My husband and I have been listening to lectures by Anthony de Mello, a spiritual teacher and psychotherapist from the former century. One of his teachings is to commune with nature in order to be able to observe the wonders of creation. Watching nature shows us how insignificant we are in the vast universe. And if we are insignificant, so are our worries and other emotions. My husband and I have done nature walks for as long as we can remember, but newly we pause now and then to observe something interesting on the way. Once we spotted a little gray snail climbing up a branch of a low bush. Of course,...

We had planned a nature walk up the Zadnjica valley from 645 meters above sea level to 980 m a.s.l. the day before. Both numbers are written on signs by the walking path. It is a slow ascent from 2116 to 3215 feet. After all, it is a valley and as such cannot rise up too steeply. We had not set the alarm clock, but somehow we had set our “inner-clocks” and woke up at 7:30, when we had originally planned. I was so sleepy that I wanted to tell my husband to cancel the trip, but I got up anyway. An inner voice told me to move my buttocks. Eventually we got up early enough and set foot early enough to...

Twinkling lights amongst twigs – Twinkling lights in the eyes of kids. Let’s make this world better To hear the children’s laughter.   I wish you a happy and healthy New Year!   Take care, Helena Smole, author of: – a fantasy novel with romance Vivvy and Izzy the Dwarf: A series about relationships – Balancing the Beast, a book offering a bright view of schizoaffective disorder ˗ bipolar or manic-depressive type

The baking goodies haze And the wishes and presents maze – All here to amuse us, Inspire us, beguile us. The time of long darkness waves its hand – Longer days making us all content.   Take care, Helena Smole, author of: – a fantasy novel with romance Vivvy and Izzy the Dwarf: A series about relationships – Balancing the Beast, a book offering a bright view of schizoaffective disorder ˗ bipolar or manic-depressive type ...

There goes a caressing autumn breeze. Shorter days calm our hearths and the bees. The miracle of brighter red hues When the sky has the cloudy blues. The contrast of reddish-brown leaves To the dark grey clay under our heals. Green overgrown façades turning red – What placating places to go to bed. Spring and summer blossoms Give the palette of thousands of shades, While autumn’s tints are mellow – The sisters of orange, red and yellow. The stern defiance of the river Despite the changes even to quiver. There goes a caressing autumn breeze. Shorter days calm our hearths and the...