the shape of trees

Coffee and cigarettes.

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Just finished reading author Stieg Larsson‘s Millennium series –The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest– as well as watching the Swedish movies.

I don’t know much about Sweden, life there or its politics –three things that drew me into the fictional story of Lisbeth Salander. Appreciating Lisbeth as a character kept me reading.

I think actor Daniel Craig makes a fine Mikael Blomkvist for the 2011 movie re-make.

But right now, what I really want is a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

Photo Credit: Flickr, ot

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Balance.

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The ides of March.

Ancient history marks this particular ides (there are more than one in the Roman calendar) as a day of military festival. Of course, its infamy lies with Julius Caesar’s demise  – “beware the ides of March.”

In my own history, the most entertaining Ides of March is the Xena: Warrior Princess episode of the same name. I wrote and produced image and episodic promotion packages for this syndicated series for over three years. I also laughed for no less than 30 minutes every day. What a joy to work on this project (shouts go out to my Day Husband for this).

Yet I mark the ides of March as the anniversary of life-long pain, actually. On March 15, as a sophomore in high school, I sprain both ankles and knees when a dismount off a balance beam goes bad (Coach Finley makes sure I know how stupid this stunt is). At the time, I also dance in a local ballet company; just weeks afterwards, I perform en pointe, sans ace bandages. I am also a cheerleader (egads!) and continue to train. The recovery of youth …

I have balance then. Now, I do the tree pose in my yoga class with two feet on the ground. I’m not sure when I lose my balance, but I know when the pain begins. It’s odd that I can handle the effects of injury and eventually arthritis, but the loss of balance plays with my mind. How did I let it happen? When?

So today, I’m thinking about life-long battles and how to overcome them. Every day…

Battle On, Xena.

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God given window of opportunity.

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Here in the Northwest, we experience the (possibly conceived by man) phenomenon known as sun breaks.

During a cloudy day, the sun breaks through, offering a bit of blue sky and a respite from relentless rain drops. Weather people indicate possible sun breaks by showing both cloud and sun icons in their forecasts.

This is always a good sign.

Sun breaks can last a few minutes or a few hours; it all depends. They’re a God-given window of opportunity; all I know is, you’ve gotta take your shot -at an outdoor walk, for instance- the moment you see one. My kitties stretch themselves out immediately in the ray of light coming through a window. Otherwise, they stay curled up and cozy for warmth.

It’s easy to see the value of a sun break. Far less so to appreciate it.

I try and take a cue from my kitties … I can compose a sentence just as easily sitting in the light as I can in the gray, can’t I?

Indeed.

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Going through the motions.

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Some days are like this. Just going through the motions.

I’m talkin’ daily exercise, folks. Physical and mental.

That two-mile-walk-100-situp routine you do every day feels stale. The three-stream-of-conscious pages you’re writing down on paper every morning read rote. You’re dawdling during your mid-day meditation. You’re preparing Hamburger Helper for dinner –again.

Lots of a daily practice may not seem authentic, yet it’s a practice nonetheless. Little parts that add up to a whole.

If you’re feeling like you’re going through the motions today, keep your eyes on the prize.

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Photo credit: Flickr, Nevada Tumbleweed

 

Nature’s way.

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“My heart sours like a hawk.”

-Dustin Hoffman as Jack Crabb in Little Big Man

I’m filling my well with nature’s wonder these days, in anticipation of spring. From the display gardens of the Northwest Flower & Garden Show to an amazing drive through the Columbia River Gorge on the way to Maryhill Winery (we’re part of the Adopt-A-Vine program there) to the pages of recently arrived magazine and newsletter subscriptions, my soul is slowly turning green. Which is the color of the heart chakra, by the way.

The color for the creativity chakra is orange…

This morning, my husband leaves the current issue of San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles open to a magical Baja garden he knows I’d love –full of barrel cactus, desert plants and garden art. One of my favorite gardens is The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island in Washington. Not only is the Japanese Garden, Guest House and Zen Garden stunning, but I’m fascinated by the Moss Garden, made with Irish moss and featuring huckleberry trees. It’s like walking through the forests of Lord of the Rings …

As I allow my mind to return to work, I gaze upon a picture my own California front yard … I miss it so much. Yet, I still meditate there; I can smell the eucalyptus  trees and bougainvillea and the cactus flowers …

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Beautiful.

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The Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum is celebrating 50 years this year! A wonderful spot for experiencing the simple pleasure of beauty. Always an inspiration. Here are  a few snaps …

 

 

 

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A hopeful sign.

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They call it poor man’s fertilizer.

It’s the effect of late-season snowfall on the land, an unexpected nourishment for the soil. We in the Northwest are experiencing this kind of weather right now, which always brings to mind this farmer’s wisdom. My mom used to comment on it when I was a child. I can hear my little self asking her about it right now.

The memory makes me feel all warm inside. So it turns out that this new occurrence of poor man’s fertilizer is a little unexpected nourishment for my soul, too.

A hopeful sign.

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Words I like.

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As Peter Bowler mentions in the proglegomena of his book, The Superior Person’s Book of Words:

“Words are not only tools; they are also weapons.”

His “funny, useful and elevating little book” attempts to provide verbal weapons for the common man. So that he can be a Superior Person. Indeed. I chose my words with a different purpose, although I do find some of my favorites in Mr. Bowler’s little book:

Plethora … Egregious … Boondoggle

When a word appeals to my sense of the positive, I like it.

Remarkable … Loving … Kindness

Lonesome … Silly … Healing

Soul … Grace … Practice

Nincompoop … Wordsmith … Prankster

Great War … Cool beans … What if

What are some of your favorite words?

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Collective consciousness.

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Do you ever notice how certain things you can’t stop thinking about reveal themselves everywhere you put your attention? In the news, the blog posts you read … those special one-line advertisements at the top of your gmail box?

Social media page advertisements. While you meditate, pray? In casual conversation, email subject lines, forums, random job opportunities … during the exercise that wipes away your stress?

Some say Big Brother is watching us. Others cite the Law of Attraction, the Power of Positive Thinking. Certainly true for someone. Collective consciousness is, well, collective after all. Ask any group of souls repressed for years and years.

I like  Louise Hay‘s advice: “Just notice, and be aware.”

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Out of Africa.

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Over the past weekend, I prepare a meal of beef, adapted from one of Hassan M’Souli’s fabulous  recipes he serves at his restaurant, Out of Africa. Yummy. “Hassan’s decision to leave family and friends behind him brought him to the shores of Sydney – he wanted to be as far away from familiarity as possible – to start an exciting journey in life, in a new and challenging environment…”

… It is Christmas Day, and I am watching the movie, Out of Africa, for the first time. My mom is sitting next to me. Hearing the first note of the late, great John Barry‘s moving soundtrack, my tears flow unchecked. Random experiences like these can touch a person, and it is like this for me now. With silence all around, I hear a loud whisper in my heart and mind, an unexpected connection, an aha moment, a lasting revelation.

Fast forward … “Give me work,” I hear Karen say, joining field workers harvesting coffee beans on her farm …

And I start today.

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