Cooler days - get outdoors!

This morning's walk was fruitful--picked a bright yellow muscadine vine leaf and brilliant red honeylocust which actually has a few green leaflets among the red ones - I've hung a stretched canvas over my table and pin my fall walk gems to it. First I press them between paper napkins (don't take the newspaper anymore) with a couple of books weighting them down. Of course, the colors fade, but I find new ones to replace the faded ones and move on. I love the changing collage I'm creating. October is almost here - my very favorite month. Already the mornings are a bit cooler and soon the whole day will be more comfortable. It is the best time of the year for outdoor life. If you don't have a handy place to be outdoors, come to the Pond. Feel free to walk around anywhere you like on the 53 acres - the pasture land or the forested area. It's a great place to just BE for a few hours or even overnight.

4th Sunday at 4:00 Second Silent Retreat

Yesterday afternoon two men and nine women sat in silent meditation in the Yogatorium. The energy in the room was something very special. We followed up with a labyrinth walk, something else that is truly inspiring - especially a group walk. My deepfelt gratitude goes out to each of you for sharing this special time with me. Join us next time, October 23, for the third 4th Sunday at 4:00 silent meditation retreat and bring your friends - there's plenty of room. --- I'm off to the Y for yoga class in a few minutes. What a great way to start a week! I'm sure it's going to turn out to be a really fun one! Hope yours is too. Be sure to find at least a few minutes for silence. You'll be glad you did.

Circles

More rain this morning! Not nearly enough. I just checked and the edge of the water is at the base of the two posts that once supported the diving board!! I don't recall ever before seeing it that low. But for now, I'm just enjoying watching the rings being formed on the surface of the Pond as the raindrop land. Circles are significant in so many ways. My favorite is two lines written by Robert Frost: We dance around in a ring and suppose, while the secret sits in the center and knows. But I also enjoy recalling circles of friends standing in a ring holding hands. Sometimes around something significant, like a bonfire or within the labyrinth center. Riding the horses of a merry-go-round at the county fair. Stonehenge with Win Nelson. Circles of stones in Ireland Margie and I visited. Circles connect us.

Walking in the Rain

For many, many years I have talked about the joy of walking in a summer rain. This morning I did it on purpose for the first time I can remember. As I left the cottage, I turned back to get my Netflix DVD to take with me and put in the mailbox to be picked up. As I did I hesitated, thinking "it may rain" as a few drops hit the roof of the carport. I realized it didn't matter, or rather that it did matter--I'd enjoy it. And, so I did. It never entered my head to get a rain jacket. Past the mailbox, I thought the drops were falling from the trees I was walking under near the bridge but as I started up the hill toward Edgefield Road I could see the soft rain falling in the open areas. I continued until it was clearly getting more serious about raining and I was within 20 yards of my usual turning point. I reversed my direction and within just a minute or two I debated about whether to take off my glasses or just look through the drops accumulating on the lenses. I left them on and began smiling realizing that an item on my bucket list was coming to fruition. What a glorious way to begin my day! Now my sweater and skirt are hanging over a couple of chairs to dry and I'm settled in on the porch. No plans til tonight at 6:00 yoga class. Oh Happy Day!

Staying in Touch

Can't really think of anything worth writing about. Still, want to stay in touch. On my way to Atlanta to stay with Luke and Susan's kids, Jack and Sam, tomorrow while they go to football game - Clemson-Auburn. Last week with Tate and Wendy's. So, I'm getting in two quick visit with all my immediate family. What a joy to have each one of them! We will all be together here at the Pond Thanksgiving. It's a tradition now to gather here. Can't believe I've actually lived here for 5 years already. ------ Yoga classes are going really well -several new students have showed up both out here at the Yogatorium and at the church in town. It's always fun to have newcomers join us. Like I said, no much to write about. Love - Peace - Joy to each of you.

New Year Begins with School Openings

I'm back on the porch again. This morning's walk was delightfully cool. Only two pickup trucks and one van passed me - on their way to work or back from taking someone to school. I was a little later walking this morning. Nothing scheduled today until yoga at 4:00 at the church. So, I will rest and write. One or two trees are showing yellow or reddish orange leaves, but not many. Sourwood reds are also showing up - at least on the tiny sprouts along the roadside. Some tree leaves are going directly to browns. I love this time of year. Somehow when school opens and the leaves begin to turn, its like the beginning of a new year for me - much more so than January 1. I guess it comes from having been associated with school all my life - until retirement a dozen years ago. So, this morning's reading this stood out for me: Every year I resolve to be a little less the me I know and leave a little room for the me I could be. I'll meditate on this and see what comes up.

Not much worth reading

After a great weekend of getting some words on paper - I'm off to the Y for yoga this morning. What a delightful weather we're having now - nice cool mornings - but still highs in the 90s. Soon, we will be able to keep our sweaters on all day rather than just in the mornings. ---- My new sewing machine and overlock machine arrived and I did get them unpacked to be sure that nothing was missing or broken, but put them away for now. I MUST STAY focused on writing for a few weeks at least! Only in the evenings, will I stray from my purpose. Of course, by then, my brain is on hold so I probably won't be able to decipher the instruction books that came with the machines. My old machine is over forty years old and the shaft is bent so the needle hits the plate sometimes rather than going down and catching the thread as it should. Besides that, it weighs a ton! These new machines are so light I can pick them up with one hand - what a joy! But, that's about all I know about them so far. Oh, I bought them, actually Luke ordered them for me on a web site (woot.com) that runs 24-hour specials and I saved about $200 apparently. Got both Singer machines for $350. Had been promising myself a new one for about 15 years and just never got around to it. Thanks, Luke, for prodding me!

Waiting

My walk this morning was delightfully cool, sweater weather. My reading was especially thought-provoking. Strange how some readings seem to hit home. It is a writing from Longfellow I found in Sara Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance Daybook. She calls it A Psalm for Life.
Let us, then, be up and doing
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and wait.
The last line is the challenge for me. The "wait" is the hardest part. Waiting has never been a strong suit of mine. Patricia Hopkins, one of my earlier spiritual directors, challenged me with Lao Tzu's lines from the Tao De Ching:
Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles
And the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
Till the right action arises?

The Swan House--a young girl story

Good morning! I'm back on the porch at Tate's home enjoying the morning sunshine and surrounding trees that block the view of the nearby houses. The family is getting school lunches packed, eating quick breakfasts, and leaving for school. After this year, there will be only two - Sydney and Walker- since Kelsey will be in college. So, the time is drawing near when it will be unusual rather than usual for all five of them to be together. Fortunately, the family is a very close-knit one. What a blessing for them and me! Sydney (14) introduced me to a book The Swan House set in Atlanta that I am thoroughly enjoying. Story of a young girl breaking down barriers between the very rich and the inner city black community in Grant Park. But it is much more than that--an intriguing look into life of a young girl. What a kick to be able to order it for my kindle and be reading it five minutes later!--- looking forward to getting back home today but will make a quick stop in Commerce for a break in the trip. ---- Will be back in the Yogatorium at 10:00 tomorrow for class.

Quiet time in Atlanta

All is well in Atlanta. Been successful at getting some new writing approaches that are paying off. Weather has been beautifully cool. I've thoroughly enjoyed spending many hours on the porch writing - until this morning when the yard maintenance men showed up, cranked up their mowers and weed trimmers and drove me inside for a bit. It's astounding how comfortable I have become with silence - so much so that I find myself creating it whenever possible. The kids have been great about watching TV somewhere away from where I'm reading or writing - even without my asking! Of course, the only room without a TV is the porch. That's not quite true, the kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms don't have one either. What is most unusual in my experience, is the two outside the house - one on the ground floor outdoor living room and one on the screened porch upstairs. They are all big sports fans and that's a lot of what gets watched. Anyway, it has been a great quiet time for me with all the children in school most of the day and then a delightful time with them in the evening. How blessed I am to be able to share in some of their time. Hope to get much more of it in the coming months. Unfortunately, Tate and Wendy didn't get to watch the US Open in person. It has been rain delayed and they are coming home tonight.

Success Scares Me

I'm all set up in son Tate's home now with all my gluten-free food and fresh fruit from the beautiful Publix here, my dirty clothes being washed in their huge washing machine with so many buttons and lights I waited for Sydney to help me start it, and my laptop in operation. What a joy to have their wireless connection! Stuff really flies onto the screen - so much faster than my Verizon Broadband access connection. But then, as my Kindle reminds me each time I order a new book, I live on the "Edge" and sometimes have to wait quite a few minutes to connect. Of course, I enjoy living on the edge - in more ways than just having my cottage on the edge of web availability. --- Had a pep talk with my writing coach yesterday and seem to be loosening up some more thoughts to put on the screen. The flow had come to a halt over the last few weeks. I have two whole days of solitude here while the kids are in school, so I'll test the waters tomorrow morning. I think what stopped me was a feeling that I might actually be getting somewhere with the book - success always scares me more than failure - I think because success always results in change. As much as I like and seek change, when it's out of my control, it's scary. And, potential success is a lot more scary than actual success. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Rain at the Pond

We got a bit of rain last night and more predicted for today and tomorrow. Thought you might enjoy seeing what the dry Pond looks like this morning. We've been without rain so long grass is growing where water used to be. In the past, the water level has been much higher - up to maybe 5 inches below the dock over on the left behind the double-wide (which is rented). I'm estimating probably 2 feet below last year's full and 3 feet several years ago. Even with the little rain last night, there is a slight green tinge to the yard. Unfortunately, we are relying on hurricane effects now - we're not actually in the path - just the fringe effect. --- Tomorrow I'm off to Atlanta to child tend while Tate and Wendy go to NYC. Looking forward to this time with the children - they are aging so fast--I treasure these times with them. Back home Friday.