Mindful Eating

Zen Master and poet Thich Nhat Hanh teaches the way of awareness and mindfulness. In his book The Miracle of Mindfulness, he describes the Way to drink a cup of tea with mindfulness:

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

Live the actual moment.

Only this actual moment is life.

Don't be attached to the future. Don't worry about things you have to do.

Don't think about getting up or taking off to do anything.

Don't think about "departing."

I was thinking about this passage this morning while preparing my tea and toast for breakfast. Obviously Not being in the moment of preparation - :). Nonetheless, I was more aware than usual. And so when I took my tea and toast to the front deck, I closed the book I had brought with me. I sat and took a deep breath. And then in that present moment, I took a bite of the fresh orange I had also prepared. Delicious. I let the juice permeate not just my mouth but my whole being. Oh, My! I Do love fresh oranges. Every bite was bliss.

The tea and toast were approached in a similar fashion. Only the moment of tea and toast. I did not "depart" but rather stayed right there.

In my energy practice, I have become aware of being aware. I read Thich Nhat Hanh years ago and was pleased to be able to pull the book off my shelf this morning. And ~ I am not always as present as my practice might help me to be. Still, I try. This moment is life and I try to live it. May you be blessed with the awareness of being aware, with the mindfulness that allows you to know life in its fulness ~

Sunday morning on the Internet

There is something very peaceful about a Sunday morning. Traffic noise from the road isn't. The world is still, quiet and serene. Even the internet seems more quiet. A number of friends who blog don't over the weekend or if they do, they are not around on Sunday morning. Facebook friends from the east have already left their plans for the day and are out and about. Facebook friends in the west are waiting to arise or just aren't logging on. I no longer have the frantic last minute prep for church. I have all day to read the news I would normally read in a hurry so to be on with my day. Putting it off may mean I miss something or learn about it later. Is that so bad? I approach my meditation and quiet time already quiet. Because it is summer, I shall take my tea and wander onto the deck. Peace reigns even in the zipping world of cyberspace where everything comes and goes with such speed. I am grateful for it of course. I am also grateful it slows down a bit on Sundays. Enjoy your day - peacefully

Patriotism

Patriotism takes lots of forms. This morning I was upstairs writing on facebook and Dean's son turned on the tv downstairs to watch the soccer game. All of a sudden I felt my back straightening and my head lifting. I was responding bodily to a stirring playing of the National Anthem.

Now, I am not even fond of the anthem. I think we should use America the Beautiful for instance. At least a song that is not quite so tied to war and battles and militarism. And we don't. For now, the Star Spangled Banner is the anthem and the one that I have grown up singing, standing to and watching the flag rise into all sorts of breezes - celebrations, sports events, funerals, the whole range of human emotions.

And so when I hear it, I respond - respond to the way our country was founded to be, was meant to be, was hoped to be. I respond to our best self - the ethos of a country free and honest and welcoming. I know. I know. That vision may never be reached. We may never have made it in the first place. Still, the vision was there and is there as all of us struggle to find it. In the meantime, we can sing with backs straight and eyes bright of "the land of the free and the home of the brave." One day . . . one day . . . ~ with blessings

Learning poker

The grandkids are here. The grandkids Love to play cards. So - the grandkids (one especially) are teaching Mama Susan how to play all sorts of poker: 21, 31, 5 card draw and Texas Hold 'em (the family favorite). It's fun and I enjoy being with the kids - and occasionally bluffing or being bluffed by Carter. I even had beginner's luck on 21! And then we decided to bet - chips only, but a chance to see how it feels.

I don't like how it feels when I lose and see my pile of chips (dominoes because we can't find the chips) diminish. I think that deep inside I am much too competitive to gamble. I just Know I would want to keep playing because "the next hand" would be my lucky one. And if I were winning, I would want to keep playing because "the next hand" would add to my luck. Phew - can't even imagine doing that with money - even a few cents. With Real money - No Way!

Oh I will keep playing with the kids. I may even play with chips and come to who is the "chip leader" as they say. With money - no. From that table I will walk away before even starting. Kenny is right: you gotta know when to fold 'em and I will fold before any money changes hands at all. :) ~ with blessings

This is the Day

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The Psalmist reminds us that the Lord, God, the Universe, Source, Creator has made this day. Something or Someone beyond ourselves has caused the earth to rotate, the sun to rise and the day to begin. And it is time in which to be glad.

Lots of things can and will happen in a day. Babies will be born. People of all ages and situations will die - to be mourned and celebrated. People will forgive one another - or not. There will be angry words, gentle words, hateful words, loving words ~ all, once spoken, in minds and hearts forever. Hugs will abound. War and Peace will exist side by side. Nations leaders will struggle with major international problems. Decisions big and small will be made, or set aside for another day. Moms will bandage skinned knees and live with the wonder of childhood. Dads will play baseball and try to answer the ever-present question, "why?". People will go to work or to play. The day will be. 24 hours of Life.

Most people, no matter what their circumstances, will find something for which to be grateful. May you be one of those ~ with many blessings and butterflies

Monday, Monday

Lovely day - "warm" enough for an early morning walk - a little too chilly to just sit and read and I am ready for my walk. It feels good to be ready to walk - leg still hurts and my energy is responding to the earth's Spring energy. I am ready to walk.

It is hard to leave Tessie behind and even though I am slow, she is slower and although doing better, just can't keep up. *sigh* So we love her and tell her she is wonderful and to stay in a be a good dog and she does. And when we get home I will stay outside with her for a while giving her an opportunity to do what she can.

The aura of being at home when I supposed to be away is still with me. I love it! Some of the family was here yesterday for lunch. We grilled hamburgers and the grandkids ran around the yard and took pictures and played. It was lovely. Which reminds me ~ snow flowers are out. They are sacred to the Washoe, blessing the land on which they bloom and we are especially blessed because we have a number of them Every year somewhere on the property. :) ~ with blessings to you as well

Traveling in place

I love it when I am supposed to be traveling or away from home and I am instead kept at home. Home when I am supposed to be away. There is something So peaceful about that situation.

There is a business meeting we usually attend three times a year. Next week it is in eastern Canada ~ all the way across the continent. We were to drive to southern CA and fly from there. I was a little edgy about the long drive and two long plane flights and driving some more to the resort. My leg and knee have been acting up and if I sit too long at a time, I get really stiff and sore. So I was fretting a bit.

Then came the news: some things that had to do with the meeting and nothing to do with us, are preventing us from going. I admit to being very pleased that it worked out that way. My leg and knee are grateful.

More than that however is the delight of being at home when we were supposed to be away. We went to the Farmers' Market this morning. It is a cloudy, misty day and I have sat on the window seat, iced my leg, read, written and just been. It has been So peaceful. I am not fretting over anything. Except for making lunch, I haven't done anything. Laundry was done earlier in the week. There are no bags to pack, no decisions about clothes to make, no last minute running around. Come the weekend, there will be no long drive. And next week no long flights. I am having lunch with a friend on the day I would have been flying across the country. I only have to go as far as Incline Village.

What makes this time any different than any other time spent at home, I really don't know. There are still meals to prepare, laundry to do, things to get done. Life is still lived as usual ~ and yet . . . there is something about it, some quality of time that shifts and changes and makes for peace and ease. And in this moment add rain that I can hear on the roof and windows ~ what a blessing

Various Things

1) Something always crawls up my back when I hear "between he and I" or "between Jim and I". I have a hard time allowing that to be. (And for those of you who don't know why, grammatically it is "between him and me" or "between Jim and me".)

2) Had to ride in the Jeep this morning. Getting in and out with my knee is really hard right now. Dean played Queen's minion when we arrived home and brought out a box to give me one more step down. :D :D

3) Standing in the sun, ran my hand through my hair and watched little tiny flecks of newly cut hair waft on the wind like silver sparkles.

4) So pleased that we Finally have Tessie's meds balanced and our sweet dog is moving better, has more energy and is smiling a lot. She is also able to stay by herself again when we have to leave the house for a little while.

5) Basking in the sun of warming temperatures and the ability finally to sit outside for no other reason than to sit outside.

6) Tahoe roadwork taking place just up the hill - meaning when you have to stop and stand in line for any length of time, you can see the turn off just Right There - and no way to get to it. *sigh*

7) Gratitude to the guys who "do" the tires: alignment, rotation, all that sort of thing!

Little of this, little of that as life moves along ~ with blessings