Over the years, whenever something began showing up in my work with clients, I always looked for more information to address the issue in a knowledgeable, grounded way. That's how I got into animal communication, that’s also what brought me to Betsy Bergstrom, an expert who has developed unique shamanic training in psychopomp*, curse unraveling and compassionate depossession.
Spring has FINALLY sprung! As is typical in Michigan, we get teased with one nice day at 55 degrees, then several days of cold, wet rain/snow mix with nighttime temps below freezing. Typically, we have cloud cover from October until March, so ANY sunshine is like a miracle. No coats and shorts on some people at 65 degrees!
I spent the past two weeks in Perú, far from the snow and cold of home. While I usually have a small group with me, this trip was just for me, reconnecting with friends and family— I have two goddaughters, Hilayne, 27, whom I have known since she was 7, and Urpi, who is an exuberant 7 year old—the photo is a day of visitation with her family in the high Andes. (I’m the one underneath the pile of kids.) It was also an opportunity to reconnect with the beautiful Andes mountains and the amazing flora and fauna of the Peruvian summer. All photos used in this newsletter edition are from the trip.
Snow days are special. They release us from our usual obligations and force us to slow down, maybe even take a break from our busy lives. I look forward to them, enjoying the peace, stillness and beauty of everything covered in snow. As I write this, we anticipate we’ll get to 10” of snow (drifting 14”) by tomorrow. I feel very cozy inside.
I love winter, and as long as the sun is shining, I don’t care how cold it gets—mostly. We’ve had a taste of below zero temperatures this year, so the barn cats, Charlie and Lester, were brought into the laundry room along with their little house with heated floor. They’ve been really good sports about it. Both seniors, their arthritis is bad in cold, damp weather, so they like not having the pain. And WE like not having to make the 800 yard trip to the barn on the icy driveway, so everyone wins.
We just had our first big snow, about two inches. Beautiful. The rainbow appeared after a shower of sleet, followed by the snow. K’i, our youngest horse, always used to act like it was the first time she had ever seen snow, when the barn door was pulled open to reveal the white stuff. I loved the look of wonder on her face.
Stitch eats the snow as he runs to retrieve his ball. What a clown! He will be a year and a half old in December, and is still such a puppy! He gives us so much joy with his antics.
With cooler weather arriving, we’re finally able to do the gardening without being eaten alive. Preparing to winterize the trees and the tiny house—ladybugs have taken over! We dehydrated apple slices—LOTS of them, and will start on the pears soon. I’m going to plant garlic for the first time this year—can hardly wait to see what happens.
As we feel autumn in the cool air, it is bittersweet. The horses loved the shift, running, playing, and embodying the crispness and relief from the heat. I miss their seasonal energy, finding joy in the memories.
I love fall colors. Now, so many blooms—asters, goldenrod, some phlox fooled by the cooler nights, thistles’ furry heads of brilliant purple. How wonderful to watch the color pallette change across seasons. Time to plant bulbs at the tiny house.
Nature is so abundant. With all of the rain and heat, our apple trees are nearly bent to the ground. I’ve recruited neighbors and friends to come help themselves so we don’t lose branches like we did a few years back. When I was a child, my family always chose the hottest day of the year to do canning—looks like i’ll be carrying on that tradition!
I’M CELEBRATING a new Facebook page for Heart to Heart. I invite you to celebrate with me by posting a photo/story of your animal friend or a beautiful experience in nature on the Heart to Heart Facebook page.
