I think we qualify as book lovers. My partner and I collect, gift and write books. The written word is very valuable to us.
As the National Book Lovers Day website proclaims, there are many reasons to love books and collecting books has been around for a long time. See: https://nationaltoday.com/national-book-lovers-day/
Here’s today’s haiku: National Book Lovers Day
You told me, thank you
You wrote me, I will read this
again and again
I grew up in a dog-loving home and never experienced a cat companion. My partner grew up with cats and dogs and has introduced me to the joys of cat companionship. We now have two rescued cats and dogs in our home and we often begin our evenings with all six of us sitting on a couch together.
Today is International Cat Day and there is some very interesting information that is new for me. Did you know that cats have been human companions for 9,500 years, a cat successfully flew into space in 1963 AND petting a cat can produce stress-reducing hormones to improve our mental health? Check it out here: https://nationaltoday.com/international-cat-day/
Here’s today’s haiku for International Cat Day
Silently walking
she brushes up against me
furry love surprise
And here is Lexie and her sister Leezy sharing a living room chair.
I was born in the beautiful tourist town of Traverse City, Michigan. There are many nearby lighthouses that serve as beacons of light to point out the rocky shorelines of Lake Michigan. Mission Point is the lighthouse I have visited most often.
As stated on their website, “Built in 1870, this historic lighthouse is now a museum of local history and culture, and an interesting feature is its unique location. Situated at exactly the 45th parallel between the North Pole and the Equator, the lighthouse was an important warning system for the ships and boats about the treacherous shoals off the coast into the Grand Traverse Bay.” https://cityseeker.com/traverse-city-mi/892742-mission-point-lighthouse
Here is today’s haiku:
A Lighthouse
May we find our light
and serve as a beacon of
hope to each other
In Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Happiness, he identifies Tree Hugging as a happiness practice. Along with describing his own practice with various tree types, he sums up with the statement, “When we touch a tree, we receive something beautiful and refreshing back. Trees are wonderful! They are also solid, even in a storm. We can learn a lot from trees.” (p.155)
Here’s today’s haiku: Tree Hugging
Oxygen sources
life-giving necessity
so grateful for trees
For more information on how much oxygen trees produce see: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-oxygen-trees-make-1343498
For more information on my favorite tree conservancy see: https://www.forestparkforever.org/
Today we remember the passing of Sir Alec Guinness, famous British actor most known for one of his final roles: Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars films. I certainly enjoyed him in that role, but my favorite of his performances was Colonel Nicholson in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai. He won both an Oscar and the BAFTA Best Actor Awards for that role.
Sir Alec received many awards and many more award nominations. See his Wikipedia biography here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Guinness#Awards_and_honours
Here’s today’s haiku:
Thank You Sir Alec
Your acting career
lasted over sixty years –
your art continues
Today is white wine day. I’m not a wine connoisseur or sommelier but I know someone who is. This is a gentle callout to Dr Brian Metters aka Dr B, the author of a very fine book It’s Not About the Wine! (c) 2020. I haven’t finished his book yet but he’s already mentioned many fine white wines. I wonder what his recommendation might be for today.
Today’s haiku is based on a quote from Dr B’s book and, more specifically, Olivier Magny, (p.10 and 305).
National White Wine Day
Many wines to taste
but the people, the moment,
make the difference.
Here’s to you Dr B.
For more information about this holiday see: https://nationaltoday.com/national-white-wine-day/
For more information about Dr B’s book see: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Wine-philosophy/
As many of you know, I love to walk dogs, especially shelter dogs who are awaiting their “furever” homes. Unfortunately, some of the older, “less cute”, dogs may wait a long time before they’re adopted. These dogs are so sweet and so appreciative of whatever attention they receive. They do make wonderful companions.
All dogs, adopted or not, eventually die. They and their human companions may struggle in their final days of life. This struggle can be honored and supported by chaplains.
This month I am preparing to begin my interspecies/interspiritual animal chaplaincy training program. It begins in September and ends next June 2023. (For more information on the program see: https://www.compassionconsortium.org/)
Here’s today’s haiku: Animal Chaplaincy
Watching a loved one
suffer is never easy.
Help them if you can.
I will share more about this topic and training in the months to come but first, below is a picture of the most recent dog to inspire my participation.
Etta Pearl, a blind, deaf Min-Pin Doxie
Sometimes, you just have to take a break, take a risk, and go on an adventure.
Visiting my daughter and her family, we were fortunate to get a last-minute reservation for ziplining in Redwood country. We went on the Tree Tops Tour: 250 feet above the forest floor and up to 40 mph. Seven zip lines, two sky bridges and a 45-foot final rappel. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!
Here’s today’s haiku: Zip a dee doo dah Day
Zip fear – unzip your
freedom – go soaring through the
Sonoma Redwoods
You can be sure; I was very mindful regarding every instruction offered and every takeoff and reentry.
For more pictures and information see: https://www.sonomacanopytours.com/
BTW: Here’s my certification of bravery 🙂
Today is the universal birthday for all shelter dogs. Unfortunately, some dogs find themselves placed in a rescue shelter with no information available about their past, their birthdate or even their name. And yet, these sentient beings still have hope that someday they will help create a new interspecies family with the very fortunate human who chooses them.
I am fortunate to be a weekly volunteer for a canine rescue shelter in St. Louis, Missouri. Our interspecies family currently includes two adopted rescued dogs. We don’t know their actual birthday so we will celebrate it today 🙂
Today’s haiku for DOGust 1st.
Unconditional
love is a very rare joy –
adopt shelter dogs
For more information about this holiday see https://nationaltoday.com/dogust-universal-birthday-for-shelter-dogs/
For more information about Stray Rescue of St. Louis see https://www.strayrescue.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croagh_Patrick
Today is Reek Sunday, aka Garland Sunday, the day for a pilgrimage climb in NW Ireland. This day honors the summit made by St. Patrick which led to his expelling of snakes from the island.
Expelling “snakes” from our geography and our mind sounds like a worthy activity. To learn more about this annual religious event see: https://nationaltoday.com/reek-sunday/
Accordingly, today’s haiku is Croagh Patrick
Rise above the snakes –
expel them from your life here
and now and again
Note: Ireland is a beautiful place to visit. I have visited three times to-date. However, we don’t have to make our snake-ridding-pilgrimage-climb on the Emerald Isle. We can make the symbolic climb every day, wherever we find ourselves.
Life Matters 