Laine's Blog, Thinking Out Loud

Sunrise...

 

Sunshine

Moonshine

Earthshine...

Let your light shine!

 

 

 

 

St. Augustine Inlet 

©LaineQuinn 2024

 

 

Yesterday...

 

The beauty around us 

No matter where you are

 There is beauty around you!

 

 

 

 

The Inlet St. Augustine

©LaineQuinn 2022

That Light...

 

 

The way the light catches the sails

at a certain time of day...

it's irresistible,

delicious,

wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Schooner Freedom returning to safe harbor.

©LaineQuinn 2022

 

 

 

The Language of Love...

 

 

Resembling luminescent jewels,

the colors of the ocean at sunset

on a calm evening,

raise the spirit,

like the sails of a great ship filling with a welcome breeze.

 

Filling the heart with Love!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

 

St. Augustine Beach, 2.10.14.

Reprinted from Laine's blog, 2014, with additions!

©LaineQuinn2022

It's A Lie...

 

It is a lie - any talk of God

that does not

comfort

you.

 

 

 

 

 

Poem by Meister Eckhart, 13th century mystic, translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

From the Penguin publication, Love Poems From God, Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West.

Copyright © 2002 Daniel Ladinsky and used with his permission.

 

Re-Posted from Laine's Blog, November 2012

 

It is a lie - any talk of God

that does not

comfort

you.

 

 

 

 

 

Poem by Meister Eckhart, 13th century mystic, translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

From the Penguin publication, Love Poems From God, Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West.

Copyright © 2002 Daniel Ladinsky and used with his permission.

 

Gratitude...

 

Grateful for all the people who have come and gone in my life

and helped me to become the person I am today -

for better or worse!

 

Grateful for all the things that are going right in my world -

and there are many.

 

Grateful as always for the sun and moon and stars,

for blue skies and rain and trees and flowers.

 

We are all made of the same star stuff -

the same stuff.

 

All one.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

 

 

Sunrise, St Augustine Beach

©LaineQuinn2021

Egret With Fish...

 

 

Does the Egret apologize to the fish?

Is the fish feeling like a victim, getting angry and huffy?

These two marvelous creatures are

  living and dying on the same page.

No apologies.

No blame.

When we seek honestly that which nourishes us,

we thrive.

 

 

 

Reprinted from Laine's Blog, October, 2011

©LaineQuinn 2011

What I know...

 

What I know - what I know is -

Love will find a way.

 

Conflict in your life?

Say this -

Love will find a way.

 

Anxious?

Say this in your heart and mind -

Love will find a way.

 

It does.

It will.

 

 

Somehow it opens your heart and reminds you of the love there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a song that goes like the first line of this post but I can't find it!

But there are 2 others with the title of "Love Will Find a Way" by Pablo Cruise and Lionel Ritchie.

In any event, Love will find a way!

©Laine Quinn 2021 Photo of sunrise with steady waves, one after the other, 09/08/2021

Wonderful...

 

Between cloudy nights

and thunderstorm days,

the moon only showed her face two times

for an entire month.

 

But the clouds - the clouds were wonderful!

building each day in the willing sky,

between sun and rain and rainbows!

 

 

 

 

 

©LaineQuinn 2021 Stormy July!

Sometimes...

 

 

Sometimes when I am standing at the water's edge,

looking out over the waves,

I think that I should be having some profound thought

or insight into my life or life in general.

But, I never do.

 

Sometimes I am worried about something.

Sometimes I am not worried!

 

 

Standing there or walking,

loving the wind on my face and the waves bumping into each other

and the low ceiling of clouds moving overhead -

it is enough -

more than enough.

 

Just being there!

Yes,

it is plenty!

 

 

 

 

©LaineQuinn 2020

Waves at Vilano Beach, Egrets and Pelicans and Gulls in the distance and Dolphins and fish swimming below!

 

Hidden Gifts...

 

 

 

What I have been trying not to say out loud,

is that there are blessings or gifts hidden in tragedies,

and these gifts may not be obvious for some time to come,

but they are there.

 

If we can make a commitment not to let the anger and helplessness

allow us to disconnect,

and instead turn to our friends and families,

and really see them in that deep way that keeps love alive,

then that compassion spreads to our neighbors, and the person behind the counter,

and we become part of the force that moves us away from the madness,

and towards creating a loving and compassionate world.

 

Be gentle with each other and kind and open.

 

 

 

 

 

Reprinted from Laine's Blog, 4/2013 and 6/2016

 

More Light After a Storm...

 

 

St. Augustine Harbor

looking east, with the sun low in the west

lighting up the sky,

after an afternoon storm.

 

(True Colors!)

 

 

 

 

 

©LaineQuinn 2015 St. Augustine, Florida

 

How Are You Doing?

 

 

It's that time of year -

in a very odd year _

when emotions are raw and memories haunt you.

 

 

 

Riding waves of feelings,

not knowing where they come from,

or why,

or how long,

you hang on.

 

 Storms come and they go,

and you hang on.

You hang on.

 

 

 

 

And they go.

 

 

Life is still life -

imperfectly perfect.

 

Stay safe,

and patient

and perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2020 Laine Quinn

Yikes Stripes!

 

Driving over the bridge to the beach the other night

the sky was strikingly -

 

 

striped!

 

 

 

 

From West to East -

stripes!

 

A pending cold front,

I was informed

and sure enough -

that night was our first cold one - dipping into the 30's.

 

Quite a beautiful, remarkable sight!

 

 

 

 

Vilano Beach, St. Augustine, ©2020 LaineQuinn

 

A Gift!

 

 

Out of nowhere

nature paints a rainbow

coming out of the horizon

and it's just sitting there!

 

I see a guy

coming along in the distance,

too far to shout out

but somehow I get his attention

and point to the rainbow

and he

excitedly

gives me a thumbs up!

 

He saw it too!

 

And

then the little rainbow

just

disappeared!

 

 

 

 

 

Vilano Beach, 11/20/2020

©2020 LaineQuinn

 

 

Everyday...

 

Everyday - at least once a day -

Picture your perfect world.

At least once, for a few minutes or more!

Everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

Vilano Beach Reflection, © 2020 Laine Quinn

Are You Sure?

 

Are you registered to vote?

Are you sure?

In some areas of the country,

if you have not participated in the last one or two election cycles,

you are purged from the voter rolls.

Period.

 

Do not wait for election day to discover that you are the victim of a voter purge.

 

Check ahead of time, like today.

In my county,

you must be registered to vote at least 30 days before an election

in order to participate in that election.

 

So, double check, even if you are sure that you are registered to vote.

Double check!

Call or visit online your Supervisor of Elections

and be sure that you can participate

in the most important presidential election

of your lifetime - so far!

 

 

 

 

Brought to by Laine, in the historic year of 2020.

I Won't Hate You For It...

 

Never met a stranger

 

When I heard that sentiment many years ago,

I spent several days, weeks, months scratching my head.

What on earth did it mean?

 

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks - of course -

none of us are strangers to one another.

As Joni Mitchell put it so many years ago,

 

"I see something of myself in everyone..."

 

All of our vulnerabilities and insecurities,

all of our hubris and self righteousness -

we all share these things.

Anxiety, arrogance, shame, hate, joy, love, ecstasy, balance -

Who hasn't experienced these emotions and lived to see another day?

 

Our humanity is what connects us.

Perfectly imperfect.

 

Some of us love dogs, others cats.

Some people love the ocean

and for others it's the mountains and valleys.

 

I like blue!

What's your favorite color?

(I won't hate you for it!)

 

 

 

Family at the beach ©2020 Laine Quinn

 

Deep Breath...

 

 

Let's be patient with one another.

We are all in this for the long haul

and depend on each other to remain safe and healthy.

Love and kindness are our best tools to see this through.

Love and kindness and patience.

 

Deep breath.

 

 

 

Sunrise, Saint Augustine Beach, Yesterday!

©2020 Laine Quinn

Love...

 

 

"Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this

planet with goodness. Lean toward the whispers of your own

heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates.

Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge.

Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that

the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation

wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and

speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to

peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see,

then the poetry of the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to

manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is

finally at peace with itself."

 

                                                                                   John Lewis

 

 

From his book, Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change,

quoted in a Beautiful tribute to John Lewis in Brain Pickings.

 

Surely he walks with the angels!

 

 

 

 

©2020 Laine Quinn - Sunrise, St. Augustine Beach

 

The Best Way...

 

 

A walk on the beach.

Blue sky

Ocean

Sand

Nature stands by.

Peaceful

Beautiful

Sometimes thundering

 

And what are the humans doing?

 

Try to be nice!

It is the best way.

 

 

 

 

 

©2020 Laine Quinn, St. Augustine Beach, June.

Yoga at the Beach...

 

Full Twist

 

Alternate leg stretch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2020, Laine Quinn Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, St. Augustine Beach

Change...

 

 

Change is in the air.

Compassion and righteous anger are walking the streets of America with Lady Justice.

There will be no turning back these pages of history ourstory -

no matter what the impeached president says or does.

 

Change is in the air.

This isn't 2 dozen people with automatic weapons

standing on the capitol steps

protesting the lock down because of covid-19.

This is thousands and thousands of peaceful Americans

supporting one another and walking together

to protest the racial inequality that permeates our society.

Protesting militant police who murder innocent people for sport.

 

Change is in the air

and it's not going away.

Police are on notice.

States Attorneys are on notice.

We are watching now.

And we are many.

 

Change is in the air.

Stay vigilant.

Stay safe.

Stay together.

 

 

In 1953, Rachel Carson penned this...

 

"It is one of the ironies of our time that,

while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without,

we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within."

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

©Laine Quinn 2020

Take The Day Off...

 

It's Sunday, 

take the day off!

With all of the bad news and incompetence of our government,

and missing being close to our loved ones -

our hearts get heavy.

But that's because of the love in our hearts.

Love and compassion and empathy and sorrow.

So, take a break.

Forget the bad news and focus on the love -

the love inside your Big Heart.

 

 

Love is everywhere evident -

even in this pandemic.

Look inside,

past the confusion and pain,

to the love.

 

That love - your love, my love,

will see us through to the other side of this.

Trust that love.

Feel it.

 

 

 

 

St. Augustine Beach, Sunrise

©2018 Laine Quinn

 

More Praise...

 

 

It's been over a month since I've been to the beach.

Emotions seem to be wrapped up in worry and uncertainty,

and I don't miss it in the usual way.

But I do miss it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©Laine Quinn 2019 St. Augustine Beach, sunrise.

 

In Praise of the Ocean...

 

 

"The shore means many things to many people. Of its varied moods

the one usually considered typical is not so at all.

The true spirit does not reside in the gentle surf that laps

a sun drenched bathing beach on a summer day.

Instead, it is on a lonely shore at dawn or twilight,

or in storm or midnight darkness that we sense a mysterious something

that we recognize as the the reality of the sea.

 

 

For the ocean has nothing to do with humanity.

It is supremely unaware of man..."

 

And the ocean was there at the beginnings of life on earth,

spawning all that we know and recognize as our world,

over many many millions of years.

 

 

"Everything in that scene caused me to feel apart,

remembering that the relation of birds to the sea

is rooted in millions of years,

that man came but yesterday."

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Carson, quoted from the book LOST WOODS The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson, edited by Linda Lear.

 

Photos Credit, © Laine Quinn White Crest, Wellfleet Mass.

and Dark Sky, Herring Cove, Provincetown Mass.

and Black Skimmers, Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Fl.

 

 

Trust Your Feelings...

 

(Sea gull wondering if it is safe to join the others...)

 

*"If social distancing needs to be extended long term,

scientists recommend forming an inner circle of uninfected friends and family

that you can rely on

to maintain social bonds..."

 

Some others call this a pod -

forming a pod of trusted friends and family.

 

But when can we do that?

When is it safe -

when the very best thing we can do is to isolate?

 

Listen to your heart...

when it feels okay,

then wait another week!

If it still feels okay,

take small steps.

Go slowly.

Be sure.

 

Trust your feelings.

 

 

 

 

*Quoted from a CNN article by Ryan Prior.

© 2020 Laine Quinn St. Augustine inlet with the Schooner, Freedom and a gaggle of gulls. Or should I say a pod?

 

We Must...

 

It might happen to you,

like it did to me -

when you're singing along to an old sad song

trying to hold it together -

that's when it might hit you -

or in the middle of nowhere

talking to your friend, husband or wife -

it might boil over the top

and then you're crying-

trying not to cry

because you are safe -

you are home.

 

But you cry because others aren't safe

or home -

but are in harm's way -

in the path of an invisible tsunami.

 

 

We must be safe.

We must take care of each other even from a distance.

And we must find ways to release the pressure valve from time to time

and cry if we can.

 

We are all in this together.

For the long haul.

We must be patient.

We must take good care.

We must.

We must.

 

 

 

 

For all of the people on the front lines risking it all to take care of us.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

 

Laine

 

 

 

Waves on the Horizon, © Laine Quinn2019

Glory Enough...

 

 

In her autobiography, Dust Tracks On A Road,

Zora Neale Hurston, with no disrespect to organized Religion,

states that-

 

"It is simply not for me...

The springing of the yellow line of morning out of the misty deep of dawn,

is glory enough for me."

 

 

 

Amen!

Photo, Crescent Beach, © Laine Quinn 2018, sunrise.

 

Poets...

 

 

Ecola

 

I walked by the sea-creek side.

The wind laughed, the gulls cried.

Sweet water lapped on the salt sand

between the deep sea and the deep land.

                                                Ursula K. LeGuin

 

Years ago, Joseph Campbell told us that the poets would save us.

 

I begin to understand.

 

 

 

From Ursula K LeGuin's book of poems, "Late in the Day."

Joseph Campbell, in his series, "The Power of Myth."

Photo of St. Augustine Beach, ©2020LaineQuinn

 

 

There Is Hope...

 

There is an interview with the Four Women of "The Squad" on Democracy Now.

After reading the transcript of these four diverse women,

at a time when I was getting very disheartened about the state of the country and the world,

I found HOPE!

 

They are, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York,

Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts,

Rashida Tlaib of Michigan

and

Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

These women are on the front lines and they are passionate and positive

and Hopeful!

 

 

So, whatever you do, don't lose Hope.

Hope will get us through.

Love and compassion

and passion for the things we love -

will get us through.

 

 

 

©2020 Laine Quinn, Wild Waves