Squash Freezing?

I'm taking a break from washing the porch ceiling on Frank's house.  My neck needs a rest.  It's just about the same as painting a ceiling but at least it's just dirty water dripping down on me - not paint!…...  My squash has the most beautiful blossoms!  This one is on a plant which came up all by itself from last year's planting - so it's the most vigorously growing one.  With the help of Osmacote at planting and Miracalgrow a couple weeks ago - things are really up and running - yep running all over the yard!  At least it will cut down on the amount of grass mowing…...What FUN!  We've got butternut, spaghetti, and zucchini so I'll need some freezing instructions.  Never tried freezing squash but don't think I've got enough friends to help eat all that apparently will be showing up.  Do squash casseroles freeze well?  How about simply baked squash?

Prayer Flags

What a lovely day yesterday and today looks just as good.  I am thoroughly enjoying the quiet the Pond provides.  Sometimes I get so busy I forget to take time to just be.  Today is to be another day of just being most of the day.  I began both days with meditation at the Yogatorium using the lovely prayer flags Joanne brought to me.  I'd like to share them with you, so here are the words relating to each of the seven chakras:

:
Red - I am safe.  I trust more; I fear less.  I am centered and grounded.
Orange -  I feel my emotions and my pain.  I reawaken my passion. I surrender to this moment.
Yellow - I am courageous.  I am whole.  I stand in my power.
Green - I am loved; I let love in.  I am kind to myself.  I live in peace and gratitude.
Blue -  I play in my imagination.  I create my reality.  I know and share my truth.
Indigo - I honor my intuition.  I accept my path.  I am healing body, mind, and spirit.
Violet -  I connect with spirit.  I invite sacred transformation.  I embrace the unity of all beings.

Jack's Graduation

Jaquie and Jack 5/18/15

What a joy!  Last night at St. Francis 8th graders graduation was truly a joy.  Grandson Jack looked so grown up!  Hard to believe he's only 14.  On the other hand it's hard to believe he's already 14!  What a joy to spend that event with Luke, Susan, and Sam watching the procedure.  97 graduates.   Refreshments afterwards and visiting with teachers; then late dinner that, as usual in Atlanta, was spectacular.  I had a salad of peach poached in port wine, etc.  WOW!  Here is a photo of the two of us just before the late supper.  See how much he's grown in height since last year's photo.

Off to Atlanta

A quick "Hello."  Off to Atlanta soon.  But, will return by 10 in the morning for yoga class.  And, Joanne will teach the Monday one this evening.  So come on out.  Keep your fingers crossed that trucks    will be few!

Bountiful Blessings

Grandma Jaquie and Jack 2014

Life really is full for me these days.  I am so fortunate to have so many wonderful friends with new ones showing up every week!  How blessed I am.  I have the best of all worlds with an "intact" family of two sons who have both been married to their wives for twenty years or more and both of whom have lovely children - five altogether.  And, with my yoga classes attracting new people nearly every week, new friends keep showing up in my life.  How could anyone ask for anything more?  A home in a lovely serene setting surrounded by Nature in all its glory.  A simple lifestyle allowing me freedom to be and do as I choose from moment to moment with just enough structure (four yoga classes Monday through Thursday) to build my life, with clear reason for being much of the time, and freedom to simply BE the rest of the time.  It has taken me a long time to get here, but the trip has been fantastically interesting and fruitful.  Now?  How exciting it is to not know what may come next and be free of common concerns - free to just be and watch my life continue to unfold with bountiful blessings.  Tomorrow I will drive to Atlanta and join the family at Grandson Jack's graduation from middle school. Here we are about a year ago.

Seeing and Hearing

Seeing and Hearing is quite different from Looking and Listening.  This morning I practiced seeing and hearing while meditating on the Yogatorium deck.  You know by now that meditating can be done while "washing the dishes" (Brother Lawrence) as well as while doing many other things.  After all, my meditation practice is aimed at hearing God - Spirit - the Universe. …..Seeing this morning was delightful.  I practiced seeing the sunlight patches on the tree trunks as the sun shone through on its way up.  On seeing the shapes of individual leaves on the trees.  On seeing details, some large, some small.  I practiced hearing the birds and imagining what they were saying.  Heard and saw a wasp on the window and assisted him/her in finding a way out the door to freedom.  Oh my!  Two tree frogs are conversing.  The shadows of the trees on the green grass in the pond basin are growing shorter as the sun rises.  A new tree is growing near the labyrinth in exactly the same spot where I tried and failed planting willow trees a few years ago.  This, I believe, is a red maple and will one day provide a sort of screen between the labyrinth and the cottage.  Three new-to-me bird songs are in the air.   A pair of mourning doves are walking on the little ledge outside the screened porch - never before seen by me.  Peace, they say to me.

Looking and Listening

Beginning this Mother's Day sitting on the porch listening and looking.  Mourning doves are at work calling each other.  Crows are awake.  No song birds yet.  There is a very large tulip poplar, sometimes called yellow poplar, in the center of the yard and several more in the woods.  But, tiny ones scattered all over the yard in the flower beds.  Some only a few inches tall and others as much as 6 and 8 feet tall.    I plan to dig one up and move it to my place - no yellow poplars there except perhaps deep in the woods, but I don't remember seeing one anywhere.  One of my forestry professors called them "gentlemen of the forest" because of their straight, tall stems that self-prune small lower limbs so that they make clean sawlogs.  The blossoms are absolutely beautiful but I haven't seen one in many years.  Probably just not looking in the right places at the right time……..Looking and listening.  I will do more of that….Bees are buzzing…..  Yesterday we watched a spider spinning a web which was just one line extending out about 15 inches from its attachment.   How in the world does she do that?  Just hanging out in mid-air?  Granted, she was tiny, but still…..Does the female or the male spin the web?

Green Eggs and Bacon

Once again it has been a very long time since I've blogged.  My life is running on a strange new schedule now where I spend half of the week at home at the Pond and the other half in NC at Frank's home.  But that's no excuse for not writing.  I simply have begun ignoring my computer in general - and my phone.  Forgive me if you are one to whom I have not responded.  Do you ever get tired of being attached to your phone and computer?……Now here I am back in NC with the intention of doing a bit of just being rather than all doing.  Still, I will find time to paint the little bathroom while Frank does more sorting and clearing of his tool shop.  But, I love to paint rooms. The effort seems so permanent compared to vacuuming, mopping, dusting, etc.  which I don't particularly take pride in. …….. Recently we had a delightful breakfast of "green eggs" and bacon (instead of ham as Dr. Seuss suggested) along with fried sweet potatoes.  Green eggs were not the intention, but turned out that way I guess because of the chopped green chilis and maybe the coconut oil? The eggs were certainly not green when we dumped them in the pan.  Maybe it was the iron frying pan?   We have begun doing a bit of experimental cooking and having some great successes (pork loin with a fantastic rub) along with some not so great successes.