Well, here I am…actually on a flight to Sedona. Haven’t been here since December 2013 and I do miss the way I feel when I’m amidst the vortexes… US Airways has a wonderful pre-TSA check-in for their usual fliers, and so off I go keeping on my shoes, having my bags closed…the way flying used to be in the day…Looking back, it almost seems like an era of innocence when we boarded almost effortlessly, and could see the pilot from most crevices on the aircraft…
I’m excited to actually stay in my home (which is usually rented) for two weeks, the longest I’ve stayed amongst the Red Rocks of Arizona. Carpets need to be replaced; there are some repairs and touch-ups I need to supervise, so more than usual, this is a working vacation.
I’ve decided that my morning will be devoted, first, to meditation and exercise for the first hour. Working on my blog comes next until I post on Monday. Afterwards, I will meet and speak with contractors. Once I handle this responsibility, I will see friends and my 92-year-old neighbor, H, who is selling her house to move to a more structured living situation. I’ll miss her gentle presence and natural beauty. As I write, I am still on my flight and my window seat has a striking view of the clouds.
We are cruising at 30,000 feet and it looks the way heaven is portrayed in Hollywood –suspended, billowing tufts of cotton candy…so peaceful and serene. On my left is a couple that seems to be so much in love. At first I thought they were newly-weds, but no wedding rings are displayed. For a time he had his head, on a pillow, in her lap. They kissed sweetly and after chatting, began to read, he on his kindle and she with her book. Later, she rested on his lap. So romantic is the new, fertile relationship…
Endless, beautiful clouds adorn a blue-sky — I feel so relaxed and I haven’t arrived yet. It’s 3:19 EST (12:19 Sedona time) and I hear the roar of the plane’s engines. Been in and out of a light sleep, lulled by the motion and the thought that I’ll soon stay in my second home for the first time in almost 4 years. (A lodge in the Village of Oak Creek suits me when people occupy my home.)
Touch down is smooth. (My compliments to the pilot.) Off I go to catch the airport shuttle for my Alamo rental car. They are very pleasant, as usual, offering me a complimentary bottle of water. The agent answered my questions as she led me to my white Hyundai, telling me that the dashboard, gas gauge has an indicator (like triangle on its side), which points to the location of the gas tank. Useful knowledge!
In my air-conditioned vehicle moving through some rush-hour traffic, I shake off any tension from my travels and settle into cruising at 55-75 miles per hour, the highway speed limits. I’ll be in Sedona in two hours, going directly to Crystal Magic to purchase white sage for smudging my home. (It’s a good idea, because it clears energies and restores balance, sort of like giving the abode a spa treatment.) Don’t remember what time they close, but I arrive at 7 p.m. or so. All is well. I say hello to Robert, the manager, and promise to return, to chat, when I have more time. No worries. Next stop is New Frontier, a haven for organic produce and foods that are treated with care…I’ll shop at Bashas’, a local, family-run supermarket, tomorrow for the rest of my goods.
My dinner of salad is delicious. I look around my favored dwelling and, I must say, it looks sad — energy from angst and disappointments. I can’t find a print that hung over the fireplace and there are other knickknacks, glassware gone missing. I’ll think about that tomorrow. I feel a mild loss, but retire to my very comfy bed – a king size – and sleep well.
SATURDAY, AUSUST 2
I awake at 5 a. .m (8 a. m EST). When I open the blinds and curtains, a nurturing burst of natural light streams throughout, bouncing off surfaces, and connecting to the skylight-sunbeams, forming an alternate source of energy. There is very little need to turn on person-made lighting! The quiet is amazing and tranquil. Neighbors walk their dogs but I hear nothing. A pretty cat strolls across my front flora and scampers away when I tap on the window. In Phoenix, it was 100 degrees F when I stepped out at 4 p.m. yesterday. Sedona, at over 4,000 feet altitude, is cooler by ten degrees, but central A/C is the norm.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Carpet samples are to be delivered to my neighbor, H, before 1:30, but we miscommunicate and I don’t receive them till much later in the day. I feel stressed by this because I have to make a decision on which floor covering to order so that the installation is complete while I am here. I busy myself at Home Depot, returning to find H walking toward my car in her attempt to bring them to me. Whew, I have them in my hands. Let me share my thoughts/actions as this delay caused me confusion and this mild complication tested my faith that my efforts will be supported by Universe.
How would I make all of this happen when I didn’t know which carpet I wanted, and still had to order it from California or Georgia? Where was H? (She left her home because her Open House was scheduled.) I thought she would call me when the samples arrived. (She received them; seeing no lights from my abode, presumed I was elsewhere.) Moving away from ‘thinking,’ and wanting to be proactive, I shopped and compared household items in the next town over. This jaunt was crucial to me in changing the frequency of my negative thinking. Changing my focus to a productive task helped calm me. I also had to let go of an attachment to my time frame. The task was to catch my breath, that is, to be mindful of my breath in all of the possible meanings! Mission accomplished…
SUNDAY, August 3rd
The persistent rain continued throughout the night, tapping on my skylights. As I write, the sky is gray and I realize that we need this rain to dampen the earth. I am happy for the earth and us…
At 11 or so, the sun came out so beautifully! I arrive for my appointment with the owner of a carpet shop at 12:00. The store was closed, but the accountant, G (whom I had spoken to several times on the phone), happened to see me as she was driving by, and came with her granddaughter in tow to open the store. I was shown where the carpet section was and did some research. The owner never arrived despite our calls to him. Well, the need for compassion follows me everywhere, even in Sedona. I felt blessed that G was nearby to open the store for me. Otherwise, I would have been standing in the hot, Arizona sun for a while.
Just a reminder that it’s August 2nd and I haven’t made a flooring choice. Nothing has been ordered. Let me get back to my faith that all will fall into place. I’ve been able to step back to find reassurance. So far, this has been the challenge of this trip – to stay in compassion as uncertainty surrounds me. This is another reminder that compassion is an every-day experience!
I am pleased about my reaction to being forgotten by the contractor, and with my response when the carpet samples reached me willy-nilly. These are the opportunities for growth…daily…in the most usual circumstances…we choose to be aligned with our Higher Self, or off balance. I’ve shared (See blog: “Summer of ’14; “Not Fun___) my off-balance interactions, and there have been many others.
As I rearrange my townhouse, I see it coming back to life. Two, new plants and some clippings from my patios bring color and serenity into the space. More of my energy resides here, now. Love, peace, and bliss come to me. I feel rejuvenated and very able to discuss details with my freelancers.
Oh Yes, it is relaxing to be in this metaphysical paradise…….
Speak to you on August 18…
Enjoy the summer,
Linda
#airways #flights #travel #redrocks #arizona #sedona #desert #rentalcars #driving #sky #carpet #offbalance #rejuvenated
