Happy Spring!!

Happy Spring!! 

We’ve had some wonderful days of celebration to welcome Spring even though here in the North we still have mounds of snow.   The Vernal Equinox is a time when we Gnomes gather together in a special way, rejoicing with singing and dancing and delicious food.  It’s such a glorious time!  This year we even made snow angels, which is not how we typically celebrate the arrival of spring!

Usually by this time the wild crocuses have awakened from their winter sleep, stretching their green beings just far enough to peek through the thin layer of snow to adorn the meadows with their magnificent blue-violet blossoms.  Each spring I look forward to their arrival along with the return of the robins, which are sure signs that spring is truly here.   For now, I send little messages of encouragement to the crocuses (and the robins) telling them to be patient while the days warm and the last of the snow melts.  Sometimes we too need such encouragement, to wait with patience and trust while something is trying to bloom in us.  Everything has such perfect timing!

I’ve received many questions around the subjects of “work,” “play,” “school,” and “family,” among others and will be speaking to these in the days to come. 

  

                                 Sing…Dance…Rejoice…

                          Be patient with your own blossoming…  

                                                Celebrate Spring!!

                                                   
 

With Love and great Joy,

                         Peder and the Gnomes

What Gnomes Know

Dear Friends,

It seems like a very long time since I last wrote to you and much has happened since then.  My delay in writing has been due only to my helper’s computer being infected with a virus sent by someone unknown.  Such things are hard for Gnomes to understand.  Thankfully, all is well and I’m in the midst of responding to your emails. 

Today I thought I’d answer this very interesting note from Frost O. Whiskers who writes: 

          “Peder,

             I can’t help but notice that new Pope Francis drew his name

          from  St Francis of Assisi, whom you discussed recently. 

          Do gnomes know all?

Just wondering,

            Frost on the Whiskers”

 

Well dear Frost,

What a delightful name you have!  Our names are very meaningful as they reflect something of who we are.  When I read your name I immediately had the impression that you’re very light-hearted and wise.  I’m curious how your name was chosen. Were you born on a crisp winter day?

To answer your question, Gnomes experience learning as a life-long process and we cannot begin to “know all.”  In fact, the more I learn, the more I come to realize how very little I know.  Everything around us is so vast, ever changing and full of such mystery.  I find that it is more important to ask “good” questions than to seemingly have the “right” answers. 

Although we don’t know much about the Pope, we do have a special love of St Francis, our beloved Cesco.   He is beloved in part because of his simple way of being, his deep compassion and his infinite love of nature.  Did you know that he considered everything in nature as his brothers and sisters ~ the birds and fishes and even us Gnomes.  He saw the Holiness in absolutely everything!   And although he went through times of great struggle he was a man who was filled with great joy.  

Wouldn’t it be something if the new Pope were to truly emulate his namesake?

Wouldn’t it be something if we all tried to be a little more like St Francis?

Thank you for “wondering,” and for sharing your delightful name.

       Be filled with kindness…Love nature…See the Holiness in everything

                                              Spread Joy!

        Love,

            Peder and the Gnomes

                                
      p.s.  Here are some of the things that Gnomes know:

Love makes our hearts light up.

We are more alike than different.

A smile is a wonderful gift.

We are never alone.

The Simple things are often the most important.

We leave footprints where ever we go.

Laughter is good medicine.

Everything looks different when you see with your heart.

Kindness ripples out into the world.

The journey is shorter with friends.

Stars shine brightest in the dark.

It is good to take time to play.

It is important to care for all of the earth.

One person can make a difference.

Love heals everything.

 

One last thought on stretching our wings....

Today I thought I’d share one final thought on how we learn to spread our wings and fly and how we can encourage others in their learning.  It seems that the best place for guidance on this topic is the winged ones who soar most beautifully across the skies ~ the Eagles.

How eagles learn to fly ~

Young eagles learn to fly by watching their parents.  When the fledglings are a few months old their legs and wings are strong enough to practice flying.  They practice by jumping and dancing around the nest, stretching their wings and testing their footing on nearby branches.  

Sometimes the parents have to coax them to take that first flight and will fly around the nest with food, just out of the young one’s reach.  The young one is enticed closer and closer to the edge of the nest or to a nearby branch where at last they are encouraged to spread their wings and fly.  If the young one should happen to fall to the ground, the parents will care for them there until they can fly on their own.

There are many who believe that eagles “push” their young out of the nest.  I have not witnessed this myself, but have only observed the gentle and persistent coaxing.  I like to believe that is the way that works best ~ standing close enough to be of encouragement and yet far enough out of the way that the one we are guiding can begin to take steps forward on their own.

If you’re interested, you can watch this video on a young eagle practicing in the nest.   It is a mixture of video and still photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wvjzWMCMpiM

 

            Coax gently.…Be persistent….Offer encouragement….

                                   Witness with Love….Spread Joy!

 

                Much Love,

                   Peder and the Gnomes

And Still More Lessons.....

Today another story about supporting one another as we practice, grow, and stretch our wings.  This story is about young loon named Rudy.

More “Musings From the End of The Dock.”

Papa Knows Best

It’s a gorgeous morning and I peer out into the bay hoping that Rudy and mama will be floating nearby.  It seems that Rudy is spending more and more time in the larger body of the lake, quite busy learning all that little loons need to learn before leaving this home for one that’s warmer with open waters in the winter.

I set out in my little red boat and find Rudy and mama near the west end of the lake, fishing just outside of the cattails.  I put down the anchor a safe distance away so I can watch them and yet all the while hope that they will make their way closer to me.  I had barely gotten settled when I noticed that Rudy had caught a glimpse of me and began very slowly making his way toward me while mama swam with her head under water, fishing unaware.  He was hesitant at first swimming toward me then turning back and then there was a moment when it seemed that his curiosity got the best of him and throwing all caution to the wind, he made a bee-line in my direction. 

It was then that mama’s head emerged from the water and seeing Rudy swimming confidently toward this stranger, she began swimming after him and let out a low call, just enough to catch his attention.  Rudy turned around as if to reassure mama that he knew what he was doing, then turned back toward me.  Mama again let out a low coo and was in close pursuit.  Just as Rudy was about 20 feet from the boat, mama maneuvered her way around in front of him which left him no choice but to change course.  She used her body as a safety barrier to guide Rudy away.  But Rudy was not to be deterred.  He would swim away for a bit and convinced that mama had let her guard down, he would promptly swim back toward me only to find that he was under mama’s radar and she had the upper wing.

Just when I thought Rudy might give up and go back to fishing, I heard papa call from down the lake and caught a faint glimpse of him moving towards us.  Rudy heard this too and he suddenly became quite animated and began swimming very quickly toward papa who was still a great distance away.  Mama seemed to be relieved to know that reinforcements were on the way.

They met toward the middle of the lake, some distance from me.  Rudy swam joyful circles around papa and then there was a “changing of the guards” so to speak as papa and Rudy began swimming toward me and mama swam off in the distance toward the other end of the lake.  I noticed Rudy turning to look back at mama a few times and when it seemed that she was far enough away, he began swimming very quickly in my direction, papa meandering behind him.  This time there were no soft coos warning him to turn back, no mama circling in front of him using her body as a barrier.  Papa stayed a safe distance behind keeping a watchful eye but clearly not at all concerned.  Rudy seemed to know that papa would allow him this experience and that he would be safe no matter what.  He came directly in front of me within ten feet of the boat and looked me over quite thoroughly.  He would swim a little distance away and then circle back, at times diving under the water then reappearing a little too close at which time he would call to papa and papa would come to him, reassure him and then go back to watching from a distance.  Having satisfied his curiosity, Rudy swam happily around me for quite some time, at times peering at me, at times preening and at other times just going about the business of being his little loon self.

 

 

 

I drank it all in and watched them for a long while and smiled as I left them.  I'm often amazed by how closely nature mirrors life for us.  I could see myself in each of them.

                       Be Curious….Be Courageous….Stretch....

                    Buckets of Love,

                           Peder and the Gnomes

More Lessons.......

Dear friends,

As I’ve been reading your emails and questions, I have to smile ~ there are many similarities between us and yet we are very different so there is much we can learn from one another. 

In response to the “Lessons from the Phoebes” story, I received a question that asks how we can “be in harmony with our own highest good while loving, witnessing, supporting, nurturing and allowing others to grow their own wings ?”

And….  “What does it feel like at the tipping point” when our “helping” someone hinders their growth and learning to spread their wings and fly.

What wonderful questions!   I think there could be many ways of responding and my first thought was to ask my friend to share some of her nature stories. There is so much we can learn from observing the world around us and “listening” or paying attention to the messages that come.  It’s been my experience that most of the important answers for the big questions in life don’t come from analyzing the situation or even through words.  Most often the answers we seek are within us and come to light or are revealed in many different ways.


So for the next couple days, I thought I would include a few stories.  Perhaps within them you will find a morsel of wisdom or two that speaks to you in some way.  I look forward to hearing if you find the answers you seek.

 

More “Musings From the End of the Dock”

July 24, 2011

This morning I watched as a mamma oriole tried to teach her young one to eat from my jelly feeders.  There was a whole lot of coaxing and chirping going on before the little one finally came down from her comfortable branch to rest on the pole that holds the jelly feeder.  At first the mamma would take a beak full of jelly and feed it to the little one and then she would show the little one how to eat from the jelly container herself.  The little one protested loudly as she waiting impatiently for her mama to continue to feed her.  Seeing that the little one was not eager to follow her example, the mamma began to nudge her a little by taking a beak full of jelly, bringing it to the young one’s beak as if to feed her, then eating it herself and nudging the little one’s beak toward the jelly container.  This continued a few times, each time the little one squawking more loudly than the last and each time the mother patiently and persistently trying to coax her to eat on her own. 

Finally, the little one moved closer to the feeder and with an open beak, stretched her little neck as far as she could and reached in for a mouthful.  As she swallowed the first bite, she seemed so excited about the whole thing that she took a big hop forward toward the jelly feeder and stepped right into it. 

Realizing what a sticky mess she had gotten herself into, she very quickly backed out and then proceeded to try to figure out how to get the jelly off her feet and legs.  She first began pecking at them and then brought her little leg toward her head and rubbed it on her face and on top of her head.  Noticing that she now had jelly on her face and on top of her head, she brought one wing up and tucked her head under wing as if to rub the jelly off and so now she not only had jelly on her feet and legs, but her face, head and wings as well. I chuckled to myself as I watched.   Shortly thereafter, both mamma and baby flew off, but I was certain that they had returned for another lesson when I wasn’t watching as I later noticed jelly prints everywhere.

 

 

 I’ve also enjoyed watching the little chipmunks as they chase each other around the flower beds and on top of the hollow logs and occasionally misstep and land in the water fountain, coming out a wet ball of fur.  They shake themselves vigorously and look about to note whether or not anyone witnessed their misstep.  I just smile at them when they look my way and reassure them that we’ve all been there a time or two.

All of this brings me simple joy and much gratitude as I think of those very loving, patient and persistent ones who have guided me at my awkward moments when I was learning something new and those who have witnessed my missteps and looked upon me with kindness at those times.

Life is full of wonderful lessons!

 

           Nudge with kindness….Be encouraging….Witness with love

          Buckets full of Love,

                 Peder and the Gnomes

Lessons From the Phoebes

Good Morning!

It seems like a very long time since I’ve written.  I’ve been pondering deeply the past few days and find that it’s good from time to time to find a quiet space to reflect.  So I’ve asked my very good friend if she would share some of her nature writings with us in the days to come.  Her reflections are from a compilation of stories she calls, “Musings from the End of the Dock.” 

There are so many beautiful and important lessons we can learn being in the midst of nature .

Enjoy!

Love,

Peder and the Gnomes

Lessons from the Phoebes                                                                       June 11, 2012 

 

 

Today I had an interesting experience with a pair of Phoebe’s (a very lovely, gentle little bird) who have made their nest under the front of my camper.  They’ve allowed me to peek at times at their three young ones.  This morning I noticed one of the little ones on the ground near my flowers.  The parents flew around him calling frantically.  It was a very cold, windy day and the little bird’s entire body seemed to be shivering and a large grackle (a rascally bird) appeared intent on harming the little one.  I watched for a short time as the parents grew increasingly concerned.  A friend who was visiting at the time said she thought we should just “let nature take its course,” however I had a very strong sense that it was important to find a way to help.  I finally asked the mama if it was ok if I tried to return the little bird to the nest and sensing that it was ok, gently gathered the little bird in my hands.  The mama and papa found a place to perch as this was happening.  They became quiet and were calm as they looked on.  I talked to them and the little bird all the while.  As I went to place the little bird in the nest, the other babies became startled and suddenly there were three little birds scattered at my feet. 

For years my friend has called me Lucy (after Lucille Ball, in part because she thinks I’m funny in a comedy of errors sort of way) and I call her Martha because she worries about many things.   Seeing the little birds at my feet, “Martha” promptly exclaimed, “Lucy, that’s a fine mess you’ve gotten into!”  I looked at the mama Phoebe who was now scolding me quite loudly and told her not to worry, that I would return all of her babies to the nest. I must admit that as I was saying it to her, I was really trying to reassure myself. 

The two littlest ones seemed curious as I approached them and were quite content to be gathered up into my warm hands.  It was beautiful to hold them and I lingered, savoring the moment and then tucked them into their nest.  Mama became very quiet as she looked on.  I stepped back to make sure they would stay in the nest and they just peeked out at me, wide eyed and clearly happy to be nestled safely at home.  The third little bird had by now stretched her little wings enough to propel her about 10 feet away.  Each time I tried to cup my hands around her she moved beyond my grasp.  Mama followed along as I tried to keep up with the little one and papa watched from a distance as his little one fluttered~ wings  outstretched while her legs moved awkwardly across the grass.  I continued to talk to them and interestingly, they seemed remarkably calm.  Finally the little bird hopped far under a nearby bush and I was unable to reach her.  I tried to coax her out but to no avail.  I explained this to mama and papa and then mama flew back to check on the two chicks in the nest and papa stayed with the little one.  I waited a short time and feeling there was nothing more I could do, I left papa to watch over his young one.  I wasn’t quite sure whether I’d done the right thing or not. 

In the afternoon as I was leaving for a few days to visit a friend, I took a few minutes to look for the little bird.  She was no longer where I last saw her and mama and papa were sitting contently by the nest.  I had the distinct feeling they had in some way guided her back there.  So my friend and I are having a discussion: if a little one leaves or falls out of the nest before it’s ready to fly, it is possible that they would in some way be guided back to the nest for a little extra “growing” time until their wings are fully formed?   Hmmmm…

This lead me to reflect on my own life and those times when I’ve moved out of the warmth and security of a safe place (inadvertently or by choice) and how the path of learning has unfolded before me – sometimes in very challenging ways that caused me to sit frozen and afraid to move.  At other times, I would sit still with a sense of wonder, like a wide-eyed little bird taking in everything and moving slowly here and there, guided by a great and loving force within.  Sometimes, I’ve been guided back to that comfortable space for a while longer until I felt strong enough to venture out on my own or was nudged out of the nest by a Source beyond myself. And yet other times I've moved along awkwardly, with a sense of determination. 

The most beautiful times have been when I’ve fallen out of that place of security and landed in an unfamiliar place, and looking around me suddenly realizing that it isn’t so much about the falling “out of” that’s important but more so what I’m falling “into.”  Thank goodness for wings and the great mystery of life...

 

   

© 2012 D Morris

Story and images may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.