AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #11): Celebrating the revolution through doughnuts and full moons

 

HALLELUJAH FOR REVOLUTIONS! (photo by Tony Martin)

Hallelujah for the REVOLUTION of the WHEEL, of GLORIOUS MOTHER EARTH, of MOONS that wax and wane!

Today's last prompt for August Moon 2013 is CELEBRATE!
--Kat and Meredith

As the summer is closing, coming to the end with this last day of August, I am going to purchase a REVOLUTION doughnut! I've been hankering for one all summer, but they seem so decadent and lovely, seductive, rich, and caloric. Not cheap either!

REVOLUTION DOUGHNUTS. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

But when I got to thinking about CELEBRATING  a moment in time, the end of a moon phase, and the beginning of another, I thought how perfect REVOLUTION doughnuts would be for my CELEBRATION to the last day of the AUGUST MOON.

FULL BLUE AUGUST MOON 2013. (photo by Tony Martin)

Since I'm a visual artist, I began thinking visually and thought the roundness of a doughnut in a photo would look great with the image of the full moon we experienced on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia, at the beginning of this blogging journey, August Moon 2013.

THE WHEEL, THE FULL MOON, A REVOLUTION DOUGHNUT! (photo by Tony Martin)

The CIRCLE, the WHEEL of our lives, revolving. Excitement surges up through me at the thought of REVOLUTIONS of circles creating SPIRALS--our lives, returning to memorable mental points or physical geographical spaces. We see all of these anew as we RE-see them from the journey of another REVOLUTION.
 

COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE REVOLUTION OF THE DOUGHNUT (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Dear readers, Pilgrims, we all REVOLVE, wax and wane, circling around important emotional issues and revisiting sacred places. At each turn of the wheel, in the evolution of our whirling, giddy lives, we have the chance to celebrate the REVOLUTION of the SELF.

That is what I am doing today! Hallelujah for the REVOLUTION!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me how you are celebrating yourself today, this last day of August. My REVOLUTION DOUGHNUT was delicious and fulfilling! Here's to you all!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. As always thanks to my husband, Tony Martin, a dear faithful companion sharing my revolutions with me. Thank you so much to Kat and Meredith for conceiving the idea of blogging the last eleven days of August, beginning with the full moon. It's been fun and revolutionary! (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #10): I wish to be the dance

WISH GRANTED.  For Day #10 of August Moon 2013, we bloggers were given the prompt to write about a wish we would be certain to have come true, to be fulfilled! What is my wish that is miracle-like being granted? TO BE THE DANCE! In the image, Mother Mystery is holding the DANCE in her hand. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Dear Readers, how would you answer this Day #10 prompt for AUGUST MOON 2013? 

If you had one wish – guaranteed to be fulfilled by the end of 2013 – what would it be?
 --Kat and Meredith

My answer? My wish is TO BE THE DANCE!

Yes, I know, what does it mean TO BE THE DANCE? Let me try to answer that.

BEING THE DANCE

BEING THE DANCE is getting inside of the energy of whatever I do. And being positive skipping, hopping, catapulting, flying, and landing lightly in the actions I take each moment.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES RESULTING FROM THE DANCE?
In this image I have drawn, Mother Mystery is "pregnant" as entertains the DANCING NOW in her hand. The waves on her dress (at the bottom of the image) represent the FLOW.

BEING THE FLOW

By BEING THE DANCE, it is possible that I experience the FLOWING NOW of existence and with that comes renewal, restoration, and new ideas! And...

...an entire troupe of DANCING COMPANIONS!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah for today! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what your GUARANTEED FULFILLED WISH IS! 

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #9): Dancing the dance I intended

Hallelujah for moments to stop and PRIORITIZE! Today's August Moon 2013 Day#9 prompt has prioritizing as a focus:

There are only four months left of 2013. Have you accomplished your goals for the year? What do you need to prioritize to end the year on a high note?
 --Kat and Meredith

SEEKING ILLUMINATION.  In 2013, I fully expected to garner pleasure in the light found in darkness, of the pleasure experienced through the joy of finding a new the SELF that I AM. To appreciate LIFE spirals! To be a dizzy child on the dizzy ride of life! To dance into the unknown knowingly and joyfully.(photo by Tony Martin, Photoshopped by Hallelujah Truth)

REFLECTING ON GOALS MADE FOR 2013
Checking back on the goals I set in December 2012 (see Reverb12 posts), I am happy to discover that I am DANCING THE DANCE I had intended.

I DON'T KNOW.

WRITTEN ON DECEMBER 20TH, 2012
I consider it a privilege to be 54 and CURIOUS about what I DON'T KNOW. I must admit that I have been attached to thinking that being MATURE meant being respected for my acquired knowledge both professionally and personally.

However, I have been summoned by the BOGEYMAN or GOD or the HOLY WOMAN who is asking me to GUFFAW and relinquish being THERE at that MATURITY POINT {of needing to know everything}. 

Instead I will wrangle with the cowboys riding horses into horizons with setting suns, and sailors in ships raising sails with gushing winds blowing them to distant lands. {I will dance the dance of SOULS wherever and whenever.}

In 2013, I fully intend to enjoy my status as the one who curiously does not know any answers. In place of the answers, I will LAUGH JOYFULLY and seek others who want to do the same RIGHT IN THE FACE OF THE BIG QUESTION ASKER!

I have a new mantra (gratas of Elise Witt):
IN THESE TIMES
IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES
I WILL REMAIN OPEN 
TO THE MIRACLE OF
EACH MOMENT!

WRITTEN ON AUGUST 29TH, 2013 
Well dear readers and fellow pilgrims, I have succeeded going deeper into the unknown. And I am definitely shouting out "Hallelujahs" about the sheer boldness of resigning from my wonderful job as an ESL instructor at Georgia Tech, leaving the very supportive community of the Artist Conference Network, and stopping my art share group, The Spiritual Art Pilgrims. These activities were my anchors, my way of being me. But...

I needed to break from routine. I yearned to experience myself in a new way. In order to do this, I had to DANCE away from the known into the mystery of new involvements, new ways of making money, etc...

Right now, I am remaining open to the MIRACLE of EACH MOMENT.

TO END MY YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE?
To end my year on a high note, I want to LAUGH more, and LAUGH JOYFULLY since not knowing some times is scarey. I want to summon courage by being courageous. I want to be DANCING the HAPPY DANCE!

DANCING THE DANCE I INTENDED.  Although I am dancing the dance I intended for 2013, I want to amp things up. I want to dance a happy dance. REALLY JOYFULLY. That's what I am going to do to end my year on a high note! (photo taken by Tony Martin on St. Catherine's Island, North Beach, August 2013)

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what your goals have been for 2013 and just how you are tending them. 

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #8): Letting go of past transgressions

LETTING GO OF PAST TRANSGRESSIONS. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

For DAY #8 of AUGUST MOON 2013, Kat and Meredith ask:

What are three things you would like to let go of before the year is out? See if you can list three physical things and three emotional ones.
Well dear Readers, let's see how I can respond to this prompt in the way of the Spiritual Art Pilgrim that I am! The challenge is letting the prompt serve me and what I need right now. I'm not in school writing an essay for a grade. I am writing to SOUL BLOG and connect with like-minded SOULS like you, wherever you are!
 
LETTING GO OF PAST TRANSGRESSIONS
If I could let go of the "accounting" that I keep of past transgressions against me and the accompanying emotions that piggyback "keeping track" of hurts, wrongs, and misdeeds, I would be one happy Hallelujah Truth! 

Please don't imagine me to be one who consciously keeps count. Oh no! Evidence of my bookkeeping occurs right in the middle of a conversation when I am least expecting it.

I think that I have understood the previous misunderstanding, violation, or hurt--and even entertained forgiving the transgressor and transgression and my role in the event.

But then, like a flashing billboard on New York's Time Square, I feel my emotions rise--beginning in the pit of my stomach, rising past my heart, and burning into my throat. Then my face starts sweating. I find myself manifesting strong feelings that had been abiding politely quiet and subconsciously until this inappropriate or ineffective moment.

I have to admit that confessing about this particular aspect of my character is slightly embarrassing. Still, I will continue!

RELEASE THE SOLE GENESIS ROLE
I want to let go of the feeling that I'm the genesis, the one solely responsible for creating the flawed, broken-down relationships that exist in my life. Everyone engaged in the relationships plays their part in the failure or success of a relationship.

RELINQUISH THE HOPE OF REPAIR
Until recently, hope has sprung eternal for me concerning all of my relationships. I really believed that every single one could be salvaged! And get this: ACCORDING to my "rules" and "understanding." I would like to let go of this particular form of hope--repairing hope. If a relationship is broken, perhaps it can't be fixed, or it needs to be given time, put to bed. And the "rules"--well, I get it! How about love in the place of "rules"?

Is another kind of hope acceptable? The Phoenix kind of hope?

LIBERATE THE HURT
Some times my body aches from the relationship losses that I have incurred in my life. Huge train wrecks of friendships and familial relationships. Recently, in addition to addressing these hurts "using my head," I have begun dancing and doing creative movement..."using my body" to free the hurt.

In Summary...?
In the prime of my life, transitioning from summer to fall, I would like to be open to this beautiful world, free to experience the joy that is apparent all around me.

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what you would like to let go of this year, right now. 

Kat and Meredith included this activity in today's prompt. I might try it!
For bonus points: conduct a burning ceremony or release your secrets into nature by writing them onto leaves/stones and dropping them into the nearest river/ocean.

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #7): Opportunities created by blogging!

Hallelujah for blogging! Yes, hallelujah! Let's celebrate the OPPORTUNITIES or benefits created by blogging! Today, for the August Moon 2013 (Day #7) prompt--OPPORTUNITIES--I am writing about the blogging workshop for artists given by serial entrepreneur and professional blogger, John Saddington at C4 Atlanta.

JOHN SADDINGTON. WOW! What a kind, articulate genius! I had the OPPORTUNITY to spend my morning with John at C4 Atlanta for a blogging workshop for artists. Here is a link (and the source of this photo) to an interview with John about professional blogging.

 As a blogging artist, I have written more than 300 blog entries since I started my blog, Coffee With Hallelujah, 4 years ago. That's nothing in comparison to John Saddington who has been blogging for 13 consecutive years and writes more than 3,000 blogging words a day. If you are an aspiring blogger, John has written extensively on blogging. You can find his useful materials here.

8 BENEFITS OF WHY YOU NEED TO BLOG

The first part of John's talk pulled me in. How do I benefit from blogging? What OPPORTUNITIES are opened to me because of writing my blog, Coffee with Hallelujah?

BENEFIT #1: PEOPLE

Writing and publishing your blog posts frequently connects you with all sorts of people. Some are familiar--family and friends. Others, perhaps many, are new. And connections with these new people create unforeseen OPPORTUNITIES for you.

 

BENEFIT #2: AUTHORITY

Writing a blog give you the OPPORTUNITY to develop your authority on a subject. Over time by writing and publishing frequently (every day?), you become an expert. 

BENEFIT #3: SPACE
Through connections with people and the authority you develop, bloggers create the OPPORTUNITY to move out into the world, one of concrete spaces, where work can be done, coffee consumed, friendships forged, interviews given, or office space found.

BENEFIT #4: SPEAKING  OPPPORTUNITIES

Sharing your expertise in the form of speaking engagements can come directly through blogging consistently. People give you the OPPORTUNITY to share in person the knowledge you have been writing about.

THE ARTIST'S BLOG: YOUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.  I had the OPPORTUNITY to talk with John Saddington before he began his presentation and was impressed by his humility and interest in my own blogging endeavors. Yes, I was surprised to learn what an expert he is in the blogging domain, but he is also an artist and engineer creating all kinds of things for clients. (photo by Hallelujah Truth at C4 Atlanta)

BENEFIT #5:DOMAIN EXPERTISE

You have created an area, a domain, where you can display your knowledge on a subject. You have the OPPORTUNITY to deepen your understanding of a specific area through your blogging frequently about it.

BENEFIT #6: KICKSTARTER

Your blog is a "bank" for your fans. It serves as a resource for people who want to know more about what you do. Your blog entries show the work you have been doing. Blogging gives you OPPORTUNITIES to expand and do more based on the experience you have acquired by developing domain expertise.

BENEFIT #7:PERSONAL BRANDING

Blogging provides the OPPORTUNITY to brand yourself. Through persistent writing and publishing blogs, you have the perfect communication medium for establishing who you are and what you think.

BENEFIT #8: NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Blogging opens unforeseen OPPORTUNITIES. Perhaps you will be asked to make a film, illustrate a story, get commissioned to paint, or create a new product! Who knows?  

Well that's it for the OPPORTUNITIES created by blogging. John Saddington closed by giving the following advice: 

• Blog for 15 minutes every day (sound familiar?)
• Schedule a time to blog each day and stick to it
• Build a habit
• Know blogging is an investment 

QUESTIONS? Part of a good presentation is allowing enough time for questions. And C4 Atlanta brings together some pretty interesting creatives to discuss blogging.  (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

THAT'S COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH!  Soul blog with me and tell me what OPPORTUNITIES are in your life right now!

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #6): The Albuquerque Proposal--nadir and zenith

THE ALBUQUERQUE PROPOSAL. In 2013, it was possible that my husband, Chiboogamoo, and I move to Albuquerque. That is, it was a strong consideration and actions were taken to make that move happen. It is within "The Albuquerque Proposal" that lies the nadir and zenith of 2013 thus far. We did not move. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the ups-and-downs in our lives! Hallelujah for traversing from the mountain tops to the valleys and back up to the mountain top. It is these experiences of  highs-and-lows in juxtaposition to one another that informs our appreciation of THE GOOD TIMES!

For today's August Moon 2013 prompt (Day #6), Kat and Meredith have asked us bloggers to consider the zeniths and nadirs of 2013:

Where have the highlights and low points been for you so far in 2013? Where are you now? How would you like your year to end?

Since responding to this prompt thoroughly would be book length, I have chosen to discuss the results of a "move" that didn't happen and how that "failed move" --The Albuquerque Proposal--has served as both a nadir and zenith for me in 2013. 

The Albuquerque Proposal

THE PROPOSAL!  Let's move to Albuquerque!

Without going into too much detail, at some point in all of our lives, it is time to move on to new territories! Your current terrain has been explored adequately--even successfully, and--well--it is time to MOVE!

ZENITH (The Anticipation of The Albuquerque Proposal)
Both my Chiboogamoo and I have lived in the Atlanta area for more than 20 years and thought that in the prime of our lives (that beautiful transition time from summer to fall), we might benefit by going to Albuquerque! How exciting! Hurray! Hallelujah! A ZENITH proposed. A HIGHLIGHT. A JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN, promising a new culture, climate, and way of being!

PENETRATING SOUL WALLS.  Nothing like anticipating a needed change--a move into the unknown.(art by Hallelujah Truth)

NADIR (The Disappointment of The Albuquerque Proposal)
After several months of striving to negotiate a move to Albuquerque, we found that we could not go there, not now. To say that I was disappointed, doesn't sum of the NADIR of that outcome. STAYING PUT became a VALLEY of unfulfilled hopes and dreams.

ZENITH (Reconsidering The Albuquerque Proposal)
Then I got to thinking along with my husband. Maybe I could jump into the unknown and pretend as if we were in fact, moving to Albuquerque! We would clean out our home, discarding everything that we aren't taking with us to our imagined Albuquerque! Additionally, I would leave my tried-and-true job of teaching English as a Second Language, and pursue another meaningful way of making money and social impact.

And that is what I am in the process of doing right now! I have successfully imagined a new way being right here in Atlanta, that is, with my husband's encouragement and support. This freedom to create CHANGE is a ZENITH.

CHANGE IS A ZENITH. I am seeing stars right now. The ones that we wish on when they appear to be falling in the heavens. I am speaking stars, the language of wishes. I am actively making my life what I want it to be by taking both the zeniths and nadirs of The Albuquerque Proposal and creating something fulfilling for me and my husband. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

How would you like your year to end?
At the end of 2013, my home will be re-invented, just as if my husband and I had just moved to Albuquerque! My new meaningful work will be gaining momentum and I will be assured of an ongoing income just as if I had reinvented myself in Albuquerque. Hallelujah!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah. SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what have been your ZENITHS and NADIRS for 2013? How would you like your year to end?
 

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #5): YEARNING for the whole tree

THE WHOLE TREE. That's what I WANT. That's what I YEARN for. I want an integrated world of the seen and unseen--THE WHOLE TREE. This is a photo I took of a saw palmetto on the north shore of St. Catherine's Island, Georgia. How often have you seen an entire tree, roots and all? Look at the extensive root system of this palm as it is eroding out of the cliff. I like to think we are all this deep and developed below our surface appearances. To achieve PEACE, we need to unite the seen with the unseen.  (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for DESIRE and where that DESIRE takes us! For day 5 of August Moon 2013, Kat and Meredith have asked this question:

Have you developed new yearnings so far this year? Let go of old ones?

Hmmm...Let's see...I have many YEARNINGS but will focus on one for the practicality of writing and posting this blog.

AT THE MACROCOSMIC LEVEL
I YEARN for PEACE.  I YEARN for the kind of PEACE that expands and penetrates the roots of each individual's SOUL. I YEARN for a society in which everyone  is experiencing their own authenticity (their whole treeness). That each and every one of us feels clarity in our actions and that we are empowered enough to fulfill our dreams. It is then that the greater society is healed and renewed and PEACE is realized (we are a healthy maritime forest).

AT THE MICROCOSMIC LEVEL
In my own cosmos of authenticity, I LONG to create a new way of being through my creativity and community. 

I'm stretching deep down into the roots of self and discovering, for one thing, that I WANT to make "comics" of the "Hallelujah Household." To pursue this LONGING, I am currently working my way through DRAWING WORDS AND WRITING PICTURES: A definitive course from concept to comic in 15 lessons. 
Stay tuned, I plan on posting some of my comics in upcoming blog posts.

In another of my reaching down below the surface to my roots, I touch my deep YEARNING to connect meaningfully with my community (microcosm reaching to macrocosm) through my artwork. Consequently, I YEARN to make a book about the American Oystercatcher with Jenifer Hilburn, a Georgia coast ornithologist. Our book will speak for this endangered species of birds because they cannot speak for themselves. They need us to know that climate change and our human activity among other things are bringing about their demise.
 

REALLY LOOKING AT BIRDS. On a recent visit to St. Catherine's Island, Jen Hilburn, an ornithologist, took me out to see shore birds in their natural environment. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

THE WHOLE TREE (ABOVE AND BELOW)
Finally I LONG to become a better listener to my inner voice. I WANT to become a DREAM CATCHER and ENACTOR. I want to be THE WHOLE TREE!

That's Coffee With Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what it is you yearn for! 
 

THE WHOLE TREE! How deep do you go into your self?  (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

 

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #4): "Mother" has been my guiding word for 2013 and it has been fruitful!

REACHING MOTHER. My guiding word for 2013 has been MOTHER. I created this "Reaching Mother" image in December for my response to the Reverb 2012 prompt looking forward to 2013. MOTHER...has it been working for me?(art by Hallelujah Truth)

AUGUST MOON 2013 (DAY #4) PROMPT: 

What word did you choose as your traveling companion in 2013? How is it working for you? Where have the surprises been?

If you didn’t choose a guiding word, what word sums up your year so far? And why? --from Kat and Meredith

Dear Readers, I chose a word as a traveling companion for 2013. It was

MOTHER!

And here is an excerpt from the blog entry I wrote about my intentionality around this guiding word MOTHER.

THE WORD "MOTHER" AS A TRAVELING COMPANION FOR 2013

"So, for 2013, I am joyfully cultivating the MOTHER in me, and will MOTHER IT UP in the following ways:
First of all, I will MOTHER the NOW, holding present time close like a baby and attending to its ever present burps and gurgles.


I will MOTHER my ART SPIRIT, lovingly tending to its flame, daily feeding it fuel until it bursts into fireworks like the Fourth of July and tenderly putting it to bed each night in a warm bed of ashes for rest.
 
I will MOTHER my BODY listening to its needs, moving when my muscles need to be flexed and lengthened, laughing when my vocal chords need to vibrate, eating healthful foods to ignite the brain and flesh, and maintaining sleep cycles in accordance with the Earth's revolution to experience rebirth each day at Sunrise.


 
I will MOTHER the PLAYFUL GIRL in me that loves to run fast and ride bicycles, lie down under the trees in the park and feel the Earth beneath me,  compete in board games and tennis and have decadent luscious tea parties with friends.
 
I will MOTHER the WOUNDED CHILD in me, listening to her hurts and saying "OUCH" in unison with her as we gently rock together for comfort.
 
...and by BEING MOTHER to MYSELF first, I will heal wounds, nurture strength, foster joy, and deepen in experience in understanding and compassion. Thus making it possible in the future to be PRESENT to MOTHERING."
 
AUGUST MOON 2013--HAVE I BEEN MOTHERING IT UP IN THE PAST 8 MONTHS?
Applause! Joyful Hallelujahs! YES. YES. YES. Dear Reader and Fellow Pilgrim, let me share the success of my intentionality with you! MOTHERING the child in me took me to the following places: 

• Mulberry Fields in Candler Park, Atlanta, to plant my own tomatoes 
• Atlanta Beltline to walk, ride bikes, see art, and talk with friends
• Dance Church, Decatur, to move creatively with my community
• Five Rhythms to dance waves Gabrielle Roth style
• Dancing Flowers for Peace, to share movement with women dancing their convictions
• St. Catherine's Island, Georgia, to track alligators, raccoons, and ghost crabs
• Istanbul, Turkey, to experience the culture many of my international students have told me about

One of the most important issues I addressed concerned my inner child. My inner child ached to move and play, and because of my intentionality (MOTHERING) I discovered InterPlay, a joyful way of being, moving, speaking, and interacting with others. My MOTHER took me on a journey and in the past months, I have found new amazing friends through InterPlay. Hurray for Atlanta's Jennifer Denning and for the co-founders of InterPlay, Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter!

There is so much more to say and share about what MOTHERING myself has done for me, but let it suffice for now to express my surprise.

ATLANTA INTERPLAY. Today (August 24th), we had the Atlanta InterPlay, led by Jennifer Denning, who is moving behind me. In this activity, we had the opportunity to move in threes and be "witnessed." My loving spouse, the brilliant Tony Martin, accompanied me, played, and took this photo. Thank you! (photo by Tony Martin)

WHERE HAVE THE SURPRISES BEEN?
The major surprise has been in the magic of intentionality! I created the intention of MOTHERING myself and focusing on how to develop and apply this nurturing skill to myself.


To develop the intentionality, I wrote about a blog entry about MOTHERING. I also had my paper calendar have the word "MOTHER" printed on its cover as a reminder. Now, I am reviewing the results of my intentionality 8 months later. And I am surprised at the magical quality my life has taken on by being MOTHER and CHILD simultaneously.

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what word has guided you for 2013 and how it has served you! If you haven't had a word to guide you, what would you choose now and why?

I REACHED and now I HOLD!

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #3): Grateful for the restorative powers of nature, a good husband, and alligators

ST CATHERINE'S ISLAND, GEORGIA, USA.  Because we are a part of NATURE, experiencing ourselves in a natural setting restores our sense of self, the part that I call SOUL. St. Catherine's is one of the many beautiful barrier islands along the coast of Georgia that is burgeoning with LIFE. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the restorative powers of NATURE and for being able to experience it on a privately-owned island along the Georgia coast during the full August moon. Hallelujah for St. Catherine's Island! Hallelujah for the FULL MOON!

AUGUST MOON 2013, ST. CATHERINE'S ISLAND (photo by Tony Martin)

The August Moon '13 Day #3 writing prompt from Kat and Meredith is to express GRATITUDE. While my rich life has many aspects to appreciate, for now, I have chosen to write about how I had the good fortune to find my match in marriage, a marriage which takes me around the moon and back and most recently we to the Georgia coast during the full August moon.

GRATEFUL FOR A NATURE LOVING SPOUSE 
If you have visited my blog Coffee With Hallelujah before, you know that I am married to a well-rounded, fun-loving, articulate scientist, Tony Martin, whose academic and personal interests take us both to the Georgia coast to explore the tracks, trails, feces, and burrows of its abundant wildlife (visit the blog he writes about the Georgia coast). Tony becomes exuberant when he is following tracks of shore birds along the ocean front or those of an alligator in the maritime forest. I do too!

I am immensely grateful for Tony's sense of adventure as well as his education and intuition that engages us in looking for alligators and understanding their behaviors!

LOOKING FOR ALLIGATORS. While we were at this fresh water pond on St. Catherine's, we did not see one alligator, only "sign" or evidence of them, such as pathways through grass and entry ways into the water. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

FINDING AN ALLIGATOR WALKING IN THE WOODS. When leaving the freshwater pond, already aboard our vehicle, we spotted this young alligator talking a walk through the woods! Yes, alligators go on walk-abouts, but this one stopped and refused to move while we were there. (photo by Tony Martin)

TRACKING ALLIGATOR.  Earlier, near the same pond pictured above, Tony and I had stopped our vehicle  and gotten out to follow the alligator tail drag mark you see Tony pointing at. We wanted to "find" the track maker. However, we had no luck. We believe the alligator pictured above is not the one who made this long sinuous pattern in the orange Georgia soil even though it was just on the other side of the pond. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

MEETING AN ALLIGATOR ALONG ANOTHER TRAIL. When we were least expecting to see an alligator is when we bumped into one. Heading down a trail to the beach, Tony almost stumbled on this beauty (directly in front of him), who hissed twice to alert him of her presence. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

So why am I grateful for these alligator encounters along the coast of Georgia with my husband Tony? I'm smiling as I write this blog entry and insert these photos! What good fun I am having in the prime of my life, this transition of summer to fall! Love restores me, and NATURE heals me! Adventures wake me up and make me strong! Hallelujah!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me and tell me what you are grateful for and what is making you smile!

AUGUST MOON 2013 (Day #2): Transitioning into a new season

TRANSITIONS.  Along the north end of St. Catherine's Island, Georgia, you can see a relict marsh eroding out of the beach. Contrast this with a green living marsh in the background. All of us are changing all of the time. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for TRANSITIONING into a new season of self. I am SUMMER ever so tenderly tiptoeing into FALL. I'm the perfect--mid-fifties--to proclaim a seasonal TRANSITION.

"How do you intend to transition into the new season?" --August Moon '13 question from Kat and Meredith (blogging for 11 continuous days).

AT THE WHEEL OF THE GATOR. The vehicles for researchers on St. Catherine's Island are these small green open air cars called "gators." Here I am commanding the open unpaved roads in the maritime forest. (photo by Tony Martin)

JOYFUL and CREATIVE TRANSITIONING.
As I TRANSITION into the autumnal season, I intend to move creatively and joyfully. As a woman in the prime of her life, I am a seasoned driver. With all my experience and skills, the future excites me. I plan on dancing each and every day of it as I make use of my wisdom.

 

DANCING EACH AND EVERY DAY. St. Catherine's Island allows many opportunities for dancing joyfully. (photo by Tony Martin)

WHAT IS MY DESTINATION?
When considering  a TRANSITION  into a new season, part of my reflection includes the question, "What is my destination?"

For the FALL of my life,  I plan on my destination being a deepening of my SOUL and an expanding connection with my community through meaningful interactions. And I will test the hypothesis: DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW.

GRATITUDE.  I am so grateful for the beauty and peace that nature brings. Thank you St. Catherine's Island for all aspects of your wilderness and life giving forces.(photo by Hallelujah Truth)

WHAT WILL KEEP ME ON COURSE?
As I journey from SUMMER to FALL, I need to remember to enact the following practices: 

1) Embrace the fear. Be curious. Learn from what frightens me.  
2) Move creatively. Listen to "what my body wants" and do that!
3) Seek the pleasure in each event. Where is the fun in this?
4) Reflect
5) Experience and express gratitude
 

SUN SETTING ON THE SUMMER.  Endings are often sad, but I am so excited about this TRANSITION of seasons in my life. (photo by Tony Martin)