insight for the possibilities that may challenge our winter melancholy of thought.  Might there be a better response than my personal favorite: “No, I cannot take this.  I am going to my warm and safe state of hibernation.  This too shall pass.  See you in the spring.” Could the key to our circumstances be endured beyond our sense of suspended reality simply by forming “thoughts” that transform us, as if our winter solstice magician waved their wand of mercy, to a more positive place of receptive gratitude for this special moment in the four season cycle? 

I, for one, will gladly cast my vote to give Mr. Allen and the biblical verse a try.  As I type this essay, I find myself shivering and dreading going outdoors.  The sunshine-filled sky has now been brushed with the paint of overcast gray tones.  The trumpets sound the imminent arrival of the royals – Queen of Snow and King of Ice.  With this dismal imaginary, I hold tight my hot cup of cocoa and nibble on the Proustian madeleine  cookie in hope that the Remembrance of Things Past will metaphorically spring forth, my winter of spring-like content.  A time when a weary cold night is greeted by the friendly local meteorologist’s forecast for a prolonged and gradual warming trend.    

Thus, with the determination of an Allen-ish decree, I embrace the weeding of my mental winter garden.  The weeds of misery and woe replaced with a sunnier disposition clothed in woolen comfort and toasted by the aroma of hot apple cider.  I hug tight the philosophy that each day will somehow progress at the pace of each ticking second no matter how grumpy my attitude toward the day.  Why, I ask the winter gods, do I covet despair when delight is just as easily an open market commodity all the ready for acquisition?  Good question, one can almost hear the gardener voice with the struggle to unearth each useless mental weed.  The seeds of good and fruitful thought are far more pleasing and productive to the betterment of all things great than one second of wintry glum.  So, why wait to release the pause button on life?  The universe is moving on, with or without us, and it can be a beautiful ride, if we just let it happen. 

Thus, the gardener’s rake and shovel, tools for eradicating the undesirable twigs, prepare the landscape of beauty rendered seed by seed.  These are also my tools, my support group, for a proverbial winter clearance.  The mother of all winter sales … all bad moods are up for grabs … all must go … the great clear out … making space for the wonders that surely lie in wait to salute each fresh New Year. 

Please do not waste one second hibernating under the guise of winter doldrums.  Life is worthy of more than the effortless wish to just get through so to harvest the warmer days of spring.  Each day is a gift and deserves our utmost attention. 

My kindred spirits … please don’t forget to release the pause button on your life … life is happening, now.  Hop on the winter sleigh ride … it just might be fun… regardless the thermostatic setting.

Blessings to all and try to keep a warm heart and have faith … spring will be here soon!  Until then, enjoy each glorious day.

You may enjoy visiting my blogs:

http://jeannettesartandstories.blogspot.com/

http://doodlngwithwordsbyjeannette.blogspot.com/

Dancing with Daddy

“an Adalyn Grace poem”

written by

Adalyn Grace’s great-aunt

Jeannette Zink

January 16, 2016

Yesterday, I danced on top of daddy’s toes

 holding tight to his strong fingers of love.

Today, I danced in daddy’s footsteps

clapping to a tune that only we could hear.

Tomorrow, I dance in the arms of daddy’s unconditional love

 remembering the music

 from a time when …

I danced on top of daddy’s toes

holding tight to his strong fingers of love.

Love you, Daddy

Adalyn Grace

“20 years from today”

The Trampoline Effect

written by

Jeannette Zink

The butterfly is a visual beauty with the deceptive stamina of an Olympic long-distance runner. They are a four-wing powerhouse with the elegant grace and exquisite decorative coloring that even a patrician would concede to a less noble position.  Their ancient Greek name is Lepidoptera … the rhythm and sound of the word a sheer delight … perhaps a poetic jester to a time when dialogue exchange was the social media of salon gatherings for intellectual debates.

There is another attribute to the butterfly that has been leaping through my mind.  The concept known as the butterfly effect is a phenomenon where small causes can have large effects.  One metaphorical example I read about on Wikipedia is that of a hurricane:

 

“The exact time of the hurricane’s formation and the exact path it took were influenced by the minor perturbations, such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier.”  

Imagine the implications of this concept when it comes to everyday exchanges that occur among the human race.  An innocent smile is casually shared with the person so lonely that their heart gradually breaks from the weight of a silenced world.  The messages that always end with “we miss you and love you” … may be taken for granted by some; but, not by those who have forfeited this rare gift.  The Christmas gift of a trampoline to a child, absorbing the world at the speed of light, may be the butterfly effect of learning for tomorrow’s new discoveries.

Each of these superficial actions may mean zilch to the abstract vision hosting our content of day to day events.  After all, the chaos faced in just trying to make it from Point A to Point B is enough to make a butterfly take the next u-turn in search of a calmer air current.  Regardless of the benefactor, butterfly or trampoline, we must not squander a single blasé act.  For each may be the mustard seed that will change loneliness to hopefulness; a superficial existence to worthiness; and, a young life prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Remember when you once bounced and tumbled on a trampoline … remember the bliss of flying through the air as if on the wings of a butterfly.  Maybe the effect was a lifetime of joy in learning from the possibilities that greeted each new brave leap of faith.

May the whisper of the butterfly wings touch your heart and the springs of a trampoline your joyful companion as you travel this unpredictable lifetime journey.  Learn from each twist and turn, and have faith in each mustard seed. 

Peace and love, my kindred spirits.

You may enjoy visiting my blogs:

http://jeannettesartandstories.blogspot.com/

http://doodlngwithwordsbyjeannette.blogspot.com/

  

    

Stepping Stones for the Kindred of Spirit

written by

Jeannette Zink

Dream

Imagine

Believe

Magic

Each dancing with our soul;

Each embracing our spirit;

Each touching our heart;

Each knowing our gift;

Each cherishing our uniqueness;

Each sharing our universe.

Each a reason for our hopes;

Each a stepping stone for our tomorrows;

Each a cheering team for our courage;

Each planning our journey;

Each securing our place to …

Dream

Imagine

Believe

Magic

Words for Adalyn Grace

~ an Adalyn Grace essay ~

written by

Jeannette Zink

My near perfection great-niece, Adalyn Grace, is beginning to build quite the portfolio of essential words to communicate her needs, wants, and desires.  On January 4, 2016, Miss Adalyn found herself dancing on the trampoline of 400 words ready to spring into service.  She was also rejecting the suggestions of her incredibly patient and gifted mother with the respectful learned words, “No, thank you.” Allow me to set the context of these amazing feats … Adalyn Grace is nineteen-months-old and absolutely brilliant … just this morning, Adalyn was found relaxing on her favorite sofa enjoying the light reading of a Star Wars book.  I rest my case and subjective judgment of Adalyn Grace’s brilliance!

I am sorry to report that by the time I was the age of Adalyn I had only managed to figure out how to insert a hair pin into a light socket.  Needless to say, my skills did not receive the same accolades as that of Adalyn’s verbal dexterity.  Instead, the radius of the neighbor geography was greeted with waves of darkness and reset fuse buttons were searched for high and low.  I am fairly certain that the nice people in the community expressed plenty of well-chosen descriptive words found inhabiting their lexicon of exasperation.

As I complete this sentence, I suspect Adalyn Grace will have acquired at least twenty new words and assembled them in her treasure chest of tomorrow’s narrative.  Her words, acting as objects for a future collage, wait in reserve for the day when needed for a praised sentence.   That day will come in the not too distant future, and will be met with applaud and delight that another milestone has so quickly been achieved with the help and love of an unwavering support team … loving parents, grandparents, family and friends.

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Adalyn Grace, you are well on your way to the 1,000 mark of worthy speech collectibles.  Here are two words that I hope will be a part of your vocabulary playlist for a lifetime… HAPPY and JOY.

  

Enjoy the journey, precious and brilliant, Adalyn Grace.

Making space for a little Kindness

written by

Jeannette Zink

There are stages in our lives when we are profoundly confident in ourselves.  We surrender our qualms and set them aside with a self-assured glance.   Our wishes tossed to the heavens and easily lasso with the blink of a star.  Dreams caught with the whisper of a butterfly’s wings. These are the magical times when we are at our best.  We know who we are intended to be and our intended purpose.  It is the pleasant intersection of timing when the moon and sun join hands and dance a delightful jig in the glow of rainbow questions and starlight answers.  Life is good and there is no stopping the mystical karma … climb, climb as fast as you can to the top of your dreams … your time is now!

This learning journey to finding our best self was not an easy one.  There were surely twists and turns on our adventure when the gods of the universe turned a deft ear to our pleas for alternative paths.  We demanded answers for our prized dilemmas … answers with a due date of yesteryear.  At first, the wait was not pleasant.  We put up a great fight for our self-imposed timeline was imminent.  The struggle one-sided as we fought within ourselves for the things we deemed vital for our existence. 

Then one day we stopped to breathe; we brought down our fists of fear; and, we paused for a clear look at the space we had frivolously occupied.  The space we had not given a second thought of respect for the unassuming legroom of comfort.  After all, a sliver of the cosmos was owed to us by the sheer fact that we existed.  Our arrogant demands to be tolerated … we had places to go, things to do, people to see.

 

Our proclaimed space, reluctantly forgiving the whims of our less than evolved self, suddenly assumed an enchanting kaleidoscope of compassion that only our better self could have ever seen or appreciated.  The people in our sphere became kinder, or was it us who became kinder; love for one another a way of life; and, the space we occupied was more generous to the needs of others than that of our own. 

Kindness and love are powerful gifts and can take up a lot of space, if we just let them.  The space in my world has certainly grown once I let these welcomed gifts into my life. 

Blessings and love to all … may your space in life be enlarged and shared by these powerful gifts.

You may enjoy visiting my blogs:

http://jeannettesartandstories.blogspot.com/

http://doodlngwithwordsbyjeannette.blogspot.com/

Courage is a place where Happiness finds its Heroes

written by

Jeannette Zink

The other morning I was channel cruising on my non-SMART, non-HD and non-4K television.  I stumbled upon the tail end of a children’s program on WETA/PBS.  My channel changing finger was all set to click to the next venue of choice when I heard these words of wisdom spoken from T. rex on the Dinosaur Train … “When I found my courage, I became happy.”  I could barely move from my human tracks and fingers were frozen in mid-air of a click.  What had just happened – a lifetime of searching for happiness – finally declared and definitively described from the mouth of a whimsically charming dinosaur!

What do you know about happiness and courage, Mr. Dinosaur Train conductor … you are just a figment of imagination created inside the minds of a creative animation team and writers for a children’s program.  Why should I take a made-up dinosaur to heart in my never-ending pursuit of happiness?  Really, has it come to this, Jeannette … taking advice from a dinosaur! 

So, I shrug and strut around with a huff and puff swagger reasoning that this is nothing more than a silly kid’s television program far beneath my intellectual competency.  Let’s just see what the experts have to say about courage and happiness.  I turned to the twenty-first century e-book of knowledge, GOOGLE, to fact check this little smarty pants of a dinosaur.  Well, the internet indeed is a wealth of information, even on philosophical, emotional and psychological topics as the thesis of courage and happiness.  While my research only scratched the surface of this hypothesis that courage and happiness may be linked to a life of bliss, I am leaning toward the side of the Mr. Dinosaur Train conductor.  That’s right, my friends, dinosaurs may have been the first philosophers to roam the happy trails of earth.  They were certainly courageous as they fought the good fight to stay alive, while perhaps much less worried about finding their true state of happiness.

I will admit that in watching the recent movie, Jurassic World, I did witness the occasional smile of courageous victory on the faces of the brave dinosaurs as they scrambled to safety and/or were in hot pursuit of the genetically modified dinosaur, Indominus rex.  One could even see a bit of a wink in the eye of the friendly Blue dinosaur as a show of courage to protect the alpha hunk Chris Pratt and the fellow cast of characters.

Moving from the days of dinosaurs to the world of great American novelists and short story writers … I quote Nathaniel Hawthorne:  Happiness is not found in things you possess, but in what you have the courage to release.

No matter the source of our garnered wisdom – dinosaurs, philosophers, or novelists – we will know it when we see it/hear it/feel it with our hearts and accept as a way of life …  be brave, be strong, and be courageous … these are our stepping stones to everlasting happiness.

I leave you with one of my favorite all time biblical quotes:  Jeremiah 29:11

  

‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and hope….  

Enjoy your courageous journey, my kindred spirits, there is a smiley face waiting at the release of each fear and doubt.  Courage is a place where happiness finds its hero in each of us.

      

You may enjoy visiting my blogs:

http://jeannettesartandstories.blogspot.com/

http://doodlngwithwordsbyjeannette.blogspot.com/

Cookie Prayers … in due respect

~ an Adalyn Grace essay ~

written by

Jeannette Zink

January 1, 2016

My nineteen-month-old phenomenally terrific great-niece, Adalyn Grace, insists that her cookies receive a proper blessing before she will take so much as one morsel of a bite.  So, heads are bowed, hands are linked and prayers are offered in respect to the gracious God who has seen fit to provide today’s selection of savory cookies at the table of this most earnest child and her loving family. 

  

One may expect that there be only one prayer voiced for the entire spread of the cookie platter.  However, one would be underestimating this child’s intention to pay homage to our dear Lord of all things great and small.  Thus, each cookie is blessed before the sugary delectable may be consumed by the parents and grandparents of this extraordinary and … I am just going to say it … brilliant child.

On the surface, this gesture of blessing the revered cookies may appear to be nothing more than a really cute emulation of “like mommy and daddy so goes the child” minute.  But, then my mind begins to meander through the fields of “but wait a minute” where I find myself in a land of “wake-up calls.” It is at this precise intersection of pause and reflection that I have a V-8 moment, and take respectful note of this beautiful child’s unassuming grace and loving spirit.  A clarion chime is heard and an understanding of the importance in thanking God for the trivial gifts that make our lives just a little more sweetly bearable … like Adalyn Grace’s sacred cookies … is chiseled into my conscious.  Thank you, Adalyn Grace, for putting life in perspective – you are the mentor to lead us in conducting our life as God intended.

Today just happens to be the start of a brand new clean canvas of a New Year.  A whole new plate of cookies await our consumption, but only after we take an Adalyn Grace moment to say our sincere prayers in due respect for this delicious life of God’s grace and shining light of love.

Blessings and Happy New Year … my dear family, friends and kindred spirits!!!