Once again, I've been negligent of my readers! Sorry. This darn medicine took it's toll this week - but, I'm through now with the antibiotics and now on to a medicine for ten days I hope has no side effects. We'll see. ---The photo is not my home, but the cabin Brother Jim furnishedwhen he retired. (Originally, about a hundred years ago, it was a sharecropper's cabin and didn't even have a kitchen sink!) Today a plumber is working on the cabin kitchen sink drain. Since Mother turned it into her Girl Scout cabin, it has been just a pipe underground running about 20 or 30 feet out towards the woods and now it will be connected to the septic tank. We were having to clean out the pipe of roots and such much too often. It wouldn't have mattered, but we're using the cabin more now.-----Yesterday Randy mowed the dandelions. I'm serious. The whole 2 acres were covered with dandelions. As he said, "I thought maybe you had planted them there were so many". Surely there is some way to eliminate them and make room for the grass? Of course, right now we're in a very dry time - not a drought yet as far as I know - but still really dry. The path of the labyrinth has cracked ground surface now. ----- Have a great day!

Checking in

Where has this week gone to? It seems some weeks go by without my noticing. This one just seemed to be filled with small details, and some not so small, that kept me from my writing. Perhaps today will be different. The plan was for Kathy to spend this weekend with me, but she and I agreed now on June 4 weekend. By then, I'll be through with the drugs I'm taking to clear up my gut problems. There don't seem to be any serious side effects, but I do seem to be requiring more naps or just doing not much of anything but reading, knitting, watching movies, and such. What a joy to be in a position where I CAN do that! ------- My buttercups are in full bloom now and the bell peppers have a few blossoms promising fruit soon? Cicadas are still here but not nearly so loud. Today I'll get some porch time before the temp climbs into the 90s. --- Had fun yesterday making 3-bean salad (with black beans) and homemade pimento cheese. It tastes soooo good to have some stuff made from scratch. I had been eating store-bought stuff too long. I've pretty well eliminated wheat (gluten) from my diet and it surprises me how easy it is - many gluten free items are available now in ordinary grocery stores. And, I've found coconut milk a joy. Bought, but not yet tried hemp milk. Feels strange to be concentrating on food intake - for most of my life I seemed to have a "cast-iron stomach" but no longer. I'm still on drugs so dragging a bit, but looking forward to renewed energy in a couple more weeks when I finish the stuff. Time for tea and a good book!

Hummingbirds and Cicadas and Yoga in Life

Hummingbirds are back! Even though there are still some cicadas around, the hummers have returned! The roar of the cicadas has lessened, but they are still around. I tried taking a walk this morning and was still so annoyed by the roar I cut it short. This is really getting old! I am glad they won't be back for 13 years! I hear someone has made jewelry with them and the mayor roasted some and ate them! I'm not sure that was a good political move, but you never know. Maybe he's not planning to run for re-election. I'm already tired of the pre-election media coverage. One of the reasons I rarely turn on the TV.-----Began this morning trying to incorporate some knee-bending squats into my everyday life - to tie my shoes - fortunately it didn't take long! I had finally gotten in the habit of keeping a straight back, but now must move to squats. This is when yoga really pays off - when it gets incorporated into ordinary life. Namaste.

Foods and Writing and Such

The water level in the Pond is lowering. There is a tiny "beach" over on the peninsula where six turtles are sunbathing. They're too far away for my camera. We had a nice rain last night and everything is shiny clean and green - except the dirt and the turtles, of course. The cicadas have not been singing yet today - someone said last evening they would be coming back out for another couple weeks, but haven't heard them yet - and it's nearly noon. I guess the cool weather drove them away? -----I'm back to writing a page a day again - except when I'm not at home. I'll talk with Coach Lisa tomorrow and perhaps get some more inspiration. I can't seem to even think about writing a book - just snippets, as she calls them, for now. ------- Martha and I bought groceries at Whole Foods in Greenville before we left on Sunday and I had a ball last night sampling the gluten free goodies I bought! It seems ironic to me - I had been cramming in all the whole wheat grains I could in hopes of a good diet with lots of fiber - and it turns out that may have been part of what has been irritating my system. I do know the wheat sensitivity is very high. So, now I'll find some other kind of grains - This health commitment I've begun is not easy!!!! Takes way too much attention - or at least a whole lot more than I'd like! I hate having to think about food all the time. But, if it weren't this, it would be something else!!!

Yin Yoga in Greenville

What a great weekend! Martha and I attended a Paulie Zink Yin yoga workshop at DharmaYoga Studios in Greenville Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A totally different type of yoga from anything I've seen before. Related to Chinese Taoism rather than Indian Hinduism, but both having been developed as an aid to contemplation. In this workshop we worked on postures designed to take us back to the flexible state we enjoyed as babies or very young children - postures called the frog, the shrimp, horse, cow, dog, cat, lizard, tree, stump, for examples. And nearly all are done beginning from a seated position. And, each is held for a long period - at least 3 minutes. What a workout it was! Four hour sessions truly gave us a workout. It seemed that every muscle was pushed to its limit! Of course, my limit is different from everyone else's. (And so is yours) ---- It was a grand experience and I'll be incorporating many of the moves into my classes. --- Time to water the plants and get ready to go to the Y. -- Have a happy Monday!

So I did switch gears and managed to write book pages three days in a row! This morning I'm sharing with you some photos from my garden. A cicada showed up on my walkway. Grape tomatoes are almost ripe. I've been eating lettuce for a week now! The rabbits still haven't found it. ------ The goose is back waiting for what? Everything is still this morning. ---- Stacey brought over my Personalized Astrology Reading from Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment and I'm having fun reading it this morning with my tea. We ordered them (a birth one and a spiritual journey one) during our recent retreat. ----- Six women showed up for yoga class at the Yogatorium last evening. What a kick! ---Not focused yet this morning. Who knows where this day will go? Eventually to Greenwood for yoga class this evening, but the day is mine!

From my Meditation Chair in the Cottage

Very soon it will be warm and I'll do my morning meditation and posts from the porch. But, it's cool this morning and I just realized I had never shown you the view from my meditation chair. So here it is. A few minutes ago, the mist was still over the Pond and oddly, it seemed divided right down the middle with half moving westward and the other half east toward the dam. At the moment, there is a very small amount traveling west, but it won't be there long. The sun is soon to be shining directly on the Pond surface and it will disappear. A fish just jumped over in the corner by the dam. One of these days I must learn to fish! The labyrinth was mowed yesterday. Joanne said she had enjoyed walking it with the grass delineating the path tall enough for her fingers to touch it as she walked, but I found that distracting. So for now, it's back down close to the earth. I'll take a rake over and clear the path of the cut grass. I wonder how long it will take for it to rise back up to our fingertips.---Lisa did her job well yesterday. I am reinspired to write. I mustn't use up all my inspiration here. I will switch gears now.

Cicadas still here

Whoops! I was wrong. Cicadas were still here yesterday. I just wrote my post too early. Now it's 9:24 and I still haven't heard them. I just walked outside and yep, they are still here. Somewhat less volume, so perhaps they are just still sleepy or perhaps their numbers are reduced? I must google cicadas and learn more. --- Reading a thriller I couldn't put down last night till very late - will finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this morning. Thanks, Faye, for sharing it. -------This is a day off - no yoga class scheduled and no reason to go to town, so I'll do my own practice session this evening and take the rest of the day off.------My book writing has come to a screeching halt. I don't know why. Perhaps Lisa, my coach, will re-inspire me when we talk this afternoon. After all, that's what a coach is for, isn't it?

Cicadas Leave

The cicadas are gone! Last evening during yoga session they were actively singing. I actually saw my first one this time inside the Yogatorium. How he/she got in is beyond me - I gently removed him to rejoin the others. Now this morning, all is quiet! What a miraculous event this is! I hear it only occurs every 13 years here in the south. I recall when I first heard it 13 years ago I recorded the sound and played it on a phone call for friends in New York and Arizona. Don't remember if they had ever heard them before.-----Watched "Sweet Dreams" last evening - story of Patsy Cline. Brought back all my memories from my teen years when "country" music was my very favorite - still is, actually, although I enjoy any kind of music - even that of the cicadas! Even so, it's nice to have the quiet returned. Too bad I have to go into town for a while - would prefer to enjoy the quiet here. ------ Joanne is walking the labyrinth. Makes me very happy when others take advantage of it.

A hodge-podge of thoughts

Goodness, it's already nearly noon! Where does the time go? Most of it, this morning, I have been getting a schedule set up for taking the supplements Dr. Biddle recommended - basically I'm low on magnesium, zinc, potassium, rubidium, lithium, Vit. D, and the list goes on. Some of these things I didn't even know the body needs! Clearly I'll either feel a whole lot better or a whole lot worse! Can't expect to be the same person much longer. Actually, even after only a couple days of taking all this stuff, I do feel different. The major change, I'm sure, is that I've been taking a huge dose of probiotics for quite a while now and my digestive tract is much happier. It's logical that there are some aging effects going on inside - certainly they are obvious on the outside! --Finally the writing research is back in my life. I'm still amazed at what I've written in my journals the last several years. I've only been through two years so far but they have been enlightening. One surprise is seeing how often I referred to the Course in Miracles I was working through. I'd like to do that again soon. Is anyone out there interested in joining me in that work?

Back to Normal at the Pond

This morning I'm almost back to normal. The time at Folly Beach was so good - what a joy it is to share life with women friends FOUR times each year! Only four of the six managed to make it to the beach, but hopefully all of us will be together in July here at the Pond. The photo of Nancy, Faye, and Sara shows us in the process of needlework while on the upstairs balcony where we can hear and see the ocean (upper part of the photo across the row of houses). ---- It always takes me a couple of days to get back to normal after such a beautiful time with friends. ---- Now I'm beginning several nutrient supplements in an attempt to correct imbalances found by the tests. ------ The cicadas are still singing! What a shock it was to hear them again - and they are all over Greenwood, too. Really LOUD! They say that a couple weeks and they will be gone again. Randy got most of the yards mowed yesterday when the mower broke - so a patch is waiting for repairs. Actually, most of what is growing now is dandelions - grass is lingering behind. I'm still surprised by the greenness of everything. What a lovely time Spring is -- particularly for me since I've used only my neti pot throughout the pollen season. What a blessing to be able to breathe freely! Enough for this morning. Time for oatmeal.