Tag: nature quotes

Mount Charleston (NV)

Sagittarius Viking15 Comments on Mount Charleston (NV)

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I know that I mentioned during our coffee date last weekend, that I felt a need to get out of the city. Not that unusual..LOL. A day trip during the weekend really does the trick for me. I’d say that I can handle city living pretty good, if I get that thrill most weekends. To be addicted to nature can’t be all that bad. Right?

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It snowed in the mountains surrounding Las Vegas, on Saturday night. We headed up to Mount Charleston, (one of our closest places to enjoy the snow at,) on Sunday. This time it was even more fun than usual, because we didn’t go by ourselves. We went with a great family from Vegas, that both my daughter and I love very much. It was a blast.

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The kids were so happy to play in the snow.

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Both two legged, and four legged kids!

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I’m so grateful that we have the mountains nearby. It really doesn’t matter what mountain it is, the mountains feels like home to me.

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, This is what it is to be happy. – Sylvia Plath

That is exactly how I feel when I get out of the city. Alive. There’s endless studies showing that people who lives close to nature (park/forest,/beach/mountain,) and frequently spend time there, is less likely to get depressed, or suffer anxiety problems. Not that I ever had a severe reaction like that, but still. I can totally understand that relation.

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My German Shepherd shares my opinion. I never see her as happy, as she is when she’s in the mountains.

You already know who my favorite poet it..I feel the power of this well known quote in my soul.

The mountains are calling and I must go. – John Muir 

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Sledding, and snowshoeing are popular winter activities at Mount Charleston. We had a great time playing, and doing some lighter hiking with the kids. I think it was exactly what we all needed to be able to start a new week at our best. (A pretty important week that is. My daughter started a new school, closer to my new home yesterday. Her first day went well. She made some new friends, and said that the school was OK.)

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Where earth meets the sky. 

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It was cold and beautiful.

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir   

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I love the challenge of taking photos of a snowy landscapes. Everything looks so clean, and soft.

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I was so surprised to see a Prickly Pear Cactus peek up through the snow. I didn’t know that they thrived on this elevation. The contrast is rather stunning, don’t you think?

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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. – John Muir 

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I hope you enjoyed this little winter adventure, and some inspiration for your Thursday morning. I can’t believe that it’s almost weekend again!

Not all adventures makes it here to the blog, but I usually post something on Instagram, feel free to follow my explorations in mindfulness there.

Love,

Ms Zen

 

The 3 Day Quote Challenge – Growing Strong Roots

Sagittarius Viking11 Comments on The 3 Day Quote Challenge – Growing Strong Roots

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Laura Bruno Lilly, nominated me for The 3 Day Quote Challenge. Thank you for the nomination, I feel honored. This is day three in the challenge.

The rules for the challenge are:

– Thank the person who nominated you
– Post a quote for three consecutive days (1 quote for each day. I guess I kind of slightly bend, the 1 quote a day rule. I’ve never been good at following rules.)
– Share why this quote appeals to you so much
– Nominate 3 different bloggers for each day

Today I’m bringing you into our classroom. My daughter and I, have been working on a “Tree Theme” project, for a couple weeks. We learned to identify local trees, learned about their place in the eco system, planted trees, propagated trees, and learned about what a tree needs to thrive. Yesterday we finished the theme (for this time,) by painting a tree, showcasing some of the things we learned.

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. – Hal Borland

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Consider a tree for a moment. As beautiful as trees are to look at, we don’t see what goes on underground – as they grow roots. Trees must develop deep roots in order to grow strong and produce their beauty. But we don’t see the roots. We just see and enjoy the beauty. In much the same way, what goes on inside of us is like the roots of a tree.

– Joyce Meyer

I see my opportunity to be an active part of my daughter’s education as a great blessing. I take my responsibility very seriously. I have a background as a teacher, and I have a BA in Early Childhood Education, still I spent a lot of time thinking of different aspects of her education. It’s less routine, and more feel, when it’s your own child. I can build our school days around her interests, but I have to make sure I cover everything she needs to live a successful life. I think about this a lot.

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A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. – Marcus Garvey

I believe a good education needs to include all of this, which is without a limit, when you think about it. So much to consider. Time, a lot of time, with my daughter, is my best help in achieving this. The best opportunities to learn is seldom in the classroom, which I realized when I started to work as a teacher years ago.

A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. – Alexander Smith

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A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. – Saint Basil

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When you draw or paint a tree, you do not imitate the tree; you do not copy it exactly as it is, which would be mere photography. To be free to paint a tree or a flower or a sunset, you have to feel what it conveys to you: the significance, the meaning of it.

– Jiddu Krishnamurti

I believe a tree, and a child, have many things in common. They obviously have to grow strong roots. They have to be given room to grow, enough space to drink the rays of the sun. They also have to be watered, encouraged, and fed proper nutrients. I think both these processes, the tree growing, and the child growing, are beautiful, worth dedicating a lifetime to.

My next blog post is going to be about an experiment that my daughter and I did, as a part of our Tree Theme. To be continued about that…

 

My three nominees for this last part of the quote challenge is;

Cindy, the beauty she shares, has served as a source of inspiration, for a few years now.

Kathleen, a relatively new blogging friend, who’s interesting thoughts, and life,  captivates me.

Last, but not least, Terri. Her fascinating posts are school examples of a great blog post. Every single one of them. Her photography, and content, are so well balanced, fun, and interesting. I have a lot to learn from her.

I hope you’ll accept the challenge, because I would love to see what you come up with, and I’m sure I’m not alone 🙂

 

Love,

Ms Zen

 

SagittariusViking@gmail.com