I was in the back room, changing a bedspread, and my eyes floated to a stack of books I’ve lugged around since my college days. I picked up the small book Self Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson, sat on the bed, and began re-reading the philosopher’s wise words. Although his diction is heavier than mine, I reminded myself that both of us talk about the same things: self-reliance, the soul, love, gratitude. His famous words rang true: “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.” In other words, it is up to you to make your life happen. Even though one hundred and fifty years separate Ralph and me, we both discuss the same things. Unfortunately, many people do not want to “toil their plot of ground,” and rely on quick fixes. But quick fixes usually don’t work and one finds himself back at the beginning.

So, today, I am following The Way, knowing I am living in the present moment, investing my energy into myself, and participating in meaningful work that adds value to my life and the lives of others. I wish you the same.

November’s first snowfall falls gently and softly outside my studio window. Like a small child, I am excited by the white stuff and anticipating winter’s activities and blessings. Oh, by March I will be weary of the snow and ready for spring, which is extremely fickle in the Sierras and sometimes does not come until late May, but today I am energized. I even pulled out the winter sweaters! This weekend we will dig out the hefty snow blower and unearth the snow shovels.

Watching the snow fall, I am reminded of winter’s blessings–the opportunity for growth and rebirth in the spring. Real transformation needs the darkness as much as the light, for it is in the darkness that the seeds of rebirth germinate and emerge with the light. Now is the perfect time of year to begin following The Way, my recent novel. By investing your energy into yourself, you will begin the real work of the soul and a transformation will take place in the depths of your being. http://supernovel.com/The_Way.htm

And for me, today I am intoxicated with the wonder of the snow and the possibilities that await me.

Glancing at the calendar this morning, I saw the new month. November. Daylight savings ended, but with that this month gave me her gift–another hour of sleep. Unfortunately, she is fickle and I will have to give it back come spring. Even Lulu, my labradoodle puppy, enjoyed the extra hour, languishing in bed, stretching her long legs. Now the days are shorter, the nights colder.  We took a long hike in the mountains and observed the changing landscape. The colorful leaves are floating to the ground. The squirrels are stockpiling nuts, and I think the bear is getting ready to hibernate. (Lulu like scat, but it makes her sick!)  Soon snow will cover the landscape. Nightly my husband will light the fire and its flames will nourish our souls. We will spend more time indoors, perhaps at the piano, reading a good book, (he likes action books while I devour lengthy novels built around characterization) working on our art, or just enjoying the smell of the logs burning brightly. The barbecue will be silenced as snow will cover the patio and I will revert to the standard winter fare: soups, stews, roasts in the clay pot, and pasta.

Late fall and winter’s gifts are quieter than spring and summer’s. Now is the time of year to go into your self, the time of year the Divine has so cleverly crafted so that you will invest in your self, your soul, your real essence. Wholeness is born in your soul. Living causes fragmentation as everyone/thing vies for a part of you. But Nature has the answer–the shortening of the day. This allows us all to invest our energy into our souls, so we will be reborn when the daffodils shyly poke their heads up through the melting snow.