Wunjo Way of Joy

Years ago, I found The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum—a companion for the spiritual warrior, offering guidance through simple stones inscribed with ancient symbols. Among them, the rune Wunjo—joy—kept appearing, quietly insisting that joy is not just a fleeting feeling but a direction, a compass, a way of being. It still feels true. Wunjo is a reminder to orient toward inner alignment, beauty, and the harmonies that arise when we live close to nature and close to ourselves.

I’ve been writing on and off since my teenage years—scribbling into notebooks, chasing questions, trying to remember and reveal who I am and why I’m here in this body, on this Earth. Writing became a way of listening: to my own heart, to the natural world, to the whispers of something larger. Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages showed me how to meet myself on the page, honestly and without judgment. That practice stayed with me. Writing still brings me peace, joy, and the kind of clarity that comes only through attention and reflection.

This blog is an offering from that place—a contemplative space shaped by curiosity, longing, love, and a quiet devotion to beauty. It’s a way of tuning in, of learning through presence, of honoring the seasons both within and without. The Wunjo Way is not a fixed path—it’s a practice of becoming, again and again, with wonder and heart.

Yoga

In my yoga class last night, I noticed a familiar inner dialogue that was in opposition to the teacher; her voice, her tone, her instruction, and her adjustments…just not exactly the way I like it. I kept thinking I would kindly ask her not to touch me, that I would tell her that I know…

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Dating

I remember when online dating was new, maybe around 2002. My friend & I made dating profiles “as a joke” we told each other. It was embarrassing to tell people you had an online dating profile. If you meet someone, you didn’t really want to admit that it had been online. Now it’s almost passé.…

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Food

Re: food. I’ve struggled in the past (as recently as yesterday evening) to eat in a good way. Oh. My. God. There is SO much involved with eating in a good way. A least it seems that way to me at this point. I’m defining eating in a good way for myself as consuming excellent…

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Single

Today I’m happy about being a single woman! I’m grateful to be of a mind to celebrate my independence. I spend plenty of time wishing I had a really great partner, but the reality is that I don’t at this time. The most true thing I can say is that I don’t know if I’ll…

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Dad

I’m incredibly blessed to have a dad whose life path has taught me many valuable lessons in following my heart instead of following trends, money, job titles, or status. He’s led a simple, mostly drama free life (impressive considering a wife, 3 sisters, 2 daughters and, of course, the cats…) doing what he loves, being…

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Grandpa

My grandpa, Hugo V. Kojola, aka Joe. To me, he was a funny, jolly man with a huge white bread, so naturally I thought he was Santa Claus for several years as a kid. He was a inventor, tinkerer and maker of many things in his basement workshop. He taught me to play a banjo,…

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Diving

My dad took this photo of me diving when I was maybe 11 or 12. My young face looks so determined and also afraid. It’s been years since I’ve been on a diving board, but what I remember most about it, all those years and all those dives, is the vulnerability and the fear. There…

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Bernie

I’m exploring what it’s like to be for my own beliefs and not against anyone else’s. It’s challenging not to be against someone that I whole heartedly disagree with, but I don’t need to understand to accept all shades of humanity. I believe that we need to quickly move forward with major course corrections to…

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Happy

There’s a stuckness I’m grappling with and it’s all on me. There are no real barriers to my happiness other than my own willingness to be happy. I’m completely willing to be happy with my friends, with strangers, in public places. I love being kind, open, loving, and supportive with people in my life. It’s…

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Alchemy

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist I love The Alchemist and have read it so many times. This is one of my favorite lines. I feel like the only explanation for my life is the universe conspiring to help me. Today…

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Blossoms

This is one of my favorite stories: Subhuti was Buddha’s disciples. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoint that nothing exists except in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity. One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness, was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall all around him. “We…

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Ocean

The ocean is part of my heart, my healing, my being, always. I walked towards the ocean today. The closer I got the bigger my feelings came rushing through me, out my eyes, down my face. I filled my lungs with misty air and kept going. I saw an old friend and she offered to…

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