It was just me and Bella alone all day Monday. Josh and Ellessia were away. After we both finished our morning work, I asked her: "What do you want to do today?"

I was only thinking about dinner. Did she want me to pick up takeout? Or make something at home?

"Well," she pondered. "We could visit the Lady Slippers."

I could barely hide my enthusiasm. Bella doesn't usually leave her room when she is home, as she works on her art all day. And she rarely likes going into the woods. She says there are too many bugs (she's right). But she has strong memories of being outdoors. I homeschooled both of my girls for a precious few years. I filled our days with art projects and nature field trips. I wasn't into packing in a lot of math homework. Our field trips to local nature reserves and gardens left a lasting impression. We used to visit the lady slippers each spring. However, over the years, as they returned to school and life became filled with "to-do lists," we lost that tradition.

So I giddily obliged, and off we went through the deepest back roads of Hartland, VT, to the Eshqua Bog Natural Area (where only one car can pass at a time, even with my tiny 3-door Veloster).

Lady slippers are increasingly rare due to over-collecting and habitat reduction. They have a tall, leafy stem with 1-2 white-petaled flowers with a brilliant pink pouch. They bloom in late June and into July.

The lady slippers at the bog were ABUNDANT. We saw them at peak bloom.

Eshqua Bog, 2025

Nature offers a constant flow of abundance and is filled with immense beauty.

It is essential to your well-being of body, mind, and soul to step away from the troubles of the messy human world and remember that the natural world is abundant, beautiful, and nourishing. When we let the news consume our minds, thoughts, and energy, we lose sight of these gifts. All we see is the hate and anger, and it is all too easy to get swept away in the madness of it all. I'm not asking you to ignore the news, but please keep it in perspective and remember to take a break from time to time. If we are present enough and pause, allowing our thinking minds to rest and take in our surroundings, we remember our connection to this abundance.

The fleeting beauty of these blooms reminds me to hold gratitude for every precious moment. I could still see my small children running on the bog boardwalk and playing in the woods.

Eshqua Bog, 2011..., Isabella, Ellessia, and Angie

I think back on the time when the girls were little, and my days were filled with taking care of them. There is so much purpose in tending to small children. It changes as they grow up. I still take care of them, and always will. But they don't need me in the same way. It is a remarkable parental evolution to have adult children. My memories of their youth always make me a little teary. I think it is because I felt so connected when they were younger.

But our day together reminded me that I am always connected, not just to my children, but to everything all around me, all the time. And that such a simple flower can tune into the energy of abundance, joy, and brightness.

And so I ask you: What wild thing will you explore? What do you want to do today?

With Abundance and Love,

Angie

Slippers of Abundance

You Are The Universe: Yoni Mudra & Divine Feminine