Just Life?

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ah, with all my talk of delight, wouldn't you think I had a peaceful day. I did a have a wonderful day, good night's sleep no obligations except to enjoy the day. That would be my pleasure.

Not the startling day last Thursday was. Starting out late in the day, discovered I had a flat tire. Oh, horror, but I haven't gone to the park yet.
All of sudden it wasn't a pilgrimage, journey or quest, the words flew out of my mouth "But I have a sacred contract!!!"

Sadly, that heartfelt exclamation did not magically re-inflate  my tire. 

(A quick lookup in wiki - A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey into someone's own beliefs . . .) wow a metaphorical journey - yes I choose that one.

Anyway, there were anxious moments, and I visited a park along the edge of a downtown boulevard in the dark. Well, at least the moon was full and bright. It had a different kind of beauty, a different journey into night.

Today, by comparison a better day indeed, a visit to quiet ravine with a misty, foggy mystical backdrop. Naketa Beach Ravine. Bless the city of Mukilteo - no guess involved here - a sign identifies the ravine. There is even a bench. No long walks just quiet contemplation. Though I did get quite excited when I discovered a new trail - oops, nope, someone's driveway. Oh, well.

Minor difficulty finding a new blank journal, just wanted a new one what I had. Pleased that I have written prolifically enough to fill the whole journal. Ah, problem solved, I am not writing in a journal it's a sketchbook. Of course, I would do that. Forgot. Satisfied, a new journal.

An interesting perusal of the map section at Barnes & Noble. Pondering are the 8 maps of downtown Seattle I already have enough, would 14 really be too many. Of course, not. However, all of them still have old names of parks. So, I managed to persuade myself to forgo this expense.

Nor did I feel the need to buy the book titled (yes it was) Butter My Butt and Call Me A Biscuit.

I did have to thumb through a book on little known facts: Why is Australia a continent but Greenland an island?. Of course, could not resist picking up the book titled something like Book of Totally Useless Information.

A few totally exciting moments when I discovered a pictorial foldout guide to Northwest mushrooms. I appears the mushroom that gained my admiration Monday is a panther mushroom, and those that I love on the "dead" trees are Artists Fungi - how perfect.

I did not make it out empty-handed. My spotted a picture filled book cover, my mouth murmurred, "Amazing, amazing, amazing." I am pretty sure no one would ever guess the book - "The Complete Illustrated History of Knives, Swords, Spears & Daggers.

Egads, she is gaga over weapons of destruction. Oh, you bet she is. 

The book is sitting next to me. I look over, "Awesome. awesome." Ah, my warrior soul. Perhaps. The immediate thought that springs to mind (yes, I must explain myself not to any potential reader but to my own curious self). It's the craftsmanship, the variety of sizes, styles the implications as to there use just figure into the joy I feel looking at the culture and beauty wrapped up in one small space.

Weapons of safe passage. Euphemism. Yes, ok. But I like the phrase weapons of safe passage. Companions. That is a piece of it I do view them as companions.

I stopped to open to a random page of my - a picture of a mid 10th century Malayan kris. My random is once again a beautiful gift - the Sumatran wooden hilt is the carved head of a stylized Garuda bird.

a snippet per Wiki -

In India, Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia the eagle symbolism is represented by Garuda, a large mythical bird with eagle-like features that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu.

Why the appearance of the Garuda be something I consider a blessing? At the same time, I was given my spiritual name, I was told my guardian was Garuda.

Yes, my life is a bucketful of miracles, and synchronicity.

So, when I set of the security alarm two different stores, I figured it was time to go home, and play here, well right after a great nap.

"Most of what we take as being important is not material, whether it's music or feelings or love. They're things we can't really see or touch. They're not material, but they're vitally important to us."- Judy Collins