Follow the Yellow Brick Road

The glory of yellow and Springtime!

I love spring, the transition seasons, and the feelings they bring. I am gaga over gardening and helping beauty along in my front and backyard. And to top things off, Greg and I just watched the movie "Judy," which has inspired me to follow the yellow brick road.

Renee Zellweger was a master in her portrayal of Judy Garland during her later years in life. It was as if I didn't know where the actress ended and Judy began, and vice versa. I highly recommend this movie if you're like me, who loves the original Wizard of Oz from the late 1930s. That's one of those flicks that Greg and I agreed was one of our favorites and would last forever. Same with us.

Same with our pup, Wizard (we hope). A saying from the original epic movie that sticks with me is "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." True to every word, when the old man Wizard expressed them to the beloved and gentle Tin Man, who only wanted a heart.

By following the yellow brick road, the entire fantasy crew from the classic movie gave hope to many, including me. Now, as our collective lives are busier and more modern and overlapping from simplicity to gridlock, watching the "Judy" movie the other night brought back some wonderful memories. Can you believe that Judy Garland was only 13 years old when she starred in the original "Wizard of Oz?" I couldn't either. I had to look it up on Google to make sure I was right.

Her story is beautiful and tragic. She died at such a young age (47) and left a legacy of talented one-liners for all to soak in at any time. Besides the Tin Man line, one of my other favorites was her saying goodbye to the Scarecrow before she took off in the helium balloon with Toto. "I think I'm going to miss you most of all." I was a sobbing mess after that scene in Emerald City.

If you have never watched the 1939 classic movie, I know you'd love it. Every character will leave you smiling and wanting more. Just as life is supposed to be, right? Trusting and adapting to what our hearts need at any moment and on any given day is a prevailing theme since birth. "There's no place like home."

Isn't that the truth? I've become a settled, content, and peaceful person living in Los Osos, California. Never in my wildest dreams would I believe I to stay put in one place. But I did and I am. Living with Greg and Wizard is incredible bliss. I get to wake up every morning and toil in my garden. I get to experience lovely moments with my man and our dog. I get to write to my heart's content. And I get to adventure to the ocean and the mountains right outside our front door. Thank you, God.

Another heart(ful) day to celebrate is Spring and its eye-popping beauty, but Earth Day. As heads nod to what Mother Earth gives us every second, this annual event leaves us wondering how we can make a better world. Is it our actions towards others? Are we speaking with grace and kindness to our fellow humans and creatures? Will the planet survive? I don't have the answers yet I can only do my part.

And that is to plant indigenous flora, feed and care for the incredible and resistant greenery surrounding our home, and to pick up trash left behind at the beaches and parks. This irks me to no end. How can anyone drop a piece of litter and walk away thinking somebody else will do it, or it will blow in the wind and be gone forever? Wrong.

Our landfills are loaded with what we humans have garbage them to death. Sadly, what's left behind will impact our earth for generations and then some. But most importantly, stay in the heart space. Responding from this place is genuine and pure, whether it's trash on the trail or beach, or someone being rude and ruthless in their actions. Stay in the heart space.

Meanwhile, it's Spring, and a very transformative year already. Where we live, the Spring winds bring in fog, chillier air, ocean temperatures, and a lot of newness. Greg and I have noticed so many new faces in the neighborhood. Granted, he's lived here for 30 years, while I've only been in Los Osos for four. It's a special place, full of raw nature and a simple way of life. There isn't a main highway right off the beaten path to get here, yet those who feel we are surrounded by a "bubble" surely experience a blessed daily exchange of words.

With that, I wish you a beautiful Easter season, a most abundant Spring, an Earth Day full of mystic surprises, and a capturing of your heart. The Tin Man would want that. As would the Wizard.

All my love,

Gerry Ellen xoxo