Message from the Mountain

Memories come flooding back to me of all the times I have searched for the perfect Christmas tree. As a young child it was on the frozen bog near our home, to the trees my parents used to send in the mail was I was in Boston. Now they remain in Nature. Support the show

Just before the recent rain washed the snow away, we checked our game cameras to see if any wildlife were moving on the land. It is exciting to see the number of deer that use some of the same trails as people do. It is a good lesson in harmony. Support the show

For me this is a double celebration, being able to do my 5900th podcast on the day of the winter solstice, the time when daylight will now expand every day for the next six months. Then again, there is something to celebrate every day. Support the show

My intention each day is to wake up feeling gratitude, including just another day to discover something new. My focus of gratitude today is on the beautiful handmade view of the mountains that is displayed behind our nativity. Support the show

All thoughts of a White Christmas have been washed away by a large warm windy Northeaster that raised havoc in our area. The weather here can change in a moment, as it can in life. I choose to focus on being grateful for something. Support the show

As we approach the shortest day of the year, I find great joy in waking up to the warm glow of holiday lights shining in our windows. My heart is filled with gratitude for the magic that surrounds me. What a great way to start the day. Support the show

When we built our home here, we had a commanding view of the mountain range across the valley. Over time trees have grown, blocking out what we used to have. Fortunately, a painting my wife did for our first Christmas helps me remember. Life is always changing our perspectives. Support the show

When we first moved to New Hampshire, we would often drive around, and we fell in love with one specific view of Mt. Chocorua. Then we bought land with a similar view. Several years ago, around the holidays, a friend found a painting done by my great uncle of the mountain. Unbelievable. Support the show

I have enjoyed sharing stories with photos of remembrances from the holidays that would go unseen to people that never visit, such as a window with hanging ornaments. I am reminded that we all have unseen abilities we often hide from others. Support the show

We have a carved wooden bust of my father, and during the holidays we place a Santa hat on his head. Years ago, Father used to answer calls to Santa from children in town and one summer a child heard him laugh and looked at him wide-eyed, declaring, “You are Santa!” Support the show

We were left with a mountain of snow blocking our parking after the last storm. My wife shoveled enough space to unload the groceries. Now in the spirit of a distant relative who spent years, night after night, moving a mountain, I move a mountain of snow.   Support the show

Another one of our holiday favorites is a live poinsettia plant put where we can appreciate its beauty during the season and beyond. Our positive thoughts are also alive and growing way beyond the holidays. Support the show

Once we are old enough to have experiences that create memories, we often seek to re-experience these events at similar times in our future. The older we get, the more nostalgia we have, especially during the holidays. We are re-experiencing a beautiful ceramic nativity, discovering it again for the first time. Support the show

Nature is joining in the celebration of the holidays by adding her own sparkle to all the lights. She has formed tiny ice crystals on the frozen snow that sparkle in the sun like diamonds. Life has so much sparkle to take in all year round from people and Nature. Support the show

We have had several days of picture-perfect weather. The snow has remained on the trees creating a magical world. I am sure pictures will remind us for years to come. However, living in a fairy tale is not always exactly as it seems. Still, over the years, memories change. Support the show

Another holiday decoration that has a special meaning to me is a leaded glass wreath with two candles in the middle with their flames connected together. I am reminded of my connections to Edgar Cayce and his secretary: twin flames that produced a volume of work that is still helping people. Support the show

One of my favorite holiday welcome signs is a wreath outside a door. To me it indicates a warm welcome inside. People with internal heart-based lights have a welcome sign attracting others to share in their positive loving energy, something the world needs now. Support the show

There are ten round colorful globes lined up in a row along the top of the balcony and at night their reflection in the windows make them look like many more. I am reminded that when positive like-minded people shine their inner lights together, it is powerful. Support the show

Nature did its part to decorate the landscape overnight with a new eight-inch coating of snow. It is just what was needed to create a magical winter wonderland in time for the holiday season for the child in all of us. Support the show

Some thirty years ago, my wife designed, made, and sold some character dolls, including a few Santas. Several years later, one appeared at a summer church yard sale for twenty-five cents. It now brightens my Decembers. I am grateful.   Support the show

The star that hangs in our large window is now filled with light during the holiday season. To me it is a symbol of peace, love, and the opportunity for the world to come together for the greater good of all. Support the show

For me, December sunsets and sunrises really stand out in the stark landscape of the season. I am reminded that the starkness of life always has something that shines brightly in the background. Support the show

Today we turn the calendar page to the last month of the year, December. It is usually the signal to hunker down for months of cold weather ahead. I plan, as I do all year, to find something each day to be grateful for, regardless of the weather. Support the show

I learned on our recent tour of 9 tropical islands about the diversity of Nature. One island had boa constrictors, another alligator, another monkeys, and another iguana. Nature and life seem to mimic each other. Support the show

It was interesting to see how the islands of the Caribbean are attempting to deal with the rising sea by using very large concrete castings to help block the damage caused by powerful storms. Much of the lowlands were created by fill. Stay tuned for the results. Support the show