Christmas tree pack up!

After packing up all my Christmas decorations for this year, I decided on next year's christmas tree!  See above!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!!

 Off to the side!  Wow it's beautiful!

 The flower boxes! Still full of poinsettas, greenery and pine cones.

 Bird Bath!

Buddha

This is the Buddha Mike gave me many years ago.  It has been in  several different locations in my house. One of the most meaningful events of my life was the Yoga Teacher Training I took  at Ghost Ranch in Abiqui, New Mexico many years ago. It wasn't the yoga, however,  that was so memorable, but the Meditation experience. After 9 days of meditation 3 times a day -  530 am, 1130 am and 530 pm,  every day, I had a really interesting experience that I can only describe as an unusually keen awareness and clarity that I hadn't experienced before.   It was the deepest moment of  "knowing" I have ever had.    The practice of meditation for me was hallmarked by the absense of fear and acceptance of  "what is."    My Buddha is a reminder of that experience and the portal to that place of calm and acceptance.

Out Front, Off to the Side

This is a view of the front of my little house.  I have lived here over 30 years. 

The view above is looking out from my side yard. This is a garden gate that my partner and I built (along with a side fence) out of old cedar wood that he tore off of an old building in Wichita when it closed.  I actually learned to use an electric saw for this one. I cut each of the designs on the top of the fence pieces one at a time. It was great to learn how to do this. I think I have the genes for it as my dad was a carpentar.  The plant growing along the arch is Wisteria we bought on sale a few years ago.  It grows like CRAZY!