Tiffany Glass Garden

Tiffany glass in the garden. A single raspberry held up to the sun brings this image. Every plump bump that forms a hollow ball of exquisite taste is a summer pleasure annually. The aroma of cooked jam lingers in my kitchen now, as I write. Eight stained glass jars pop, pop, pop with the seal of assurance that they will protect my treasure until just the right opening presents itself.

One of my tasks in childhood was to get up early (I still don't do that well), go out to our garden before the sun jumpstarted the day, lift the cheesecloth protection, fight the mosquito's lingering in the cool branches, search around the prickly branches to pluck each berry and fill up my bowl before the birds came for their breakfast. Breakfast those days was always special. During a Brownie Scout campout, we had just settled on to our army cots under the big canvas tent and turned lights out when we heard the tires on the gravel approach the leaders tent. 'Bunny', one of our counselors lived on a farm. Her parents were bringing us the biggest silver kettle of the freshest just picked raspberries I'd ever seen. Ten eager girls scampered to the kitchen pulling out every thing resembling a bowl, counted out spoons, and watched expectantly as fresh, rich cream lifted each jewel to the top of our bowl in greeting. Nothing tasted as good as that surprise, afterhours treat.

Given a choice of DQ toppings, Raspberry is the only consideration. Even better than chocolate, carmel or cashews. Filling in a sweet roll, coffee cake, torte, two layer cake? Need you ask? And Raspberry vodka? Unbeatable. Raspberry sauce on baked chicken? Try it you'll like it! Raspberries added to fresh garden salad with pecans; bring it on.

Food of the gods is how I often describe it. I picture royalty in ancient Greece or Rome popping beaded treasures into their mouths while lounging and enjoying music and dance of a social event.

Is there a taste that triggers mouth watering memories for you?

Let's get together and feast.

Out of the Many ONE

A small group of people are passionately expressing their opinions about the topic under discussion. My dream camera focuses on each face in turn. Suddenly I am the one speaking. Quietly but firmly I say, "the truth is that the more each one of us becomes our true self, the more all of us become ONE. Becoming our true self connects us all at the core of the ONE who created us, and there we are all the same." And then I woke up.

"What was that?" I wondered upon waking. The words burned in my reflective mirror throughout the day. I looked at each person I encountered from a new perspective. "How could I ever be ONE with them?" my thoughts challenged me. I was flooded with duality thinking, those human separations of me from you, right from wrong, always from never.

E Pluribus Unum; Out of the Many, One. It's been right there on our currency and coin for hundreds of years. I knew it, understood it, embraced it and repeated it. After my dream, the onion of understanding peeled away another layer and I was seeing with new eyes. In the 70's the word Namaste was used frequently among spiritual study groups. Translated for newcomers to the word as, "the divine in me sees the divine in you." I went to the grocery store one day determined to try this out. Entering the store I focused silent energy on a man resting on his cart, with his back to me. I directed all my love and energy toward him with the thought, "the divine in me sees the divine in you." repeating it several times in my head.

After just a few seconds he turned completely around and locked eyes with me. I nodded kindly and just kept pushing my cart into the produce aisle. Just a quirk I told myself. So I tried it again and again as I filled my cart from my grocery list. Only once was I unable to connect. I felt a kind of thick wall of energy blocking one woman from acknowledging the directive of my thoughts. The experience changed ME. I became more aware than ever that on a deep level all our roots tangle and touch in the ONEness of our creation. We do not move forward by pulling away from our centering place.

During every volatile political season, duality terms are shouted from every microphone, podium, headline and newscast. While many candidates say UNITY is what they're seeking, duality is the vehicle that drives the journey.

This reflection is not intended to be a political forum. But my mirror caught the reality reflection of my outer world while my dream spoke the truth of my inner world. Which to complicate things further, is ALL ONE WORLD. Out of the many, ONE. Becoming our true selves connects us as ONE at the core. I believe that. I'm trying to BE-LIVE that as well.

Your thoughts?

Now I'm Happy!

Her tiny hands gripped the wooden spoon forcing Chocolate Chips to rise and fall like waves into the creamy mocha-colored dough. Eggs leapt Humpty Dumpty style off the edge of the bowl, shiny yellow centers disappearing in the rotary blades. Her eyes grew wide, her questions flowed. "Where did the eggs go, Grandma?" She noted that sugar came in two colors white and brown, but they also disappeared into the mix. In her throat she made the mmm mm anticipation sound; something good was going to come out of this, she expected it.

Before today her experience of cookies came from choosing them out of the package. Or picking them off the shelf at the grocery store. But today, she KNEW she was able to make this magical taste herself. She glowed with her newly realized skill. Today at 3 she discovered that putting things together could make them even better then having them separately. Her satisfaction with being a part of the process showed in her deep sighs. Her body trembled with joy.

"Now I'm Happy!", she said several times to no particular audience. Just an honest child's declaration of feeling joy in the moment.

I don't recall the last time I made that statement aloud. Do you? What a thrill to experience something for the FIRST time, no matter how many times we've experienced it before.

NOW, I'M HAPPY! I'm going to count the number of times I become aware of that clarity today. I invite you to play along. . .