How Mother Nature Compensates

Been reposting for a few weeks. Am travelling often, for a class, trying to take care of some pending things.  So in between towns. And hardly have the time to write.  Also, some of those old posts are really relevant.

I have several posts in mind.  But might have to do with some re-postings until mid-december.  The thing is that I have been writing, publishing--both academic and non academic and have done some creative writing.  But the best part is that i am working heavily with my youtube channel. I get no money for these things, including the creative writing, but they are such a joy.  May be some day I will have a side income but I do it because it calls me. 

Have been going through some internal churning.  And have had posts about that in mind. They will follow.

Academic publications are doing well.  I got about 4 this year. Btw, it takes about 2-3 years to get one out.  So you can imagine the huge sigh that I let out when that happened.  Non academic--four publications so far---and about 25 new blog posts--or more may be.

About 4 short new videos and working on a longer one.

I never thought of myself as a writer. But when I look back, I write ALL the time. And have written ever since i can remember. 

Journals, gratitude journals, letters, poems, stories, speeches, scripts for videos and plays and what not...

Only recently have I realised how integral writing has been to my life. Look at this blog--I have had it for exactly 10 years.  Zero money. I do not even publicise it.

I look at the picture above --and see how mother nature compensates.  

Loosing light is not that pleasant and so mother nature fills our days with color.  Much of green turns into yellow, red and orange.  

So mother nature compensates in so many in our real lives as it does in nature. 

How does mother nature compensate when so much is going on, and in many ways life is not complete and questions of life keep knocking at us?

Well, little things.  Little things that fall into place.  And some joys that we never get paid for but those that bring us satisfaction.

Writing, teaching, drawing, painting, making short films are some such things for me. I get little money back, but I get to write, document and then sometimes share.

The satisfaction of creation. 

And keeping us connected to wonder---autumn for me is that--reflecting and being grateful!!  Light keeps reducing --now it gets dark around 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm depending on which city I am. I must have four layers.  But it is the need for warmth that keeps us indoors and its mother nature's way of forcing us to reflect.  Then snow descends on us --bringing us white, to replace the light!!  Thankyou mother nature, for taking care of us--

Thank you all for reading!!

Packing up summer paraphernalia

First published on 17th October 2010, my first year in Sweden--it is that time of the year.  Although summer things got packed about a month ago.  And now, be ready for some more pictures of autumn and soon winter!!

You know what this post reminds me of--how when I came here from Fiji, how excited I was about the change of seasons.  I was back in my Pennsylvania days, a place I loved so much. I am not really bored with yet, but very aware of how paralysed we are in winter with regards to movement and experiencing life.  So, hmmm, things to think about!!

October 1, 2010. Taking away planters that were brought out in spring. No more flowers. Not for a few months. You gotta miss Fiji now. What if we did not have flowers sometimes. We always had green. White and brown is what we count on this side of the world. For about 6 months :(( But believe me, in the middle of it, there are times, when you cannot but admire that as well....

Turkish Men sit for a chat outside the local grocery shop. A weekend ritual. Yes, I did ask for permission. And the middle one nodded politely and said, "As you wish".

I did wish to get the picture, and here it is....Notice the grandeur of latter years of life. Written all over their relaxed way of looking at the camera. No cares, all the difficult times of decision making and choices behind them. Makes you look forward to winter...of life...

Autumn Aura

First published on October 17, 2010.  Here it is as we end October and move into really cold November with sleet and snow.  Here is how warm looking it can be even in October!

Sada Mohalla (Punjabi). Vårt grannskap (Swedish). Nuestro barrio (Spanish). Our neighborhood. See those Orange leaves??

They indicate autumn. The stubborn green ones are still holding on. Normally, this street is filled with children running up and down. Playing hopskotch. In spring and summer, you will often find huge drawings on the street, with colored chalks. Since I know only a few words in Swedish, every time I see the kids I say, 'Hej, Hej', meaning hello. Hej Då (good bye). Vi sees! (see ya).

Notice the berries here. They are not edible, but they do have another purpose. Soon as the tree starts to shed, the remaining berries stand out. The number berries is an indicator of the strength of winter. The higher number of berries the colder the winter.

I still do not know the name of this tree. I have noticed that in many countries. I often ask what tree or flower is this. People just shrug. And then we worry about our environment. We need to be taught these things in schools. Although I am told that they have something of the sort in Sweden. Where school kids are taken in the woods and taught about plants, all the time learning to not be afraid of getting their hands dirty.

And so the leaves are quickly leaving us. Here a leaves-poor tree tries to smile back through a few colorful leaves. Every time I see leaves clinging to branches, fluttering in the wind, I think of 'The Last Leaf.', a story by O' Henry.

Now this is color. I have to say, that colors here are not as rich as that I have seen in Pennsylvania or Virginia or New York. May be its different outside of Karlstad it is different, but here the cold came in too quickly. So much so that the the trees you see in the following picture, taken barely a week ago, are already bald now :((

We are expecting snow this thursday!! Please visit us......:))