Spring happenings - weeds, birds nesting, etc.

It's hard to believe, but we're going up to 77 today and 85 tomorrow! The yard looks absolutely lovely with the onions and dandelions all cut down now! And, the weed pulling yesterday was unbelievable! It was actually fun. The ground was damp all the way down to the roots so even the onions came up easily. The dandelions were not so agreeable, as usual! I'll bet they've been in existence for millions of years - such persistence! The really surprising thing - no back aches after all that standing forward bending pulling weeds - and of course a lot of reaching forward while bent over, etc. Anyhow, during yoga sessions last evening - and even this morning - no sign of overextending. My guess is that all of the sun salutations we've been doing in yoga sessions have truly paid off! And, in a surprising way. So, today I'll tackle my little garden plot. It, too, is covered with weeds.
A wren is building her nest on one of the rafters on the edge of the porch and I watch her each morning while meditating. It's astounding how rhythmic her moves are. If I had the patience, I'd get a second timer and time her goings and leavings bringing new twigs. She, or one of her relatives, has for several years now nested in that spot, or just a foot or so down the cross beam. Since the cats are not around this morning, she is even taking rest breaks on the top of the railing around the floor. The oak tree at the corner of the pasture beside the driveway is covered with very pale green leaves just beginning to break out. It almost looks misty and kind of ghost-like at this stage. I wonder if any of the "little people" are living there now? Maybe they'll come out at full moon. I'll need to check to see when that occurs and be on the lookout for them.

Namaste

Spring has Sprung!

Buttercups aren't blooming yet, but they did last year!

Spring has sprung! Highs this week in the 70's and even two days with highs in the 80's! Everything is popping out green now - forsythia bright yellow everywhere - Japanese magnolias in full bloom, trees are all beginning to leaf out, patches of daffodils everywhere. Redbuds and pears are beginning to lose blossoms for leaves! Randy is coming today for our first grass cutting. I almost said "lawn" but that's not accurate. It's more like a field than a lawn - probably close to 3 acres of grass and weeds among the three buildings. (In addition to the Cabin and the Cottage, Mike and Angie and their two children have for more than 5 years rented the "double-wide" Mom and Dad lived in for ten or so years.) So, yesterday I spent some time filling in holes in the yard with dirt from a pile behind the Yogatorium which appeared during its construction. The holes mostly occurred when we had the huge oak tree limbs removed recently, but some are a result of sinking over the ditch dug for underground electric wiring prior to building the Yogatorium. Since I almost annually twist my ankle some way or another, mostly be not watching where I'm walking, the holes were accidents waiting to happen to me! we had a good rain yesterday so weed pulling can begin in earnest today - I HATE doing it, but I LOVE the looks of the beds when I'm through!

Jim left several classic VHS movies here and I have already watched three - On the Beach with Gregory Peck, Lord of the Dance, and Fried Green Tomatoes. I'm saving Gone with the Wind and Scarlet for a long rainy summer day! Or maybe a week!

I hear the weedeater running - need to get out and move all the old potted plants and stuff out of the way so Randy can work easily.

A Day at Home

(Another photo by Jim - soon I'll get another album on FB.)
Yesterday was spent in town serving lunch at the church and running errands. Unless I'm mistaken, the 4-Runner won't leave the yard today. A nice thought. A day at home to just be. And, of course, to do whatever gives me pleasure. Perhaps I'll take the laundry into Ninety Six to the laundromat, but if I do, I'll take along my knitting which I'm enjoying immensely right now. FINALLY I have mastered the sequence of stitches for the shrug I'm working on - the first ten inches are a mass of knots, twists, and turns that almost look like they were done on purpose! So, now that I'm getting straight furrows, I'll enjoy seeing the difference! Who knows, maybe the straight stuff won't be nearly so interesting as the crazy pattern of the beginning? I'm, finding most things in my life these times involve some unplanned steps, sidesteps, and occasionally a bit of a step forward. Toward what? Sometimes the goal isn't clear - I just keep making steps and assume all will be well at the end. Just like this post. I have no idea why I'm writing what I am this morning. I just let the words flow sometimes and I'm as surprised as you are by what comes out. Martha is probably coming out this morning for a yoga session. So, only a small bit of yogurt beforehand. Then I'll get to my sewing - a beautiful piece of white embroidered fabric I cut out last evening - a tunic top. Once it warms up, I'll begin the weeding process - a bit late, but now the weeds are big enough to get a good hold on them and with the help of that wondrous tool (a hand tool "weeder" that loosens the roots) I'll probably be more successful than I would have been earlier. As evening approaches, I'll renew my ritual sitting in the swing chair on the porch with my glass of wine listening to the uproar from the tree frogs! Warm weather is here! Hallelujah!

Enriching the Soul - Repetitive Action - Doing Nothing

Photo by Jim at Yogatorium

Once in a while it's nice to have a day that is undefined. A whole day when nothing is scheduled other than regular evening yoga session. The temptation is to do nothing. Perhaps review my lovely book, a gift from niece Kate, The Art of Doing Nothing. Reminds me of one of my favorite sayings, Don't just do something, sit there! Doing nothing is an art. The rewards are well worth developing and nourishing the art. One lovely way of doing this is an "artist's date." I've written about these before. Today, my artist's date is due and I now have the definition for it: Create a bowl of fruit for the family of Jan Richardson, whose husband Mike recently transitioned. How great it is to be able to do something creative, nourishing to my soul, and provide a gift for others all in one fell swoop! (Wonder what the origin of that phrase is? Must google it.) It is true that the idea arose as a gift for others, but in all honesty, one of my favorite artist's dates these days is preparing fresh food. There is always something soothing about repetitive actions - like peeling and chopping - like knitting - walking - swimming - treadmilling - lots of things we do are repetitive and soul enriching! Oh, that we would always realize the time as an opportunity for soul enrichment!

A Not-so-ordinary Day - Jim and Jack

Good morning. I'm off to Atlanta this morning to see Jack perform as Lou Gehrig at his school. Before leaving, I feel compelled to at least say "Hello". I'm waiting now for Jim to come down here to the Cottage and say goodbye. We had a delightful evening together sharing steaks (from the Ninety Six Piggly Wiggly, the best beef in the area). It's truly amazing how many great things are available in my tiny town. The neighbor teen is pulling out in his pickup truck on his way to school. The mother has already left for work. The day is beginning as usual, except for Jim's presence, and I'm excited to see what this day brings! I'm taking my Flip so Luke can photograph Jack's presentation. But, I don't know what to do with it after we get it! Maybe we can share it some way???
Have a wonderful spring day!

Kitchen Table Memories

Now I'm sitting in another new place - at the wonderful big table built by Herschel, designed by Bob, which is perfect for this home of mine. It is large enough to seat 6 comfortably and even more at Thanksgiving! So many wonderful memories are found in the "kitchen tables". Our round oak table (now living in Luke and Susan's home and serving as our family's Christmas brunch site) was purchased by me and Bob for $10 when we lived in Oregon - 1956-59. There we cut the center post down and made it into a coffee table. Later, we had the pedestal built back up again and it served as our dining table (in the kitchen). It has four leaves and we once seated 14 around it. Now this cottage table is collecting memories. First, for Bob's purposes it was built at stool height rather than lower making it easier for him to sit at. Now, I'm finding it much easier for myself, too, even though at the moment I don't have any physical handicap. I sit at the end so that I can look out the windows at the birdbath/fountain, the birdfeeders, the bluebird house, the well cover, to the cabin and even a glimpse of the Yogatorium to the left. Soon the hummingbirds will return and I'll watch them at their feeder on the front stoop. The table is now loaaded with fruits and vegetables, my vitamins, camera, i-Pod, a check to be deposited, a wedding invitation, my tea cup, etc. I am awaiting Jim's arrival for breakfast. And, here he comes - with Bella - beautiful Bella, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Peace - Sharing Space

For a change, I've moved from the window looking over the Pond to the room where my laptop usually resides. It's overcast and with no sun I can see the computer screen here. I've opened the blinds and can now watch the birds flitting from the oak tree limbs to the feeders and back again. I can see the Star Magnolia's beautiful white blossoms and the cabin up on the hill. Grass is beginning to green up.

I have recently added two new words to the walls of the Yogatorium - Shalom and Shanti - both meaning peace (Hebrew and Pali [santi]). These words have been in my vocabulary for some time, but they seem particularly appropriate now. First, I feel peaceful. But more than that, I am learning to enjoy the peace that comes from solitude for longer periods of time. And then, the moment comes, when I long for the company of other humans. I am so grateful for my friends and family. The next few days will be filled with sharing my space with Jim. He arrives this evening and once again we'll have the fun of being together. I find myself already smiling in anticipation.

Spirit is Born in Pure Silence

I am still studying Deepak (Misspelled his name yesterday - need two e's) Chopra's Way of the Wizard. I find myself at the end and returning to re-read parts. Today "spirit is born of pure silence" hit me as the message of the day. So, I am grateful for my refuge here where silence is not difficult to find. Even my cottage where I spend much of my time is usually quiet except for the clicking of my laptop keys.
But a deeper lesson is emerging from yesterday's events. I have been living a life of the perfectionist as long as I can remember. And yesterday several attempts at doing were filled with retrys. Just one example, I'm attempting a knitting project that requires a pattern of stitches involving things I've not done in forty years - and I'm stumbling over and over again. I know how to do them now but can't consistently do them. Therefore, I've started over several times and have tried to make adaptations and corrections in the middle of rows, and finally I've given up and am simply knitting away errors and all. This morning I decided to forget about trying to make it perfect and just enjoy the knitting process. It is strange how the imperfections show up in our work. Perhaps they are meant to be. I intend continuing on this "shrug" I'm knitting and use it to remind me in the process that I am not perfect and that's OK.
By the way, knitting is a wonderful process for being in the silence and is more about being than doing. Therein lies the message! The good life is more about being than doing.

Love - the Highest Form

Allow others to be who they will be, which is the highest form of love. I am studying Depak Chopra's The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Life You Want. Today, the message that spoke most clearly to me is the first sentence here. (See page 164, part of Step 6, Birth of the Seer.) Somehow I've had it all backwards. I thought I was exhibiting love when I was trying to help them by suggesting changes in them - actually demanding changes in them. Why is it that we think we must change others? Why is it we think we know what is best for everyone? Why is it we can't let others be who they are and just work on ourselves? Where do we think we get the power to even know what is best for others? Much less how to get there? Allow other people to be who they will be. Wow! I've got my work cut out for me today!

Back Home in My Cottage

What a great four days with sons and families! I am so fortunate that I am welcome in their homes and they are only 3 hours away from me - and only 10 minutes from each other - and on the north side of Atlanta! While there, granchildren taught me a bit more about FB and I'm eager to see if I can still do what they taught me! But, first things first this morning. Following my meditation and reading I was confronted with a knowing that is unusual - that I should volunteer to sew the wedding dress for friend Paula. So, I have sent her an email to that effect. It's scary because I've never done that kind of sewing before and it's been years since I've done anything that complex - still, I volunteered. What is it that makes us do such things? And, leaves us with fear and trembling that she might say Yes AND that she might say No. I'm not sure which is worse or better!

Today is St. Patrick's Day! And, I'm intending to spend some time connecting with my Ireland friends via FB. How I wish I could be there today.

The weather is finally warm enough to be outdoors - so, today I'll begin my walks along the road. Every spring, when the daffodils spring forth, I always begin a new health kick - walking, eating more salads and fruits and veggies, pulling weeds, painting furniture, washing windows, etc. Already a couple of weeks ago I washed my drapes and soon I'll peel off the plastic inside each window and get rid of all the "ladybugs" that have been hiding there. (Lori told me they aren't technically ladybugs, but I don't know what else to call them.) The Star Magnolia is in full bloom - what a wonderful gift it is - the first thing to bloom on my place. A gift from my Pod Sisters as a memorial to Bob - planted the day of Bob's Party in April of 2007 celebrating his life. (Yogatorium is in the background.)

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!

From Cumming, GA - Tate's Home

Good morning! In a different environment - but here goes. It's a wonderful feeling being among my family for a few days. Spent the previous two with Luke, Jack, and Sam while Susan was away with girl friends. Now I'm at Tate's home on my own for a few hours and enjoying the lovely home they have created. Soon I'll take off for a yarn shop and get some help with a knitting question - then off to Michael's to browse for stuff. Who knows, maybe Target also. One of the joys of being in the Atlanta area is the endless supply of stores! That's one amenity I don't have in Ninety Six! Or, Greenwood, for that matter.
Yesterday was a fun one helping Jack and Luke get a costume ready for Jack's Lou Gehrig presenation in school this morning. I was kind of in charge of the "ironing on" of the NY Yankees logo and Gehrig's number 4 on the shirt. Luke had a trip down memory lane in Michael's when he saw all the airplane models and couldn't resist getting one kit. He and his Dad spent many hours together building projects for school. So, now it's coming around again with his children. What a delight to watch.
And, Tate's three, who are older, are involved in so many different projects it's difficult to keep up with them all! Last evening Kelsey spent some time with me helping me with Facebook and I even learned how to chat! Been wondering what that was all about. And, how to send little pink hearts to folks! Do you know you can actually tell when one or more of your friends are on line and immediately send them a message and get a reply instantly! One of my friends and I did that last evening - my first - and it felt like we were almost across the street from each other! Miracles do happen!
Know that I am having a ball and thoroughly enjoying my time away - but miss my yoga sessions with you. I'll be home again tomorrow evening - pray that my meeting with the tax man has a pleasant result!

The Artist's Way - in Suwanee, Georgia

Water at Inchydoney, Ireland

The trip down this morning was totally uneventful. I spent a delightful three hours listening to a tape of Julia Cameron speaking on her book The Artist's Way. I have heard the tape many times over the last years - but this morning it seemed particularly relevant. Seems to me I said the same thing the last time I heard it? She refers to us as recovering creators or creatives, can't remember which. Since we were all born creators, and lost it as we adapted to our ordinary world, we can now consider ourselves in recovery - those of us who wish to do so. Julia says we all have a creative spark within us whatever we call it - the Divine, God, Source, Universal Energy, which is spiritual. She gives us two tools with which to begin our creative recovery. First is Morning Pages. The second is Artist's Dates. Briefly, morning pages are journaling three handwritten pages first thing each morning. I know from my own morning pages they work. Answers come. Ideas sprout. Things begin to happen. Spirit speaks. The Artist's Dates are weekly two-hour dates with yourself (no company allowed) spent in some inspiring place that is FUN - for me, cloth stores and pattern books, cookbooks, anywhere in Nature, but especially near water. Even taking a shower usually refreshes my creative thought processes. Of course, I don't take two-hour showers! But, sometimes a shower combined with other activities that are strictly for pleasure and release of creative thought processes works. Baking bread, knitting, sewing, gardening, etc. Perhaps it can be said, we are connecting with Spirit. This is true of both the morning pages and the artist's dates.

Tate's family last summer at Hilton Head

Where did the last two days go? It's truly amazing how impossible it is to get to writing if I don't do it immediately following meditation. I keep thinking, "I'll do it later." But, it never happens. The last two days had busy mornings. Yesterday I went early to the church to begin helping set up for the Joy Group lunch meeting. The day before I had begun baking Irish Soda Bread (from a Southern Living cookbook recipe) and ended up baking four. What fun! This happens to be a bread that has no yeast and requires kneading. What a stress reliever that is! Everyone should try kneading bread. Anyhow, it was so much fun, I just kept doing it for two days! I'll be happy to share the recipe if anyone asks.

Now today is mine. No commitments outside of the ordinary- yoga class this evening at 6:00 - but the whole day is mine. To finish up tax info gathering and sorting and recording for my meeting on Tuesday with the tax man. To get together stuff to take with me for 5 days away - the great joy of helping Luke with Jack and Sam while Susan gets a "girls' weekend" away. And, a couple of nights at Tate and Wendy's home also. How very fortunate I am to have 5 lovely grandchildren and that both families live only 3 hours away from me and 10 minutes from each other. That is a true blessing. And, we all are speaking to each other!

The Pond is quiet this morning. Foggy, soft gray, no movement on the surface, no sounds - geese haven't come yet this morning, two of the cats have come by checking to see if birds are nesting on the porch again - this time they're underneath the porch and the cats can't get to them - there's water beneath the porch and I guess cats really don't like water - so they just run by occasionally in hopes of catching one of the birds on the shelf outside the screened porch.

There is a sound of tree harvesting going on somewhere on a neighbor's property, been going on for a few days now. I am reminded of the bias against harvesting trees. Many people don't seem to understand that we are blessed with plenty of space and trees to serve our purposes - and that to provide paper, we can use the trees. We also have many special places where trees are allowed to grow and die on their own. And that Nature will replenish the Earth with new trees when old ones are removed if we don't - which in many cases we do! Enough for this morning.

Red Maples are Blooming - Stress to Serenity

Iam so excited! When the red maples are shining forth - spring is here! I wish I could show you all six of the beautiful photos I got of one of the trees on the dam. While the workshop women were walking back from the labyrinth on Saturday we all looked up and saw the extraordinary sight! What a thrill! If you look closely along the roadsides you will now see the red glow from the maples shining forth. Did you know there is something red on the Acer rubrum all year round? Twigs, buds, blossoms, leaves. All are red!

Here also is a photo of the workshop women supposedly at play but they look like they are very intent and perhaps still working. It truly is difficult for us to PLAY! And finally, the photo exemplifying SERENITY! Donna is THERE! I know the photos are all out of order - I don't know how to put them where I want them. Maybe someday I'll figure that out. For now, just ENJOY!

Call of the Wild Geese

A fun thing I did yesterday was Google Wild Geese in Ireland. Now I know - the term developed when the Irish lost a war and an option was that the soldiers all leave Ireland and go to Europe - forget which country. From then on - soldiers who left were referred to as wild geese. As a matter of fact, it has been generalized to all those who leave - because it is clear they intend to return! The photo at yesterday's post is one Jim took of the artwork in the center of Kinsale. We walked by it every time we went anywhere. I must say I think the term could also be applied to me - I find it difficult to imagine NOT returning to Ireland. But this year, I will return instead to New Mexico. My firstborn son, Tate, came into this world in Albuquerque. Bob and I rode horses many weekends in the Jemez Mountains just outside the city. We ventured forth to many camping sites around the area during the three years we lived in Albuquerque. We even bought ten acres of ground. Santa Fe is only a short drive from Albuquerque and I chose it for my month-long stay this year.
Returning home is a wonderful blessing. Just a moment ago I heard the wild geese coming back here, as they do every morning. I think they sleep across the road in another farm pond. Perhaps not in the pond but beside it? Do geese sleep on the water?

Where are the wild geese calling you?

No Words - OK, only a Few Words

Wild Geese in in Kinsale, Ireland

This morning I'm at a loss for words. I thought perhaps if I simply sat ready some would come. But not so. It's as though time has stopped. Nothing is different from yesterday. Except that yesterday afternoon I had an endoscopy and this morning my throat still hurts. Perhaps words require no pain. It's not that I hurt a whole bunch, it's just a "discomfort". But it is attention-getting. This day will be one spent in contemplation - not my navel - just being still. I must say, I look forward to a full day with no plans and no duties. Maybe I'll start gathering tax info? Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps the greatest gift of aging is the gift of time with no duties.

Springtime is springing!

Star Magnolia last Spring - Later, but lots of fat buds on it now!

Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feeling. Everything's going my way. Remember that song? That's how I feel this morning. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, the Pond is quiet, birds are swarming at the feeders, the pansies are smiling, a small patch of the parsley is still green! The wind chimes are singing. A little snow is dusting a few patches deep in the grass or in the shade other spots where the sun has not yet reached. It is as if an awakening is happening. Can Spring be near? It's now time to shed the winter fat we all gained (hibernating like the bears do - except we continue eating!) and get set to squeeze back into the spring and summer clothes - to get out of the heavy winter clothes that hide the winter fat and come alive in the openness of spring and summer. To get moving again. How do you do that? Often people ask me if yoga can help one lose weight. My answer is: any kind of moving can help. The particular advantage of yoga is that it creates body awareness which leads to "cleaning up our act" so that the body parts function unimpeded by excess fat. It is not so much about "looking better" as it is about "feeling better" and "functioning better."

For those of you who DON'T gain weight over the winter, count your blessings!

Quincy, Daffodils, and Writing Need

Quincy in a favorite pose - his favorite, not mine!

I probably won't have time to find a photo this morning(I did), but Iwill make time to write. Strange, it seems my greatest need these days is to write. So, I'm glad there are at least one or two of you out there who remark about my writing. That keeps me at the keyboard. I say "my greatest need" and wonder if that is really true and if so, why? You know how a child continually asks "Why?" That seems to be my state. I guess as we age we do enter a second childhood. Or, maybe I never left it! What I know for sure is that I feel happier when I write - while I'm doing it, immediately after, and even anticipating the next write. I guess most people would call it journaling, and it is that in a way. I am an example of one who "spills my guts" when I write. What you read is who I am. At least that's why I write - to learn who I am.

The Great Blue Heron is back! Haven't seem him for many weeks. Wonder where he has been? There are several ponds in the area, so I suppose he enjoys them all from time to time. Don't we all enjoy a change of scenery? Speaking of change of scenery, the sky is very gray this morning and the Pond surface is mixed with some spots going in one direction and others going their own way in a different direction but in general, the surface is moving toward my side, sort of southwesterly. I see on Weather.com that we are in for rain and snow perhaps through tonight and a high of 39 today. But then either tomorrow or the next day in the 50s. Perhaps this is our last blast of cold. Two days ago I saw my first daffodils of the year! Just a little patch about two feet in diameter out in the woods along the road to town where someone, probably years ago, tossed them out. There's another spot where they are growing in a ditch along the road, but haven't seen them yet. And, my three haven't yet poked their blades up. The wind is up so the chimes are really singing their hearts out this morning and my swing chair is moving also. This reminds me of a photo I'll search for now. Note: Quincy left this world in July 09 but is still very much in our hearts - all of us who ever saw him - especially if they saw him "zoning". What a fun animal he was!!!

Altar Pieces and Rainbows

This morning's sit was very special. Most mornings my first activity is sitting by the window with my altar pieces (incense, candle, and blessings bowl, pictured above) on a small table in front of me. I wrap my prayer shawl around my shoulders - the one that Sara knitted for me, sit, and hold the bowl in my hands. Usually I sit for 30 minutes with a timer set. By now, I really don't need the timer, but I still use it. I repeat my mantras as they rise in my thoughts and gaze at the Pond or the candle, or close my eyes. This morning, something very special occurred. As I was gazing at the candle flame, a rainbow formed over the top of the candle holder. Even more surprising, it remained even though I blinked several times. Maybe 3 or 4 minutes. This is a first. It brought to mind another very special occurrence when I was in Ireland 10 years ago. While walking in an intermittent very light rain I saw my first and only double rainbow. I remember as a child seeing rainbows frequently, but not so now. Do you still believe, as I do, there's a pot of gold at the end? Do you ever wonder which end?