Dear JAR,
Northern Autumnal greetings to you, Dear Southern Springtime Friend! These days we taste the sweetness of the crisp cool air as we scurry off to work or school or just go out for a walk – autumn is here! The myriad colors just dazzle my sensibilities; no matter how long I live here I am still awed by the explosive beauty. And people come here from all over just to get a glimpse of Mother Nature’s Art Show. Here in Vermont those visitors are called Leaf Peepers! It is difficult to find a hotel room during this time, since they are booked months in advance. We are lucky that the colors are splendiferous this year – sometimes they disappoint.
In fact, this year summer was practically non-existent – it rained so much that it felt like summer was a plane on the runway, and just never took off! So autumn snuck up on us and the leaves turned colors so fast – we are all suspecting that it will be a very cold winter. Someone said they saw that the deer in the woods have had their thick winter coats filled in for the past several weeks – another sure sign of frosty times ahead. That just gives us plenty of opportunity to hunker down!
Has the swine flu made the rounds in Oz yet? Even though there is no real hysteria, there have been many changes here in the way that businesses and hospitals are dealing with the public. If anyone that shows up in the Emergency Room has a cough and/or fever, they are fitted with a mask and whisked away to a private room, isolated from everyone. I also heard that someone who showed up at a clinic was turned away because of her fever/cough/headache. Public places are equipped with hand sanitizer; at the bank there is a sign that reads, “If you have a cough or fever, we will be happy to help you at the drive-up window.” One thing that I feel is a positive development is that people are actually encouraged to STAY HOME if they are sick! It seems so simple and the right thing to do, but many reasons come up for marching on in spite of it. I remember several years ago being checked out by a cashier who sneezed into her hand and then without even wiping it off, she proceeded to wrap my package and staple it! At that time I was grossed out by that action, but too hesitant to speak up – today I would handle it very differently. After all, it is everyone’s health and well-being at stake.
October is a very interesting month. To me the sign of Libra has always seemed so benign, yet a peacemaker cannot make peace unless there is conflict. A paradox, that! It’s nice to be a helper or a peacemaker, but then we take the risk of needing and attracting conflict and folks who depend on us more than themselves. Life is so funny that way. We need to fulfill our destinies by becoming who we are, but who knows how that rocks the equilibrium of the universe? I suppose there is room for everyone, and this is all a big swirling mish-mosh - a bubbling vegetable soup with us sitting on croutons as we float around waiting for some new spice to change the flavor. So while we are waiting, join me on my crouton for awhile, and let’s just float and enjoy the ride, my fourteen carrot friend! With mutual moral support, we’ll deal with the change as it comes…J
Now I am in the mood to go make some soup! We’ll talk again soon….
Love always,
JEM
Dear JemStar,
Swine flu has made its way down under – we were told just like you guys up in the northern hemisphere to wash your hands and take days off if you were ill. Unfortunately, several people have died and many more have been sick. As you mentioned these messages rallied at the other end of the spectrum with jingles about, “soldier on; soldier on!” Even though these public health notices are displayed everywhere and promoted in most media forums you still get the person who chooses to ignore basic health warnings. For example the other day I was in the ladies loo (bathroom) and someone flushed walked out of the cubicle and then walked outside without washing her hands. I was horrified. I then saw her float down the escalator and hold on to the rubber railing. Later on that day she was doing the shopping and picking up fruit and sniffing and then putting them down. You could almost see the germs jump around like a Mexican samba all over the groceries. I guess it is a good thing in the respect that it is a reminder that not everyone has the same cleanliness standards as you do and we must be mindful of washing our fruit and vegetables. I mean to say it is not that hard to wash your hands now is it?
Spring has sprung in the southern hemisphere. Floriade has been a huge success here in Canberra. People come from all over to stroll among the glorious gardens and floral exhibitions. It is quite an event in October. This year we have been blessed with a great drop of rain over the past couple of weeks. Storms have been rolling in across the Great Dividing Range and giving us a much needed drop of rain.
Personally, I love October and the energy of the Libran sun phase. For me this is a time of balance and since I am a Scorpio I find myself having an annual clean out my closet ritual. Of course I focus on the clothes but review and tossing out spills over into other areas of my life. I find it very therapeutic. I know that this feverish activity is in contrast to my Scorpion credo of “hanging on” but I feel that these outworn articles of clothing our outdated beliefs and attitudes have served me in a previous birthday year. Soon my new year will begin and I choose to take a different perspective or refashion my life to experience new experiences. It is ironic how many new beginnings seem to flood in in November.
Life is funny, Jem and like you I am often astounded how we navigate through life with a destiny under our arm and how our adventure is aligned to another persons’ or we learn (sometimes the hard way) that we are going in the wrong direction. I’ve always said life would be so much easier if we had an instruction manual or at least some business rules. What do you think? If you want to go this way put on your indicator and follow the yellow brick road. Or if you want to go that way then do a u-turn and go back to where you started from. I guess if it was that simple then we wouldn’t experience the gratifying experience of arriving somewhere where it feels just right – hmm hum, now would we? Plus, I am inclined to throw caution to the wind and tear off in a different direction – just for fun.
So how is that soup brewing? I think I will jump off my crouton and swim over to you! There’s always room for one more.
Have a wonderful month – see you in November.
Peace and Love,
Jar
http://www.jestacom.biz/
In fact, this year summer was practically non-existent – it rained so much that it felt like summer was a plane on the runway, and just never took off! So autumn snuck up on us and the leaves turned colors so fast – we are all suspecting that it will be a very cold winter. Someone said they saw that the deer in the woods have had their thick winter coats filled in for the past several weeks – another sure sign of frosty times ahead. That just gives us plenty of opportunity to hunker down!
Has the swine flu made the rounds in Oz yet? Even though there is no real hysteria, there have been many changes here in the way that businesses and hospitals are dealing with the public. If anyone that shows up in the Emergency Room has a cough and/or fever, they are fitted with a mask and whisked away to a private room, isolated from everyone. I also heard that someone who showed up at a clinic was turned away because of her fever/cough/headache. Public places are equipped with hand sanitizer; at the bank there is a sign that reads, “If you have a cough or fever, we will be happy to help you at the drive-up window.” One thing that I feel is a positive development is that people are actually encouraged to STAY HOME if they are sick! It seems so simple and the right thing to do, but many reasons come up for marching on in spite of it. I remember several years ago being checked out by a cashier who sneezed into her hand and then without even wiping it off, she proceeded to wrap my package and staple it! At that time I was grossed out by that action, but too hesitant to speak up – today I would handle it very differently. After all, it is everyone’s health and well-being at stake.
October is a very interesting month. To me the sign of Libra has always seemed so benign, yet a peacemaker cannot make peace unless there is conflict. A paradox, that! It’s nice to be a helper or a peacemaker, but then we take the risk of needing and attracting conflict and folks who depend on us more than themselves. Life is so funny that way. We need to fulfill our destinies by becoming who we are, but who knows how that rocks the equilibrium of the universe? I suppose there is room for everyone, and this is all a big swirling mish-mosh - a bubbling vegetable soup with us sitting on croutons as we float around waiting for some new spice to change the flavor. So while we are waiting, join me on my crouton for awhile, and let’s just float and enjoy the ride, my fourteen carrot friend! With mutual moral support, we’ll deal with the change as it comes…J
Now I am in the mood to go make some soup! We’ll talk again soon….
Love always,
JEM
Dear JemStar,
Swine flu has made its way down under – we were told just like you guys up in the northern hemisphere to wash your hands and take days off if you were ill. Unfortunately, several people have died and many more have been sick. As you mentioned these messages rallied at the other end of the spectrum with jingles about, “soldier on; soldier on!” Even though these public health notices are displayed everywhere and promoted in most media forums you still get the person who chooses to ignore basic health warnings. For example the other day I was in the ladies loo (bathroom) and someone flushed walked out of the cubicle and then walked outside without washing her hands. I was horrified. I then saw her float down the escalator and hold on to the rubber railing. Later on that day she was doing the shopping and picking up fruit and sniffing and then putting them down. You could almost see the germs jump around like a Mexican samba all over the groceries. I guess it is a good thing in the respect that it is a reminder that not everyone has the same cleanliness standards as you do and we must be mindful of washing our fruit and vegetables. I mean to say it is not that hard to wash your hands now is it?
Spring has sprung in the southern hemisphere. Floriade has been a huge success here in Canberra. People come from all over to stroll among the glorious gardens and floral exhibitions. It is quite an event in October. This year we have been blessed with a great drop of rain over the past couple of weeks. Storms have been rolling in across the Great Dividing Range and giving us a much needed drop of rain.
Personally, I love October and the energy of the Libran sun phase. For me this is a time of balance and since I am a Scorpio I find myself having an annual clean out my closet ritual. Of course I focus on the clothes but review and tossing out spills over into other areas of my life. I find it very therapeutic. I know that this feverish activity is in contrast to my Scorpion credo of “hanging on” but I feel that these outworn articles of clothing our outdated beliefs and attitudes have served me in a previous birthday year. Soon my new year will begin and I choose to take a different perspective or refashion my life to experience new experiences. It is ironic how many new beginnings seem to flood in in November.
Life is funny, Jem and like you I am often astounded how we navigate through life with a destiny under our arm and how our adventure is aligned to another persons’ or we learn (sometimes the hard way) that we are going in the wrong direction. I’ve always said life would be so much easier if we had an instruction manual or at least some business rules. What do you think? If you want to go this way put on your indicator and follow the yellow brick road. Or if you want to go that way then do a u-turn and go back to where you started from. I guess if it was that simple then we wouldn’t experience the gratifying experience of arriving somewhere where it feels just right – hmm hum, now would we? Plus, I am inclined to throw caution to the wind and tear off in a different direction – just for fun.
So how is that soup brewing? I think I will jump off my crouton and swim over to you! There’s always room for one more.
Have a wonderful month – see you in November.
Peace and Love,
Jar
http://www.jestacom.biz/
No comments:
Post a Comment