So tell me, mountains or beach?

For me, it’s beach baby beach. All the way. Not any ‘ole beach. Deserted. A gull or two. Late afternoon, twilight. Jagged, rocky coastline. Salty breeze. Abandoned life guard chair. Lighthouse. Yeah that’s my kind of beach.

I got a lotta lists going in my journal. (You too?) Disorganized, scrawled. Barely legible. Random.  Blog ideas. Epiphanies. Book recommendations. Doctor appointments. Quotes. Prayer requests. Passwords. In that jumble, a list: “Who I want to meet when I get Home.”

And one name towards the top of the list? Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Ring a bell?

Yeah, Anne was Charles Lindbergh’s wife.

That Charles Lindbergh.

The Charles Lindbergh who made the first solo non-stop flight from New York to Paris in his single engine, single seat monoplane Spirit of St. Louis in 1927. The flight was 33 hours and 30 minutes, branded him a lifetime celebrity overnight.

I could brag on Charles Lindbergh, the amazing man he was. That he won the nation’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor for his incredible accomplishment. Among other things.

But I really want to chat about his lovely accomplished wife Anne. Because she was one amazing lady. A mother of five. Aviator. Deep thinker, writer. In 1955, forty-nine-year-old Anne spent two weeks alone in a New England coastal cottage, penning her thoughts on aging, relationships, solitude, being a woman, caring for the soul. Those thoughts morphed into her book Gift from the Sea.

Says Anne:

“I shall ask into my shell only those friends with whom I can be completely honest. I find I am shedding hypocrisy in human relationships. What a rest that will be. The most exhausting thing in life, I have found, is being insincere. That is why so much social life is exhausting. One is wearing a mask. I have shed my mask.”

So honest. I find Anne intriguing, refreshing. Unusual.

A few more Anne quotes from Gift from the Sea: (italics mine)

“We seem so frightened today of being alone that we never let it happen. Even if family, friends, and movies should fail, there is still the radio or television to fill up the void. Women, who used to complain of loneliness, need never be alone any more. We can do our housework with soap opera heroes at our side. Even daydreaming was more creative than this; it demanded something of oneself and it fed the inner life. Now, instead of planting our solitude with our own dream blossoms, we choke the space with continuous music, chatter, and companionship to which we do not even listen. It is simply there to fill the vacuum. When the noise stops there is no inner music to take its place. We must re-learn to be alone.”

(We could add computers and i-phones to the list.)

“ It is not the desert island nor the stony wilderness that cuts you from the people you love. It is the wilderness in the mind, the desert wastes in the heart through which one wanders lost and a stranger. When one is a stranger to oneself then one is estranged from others too. If one is out of touch with oneself, then one cannot touch others. How often in a large city, shaking hands with my friends, I have felt the wilderness stretching between us. Both of us were wandering in arid wastes, having lost the springs that nourished us – or having found them dry. Only when one is connected to one’s own core is one connected to others, I am beginning to discover. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be found through solitude.”

“Actually these are among the most important times in one’s life – when one is alone. Certain springs are tapped only when one is alone. The artist knows he must be alone to create; the writer, to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose; the saint, to pray.”

“We tend not to choose the unknown, which might be a shock or a disappointment or simply a little difficult to cope with. And yet it is the unknown with all its disappointments and surprises that is the most enriching.”

Can’t resist one more:

“Perhaps middle age is, or should be, a period of shedding shells; the shell of ambition, the shell of material accumulations and possessions, the shell of the ego. Perhaps one can shed at this stage of life as one sheds in beach-living; one’s pride, ones false ambitions, one’s mask, one’s armor. Was that armor not put on to protect one from the competitive world? If one ceases to compete, does one need it? Perhaps one can at last in middle age, if not earlier, be completely oneself. And what a liberation that would be!”

Somehow Anne’s words are as relevant today as they were when she penned them in 1955. Dearly love this woman. Wish we could’ve been friends, hung out on the beach.

‘Cuz Anne was a beach girl too.

If you’re looking for a short contemplative and enjoyable read this summer, Gift from the Sea might fit the bill.

So mountains or beach? Read Gift from the Sea? Thoughts?

You may also enjoy: Kindness

The post Gift from the Sea appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

This silly “conservation” soap, manufactured in Cranston, RI is sure to bring a smile and can be found at The Vermont Country Store.  http://www.vermontcountrystore.com  I found it in the store but not on-line, FYI. (I don’t suggest gifting this soap cavalierly!)

It’s far more bless-ed (fun!) to give than receive. We all know that. I’ve been having fun planning my gifting for Christmas. It’s not necessarily the what or the dollar amount, but the thought behind the giving that brings me joy.

This week I’m thinking about stocking stuffers and creating The Sophisticated Christmas Stocking. So let’s up the ante a little. Not in dollars, but in joyful, thoughtful giving. Yes, let’s up the “thoughtfulness” ante. Here are some ideas:

How about a little mousie cheese board and spreader from New Hampshire Bowl and Board?  www.newhampshirebowlandboard.com  (I found this one at 103 Artisans Marketplace in Chester, Vermont  www.103artisanmarketplace.com )

You’ll need  some gourmet Vermont cheese for the board. Check out Cobb Hill. I liked the Ascutney Mountain.  cobbhillcheese.com/buy-cheese  Or choose something extra special from Cabot Cheese.  http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/our_products/  I love Cabot’s Artisan Reserve Cheese. http://www.cabotcheese.coop/artisan-reserve-cheddar  A stick of hard salami would be a great addition to The Sophisticated Christmas Stocking!

How about a personalized coupon date book for your sweetheart from www.datevitation.com? They give you over five hundred ideas and make it easy for you to design online.

This mason jar soap dispenser turns an ordinary mason jar into a soap dispenser. Cute for the kitchen or bathroom. I found this at the Vermont Country Store. http://www.vermontcountrystore.com

How about a set of specialty extracts for The Sophisticated Christmas Stocking? I got these at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont. I use the Maple Flavor for Maple Walnut Biscotti. The Fiori Di Sicilia flavors cakes and muffins. I’ve used the Eggnog Flavor in sugar cookies. You’ll find a huge assortment of high quality flavorings and extracts at http://search.kingarthurflour.com/search?w=extracts%20and%20flavoring&af=type:products

I loved this book Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of Charles Lindbergh. It will make you think, in a good way. Anne was amazing: a gifted author, wife and mother. She was a thinker.  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=gifts+from+the+sea+by+anne+morrow+lindbergh&sprefix=gifts+from+the%2Cstripbooks%2C236

I devoured the above insightful book in about three hours on a flight to California last summer. Check it out here. http://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418266528&sr=1-1&keywords=essentialism+the+disciplined+pursuit+of+less&pebp=1418266531516

Not all spices are created equal. A friend gave me this set for my birthday last year. WOW! She’s a great gift giver, and I love these. The Vietnamese cinnamon is wonderful. Penzeys is known for their high quality spices and mixes. https://www.penzeys.com  Penzeys Spices is located in Arlington, Massachusetts.

I just discovered this wonderful hand and body scrub locally at Arcadya Salon & Spa. This month’s specialty is Ginger and Vanilla, made of European Dead Sea Salts and natural oils. Arcadya actually makes it! It smells so incredible you’ll want to eat it from the jar with a spoon. (Don’t.) This is a rare treat, and the same product used for the pampering treatments at Arcadya Spa. Message my friend Joni for more information or to order.  www.ArcadyaSalon.com

You could make some homemade Vanilla Bean Maple Syrup. That would be a very welcome gift. Directions here: http://throughherlookingglass.com/?p=1156

You can buy this rich nourishing cream at the Moon Dog Cafe in Chester, Vermont. You can also get it at Amazon.com.  http://www.amazon.com/Naturally-European-GINGER-Luxury-Butter/dp/B004JEV2GE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416949776&sr=8-3&keywords=ginger+%26+lime+luxury+cream  

How about a nice garlic press?  Check out this one: http://www.amazon.com/Prepworks-Progressive-International-GIGP-93-Non-Stick/dp/B0000DZ10V/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1418267296&sr=8-8&keywords=garlic+press 

A funky roll of duck tape would be nice. Everyone needs duck tape. I got mine locally at Five Below. http://www.fivebelow.com

A favorite cocktail or martini recipe attached to a shot would be nice. (Or a couple coupons redeemable for different bottles of international beer you’ve previously stashed in the fridge.)

Give a “coupon” for a homemade pizza date night “in”. Attach it to this great Pizza Dough Flavor from King Arthur Flour. The cheeses and spices make homemade pizza dough extra special. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/pizza-dough-flavor-4-oz-jar

A few more ideas:

• A  delicious bottle of wine mead from www.Artesanomead.com in Groton, Vermont.  “Located in beautiful Groton, Vermont, Artesano produces high quality, hand crafted meads from local Vermont honey and fruit. Small batch sizes and attention to detail transform one of nature’s sweetest gifts to a fine wine that can be enjoyed throughout the year.”
• Carwash coupon book
• Gourmet coffee and tea
• Starbucks giftcard
• Movie tickets
• Homemade treats – peppermint bark, sugared pecans, jams and jellies
• Nuts and fruit

Have fun spoiling the wonderful people in your life this Christmas. Hope this list was helpful. Please comment below and share your stocking stuffer ideas with the rest of us!

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