At Folly Beach

We are here - Faye, Sara, Kathy and me - only four of the eight of us - but still the love and energy in general is palpable. What a blessing to share our lives. Already we've reviewed much and looked forward too. Dinner on the deck looking over the marsh watching the sun set, then going out later on the deck on the other side of the house watching the moon over the ocean - how can one NOT be inspired, contented, at peace, and happy! Knitting, hand sewing, talking, listening - the best part for me - connecting through listening. Often I don't remember the details, but the feelings of connection - those I remember long after our visits. There is fog this morning, but the prediction is for a high of 79 with wind. Kathy and I have plans to spend time on the beach. I have written often about the ocean and the beach. There is a magic in hearing the ocean speak as it rolls in and out - which motion produces the sound? Both? I'll check that out today. It seems to me there is sound both on the in and the out. Is there in and out occurring both at the same time near enough to hear? Green tea time.

At Harbor Town - Crows or Gulls or Both?

I'm at Jim's home - a wonderful dinner last evening at Roastfish and Cornbread. Will be back there in July, for sure! Off to Folly Beach later this morning to spend 4 days with my Pod Sisters - an annual event. Friends. That's what life is all about. And family. Here's are 2 photos from our 08 sailing trip together - this is where he'd prefer to be this morning, I'm sure! Instead he's instructing a crew for Census taking. I just now hear the crows! To me, they say Hilton Head! I can remember so often being greeted by their calls in the early morning - especially over at South Beach at the Salty Dog area. Strange what reminds one of a place. Crows? But, it's true - even at home when I hear them I'm reminded of HH - which is not too often - more likely I just see them. Why do they talk so much here? Could it be that it's gulls I'm hearing? Do gulls talk to crows? Do crows talk back?

It's still dark. I woke about 3:30 and decided this is a marvelous time to meditate, read, contemplate the readings, and write. So,this morning I am sitting with my "Yoga for Any Body" tea mug - one Karen had made for me - a fantastic photo of a sanderling (gull?) standing on one leg on the sand is on the mug! I think she's attempting a "tree" pose. Karen was just here for a couple of days working with me to create a tri-fold display that turned out to be spectacular! Just what I would expect when two heads and four hands work together - really together. That's what I call connection. And, before that, Jim enjoyed the swing chair while I enjoyed my new rocking chair he helped me buy at Lowe's on Saturday. I've wanted one ever since I moved here three years ago and find it truly comfortable - a pleasant surprise - even without cushions. I've never had a porch rocker but as a child loved sitting in one. The wrap is a knitting mistake (I didn't check the gauge and it turned out twice as big as it was supposed to be) - but I love it as a morning wrap. As you can tell, my brain is scattered this morning - I'm leaving in an hour or so for Hilton Head and dinner out with Jim this evening. Then tomorrow to Folly Beach to join 3 of my Pod Sisters for 4 days - an annual event that is always lovely. I can't think of a better word for it - a favorite for the Irish - but I won't pursue that line of writing now! Enough for one morning. If there is a lesson here, I'm not sure what it is - if you figure it out, let me know. Connection, is the best I can come up with now.

The Mystery Tree and Other Questions

This morning has been beautiful! I have spent the past hour watching the morning begin with first the goose honking and honking and honking about 6:00 am and waking me. I opened the blind beside my pillow and looked out to near darkness over the Pond. Why so early honking??? I've done my meditation and reading and prepared a mug of green tea and am back at the window. Now he's at it again. Alone. He just spent some time over on the peninsula in the bushes - Could it be the mother is on her nest there? If I'm not remembering wrong, I saw our first goslings(geese or ducks or both?) swimming on the pond last year about this time. Then the Great Blue Heron showed up where he usually does - at the far end of the dam - and began his trek in the shallow water at the edge going from east to northwest away from the dam along the edge. He moved very slowly most of the time stepping carefully as if trying to not disturb the fish and creep up on them unnoticed. Occasionally he shot his beak down into the water but didn't seem to come up with anything. I could see fish jumping about 20 feet in front of him. Could he see them too? Or does he operate on smell? Sometimes he stopped for a long time, then resumed his trek. When he reached the little inlet off to the northwest, he suddenly took off flying about 30 feet across the inlet to the edge - where Walker and Jack got stuck in the pedal boat last summer - and began his careful journey again but with more times darting his beak into the water and twice I saw him gulp! Then, shortly he resumed his trek back in the opposite direction away from the peninsula retracing his steps. Now I've lost him. And the goose has disappeared. Shadows stretch across the labyrinth but soon will disappear back into the woods. Two of the weeping willows have leaves but one does not. The little cedar over there is still standing guard. There is another tree near it I don't remember seeing before!!! How can it be that such avoids our observance for so long! It must be 6 to 8 feet tall! I can't tell what kind it is - that will be my first excursion this morning - to befriend the tree! I'm shocked that she has been standing there in full view so long without my seeing. What else am I not seeing? How can I be so BLIND! What trivia is(are?) blinding me to the REAL? Why do I refer to the tree as "she" and to the heron and goose as "he"?

Ten Directions Meditation

The photo is of the kitchen area in the Cottage. It's early. I woke about 4:00 and began thinking of "The Art of Doing Nothing" planning I'm doing. And, one of my favorite sayings, from whence I have no idea, "Don't just do something, sit there." So I have been sitting here. . . and considering the interconnectedness of us all. . . the innerconnectedness of us all. In my reading of a chapter in "Lovingkindness" by Sharon Salzberg, an ongoing study with my Spiritual Sisters, a new meditation exercise came up that I'm eager to begin using in my early morning work. It is working with the ten directions sending metta (lovingkindness) to all beings in the N, the NE, the E, etc. and above and below. (You can start with any compass point you choose, of course.) It's fascinating to me to find new tools to enhance my journey. But before I begin that, I want to connect with you. Of course, I'm not even sure which you you are..and that's the joy of this. The opportunity to connect and actually feel it even though I can't see it. . . .There's something magical about being able to do that.....

There's a mist floating over the Pond this morning from east to west, away from the dam. A cat just strolled by on the overhang of the screened porch - she's checking out the progress of a bird building a nest under the porch. The Great Blue Heron has been showing up several mornings in a row but I don't see him yet. Worked on the labyrinth yesterday. Randy mowed it and in one spot mowed too low so that a division disappeared. So, I'll outline it with yellow nylon rope in that spot until the grass grows back high enough to delineate the path.

Soon I'll write here more details about the five upcoming retreat weekends beginning May 22. See FB for now. And, I'll post more photos from the Pond buildings and surroundings.

Golden Present, Aversion

Back at my Cottage yesterday afternoon in time for a nap and Spiritual Sisters meeting followed by yoga session with two new students - Dyan and Sissy. What a wonderful birthday gift! - along with the cards, calls, and gifts received - I am so blessed! Being 77 is going to be a fun time - I am sure. Sam will be 7 on the 23rd and we shared thoughts about the fact that I will always be 70 years older than he is - "When I'm 107, Mamaw, you'll be 177!" Ah the delights of children. This morning I read the April 18, my birthday, writing of Satchidananda in "The Golden Present" and found his writing using the words: the golden present!!! What a nice coincidence! And certainly my present is golden. I pray yours is too this morning.Now while continuing plans "for the future" I'll try to remember to let go of the results and enjoy the planning.

In our meeting yesterday, discussing anger and aversion, the learning that sticks in my mind this morning is that anger serves a purpose of showing boundaries that one has and can be useful in this way. I find myself too often ignoring my boundaries and saying "Yes" when I really want to say "No." Do you? It's often not that I feel angry, but there is definitely a feeling of aversion. That's a good word for me to add to my vocabulary. Since I almost never feel anger, by my definition, I might attempt to recognize aversion for its usefulness. I'll admit this morning I certainly don't feel any aversion to anything or anyone!!!

Squander the Day

I am at a loss for words this morning. I've been looking at my laptop screen for several minutes and nothing wants to come out. I tell people who are new to journaling - just start writing and something will happen - if not immediately, after 2 and 1/2 pages. So, you may have to go through a lot of nothing before anything shows up worth reading this morning. Perhaps I waited too long. Had an early morning yoga hour with two students and then jumped right into a bowl of cereal (not literally) and vacuuming, making beds, gathering laundry, etc. etc. So my head is used up with trivialities, workings of the day. I think I'll rely on a lovely poem I read last evening sitting in the swing by the Pond to share with you. It is the last few lines of The Lark by Mary Oliver from her book What Do We Know. (Don't have a photo of a lark, but the turkey will do!)

. . . . . and then something summons him again/and up he goes,/his shoulders working,/his whole body almost collapsing and floating/to the edges of the world./

We are reconciled, I think,/to too much./Better to be a bird, like this one--/an ornament of the eternal./As he came down once, to the nest of the grass,"Squander the day, but save the soul," I heard him say.

Turkeys and "Art of Doing Nothing" weekends

What a beautiful surprise! Yesterday I started walking across the dam toward the labyrinth when I heard a turkey clucking!! There she was! Photo is a bit unclear, but there she is! (Chris had left the chair after he was fishing over the weekend.) I wonder if turkey wonders what the chair is? Maybe she's waiting for the sitter to return? A few weeks ago I reported seeing the beaver - who has never returned, thank goodness - and now a turkey. Both firsts for me at the Pond. This home of mine becomes more precious every day. I'll also insert my first photo of all three buildings - my Cottage and shed on the Pond, the Yogatorium to the left, and in the center the Cabin. The layout of the buildings photo was my reason for crossing the dam - and how lucky I was to have a turkey sighting on the way!

Just so you get the first news, you Blog followers, I'm offering personal retreats beginning May 22 entitled "The Art of Doing Nothing." (Kate: Thanks to you for the book!) And, I'll lead you through the day so that you don't get sidetracked into doing "something." I'll make it available to 2 to 4 people for overnight Saturday, perhaps a few more for the Saturday daytime hours. If you're eager, send the $20 fee non-refundable, but you can send an alternate if you can't come. If there is another weekend before June 26 you'd like to reserve, let me know and I'll hold space for you. Total cost for reserving 0vernight space for your group of 2 ($80 Cabin) 4 ($150 Cottage). Enough details for now. More later if you'll ask.

Greens and Hula Hoops

Green is everywhere! I am every year amazed as trees leaf out at the miraculous array of greens - and they change almost daily - and even in full leaf, there are dozens of different greens to see. We are so fortunate to live in a place where so many different species (over 200 trees if I remember my forestry learning correctly) right here in SC. Even among the oaks - perhaps 40 different ones! Not just whites and reds but within those categories many different species. If I were a painting artist, I'd be out there right now trying to capture on paper all the different greens. But, I am a photographing artist, at least for now, so I'll resort to my camera. This first photo is of the huge "corner marker" tree that I took a week or so ago just as it was beginning to leaf out. And, of course, if you look at the upper left corner, you can see the dark green of the pine needles. Imagine the challenge to a painter trying to capture even all the green shades in this one photo!

I'm hooked on artistry this morning - spent a weekend at Lutheridge "Create in Me" weekend where we submerged ourselves in creating - everything from soap to batik - story telling to praying and meditating - hot air balloon rides to making our own hula hoops! Which reminds me - one of the astounding things I learned is that the diameter of the hoop makes all the difference in the world! With one so big that the diameter stretched from my chest down to the ground, I had no trouble at all! First try, it worked! I never knew that, did you?

Making a Life Living

Somehow the past few days have been full - I have maintained my meditation schedule, but the blog posts have been neglected. Today I have gotten some new photos into the system and will share them as the days go by. I so love my wisteria, it comes first. The plant was a gift from Herschel Harper when we moved, with his help, from Clemson to the Pond three years ago. How I LOVE gifts of plants! And, a new photo of the Yogatorium at dusk. (I still don't know how to make photos appear where I want them - they shift around without my help or intention!)

I am now, and have been, thinking about creativity since I will be leading a workshop on "Living Creatively" on Saturday at Lutheridge. The one principle that continues to come up in my mind is the principle of being willing to take risks. "Leap, and the net will appear." "Ask, and you will receive." "Knock, and the door will open." All of these involve me doing something first. Leap, Ask, Knock. The older I get the more often I remind myself of this -I must do something first. I often recall advice I received as a teenager - "You don't get dates sitting at home by the telephone waiting." In fact, we rarely receive anything sitting at home waiting for someone else to make the first move. The current dilemma is my wish for more yoga students. Two days ago it turned into more than a "wish." I signed up to join the 96 Chamber of Commerce and to participate in the May 15, Town of Ninety Six Cateechee Fest where I will be able to distribute information about the Yogatorium. Since I also intend selling some copies of my "Happiness Workbook I" I will need a business license. And, so it goes. As soon as a wish turns into an action, more actions become required. But, then, that is what makes a life living.

91 degrees today - already 63. Summer came before spring this year. On Sunday driving back from Kathleen, GA east on I-16 and north on 221 I saw what looked like clouds of smoke. On closer examination, I realized it was pollen - for miles, clouds of pollen between the forests of trees - mostly pines. Last evening, Martha told me she had seen the same phenomenon in Greenwood. In the last five minutes, the temp has risen to 67! This morning I am picking up Guilda to go to Circle meeting at Millie's home so don't really have time to write, but I promise I will later today. Trouble getting connected this morning to the Internet, so........

Out of Town

Hi: I'm on my way this day to spend Easter weekend with Karen and Tommy Mertens in Kathleen, GA (south of Warner Robbins). Can't decide whether or not to take laptop and keep up blog - but will definitely get back to it Monday morning, if not Sunday evening. Hang in there with me.

HAPPY EASTER!