Pep Talk

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

Pep talk to self: Don’t be discouraged. Think of all the kindnesses you’ve witnessed today, remember all the good people you’ve met, and all the beauty you’ve seen. There were flowers and a fairy house; a UW cap and a letter for Dad; a former student at the espresso stand, and two very cool baristas full of smiles and sass; Dad’s old friends who became your new friends; a bike ride in sunshine; Mary, the post lady loaning you her reading glasses without even being asked; a kitty cat weaving between your ankles; 10 cents off of your gas; Xander’s CD playing in the car; an “I love you” from your 99 year-old father; and an “I love you” from your husband of 33 years; and now stars sparkling above you, and the smell of summer coming through your office window. It has been a really wonderful day.

Photo of sweet peas by Karen Molenaar Terrell.

In Celebration of Mother Earth

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

“Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature. Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens, – all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity. Suns and planets teach grand lessons. The stars make night beautiful, and the leaflet turns naturally towards the light.” – Mary Baker Eddy

“Presence is needed to become aware of the beauty, the majesty, the sacredness of nature…You have to put down for a moment your personal baggage of problems, of past and future, as well as your knowledge; otherwise, you will see but not see, hear but not hear. Your total presence is required.”
– from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
– Isaiah 55: 12

(Photos by Karen Molenaar Terrell)

Shuksan Reflection

Sunset in Skagit County, WA

Lake Padden Forest (Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell)

grebe

Right after I got a new camera I spotted this eagle posing in a tree for me…

snow geese

Mama Robin and babies on our porch. (Karen Molenaar Terrell)

Bee on Sunflower

I came around a rock at Lincoln City, OR, and found this rainbow of sea creatures…

A cormorant spreads his wings and eyes me while I take his photo.

Lincoln City, OR

Superstition Mountains, AZ

On Mount Harvard in Colorado

Chuckanut Boulders, WA

Mount Rainier

Otter Family

Heron Head (photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell)

Trumpeter Swans in Bow, WA (photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell)

That One’s Mine

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

I stopped by Fred Meyer’s to pick up a copy of Mother Earth News for Dad – I wanted to show him my photo in there. I went back to the magazine racks and a woman was stocking them. I asked her if Fred Meyer carries Mother Earth News and she said yes – they sold those right at the check-stands. I told her – because I’m so incredibly humble and self-effacing and stuff – that my photo was in there. And she grinned, all excited, and told me she’d take me right to the magazine. So she walked with me to the front of the store and showed me where Mother Earth News was and I showed her my photo (in the very back). She recognized the area where I took the picture and we talked about Bow and Skagit County, trumpeter swans and snow geese, and just had a lovely chat. I love meeting my neighbors.

And if you find an April/May 2017 issue of Mother Earth News you will see a picture of a red barn and Mount Baker and trumpeter swans on, like, the last page – and yup, that one’s mine. 🙂

Barn, Mount Baker, and Swans

“The dam bursts…”

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

“You always had the power, my dear.” – Glinda the Good Witch

My friend, Randy, has given me permission to share his poem. It perfectly captures what I felt yesterday at the Bellingham Women’s March:

The hard and steady tread of feet
on the sidewalk, in the street,
always forward, no retreat,
The dam bursts,
its flood o’ertakes,
leaving miracles in its wake…
– Randy Kercher

I arrived at the Bellingham Women’s March a little earlier than most people. I’d gone by myself and wasn’t sure I’d be able to find anybody I knew there – but no sooner had I parked than a couple of retired teachers from my old school district walked past my car. We all grinned when we saw each other and gave each other hugs, and walked together to the city courthouse, where the march would start. I ended up running into a lot familiar faces there – former students; teaching colleagues; neighbors – some of my all-time favorite people…

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John

I met some wonderful new friends there, too, and saw some great signs…

Jayda

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I stood near the front of the crowd when I first arrived. There weren’t a lot of people then. About a half hour later I started working my way towards the back to get a group photo – and I went back and back and back and still didn’t come to the end. By the time we started on the march they’d had to make the walk longer to accommodate all the people – we were looping ourselves – the people in front were finishing their march and there were still people in the back who hadn’t even started, yet. The estimates are 6,000 people – and that was just in Bellingham!

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I so appreciated the police officers who were at the march. They were friendly and smiling and supportive. At the end of the march, I said to one of the officers, “We did good today, didn’t we?” And he smiled back and said, “Yes, you did!”

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It was awesome to be in the midst of thousands of people all working together for a better world. There was an amazing power in that. I left the march feeling grateful and hopeful for humanity.

Fear not. Love is with you.

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…
– I John 4:18

“Boredom, anger, sadness, or fear are not ‘yours,’ are not personal. They are conditions of the human mind. They come and go. Nothing that comes and goes is you.”
– Eckart Tolle

Fear never stopped being and its action.
– Mary Baker Eddy

love-is-with-you

This is the day that Love hath made!

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

Be glad! Rejoice! 🙂

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The Earth Rises

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earth-rises

These Moments

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

I know these moments don’t sound like big deals in the whole scheme of things – but – they mean something to me.

Today I went into the Safeway in Anacortes to get a mocha at the Starbucks there. After I got in the store I thought I should get some flour for pie-making. On the way to the flour I thought this might be a good time to get the cranberry sauce, too. Also dinner rolls. And sweet potatoes. Of course I hadn’t picked up a basket on my way in, because I thought I was just going to get a mocha, right? – so now I’m standing in a long Thanksgiving grocery-shopping line with my arms full. My arms are starting to get tired. Suddenly this young man appears – he doesn’t work at Safeway, he’s just another customer like myself – and he says, “I thought maybe you could use a basket” and hands me a basket to put all my stuff in. And I thank him profusely and take the basket and he smiles and goes on his way. People going out of their way to be kind to other people just tickles me. 🙂 And, maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems like people have been making more of an effort to show kindness in the last couple weeks.

So when I’d come into Safeway there was a musician playing a banjo out front and I’d planned on giving him a tip – but now I saw him packing up – so before I bought my mocha I went out to put a buck in his banjo case – and he smiled and thanked me and I asked him if he’d like a coffee – and he said no, he was fine, but thanked me for the offer, and wished me a happy Thanksgiving.

I went back in the store to get my mocha – the original reason I’d come to Safeway in the first place – and the coffee machine wasn’t working. But it didn’t matter! I was meant to go in there today. 🙂

On the way back from Anacortes I suddenly got it in my noggin to stop off at the dike for a quick walk. There was only one other car there – a man and his corgi were about ten yards ahead of me on the trail. As soon as I stepped onto the path the corgi turned around and started running back to me – a big friendly grin on his face – like I was an old friend and he was just so happy to see me! So I reached out and petted him and his human called him back and he took one last look at me and then went back to his human and they went around a bend in the path. I walked along a little longer, and suddenly the dog came racing around the bend and ran back to me again – just had to give me one more greeting. I love happy dogs who see a new friend in every person they encounter.

And then that song came into my head – “My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentation…” and I was just filled with such joy to be alive.

That is all. Carry on then…
Karen

Padilla Bay Dike (photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell)

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

“O weary pilgrim, lift your head: for joy cometh in the morning!”
– Mary M. Weinland

grateful-for-another-day

And now for a moment of joy…

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Karen Molenaar Terrell

“Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

This morning Scotty and I went up to Bellingham for a walk on the boardwalk with Sam the Wonder Dog, and then breakfast at the Harris Avenue Cafe. It was like this little piece of Heaven. We stepped out of the stresses and pressures for a couple hours – took a little break together – I told Scott it felt “luxurious.” It was fun sitting in the cafe, surrounded by happy people sounds.

I’m thinking we ALL need a little break right now – time to fill our beings’ up with the things that don’t rust, depreciate, or decompose: Love, joy, integrity, kindness, wisdom – these are things that never lose value.

“Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and around you and be happy!”
– Anne Frank

“Stop complaining about the management of the universe. Look around for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness.”
– Henry Van Dyke

“I believe we’re on earth to delight each other, make each other laugh, and to infuse one another with His joy. Why not? What’ve we got better to do?”
– Burt Rosenberg

(all photos by Karen Molenaar Terrell)