Praying Mantis Encounter

Another one for the books for this new place and the wildlife encounters…I forgot to post this one – it was stuck in my draft folder so I’m a little late, but on the cusp of the hummingbird-came-to-my-window/ The photos above are real and mine. I had walked outside my front door to water the Christmas cactus when I spied this praying mantis. So I stopped what I was doing and just sat there watching him. He didn’t move a lot, but I did capture photos of his different positions. I especially loved the top shot where his front arms are seemingly folded in prayer.

When I look back I remember I’ve had a few praying mantis encounters but it’s been a few years. Like the hummingbird, it’s not often that I have encounters with them. They’re rare. Now if I were talking about birds, robins, squirrels, chipmunks – well that’s normal around here. Even the deer stroll by occasionally to my utter delight! I have only witnessed one bunny thus far, but hoping that they’ll be more as time goes on. I miss them…you may remember how I adore them!

It brings me back to the reminder that these moments, captured in memory if not addiitonally in photography, are The Presents of Presence. Being still, allowing the moment’s peaceful connection with nature to be, without scurrying to the next adventure, the next thought of busyness, the next item to check off your to-do list. But being in the moment and soaking up all of the goodness that life has to offer here – that Mother Nature provides.

The praying mantis symbolizes stillness, patience, mindfulness and the quiet power of intuitive timing. The higher power of connecting to your divine insight and higher awareness are key factors in the spiritual meaning of seeing a praying mantis. For me, it’s a great reminder to stay calm and carry on…and to continue to believe.

Shine On!

xo

First Day of Fall 2026

Wow – where has the time flown to – today’s the first day of Fall!?! Welcome to the next season where the colors turn bright orange and the temps fall and we bundle up a bit more before winter kicks in…Gone are the humid summer days as we melt into the autumnal season!

I’ll admit, I’m excited by it! I love when the seasons change so we get a new season to acclimate to and a little bit of change to go along with it. It’s fun for me to watch out the windows at the forest now to see the leaves changing their colors and the branches swaying in the breeze. Let’s see how this season unfolds!

Being present as the leaves fall, temperatures drop and a new season begins can feel a little unsteady until you let go of what you think ‘should be’ and like the trees, allow the shedding of the past as you stand tall and strong, feeling grounded as the weather changes around you. Because it’s not changing you per se. It’s what goes on around you that changes your viewpoint, your circumstances, but you’re still you! Like the tree, still grounded in the earth, both feet (roots) securely so we can withstand the outer changes while we continue to keep steady on the inside.

Because when you have that groundedness, hurricanes can bend your branches, but you’re still you…Lose your leaves? No problem – they’ll grow back after a season of rest and renewal, bigger and brighter with even more foliage! It all just takes time. We can’t rush these things. We can only allow them to happen so that we can go with the times, move with the seasons and be all we can be!

Happy Fall Y’All!!!

Shine On!

xo

A Hummingbird Came to My Window!

She was fast, as I happened to look over to my patio window. I must have seen the fluttering movement out of the corner of my eye to catch her, and there she was – a hummingbird! She was definitely staring at me through the window as my brain began to realize what I was watching. In my mind, I telepathically greeted her and it was as if she nodded and then left. I was too captivated to try to find my phone to take a photo before she left. I was sitting there enthralled by the magical experience when suddenly she returned fluttering at my window in the same spot as if to say, “Yes, I was here and YES you saw me!” Then she flew away again. So, quietly I reached for my phone and stood at the window patiently awaiting her return, but it never happened. Even now that I’m in my chair staring out the same window, she hasn’t returned an hour later, but I glad that I was able to see her when I did! So, while the photo isn’t real, the experience most certainly was…

You know me, I had to look up a hummingbird encounter – I added what day it is today too… 

A hummingbird appearing at your window on Yom Kippur creates an intimate, face-to-face moment that deepens its spiritual meaning. In spiritual traditions, window represents the boundary between two worlds—the internal (our private, spiritual self) and the external (the physical world).

The spiritual meaning of a hummingbird visit on Yom Kippur can be understood through several powerful themes:

1. Stopping at Full Speed (The Ultimate Pause) The hummingbird is the only creature that can stop entirely while traveling at full speed. Yom Kippur is the day we completely halt our busy daily lives, fasting and stepping away from physical distractions to look inward. The hummingbird’s sudden hover is a perfect reflection of this sacred pause. 

2. The Figure-Eight and Infinity: A hummingbird’s wings move in the distinct pattern of a figure-eight, which is the universal symbol for infinity. On this day, we focus on the eternal nature of the soul (Neshamah) and its connection to the Divine. It serves as a reminder that our spirits transcend our temporary physical bodies.

3. A Spiritual Messenger from the Other Side: Across many cultures, the hummingbird is viewed as a messenger bridging heaven and earth, often symbolizing the presence or comfort of a departed loved one. This holiday features the Yizkor (memorial) service, a designated time where we intensely remember and honor ancestors and lost family members. A visit during this time can feel like a gentle reassurance that their souls are at peace and near. 

4. Renewal and Awakening the Heart: Hummingbirds move lightly and seek the literal sweetness of life. In Jewish thought, writers sometimes use the hummingbird to represent the opening of a tender, yearning heart center. After a day of rigorous introspection, repentance (Teshuvah), and shedding past heavy burdens, the hummingbird reminds us of the ultimate goal: starting the new year with a pure, light, and joyful heart. 

While I’m not Jewish, I knew what today was and funny enough, I awoke thinking of my dear friend Stewart who passed away recently and he was. Although I don’t know if it was a visit from him specifically, I’d like to think that it wasn’t a coincidence that I saw my first hummingbird here. I say first as I’d like to see another one again soon! Time will tell…

But I feel as though this new home speaks in wildlife messages again and I am truly grateful. Let’s see what’s in store for us as time progresses….I hope your day is filled with beautiful meaning, wonderment and magic…

Have you ever had a hummingbird encounter? Please share with me!

Shine On!

xo

There’s Something In the Air…

While it’s not officially Fall, this Labor Day morning air was crisp here and I’ll admit, I felt the excitement! I love all of the seasons, but there’s something about the start of the school year, the newness of a brand new clean slate (I was a teacher you know!) that fills me up with hopes, dreams and the love of learning all wrapped up in the cool air! Ahhh…September!! Welcome!

Yesterday was spent enjoying the last vestiges of summer complete with a pool-side bathing suit hang out, (getting my vitamin D time) which was lovely. The weather cooperated and it was delightful! But afterwards, I felt that summer fade and came home to change over the decorations to a more autumnal refresh. Yes, I know, it’s still summer, but I felt it coming and obeyed my instincts.

Orange pumpkins replaced the seashells, but the twinkly white lights stayed as always, incorporated into each and every season, for to me, they add magic. There’s something about twinkly white lights that fascinates me and just makes me feel so happy! A little spark of magical light in the darkness…

A friend and I took a walk yesterday reminiscing about our childhoods and how there was a distinct smell to the crisp autumnal air that is lacking these days. Do you remember it? The smell of apple cider mixed with crunchy fallen leaves that changed from green to golden brown? While I understand it’s early in the transition to the fall season, I don’t remember it being here for many years. How about you?

Soon, it will be time to get outside to put the garden to bed for winter, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying the last vestiges of the flowers. Flowers always make me happy! I hope you enjoy the week ahead and that whatever your season, this transition reminds you to enjoy The Presents of Presence. I’m so grateful for your presence here!

Shine On!

xo

September 2026 Rabbit Rabbit

If you know, you know (IYKYK) that the first of the month around here we say, rabbit-rabbit-white-rabbit-white-rabbit for luck all month long! I don’t know about you, but this summer has flown by! To think that we’re back to September already? Wow! Wow! Wow! I remember my parents talking about how time flies as you get older, but this summer? It flew by! Perhaps contrary to my own beliefs, I am getting older? Yikes!

Well, not yikes because I’m grateful I’m still here and that you’re still here with me reading. YAY! I began this blog more than 15 years ago (talk about how time flies?!) and have met so many amazing humans through the connections made by it so I’m so grateful! Thank you for being here!

It’s the start of the school year and one of my favorite times of the year! To me, even though I’m not a teacher anymore, nor a student, September is ripe for new beginnings in my mind. A clean slate to begin again, similar to a New Year’s celebratory tradition! I adore new beginnings and the possibilities that come with them in my mind, heart and soul. While really every day is a new beginning, this September feels a little different to me. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason, but it does. Does it feel that way to you too?

So cheers to the month of September in 2026! May it be filled with all the goodness life has to offer! May troubles pass you by and may your efforts reap big rewards! May you always remember that you control your emotions, you are the Captain of your own self and that we are all here together on this great big planet to connecr with kindness, love and charity. Oh and…

Shine On!

xo

Live, Laugh and Love

I don’t need to remind you (do I?) that we only have today. Loved ones aren’t guaranteed to be here tomorrow even though they may be here for decades longer. I have had a few friends recently whose loved ones have passed and their sadness is palpable. It’s in what’s left unsaid, It’s in what in hindsight we wish we would have done when the soul’s innate wisdom nudged us to reach out, to not stay quiet, to put aside differences in order to reconnect in a healthier way. The woulda, coulda, shoulda’s that haunt the living that are left behind to pick up the pieces of a life now bereft of their loved ones.

We don’t have to be right all the time. We don’t have to be less than either. Peace is key. Connections are key. Innate wisdom is powerful. So if your heart says reach out, but your mind says that the person should learn a lesson and you’re the one to teach them, go with the heart for you never quite know what is happening with your loved one that you may or may not have recognized. Lately it seems that the eclipse etc has been stirring up emotions for release, buried feelings that now arise to the surface, muddying the waters and testing our fundamental strengths. It’s not an easy time to navigate for those who are affected by this astrological cycle. It’s baffling to them. That adrfit feeling with no anchor nearby can be immensely scary.

So if you are able, help them. Listen from your heart centered soul to what’s underneath the conversations. Be mindful of how you choose to act, react and respond. Hold a hand instead of pushing them away. Life is short. I understand that patience can be shortened too, but when you take the time to be fully present to listen without judgment, without arguing, without your baggage getting in the way, you may find healing is here for you all.

Shine On!

xo

August 2026 Rabbit Rabbit

Today’s the day – rabbit-rabbit-white-rabbit-white-rabbit! Have you said it yet? Or did you need my little reminder?

I stumbled across this below from esotericcelestial on Instagram recently and wanted to share it with you because I didn’t know this story previously. Did you???

Say rabbit rabbit as the very first words out of your mouth on the first of the new month, and the folk tradition promises good fortune for the four weeks ahead.

The custom is most often traced to British folklore, first documented in the journal Notes and Queries in 1909. From Britain it crossed the Atlantic and took deep root in New England, where it has been passed down through generations. Franklin D. Roosevelt is said to have observed the practice. Sarah Jessica Parker has spoken about it openly. Quiet keepers of the tradition still text the words to their loved ones at the stroke of midnight on the first of every month.

The mythology behind the small ritual is enormous. Long before the folk saying existed, the rabbit and hare were sacred across nearly every continent — and almost always associated with the moon, with fertility, and with the renewal of time itself. In Celtic Britain, the hare was sacred to the spring goddess Eostre. In Chinese mythology, the Jade Rabbit lives on the moon. In ancient Egypt, the hare was sacred to the goddess Wenet, associated with rebirth. The new month. The new arc of time. The rabbit at the doorway.

Either way, if you knew it or if it’s new information to you like it was to me, I wish you a beautiful month ahead filled with all the best for you and yours!

Shine On!

xo

What Happens When You Cross Over?

First and foremost, I’m not on way out – at least I don’t think I am, but who knows? We’re all getting older, so it seems possible that my time is coming – albeit I’m hoping I’m here for a good long while longer!

But lately I’ve been having such interesting conversations with various people about this topic that I wanted to share with you. People tell me things unbidden at times and I find it fascinating how they share with me and how each person has a unique vision of what comes next. Some feel that when we’re dead, we’re done. There is no more. Some feel that we go onto Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. Some have shared they feel we just move into the next dimension/energetic field which is close by this one. Others have shared that life is like a classroom. Each lifetime has a set bit of lessons to be learned (or not) and we ‘graduate’ with each lifetime. Others have shared the soul aspect and how we are part of a soul family who help eachother with the lessons needed to be learned so we can move up in the ladder (for lack of a better word) of spiritual awareness. Alas, there are others who believe in reincarnation and much like the school analogy, each lifetime is the next ‘grade’ to expand our knowledge and to have various experiences in order to understand completely what is necessary.

Fascinating, isn’t it? The unifying piece that most of these amazing humans have shared is that they’re not afraid of death. Their understanding isn’t fear based. It’s acceptance for whatever lies ahead. While none are looking to go now, their peace-filled presence captivates me even though some people may see this as a morose subject. I don’t. Do you?

Death is part of life. The journey from birth to death, that hyphen that shares birth/death dates speaks volumes for each person. Do you ever wonder what the hyphen will say about you? Or how others will interprete your hyphen? Will they believe that you were a positive energy here? Or a negative one? While there’s no ending date yet, some people shared how they are striving to have a more positive spin on the hyphen while they can. Their thoughts were: It’s never too late to change!

I enjoy conversations about this topic and listening to everyone’s points of view. Because goodness knows, I don’t know the answers and I love to learn – so please feel free to share with me!

Shine On!

xo

A Mother’s Love

Hi Mom…I awoke this morning thinking of you. Even as I’m writing this, I’m more than a bit teary. Because you see, I miss you. I miss your unconditional love in my life. I miss your hugs – remember how you used to tease me because I always wanted more hugs? Well, I’ve passed that along to my children. They’re good huggers, but there’s nothing like your own Mom’s hug. A Mom who loves you no matter what…to be on the receiving end of that hug is key. So, please forgive me for being selfish, but in the vein of my sissy’s sayings, I want my Mommy today….excuse me…Our Mommy today.

You’d think that I’d act more like a grown up and not have these feelings. I mean, I’m in my late-50’s for goodness sakes. But no, not me. I want you to come visit me in my dreams please. Hugga-me. Please. Because it’s been years since God called you home, even though sometimes it feels like yesterday. Oh, how I miss your hugs!

I think the beauty is in the memories we leave behind. The legacy of love that you left in those who are still here, remembering your kindness, your love, your innate sense of being. The laughter we shared and the ice creams too! How blessed we are to have had you as our Mom! I hope that when it’s my time to join you, that my children will remember me with so much love!

Shine On!

xo

How Will You Be Remembered?

I’m feeling a bit maudlin this morning. Perhaps you’ll think it silly, but I’ve always tried to own my feelings and share them when appropriate. So, here it goes…please bear with me.

A friend texted me that two dragonflies were flying around her yesterday and unbeknownst to her, I had the same experience! Now dragonflies aren’t often seen whre I live so we chose to see it as a sign from a mutual friend of ours who passed away almost a year ago…and I think we’re right. We went on to chat about her, remembering the good times and her amazing spirit, kndness and generosity of being. I hope our friend was listening from the other side…because her passing was a surprise to all. She hadn’t been sick. She didn’t take her life. She fell asleep one night and never woke up. Her spirit though remains as we remember her.

 When I looked it up: Dragonflies are often viewed as signs from guardian angels or deceased loved ones. Two together may indicate that you have multiple guides watching over your journey, bringing you good fortune and positivity

But, it got me to thinking about when it’s time and how l will be remembered. What’s the legacy that remains when I’m no longer here? That continued with thinking about all who have already left this earthly plane and how their lives and passings left imprints on us. For the most part, I can always find the good in them, feeling gratitude for their presence in my life and the lessons they helped me to learn along the way. For to me, I believe we make ‘soul contracts’ to learn x, y, z during this lifetime and as I understand it, some souls love us so much that they agree to help us learn certain lessons even when they’re difficult. That’s a lot of love for some of the life lessons I’ve endured…but I’m grateful. Truly.

I hope that when it’s my time, that there will be those left here on Earth that will feel similarly. They’ll be able to know how much I loved them and how I tried my best to choose love over hatred. Hope over despair. Smiles and tears intertwined (because that’s how I’m built). Understanding even when you don’t quite understand. There are choices in life, crossroads, that determine how our lives unfold next. There’s not always a redo button to push when you want to go back. Sometimes, the only way through is to continue on the path until the next crossroads and the opportunity to choose again. Choices aren’t always given. At times, it is what it is and we move through as best we can. Regrets? Yes. But when we learn from these, we grow and isn’t that the point of this lifetime? To learn, to grow, to improve and to do our best with what we’ve got and to keep going to help others along the way?

Perhaps my thinking is too simplistic for you. As most of us know, it’s not so simplistic, but when we take it down to the basics, I think it can be most of the time. I don’t think I”m going anywhere for the time being, but the dragonflies brought to the surface some thoughts that I wanted to share.

Happy Blessed Friday to you!

Shine On!

xo