Hello family and friends! Happy holidays to you all!
It is Monday and I am in desperate need of a bit of reflection. I have had a wonderful holiday season thus far, filled with lots of family and food and drinks and presents and LOVE!!! Which also leaves me rather tired and shy of words. I would like to take a moment to reflect withOUT using words. Enjoy:
This is Pele' rehearsing for his big performance on Christmas eve!! Pele' is a light in my life and inspires me everyday to stay limber, fit and most importantly to SING!!!! I hope you enjoy his performance!
The "holiday spirit"....hhmmm....what does that mean? As Santa would say "Christmas is not a day, it is a state of mind!" This holiday season continues to be a great teacher for me, and what i'm being taught, is to BE THANKFUL!!!
I am thankful for my health, the family I was born into, the family I choose to create, and the friends that help me experience life, so that I may continue to grow. I'm thankful to have a job and a world of opportunities that i'm not even aware of....YET!!! I'm thankful for a voice to sing with, as "when you sing you pray twice...." ......and I like to pray!!!
I wish everyone a very safe and wonderful holiday season! I hope you all enjoyed Pele's singing! We will both be back to sing more very VERY soon!
Howdy folks! This is a post turkey-day jam, filmed somewhere between here and there. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with as much family as possible! First we went to the family farm to visit Grandma, Uncle David, Aunt Cheryl (my God mother) and B-ry, my cousin. Our feast was amazing and so was the booze! The best part about all of this, is my Gma set her "i don't approve" attitude down, and welcomed Becca to our family with arms wide open. Thanks Grandma! I guess I should preface this story by telling you that Gma had a conniption when I told her that Rebecca and I are living together now. Gma has a very traditional stance on all this....."well Brandon, if you love her, why don't you just ask her to marry you!?!?!?!?" You are right Gma, and I will, when the time is right.
The second leg of our Turkey-day extravaganza included much MUCH more driving. We (Rebecca, Alex and I) drove (well, Becca and I drove......hem.....Alex.....) down to Fayetteville NC to visit my little sister Danielle and her boyfriend Andrew. Danielle made so much wonderful food, it was amazing! I am really proud of my little sis....all grown up and baking turkeys!! We had a wonderful Saturday, starting with Beccs and I going for a run and then sharing a bagel! The day quickly moved to all of us enjoying a few day drinks, some OSU kicking Michigan ass, a board game and lots of laughs! And with full belly's, after Danielle and Andrew's wonderfully prepared feast, we watched some Harry Potter. Becs and I were on a "Harryathon" and are now finished. Which means we can go see the new one in theaters now!
I've been spending lots of time reflecting on how blessed I am in life. I have my health, my family and enough love to satiate an entire world's need for affection. I think that is why i've started this blog.....just so I can keep sharing some love.
Back to the beginning.....the song "Priority." This song is a constant reminder that every human's basic needs (food, shelter, water, AIR), are what connects us. ALL OF US! All I want to know, is "What is your Priority?"
The snow is slowly coming, letting us know winter is almost here!! I find great joy being outside (bundled up of course) when the snow is falling. Tis another one of mother natures natural mystics! So before you place cold judgement on snow, put on an extra layer of cloths and get outside and, dare I say it.....PLAY! Or simply be quiet and observe what is happening all around you! Besides, I'm all ready to build another snow fort with Pele' and Anth. I am also definitely ready to shovel the driveway with Becca, as in the long 25 years of her life, she has not yet shoveled ANY snow! That will soon change!
I am at work now (Ben and Jerry's) and am thankful we have great big windows at the front of the store, so I can continue to appreciate the snow that is falling, even from the inside! Besides, not much ice cream to be scooped on this blustery Cleveland day!
I love to sing, but in the recent past, i've needed to be QUIET and listen. There are so many songs being sung at every single moment of the day. A bird chirping outside a window. The quiet breath of a loved one sleeping next to you. The constant trickle of water, filtering in the fish tank. Everything, everyone, has a song to sing.
I was jib jabbing jib jabbing along and could no longer hear the melody that is my song. Once I realized I could no longer hear my melody i'm to be singing, I knew I needed to be listening. During the early morning hours, all through the day and late into the night, I am listening. Now I hear relationships as harmonies. Each person, each spirit, has their own frequency, a vibration, a musical note. When two people come together a melody and harmony are created. Our "musical notes," change constantly and this is where our song lives.
I am so grateful to have Rebecca to sing a song with. Tis our song. She inspires me everyday to be courageous, sing a true melody, and live within OUR harmony. She is a very beautiful spirit and has lots of knowledge and caring to share with the world. Try some of her delicious food recipes and get to know a peaceful and sustainable lifestyle by visiting her blog at http://peacelovebagels.blogspot.com/.
Lets talk about Reiki for a moment. I've been practicing, or tuning in rather, more and more these days/nights, and it feels GREAT. Beccs and I practice regularly together in the mornings and in nights. In light of my "listening" journey, i'm learning to allow the universal energy to not only heal, but be a shield for protection. In this holiday season and all the traveling that comes with it, I pray for EVERYONE to make it to their destinations and home again SAFELY!
