What a summer! Part 1

What a Summer!

I can not believe all that has happened, what I've learned, and the changes that life has given me. To start it out my dad got sick in June, (well he had been getting sicker and sicker for over a year) and ended up in the hospital the day after Father's Day. At that point I kind of knew that it was near the end of his life, but who wants to accept that fact. It was even easy to talk about, but when he died... time stopped! 

Well in lieu of that HUGE event, I decided to 'unofficially' dedicate the rest of the summer to my dad:

Jabez Dean Ritchie!

Dad and Derick at Blowout in 2007

GET IT OUT

On August 5th 2012 I lost one of the most important people in my life. My father J.D. Ritchie died at 81. It really wasn't supposed to be him that left the earth, there are so many here that "should" have gone first. But maybe it was his sacrifice for us, I don't know. Maybe he had work that needed done elsewhere, I don't know. I am a believer that he has gone on, he basically walked through a door, and now he can see me, but I can't see him. So why am I so bothered by him being gone, when logically I can speak more truth to him now. 

I can see him dancing in his new found health, I can feel his joy and freedom at not having to be burdened by sickness any longer. I am sure he is now enlightening others with his jovial attitude, and facetious comments. While laughing at all our silly earth laden antics, and trivial predicaments. So why, if I can visualize his happiness and feel him smiling down, am I so disheartened by his death.

I have been so jumbled up (mentally) since dad died, I've had a hard time connecting to my inner source, I feel like my mind is turned on overdrive.. At the same time I know and understand that I am in need of a shift (mentally). So I guess that is why I decided to sit and write tonight, to maybe get some of this crap out of my head so I can feel more like I am on a path rather than being spread out like a mile wide river that is only an inch deep traveling through Death Valley and getting sucked up by the atmosphere. (Lol, every time I read that, it makes me laugh. What a great analogy!) 

And amazingly enough, I have nothing else to say. I feel better, I am smiling, I am grateful and proud to be the youngest daughter of Jabez Dean Ritchie!

HEY DAD!
I Love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!

So, I guess my inspiration for tonight is... GET IT OUT!!

Focus on the path you Want to take rather than the stone that is in the road. Janece Moore

I am a beginner dirt bike rider, my husband got me my first bike last year 2011, I had only rode a dirt bike twice before I got my own. I am now 36 years old and I sometimes wonder if I "should" be riding a motorcycle, (am I too old to just be starting)? 

Since I started riding, my husband has taught me everything he knows, (having rode dirt bikes since he was a kid) and the one thing  that he says that sticks out in my head most is: "If you are cruising down a trail and there's a big rock in the way DO NOT look at the rock, because if you LOOK at the rock you will hit it. Instead look at the place in the trail where you want the tire to go." 

Well the last couple weekends, we have gone camping with the dirt bikes. While riding (nervously) down the trails I have had to constantly tell myself; don't hit that rock, don't look at that rock... I finally had an epiphany last weekend while we were flying down a trail. "PICK A LINE!!" Instead of focus on the rock, I need to focus on my path that I want to take. And miraculously my riding instantly was better, and wonderfully I was more comfortable on the trails.

The thing I Love about this, and the reason I wanted to post this in my blog is that it is a great metaphor for all of life as well. If you have big rocks and/or obstacles in your life path, focus on the road you want to take instead of the obstacle. It brings into perspective what needs to be done, instead of paralyzing you to what is in the way. 

My husband, Derick, and I took a hike last week on Sunday
the 3rd of June. What an amazing trip, we went up to Lower Palisades Lake which is about a 3 mile trek up to the lake.
We stopped to have a snack when we got there then we sat
down to enjoy our surroundings, this was our look-out view:

(The date stamp is wrong this was 6-3-12. Better fix that setting!)

As we were sitting here enjoying the view, watching a hawk with a fish in his talons with the binocs, we hear off to the right some stomping and tromping like some horses are coming up upon us. Well if you know Upper Palisades off to the right, from this lookout, is just a mountain, there are no trails or anything else off in that direction. And immediately to the right of us is a giant rock that was maybe 15 feet tall, so we can not see what is coming. Amazingly enough, out from behind the rock comes bounding a mountain goat! A real live wild Mr Mountain Goat!! This guy acted excited, like he was spooked or being chased. As we sit in SHOCK against the rock that he was next going to jump on, he stops not 9 feet away from us. I am panicking because I have left my camera somewhere! Where the crap is it, I can't move or he is going to be gone! And yes, in an instant he jumps off again bounding toward the main trail. We hop up and follow him giggling at our encounter. We notice that there are a couple of ladies on the trail with dogs on leashes who are just receiving their own face to face brush with Mr. Mountain Goat. They are hooting and laughing and just as astonished about their reality as we just were. A few minutes later the women came up and we talked about what each of us had seen. One of them asked if we had seen him run straight dead on into a tree and how he was only about 5 feet away from them when he hit the trail. We all babbled on about how blown away we all were at seeing Mr. Mountain Goat and what a divine experience we had each had. It was a very satisfying and hopefully Not a once in a lifetime experience.

Well, high off of nature and raring to go we decide to hike out, we are still flabbergasted about what just happened. About 3/4 to 1 mile down the trail we hear stomping again to our left in the creek. Between us and the creek are a bunch of shrubs, so we can't see what is going on. We stop and Derick peaks through the shrub and says "It's a moose!" Holy Crap, can this day get ANY better! YES! Not 10 feet away is a young moose  hiding from us in the creek. So what do I do, (I do not want to miss getting a pic of this one too) I follow Mr. Moose up the trail as he meanders up the creek.

(Actual date 6-3-12)

Astonished, and even more high off nature we keep on trekking. Now this canyon has many many high cliffs and is a place where frequently you can see mountain goats up on the cliffs. Just like we did about another mile down the trail! This one seemed to be drinking from a spring or maybe eating something, and he was far away as you can see in the bottom picture.

Not the greatest of pics, but he was up there!

This is the cliff the above mountain goat was on, you can see a tiny white spek  near the left of the middle. That's him!

So I have decided that this blog is going to be about how I perceive the world. And on this hike we could have (having been to this lake many times) come to a conclusion about what would happen. We go to the lake, have our lunch, hike back with sore feet, no big deal, the end of the road is already chosen. BUT as the saying at the top says, "A traveler has no fixed plans". Derick had mentioned when we got there to maybe hike a bit further, I personally was beat. So thank goodness for a gracious man that says "I have no fixed plans", we decide to sit down and be quiet for a while. And look what Amazing things happened!!

The next line in the saying above is "and is not intent on arriving" which means to me that we had no expectations of what was going to happen up there. Of course you always hope for a sight of some wildlife, but 8 FEET AWAY and that many! Can I say HOLY CRAP again!! This day will go down in my record books as one of the Greatest!!

Alexa at 1 Year Old

 Angel Lullaby

From My Turn on Earth

You came from a land where all is light 

to a world half day and a world half night. 

To guide you by day, you have my love, 

To guard you by night, your friends above. 

(Chorus) 

So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends, 

guarded by your angel friends. 

So sleep, sleep, till the darkness ends, 

guarded by your angel friends. 

There's one stands softly by your bed 

and another sits close with a hand on your head. 

There's one at the window watching for the dawn, 

and one waits to wake you when the night is gone.

(Chorus)

Eleven years ago, my dream girl came into my life. She has been a joy and at times a heartache.  From day one I have sang this song to my beautiful daughter. It brings me great joy to share this with you. I Love you Lexa!

 

As I Watch You Grow

© Kay Theese

Do you know how much you mean to me?

As you grow into what you will be.

You came from within, from just beneath my heart

it's there you'll always be though your own life will now start.

You're growing so fast it sends me awhirl, 

With misty eyes I ask, Where's my little girl?

I know sometimes to you I seem harsh and so unfair, 

But one day you will see, I taught you well because I care.

The next few years will so quickly fly, 

With laughter and joy, mixed with a few tears to cry.

As you begin your growth to womanhood, this fact you must know, 

You'll always be my source of pride, no matter where you go.

You must stand up tall and proud, within you feel no fear, 

For all you dreams and goals, sit before you very near.

With god's love in your heart and the world by its tail, 

You'll always be my winner, and victory will prevail.

For you this poem was written, with help from above, 

To tell you in a rhythm of your Mother's heartfelt Love!

Source: As I Watch You Grow, Daughter Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/as-i-watch-you-grow#ixzz1wvxmnPjG 

www.FamilyFriendPoems.com 

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God 

and die to find out there isn't, 

than live my life as if there isn't 

and die to find out there is." ~ 

I feel and believe that God is a universal force, God is a he and a she and a we. You may call God "God", "Being", "Universe", "Allah", "The Allmighty", etc. (How many names really are there for God?) I am of a belief that they are all one in the same. My God is no better than your God, and your God is no different than mine. My God Loves you for you and me for me. We are all One with God.

Here is an example of what God is to me: 

Imagine a Mighty Oak tree, big and beautiful. Well this oak was cut and mitred and turned into a desk, a picture frame, a beautiful hand carved statue and countless other things. These pieces and parts of the Mighty Oak were separated, never to be together again. BUT aren't they still a "piece" of that Mighty Oak. They all are still a part of what they once were, and that is you and me. We ALL are part of what we once were.

I have been debating in my head how exactly I would like this blog to play out, and to be honest I have no idea! I guess I will just have to type it and say whatever happens, happens! (It's hard to let go of control.)

(I wrote this 2 days ago and just could not finish or publish it, then amazingly I read this post by Kyle Cease on Facebook) I am now (timidly) ready to start.

"I know most people don't care about this, however if you experienced this it would be the ONLY thing you care about. This process has been the craziest experiment of my life. I am writing new material by riffing it over and over into a camera on skype for different groups of people. Everytime someone hears it, they laugh so hard at me and I suddenly get into state and add the funniest stuff to it. the jokes start evolving on their own. IT is such a fascinating process. It's also causing me to really feel a new level of confidence. I start delivering the jokes with this different force behind me and mixing it with what I am truly feeling in that moment. Here is what I am getting from this. If you are sad in ANY WAY at all. Start to write your thoughts out and keep going. every single thought you have. Watch as you observe the thoughts as you write and realize that it is just a thought. DO NOT ANALYZE. The mistake of analyzing is you are under the illusion that what is happening in the current moment is how it will be at the end. (I can't think of anything good to write about so the book is going to be stupid) Analyzing would be like analyzing working out versus working out. No matter how much you analyze, you will not get fitter. Analyzing is control. You aren't trusting, you are trying to see it. Everytime I riff to people on skype, I feel different, more confident and better. Also after now doing this for 5 people, I am addicted. It's like when you go to the gym for a couple weeks. You want to go again. But when you start, you don't. Starting is 90 percent of this. Show up and be ok with the struggle, the not knowing, the letting go of certainty. Get excited about not knowing. Practice showing up and doing it more. I have no clue where this is going to go. If I did, there would be no room for surprises. JUST Start without knowing. You are analyzing this right now. Start and keep going only. Either you are working out, or gaining weight. You don't need therapy, or motivation. Just start."


Thank you Kyle Cease for your Amazing words! 

Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.
Euripides



Too true, just be cautious whom you "entrust" that wisdom to. Which brings this next quote to mind:

Believe nothing, 

no matter where you read it,

or who said it,

no matter if I have said it,

unless it agrees with your own reason

and your own common sense.

Too many times in my life have I done things because I "should" do them... and it has bitten me in the ass (to be quite literal). So I am learning to follow my own inner guidance. This journey of life is not an easy path to take, but I know through listening to my inner wisdom, and realizing that I can NOT change circumstances that my path through life can become one of acceptance. Now again I come to another quote or "prayer" shall we say:

Wow, that was fun! Going from one meaningful quote on to the next! I can see this becoming, if nothing else, a place of respite for me. I just pray it reaches others and can touch more lives than just mine.

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains 
And we never even know we have the key.
Lyrics from Already Gone, peformed by the Eagles for their 1974 On the Border album


Music holds many truths, if you take the time to Hear what it is trying to say.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman


My dream is to help others achieve their dreams. My dream is to teach others how to believe in themselves enough that their dreams start to materialize in front of their eyes. I have seen it in my own life in smaller increments. Yet, I still feel deeply that there is a piece of me missing. I am creating this blog to hopefully fulfill that longing. I dream of being a catalyst in peoples lives. Helping others understand the world the way I do. I see in this world, beauty beyond measure in all things. I see pain in this world, but it is here to teach. I see Joy in the smallest of snickers from my child. I am happy to be on this planet right now and want you to know that you can be happy too. So here it begins? Don't know what it will be, don't know why, but all I do know is that I am in Love already! 

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. 
Winston Churchill


I thought this was a good start to my blog, because I debate with myself daily about whether or not to do or say this or that. So this gave me the inspiration to do and be what I need to be!