Message from the Mountain

A memory popped up on my computer from 2014 of our friend Lisa sitting on the old mill stone working with a client outside our house. After she passed almost two years ago, I decided to create a space at the Center where her sprit could live on. I think we all carry spirits of others who positively impressed us that we continue to share.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Several giant mulleins grow on the edge of the Lupine Field. Their stalks, flowers gone, are filled with seeds and standing tall above the other plants. They are considered very medicinal by those who know how to use them. I do not, so I just appreciate them and, for me, Nature itself has a healing energy.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

When I see orbs in photos, I often wonder if there is a mystical explanation for them. Some people believe it is energy from the place where it was taken; a spirit manifesting; or just dust on the camera lens. Each person has their own explanation for what they are seeing in the picture. It is all mystical to me.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

We went up the mountain to get a better view of the 20% eclipse of the early afternoon, which we watched through our special glasses. The light didn’t actually change much; just a little darkness on a clear afternoon. I was reminded that we do not always recognize changes taking place around us unless we remain vigilant.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Lori has made a lot of improvements to the Ormond Gardens at the center this year. It is still a work in progress with the next step to lay down some black paper and cover it with wood chips. Life is a daily work in progress as we learn more about being in tune with our soul’s purpose.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

This year has seen a lot of sky dramas in this country as well as a good part of the world. We have experienced hurricanes and blizzards and tornados, as well as smoke from out-of-control forest fires in the west and Canada. Our connection to our belief through our hearts can help find some peace through all the dramas in life.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

One of my favorite lilies and one of the last to flower in August is the “resurrection lily”. I love its color, and when it comes into bloom, my heart overflows with gratitude for the beauty that nature provides. My goal is to channel that feeling into my daily routine and to share it with others throughout the day.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The tall common phlox is now in bloom, welcomed by those that are looking towards fall; a reminder to get prepared. I choose to see the beauty of the moment, the flower. Each moment does have beauty in it for those who focus on the positive.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Many small towns in New Hampshire have a tradition called “Old Home Week “, established over a hundred years ago to encourage citizens who may have moved away to reconnect. Community connection is a positive way to maintain an old relationship or create a new one.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There are a couple of clumps of long stalk purple flowers, which I believe are called Anise Hyssop, making their presence known in the gardens at the Center. I love how all the varieties come together to create an inviting landscape for people and insects that gather their pollen. A life filled with varieties can help us grow in our soul’s garden.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Lori planted three containers of annuals recently at the Center. As the perennial lilies begin to fade, these annuals should flower all the way through the fall and add bright spots of color to the landscape. Some people have a perennial view year after year, while others seem to change. It’s all a part of the garden of life.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There is a term here in New England called “Yankee Ingenuity” that describes a person’s ability to come up with alternative ways to make things useful. This ability is true all over the world, and we are using it to repurpose old books to fill low places in one of our new trails. Everyone uses it when they find ways to solve problems for the greater good.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

We both give and receive acts of kindness from others. The other day my wife received a bouquet of flowers from a former student of mine. It brought a huge smile to her face. A gift of kindness can be a simple smile or a kind word that makes a difference in a person’s day. When we receive an act of kindness, we can share that love with others.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Our local historical society’s exhibit this year features collections that its residents have amassed over the years. I have a collection of antique brass instruments there which I have been collecting since I was a teenager. I do have a purpose in mind; to have enough for a band to play music from the late 1800s. If our purpose creates positivity for others, that would be a great way to collect.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

August is the favorite month for many people. The days are still warm and the shorting daylight helps provide cool nights The goldenrod is in full bloom, and each day provides a wonderful opportunity to pause for a moment, take in the beauty that surrounds us and feel gratitude in our hearts and be a conduit for loving energy that can positively touch others’ lives.www.michaelhathaway.comSupport the show

The Hosta plants with their big leaves are an important component to our flower gardens. They have small blue flowers that can easily be overlooked when close to other plants with large flowers. In life one does not have to have a big showy ability to make a contribution to the garden of life. It is the positive intentions that count.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The red daisy-type flowers growing in the garden at the center add spice to the other varieties flowering there. The more variety of experiences we have in life, the more spice is added to our Soul’s experience.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

I have many cherished finds in my life that fill my heart with gratitude every day, like the single pink bee balm growing in the Orchard from a seed that was transplanted there by birds or the wind. Its seeds now may grow and spread. I cherish people whose positivity helps spread the seeds of love.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Many of the lupine in the field have now gone to seed. Nature’s investment in the future has begun. The seeds will scatter over the next month, seeking fertile soil to grow new plants next year. Some of the seeds will travel way beyond the field. Every day we have the opportunity to scatter seeds of love and positivity, creating new growth in a world seeking and needing lovewww.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

I got very little done on the property during the month of July, leaving the grass growing on the drive and around the cabin looking like a hayfield. Thankfully, my son trailered the riding lawn mower to the Cabin and gave the grass a much needed trim. There are a lot of things in life that can get overgrown when we forget to pay attention to them.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

I have learned that if one believes in doing something for the greater good of others, the process may take several steps. That is the case with many things at the Center including the Peace Garden where our sister nonprofit recently hosted a little concert in the woods.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There are different opinions on how accurate history really is. Some would like to create a different view to fit their own purposes. Then again, each soul has a rich history. You may feel a connection to place in a different time like the original Olympic games at Olympia.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There is something majestic and magical about tall trees that reach to the sky. They are filled with energy and memories of the land where they are rooted. One feels a sense of peace within a forest of tall trees; their soul’s energy connected and grounded.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Now that we are halfway through July, it is time to pause and enjoy nature. Thoughts are beginning to turn toward fall as we begin to create our goals for the changing seasons ahead. It is also good to pause and feel grateful for the time that is still summer.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The Enchanted Pathway is just below the Labyrinth, and it is full of little figures to stir the imagination of children. It can also help adults recapture the magic of their childhood.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

One of our game cameras captured a photo of a deer listening, its ears straight up, its tail down, paying careful attention to something in the woods. It was ready to run. Stress in people is thought to come from the ancient flight or fight syndrome. Fortunately, we have a special team that goes with us to help relieve stress.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

My sister gave me a heart from the town of Katakolo on our recent cruise. To me it is proof that there is love all over the world, and now I have a reminder that helps me stay connected.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The birds, insects, and some animals find their nourishment from flowers like the brown-eyed Susan. People find their soul’s nourishment from being in and observing Nature. All we need to do is to take a moment wherever we are and open our minds to the wonders around us.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There is a wild pink rose currently blooming that has flowered every year for the past thirty years. The first time we saw it was the year my father-in-law died. I believe the rose is a connection to the other side and is a beautiful story of love between father and daughter.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Now that most of the lupine have gone to seed, the bee balm has taken over the field creating beautiful bouquets. Just as many people missed the moments that the lupines were flowering, they may miss the bee balms. The power of being is NOW as essential part of life.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Approaching the country of Montenegro as we cruised the Adriatic Sea, I was struck by the way the mountains appeared to reach out of the sea towards the sky. I believe this is where they did push their way upward from the ocean floor. Regardless of the difference in terrain, I found the people there for the most part had a common bond of gratitude and love.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Edgar Cayce spoke of two types of realities: the manifest and un-manifest. I was reminded of this when I saw a game trail camera photo that caught a grainy shot of a coyote, an animal that we seldom see, but wanders the land in search of food. That reminded me that we all have an unseen force that goes with us, watching over our Soul’s travel.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

We have just returned from another adventure, seeing parts of the world I never expected to see, thanks to the generosity of a family member. My heart is filled with gratitude as I become more aware of souls wherever I go that have hearts filled with love and kindness, helping others on their journeys. Your next adventure could be waiting.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The ever-blooming yellow lilies have been enhancing the gardens with their sunshine for a few weeks. They are not the typical day lily whose flowers last for only a couple of weeks. I think of positive intentions and acts of kindness that continue to bloom, creating positive sunshine for those that experience them.Support the show

I love to spend a little time gazing at the sky on a sunny day when the clouds look like giant pillows or airships as they drift slowly with the wind. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to let my mind soar with them as I feel waves of gratitude that fill my heart and let me realize that I am not alone in this world.Support the show

Several years ago, several periwinkle vines were planted at the Center at the base of a stone retaining wall. They have multiplied and now create a beautiful green cover accented by blue flowers. I think of positive acts like the vines. When planted, they can positively spread to more and more people.Support the show

I often speak of communicating with Source. I am not sure how to define that. Each person may have a different definition of something that I call positive heart-based love. For me that is the center where my soul was created from divine energy. Others may call that God, Angels, Guides, Spirits, or ego. It is a knowing that I am never alone.Support the show

We have some spots on the ridgeline that give different views of the valley below. We have copies of two sketches done by Thomas Cole during a visit to what was then called the “Great Wilderness” in the early 1800s. He would paint large panoramas and charge people to view them in the city. Now these overlooks can help visitors get a fresh view of their life.Support the show

Several years ago, I purchased a pond kit from a store going out of business and a group of volunteers dug an eight by ten two feet deep hole, lined it, and filled it with water and added some water plants. The frogs managed to find it and lay eggs in it each year. Today it is part of the Ormond Gardens, where visitors can pause, gaze and enjoy the plants and activity in the pond.Support the show

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There are several yellow flowering plants in the Ormond garden that bloom at the same time. Each one is a little different and that is what makes the garden interesting. In the garden of life, combinations of people make the soul’s journey interesting for those who are paying attention.Support the show

Nature is a master at creating arrangements, like daisies in front of a gray stone wall. These little scenes in Nature can be easily missed when one is stressed and not aware of the beauty of their surroundings. Positive awareness can also help you realize you are not alone. The signs are waiting for you to discover.Support the show

One of our old trail signs looks like the tree is eating it. Trees do need nourishment, as do all living things. For people, that includes nourishment for the mind as well as the body. Heart-based gratitude can help nourish the soul.Support the show

There is a succulent in the gardens called Hen and Chickens that sends out shoots which plant themselves and in turn send out more shoots, multiplying its size. It reminds me of how positive acts of kindness can send out shoots that can help grow more positive acts of kindness, that keep the original spreading.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

The wet weather caused us to postpone preparation for the Enchanted Pathway for visitors of all ages to enjoy this summer and the fall. Finally, we loaded the back of our side-by-side with pinwheels, statues, figurines, and hanging decorations, and spent the afternoon arranging them. We can do many acts of kindness that are truly a labor of love to benefit others.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

Over thirty years ago my sister dug up one of her pink roses and gave it to me. The place where I planted it become overgrown and my wife wanted more lawn in that area, so I found a shoot, dug it up and planted it in the Ormond Gardens. This year it is full of beautiful pink blooms Acts of kindness can be transplanted and last a long time.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

There are a couple of tall maroon stemmed flowers in the Ormond Gardens with small flowers that put on quite a show in June before many of the other plants begin flowering. I think of the comparison between tall and short or big and little in life. This plant has both. We can often miss the little acts of kindness. As they add up, they grow become more noticeable.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

I am a great fan of watching the birds that come to our feeders and the birds that inhabit the birdhouse on the top of the mountain, especially the bluebirds. I also enjoy watching people, especially those that have an inner light that help brighten the world. There is so much to observe in life.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

When I find a heart sign, I know I am surrounded by love, both on this side of life and the spiritual side of life. I also set my intentions to channel the Source’s love in everything I do. I believe I do not own this love; it is something that anyone can tap into if they choose to do so.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show

I am always looking for something different when I hike in Nature, and one day recently I discovered a big egg lying in the middle of the trail. It must have been a couple of inches long, and I wondered where it might have come from. Was it from someone’s lunch or had it fallen out of a nest? If so, it must have been laid by a large bird. Life is full of unexpected finds wherever you go.www.michaelhathaway.com Support the show