Category Archives: Essays

June 15, 2015

Like cut flowers, a less than lived life…

At first blush, a lovely arrangement of cut flowers is lush and beautiful. In our longing to surround ourselves with the beauty of nature, we bring them inside to where we are. But cut from their roots, denied the sun’s kisses, and separated from their beds of nourishing soil is not how flowers are meant to spend their glory days. Like a hospice for plants, we plop them in vases of water, perhaps with a bit of sugar to sweeten their fading moments. And they, without even a thought of retribution, bless us with their sweet scents and stunning beauty, giving all until they can give no more, perchance to catch a glance from us, when we happen to think about noticing.

When I think about cut flowers, I think about life itself. How quickly we humans wilt and fade when not living in the truth of our own roots. When we try to thrive as someone we are not, hoping that others will give us a glance. We give it our all, blushing and blooming, but it is a pale second best attempt to fit in and a very far cry from our truest destiny.

I much prefer to visit flowers where they thrive. To catch their fragrant aroma on the tip of a breeze rather than shoving my nose into their fragile petals to get a whiff. To lie with them in shade or under the warm rays of the sun. To delight in their symbiotic relationship with the bees, birds and butterflies, each playing their own roles in the cycle of life. And I realize…

That we too, when we allow ourselves to thrive where we are rooted, to be who we are meant to be, will draw those who matter most to where we are. We need not strive to fit in. We will be noticed if we are true to our truest nature, and we will find our place with those who love and accept us for who we are!

A moment of silence then for my sad vase of cut flowers. For a life too short, but a valuable lesson gained. For teaching me that my vain attempts to be who I am not, merely causes me to live a life less than. Dear cut flowers…even your faded, falling blooms have touched my heart and changed me. Namaste’.

Leave a comment | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings, Spirituality

June 13, 2015

The Awesomely Amazing Adventures of Super Grandma!

By Kat Myrman

There is a reason why young people have babies. When I am feeling particularly masochistic, I agree, against my better judgement, to keep my darling grandchildren for longer than a few hours. Like childbirth, we maternal types forget the last traumatic experience and jump in before reason has a chance to stop us.

I love my grandchildren. I do. But my latest foray reminded me that I am way out of practice when it comes to herding toddlers.

My daughter had left me the keys to the kid mobile, a huge suv, fully equipped with car seats and a stroller for two, so I could take the kiddos somewhere fun on Saturday. Me. Alone. Saturday. In a strange city. The weather was a concern, but if it rained we could always do an inside activity like a movie. First mistake, letting that idea slip, out loud, within earshot of the older one. Certain things find their way through the ear canals of kids, lodging deep inside their brain to be replayed over and over. It doesn’t matter what else is happening. This slip of the tongue would haunt me.

When the sun came out I decided that the zoo sounded like a fun place to wear them out for a few hours. Second mistake, never underestimate the battery life of toddlers on sugar. Third mistake, sugar. But I digress. The zoo it was. However, I would be reminded several times that there was a movie somewhere that we needed to see.

To get the show on the road I had to risk the dangers of leaving them alone, unsupervised while I took a shower. It was a risk I was willing to take. And it could have been worse. The climber found a stash of chocolate that had been stored “out of reach”. But there were no cuts, broken bones, broken anything for that matter…and no attempted escapes, at least that I am aware of. Getting them dressed presented its own challenges. What to wear, what to wear? “Why get dressed now? The movie isn’t until after lunch time.” The movie. Focus Grandma…we’re going to the zoo.

We got loaded into the suv and I plugged the address into my handy GPS. My girl Siri would get us to the zoo and home again. Whatever did we do before modern technology? Easy peasy…Siri guided me through the twists and turns and proudly announced “You have Arrived” just as I was pulling OUT of the zoo parking area, which was already filled to capacity. Forced to find street parking about half a mile away I rejected the urge to forgo the zoo altogether and settle on the movie. It was a nice day. After a few hours, the kids would be worn out, and ready for a nap. (see Mistake #2)

After a few hours the kids were NOT worn out, but Grandma was. It didn’t help that the lovely stroll downhill, that I didn’t happen to notice on the way into the zoo, was now my nemesis. And I wasn’t the only one huffing and puffing toward the entrance (aka exit). I was however the only one with TWO children in a stroller, who liked to drag their feet on the ground. We all made it by sheer determination…just a 1/2 mile more to go. Beautiful SUV! I was a wet, wilted mess but we had made it, with a few minutes to spare on the meter! I got everyone loaded, blasted the air conditioning and headed down the road for what I hoped would be an equally non-eventful hop skip and jump back to the house.

With Siri as my co-pilot I managed to find and navigate the first major intersection…check and turn…change lanes…okay Siri…I got this…and turn. And then…things got a little dicey. Construction detours complicated what should have been a quick trip home. Especially when you miss detour turns, Siri can have a meltdown and start rapid-fire repeating random street names that are not even in the vicinity. And I am certain that the tone of her voice changes when you don’t follow her directions. I plunged into a dizzying cycle of missing turns and waiting for one way detour passage only to repeat the process back and forth and then back and forth a few times more! I hid my face with each subsequent pass so the construction flag wavers wouldn’t recognize me, but they knew…they knew. “Mommy” is a much better driver than you Grandma.” After missing a final turn, I had to do a u-turn to right my direction, that took me 6 miles out of my way only to find that I had been driving in circles about a mile from the house the whole time!

Home sweet home. I grabbed a few aspirin, got the kiddos lunch, plopped on the couch and enlisted the assistance of Sponge Bob to calm the natives. “When are we going to the movies Grandma?” Um…sorry guys. Grandma needs a nap! And nap I did with one eye open so I could monitor my two charges as they wore off the affects of the sugary ice cream treats from our trip to the zoo hours earlier!

But later in the evening it only took minutes to get my darlings settled for bed and off to dreamland. A far cry from the previous night’s ritual that included baths, allowing for sufficient splash play time, teeth brushing, finding pj’s that met the approval of my budding fashionistas, story time…three stories, tuck in time and finally a few rounds of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to seal the deal. Sometime between midnight and dawn they found their way down to where I was…so I figured I’d cut out a few steps in the process and we’d do a “camp out” on the sectional sofa from the get go. I’m a quick study.

Next morning…call me crazy, I decided to venture out again, this time to the park. My daughter had given me the park’s name which I dutifully entered into my GPS. Only there was this one little thing…the park’s name was also the name of a nearby village. When Siri told me I “Had Arrived” in the middle of Main Street, I knew I was in trouble! But not daunted! I did a quick Google search (Google has NEVER let me down…sorry Siri) for the nearest park and without much ado we were skipping toward swings and a play fountain.

I am a determined, crazy Grandma. Why do I do it? Risk life and limb to have fun activities with my little loves? Because every now and again, one of those cherub faces with big blue-green eyes looks directly into my eyes and says, “I love you Grandma.” My heart melts, and I realize I still have a bit of that rock star mom mojo left. You can call me “Super Grandma”. Yeah, I’ve earned it!

2 Comments | posted in Essays, Humor, Random Thoughts and Musings

June 4, 2015

Living…in Color (Part 2 – Shades of Blue)

By Kat Myrman

School and social activities ushered in my Blue Phase. In elementary school I spent hours losing myself in the deep cobalt hues of the stained glass in the old repurposed sanctuary that housed my first grade class. Everything was new when my favorite color was blue! Catechism at my parochial school introduced me to tangible spiritual practice and profound mysteries.

I would continue my love of blue throughout my pre-teens and teenage years shifting from the cobalt of my early years to azure and turquoise. I learned in my research that lovers of blue have a deep need for peace and harmony. These were the turbulent years of my youth. Years of dealing with the awkward gawkiness of teenage angst. A time when the mental illness of my parents ran amok untreated. A time of being homeless, living in a motel, where the most exciting thing was having a pool to swim in every day, and getting permission from the management to install our own new TV, our first color one, in place of the standard hotel issue. I lost most of my grandparents during this time, to cancers and weakened hearts. It was a turbulent time.

Such was the state of my blue years, when blue was my favorite color. By understanding the affect blue has on us, it is not surprising that I wrapped myself in blue. The deep cobalts have a transfixing quality to them. The azures often present with healing elements (a much needed color to have in my life during my pre-teen years). And turquoise blue, with a touch of green, recharges us during times of stress, and helps to build self esteem and confidence, while also encouraging us to hide our feelings. (my favorite color during my teen years.) I am astonished at how I gravitated to the colors that had the potential to influence me in ways I needed most.

Next! Part 3…The Plucky Peacock/Purple-Blue Phase of my 20’s. Can’t wait to learn more about the affects that this color potentially had on my life!

Leave a comment | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings

June 3, 2015

Rainy Day Reflections

By Kat Myrman

I stopped this morning to take a snapshot of the rain droplets clinging to the tiny plants in my yard. We’ve had a good bit of the wet stuff recently. It seems that these wise sprouts know when they have had enough…even of a good thing. And the results are stunning! A beautiful lesson I would do well to learn. ❤️

…and the lessons continue…it seems that it is the water droplet also plays a role in this sparkling spectacle. A thing called adhesian, a property of water, makes the droplet “sticky”. Way to work together plants and water! I heartily approve of your symbiotic dance!

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, a process called cohesian causes the water molecules to form into plump spheres! I love nature!

Leave a comment | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings

May 28, 2015

Living…in Color (Part 1 – The Wonder Years)

By Kat Myrman

A blogger friend of mine posted recently her thoughts on the virtues of the color green. (You can read her lovely words here: https://thegreeningspirit.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/afternoon-in-the-new-england-woods-veriditas-the-greening-power-part-8//). I must admit, I have grown warm to all things green in recent years. The lush, verdant deep tones as well as the translucent sun-washed pastels. But green has not always been my favorite color. Throughout the various seasons of my life I have gravitated toward different favorites. It has me wondering if the colors of my life reflect my journey.

I may be over thinking this, but I do believe each color can have a specific affect on us. Like music, color has the potential to touch our subconscious deeply. So, to test my theory, I decided to do a little research on the psychology and meaning of color, and to my surprise there is a whole spectrum of science, spirituality and meaning associated with color. Clearly others have done the over thinking for me!

The first colors to capture my attention as a toddler were bright yellows, often dotted against dark backgrounds – flowers, fireflies and honeybees to name a few. The yellows gave me warm happy feelings. And there was something about artificial light as well, its golden hue disbursing the darkness drew me in like a moth to a flame. The science of color tells me that yellow is the color of the mind and intellect, original thought, inquisitiveness, enthusiasm for life. No wonder I loved it so!

Warm hues of brown, earthy and comforting, also had a deep affect on me during my formative years. Many of the browns in my life had much to do with my mother, her eyes and hair, and the color of her full length lush, faux fur coat. I remember nuzzling against that coat while drifting off to sleep on road trips during thunder storms or on icy winter nights. Brown was also the color of my first impressions of home. Bricks, brown window and door frames, brown floors, the brown-framed screen door that led to the back porch…my portal to the world. The color Brown, it turns out, is a friendly color, honest, genuine and sincere. It is warm and sensitive, providing security, protection and a sense of belonging.

Once I became more mobile during my pre-school years and began exploring the world around me, my other senses started to affect my affinity for certain colors. Flowers in particular guided my preferences to pinks and lilac/lavender hues. I would spend hours exploring my grandmother’s garden. My love of and connection to nature rooted deeply during this season of my life. And despite my solitary appearance, I was not particularly alone. I also recall that during this time I actively engaged a crew of spirit guides who accompanied me on my adventures and saw me off to sleep beside my bed each evening.

Pink tones signify unconditional love and nurturing, naivety and sweetness, while also challenging one to be more self reliant. I find it quite serendipitous that lilac/ lavender hues were also part of my color bouquet during this season of my life. Peace, tranquility and a free-spirited qualities dancing on scented lilac breezes, and are hallmarks of purple hues. It was indeed the most magical season of my life, sparkling with imagination and creativity.

There is much more of my color-filled world to explore. Stay tuned for Part 2 – Shades of Blue!

For a look into the colors of your own life, here is a helpful website I found: http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/ . Happy coloring! 🙂

Leave a comment | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings