Enjoy and Love

joy adventure

2012-03-04T11:39:00.005-06:00

This week I've really been aware of the things that bring me joy. Here are a couple of things you might also enjoy:

I've loved reading The Night Circus book on my Kindle Fire:

How did I miss Win Win, by the same writer/director as The Station Agent and The Visitor:

Hope you all have a joyful week!

book report adventure

2012-02-26T10:03:00.004-06:00

On Monday I had the day off but my sweetie didn't and my volunteer job needed extra help, so I had the good fortune to get to spend the morning with an amazing kid who had the day off, too. His mom works at the paper and once they settled in he was sent down to help us out with sales. After the initial vendor rush things slowed way down and he went to get the book he was working on. It blew me away to see this boy just sit down and start churning out text. He'd mentioned to me that he was working on a book about Boston mobsters in the 1950s and when he left for lunch he said I could look at what he'd been writing. Imagine my delight when I looked down to see this:

Now that's my kind of story!

Here are some other books that have been delighting me lately:

The Double Comfort Safari Club - I love listening to Lisette Lecat read Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. Mma Precious Ramotswe is such good company. These gentle, funny books set in Botswana are a sure-fire way to shake me out of the blues and restore my faith in humanity. Thanks for turning me on to these fabulous audio books, Mom!

The Master and Margarita - I may not actually be smart enough for this book and it had the usual Russian novel challenge of a million names with variations and they all start sounding alike and I can't tell who is who:) However, I didn't let that stop me from thoroughly enjoying it! I wasn't too sure when I was about 1/3 of the way through it and I still hadn't run into the Master or Margarita, but I will say that it all comes together pretty perfectly. Thanks for the awesome birthday present, David!

It Chooses You - By some amazing twist of fate, I received the notice that this popular book by Miranda July was finally on the hold shelf for me at the library within days of receiving her film The Future from Netflix. These projects are very much related to each other and when I found the film brilliant but disturbing, I was really grateful to the book for helping humanize it for me. I highly recommend experiencing these two together. If I were to do it over, I'd read the book first and then watch the movie.

An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny - Right before dinner a few weeks ago I read a description of this book on Jesse Kornbluth's fabulous Head Butler blog and surprised my sweet husband by bursting into tears at the table. So you know I had to track down a copy. The print copies had a ton of holds at the library, but the audio book was available, so that's what I got. I'm thinking it may be less popular because of the voice of the woman who reads it (since that's been my challenge), but I'm not letting that slow me down. This book cracks my heart open in that way that I love, and who can resist this pair? Really.

hadley adventure

2012-02-19T09:16:00.003-06:00

(Photo of dear Albert Hadley from Elle Decor, Feb/Mar 2000; Fernando Bengoechea photographer)

It was such an honor to work on the Albert Hadley exhibit. I wanted to share some images with you, my dear friends and family who've been on this journey with me. Thank you all for your kind support!

fantastic adventure

2012-02-18T19:12:00.003-06:00

Holy moly! Am I so grateful to my lovely friend, Scott, for letting me know about this beautiful short film. Such a treat for book lovers everywhere!

style adventure

2012-02-12T09:32:00.003-06:00

These women just completely delight and inspire me! I'm no clothes horse - yes, that's putting it mildly for those of you who know me well - I fall into the minimalist, clothes as uniform category. But the freedom that comes through here is palpable. Soak it up!

images adventure

2012-02-05T10:39:00.002-06:00

“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened, but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.”
~Robert Louis Stevenson

Many thanks to Gretchen Rubin for posting this fabulous quotation on The Happiness Project today. Such a great mental image that I just have to share it here, along with some visual images from the world around me that caught my eye lately...

fun adventure

2012-01-29T15:37:00.002-06:00

It hasn't all been struggle and freak-outs in my life lately, although it might seem like it:) One thing I really enjoyed a lot in the past couple of weeks was listening to Rob Lowe read his amazing memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends.

If you enjoyed listening to Tina Fey reading Bossypants, this probably should be next on your list.

experiment adventure

2012-01-22T11:15:00.004-06:00

My challenge last week was that I had a three-day weekend in the midst of pre-exhibit stress. I'm definitely learning that obsessing over projects like this isn't helpful at all. This exhibit is really showing me the power of giving it space. The roadblocks I keep running into almost miraculously dissolve if I walk away and come back later. Delightful and inventive solutions have been arriving on their own timetable. Still, last weekend's approach of sort of trying to forget that the project even existed meant that on Monday evening the reality came crashing down in a psychically devastating way. Let's just say that putting one's head in the sand can be the:

So this weekend I decided to invite this project home with me on my own terms. Writing the introduction for an exhibit takes time and space and quiet, hard to find in my workplace. And I really didn't want a repeat of the trauma of the end of last weekend. I wanted to see how I could bring some joy to this process. I blocked out a chunk of time to work on the intro yesterday afternoon and reminded myself of how my process works. Lots and lots of drafts, some snacking, some spacing out, some paging through books, writing down lots of quotations, much imagining, and at the end a decent first draft to give some space and read with fresh eyes on Monday. I think the ingredient that was most needed, both for myself and the project was:

grateful adventure

2012-01-15T11:04:00.006-06:00

This was a real Friday the 13th kind of week. So many things went "wrong", but even in the midst of all of it, so many things went right. And here's a list of those things that I'm grateful for:

~even though the museum director was 2.5 hours late and brought too small a vehicle to carry most of the crates in, we still got to Puckett's in time and had an awesome breakfast and (by that point) just laughed about the fiasco
~even though another 7 crates were delivered to gallery storage two days later, they arrived right on time and fit just fine
~even though the Squam registration form I paid to arrive in Rhode Island by noon the next day actually left Nashville the evening of that next day, I still got confirmation last night that I'm in the cabin with all my dear friends and got all my first choices for classes
~even though I got the date wrong for my monthly lunch with one of my favorite people, I still had lunch with her the next day and it actually prompted me to pick up lunch for another sweet (and hungry) friend who hadn't been able to join us for the delicious Puckett's breakfast
~even though it rained a lot this week the roofers were still able to get the work done (and for less than I thought it would be)
~even though I misremembered another lunch date with a different dear friend, we're still on for next week and it meant I could have lunch with some other favorite people
~even though it was a gray week with lots of rain and even some snow, this weekend has been full of sunshine and blue skies
~even though my exhausted mind can spin a compelling story of anxiety and worry, I've had a taste of what it feels like to give it a break lately by just staying simply with how I'm feeling

Yeah, I might be the most grateful for that last item.

more less adventure

2012-01-08T10:25:00.003-06:00

Thank you all for your supportive comments about my word for 2012! I'm having so much fun living this word these days. And the feeling of it keeps popping up all over the place. Here are some lovely words that give me the delightful feeling of LESS:

The Wild Geese

Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.

~Wendell Berry via Poetry Chaikhana

I’ve heard it said that every day you need half an hour of quiet time for yourself, or your Self, unless you’re incredibly busy and stressed, in which case you need an hour. I promise you, it is there. Fight tooth and nail to find time, to make it. It is our true wealth, this moment, this hour, this day.

~Anne Lamott (read the rest of the Sunset article by clicking here) via the lovely and talented Nicola Taylor

And I’ve learned in my old age that when you say no to people, they don’t like you as much and they’re disappointed. Nonetheless, you know, there are times that it has to be done in order to protect whatever small sanctity of serenity you have built up in your life. It’s inhumane, the pace at which people live in this society. And when I came back from traveling for “Eat, Pray, Love”, I was truly sort of jaw droppingly shocked to see it anew… from fresh eyes and to see the amount of stress and the amount of work that we have, somehow, decided is normal. And it is so warped.

~Elizabeth Gilbert (read the rest of the interview on Big Think by clicking here) via the also lovely and talented Elizabeth Duvivier/aka Mystic Vixen and while you're at it, you might also enjoy this equally inspiring post on the Squam blog

And now for some photos:

less adventure

2011-12-31T17:39:00.004-06:00

I think I'm starting to catch onto how this "One Little Word" thing works for me - it seems to have become an interesting annual process of digging into what I need, revealing where the blocks are.

In 2010 my word was DELIGHT. Upon review at the end of the year I chose REST for 2011. It would seem that by living with the word "delight" for twelve months I realized, consciously or not, that in order to feel delight I needed to rest. And now, interestingly, after a year of working with rest, I find the word LESS has selected me for 2012.

Seriously. This is not a word I would have imagined choosing, but there is no question that this is the word for the year. Every time I think about it I feel wonderful - light and spacious and grounded and present - so there you go.

And it is very clear to me that if I'm going to rest deeply, I need less. Less worry, less stuff, less in my mind, less in my space. It has become clear to me that I can only love so many things well. I trust the rest of the world to love the many things that aren't mine, or at least not mine for much longer.

As my inspiring friend Lis posted on her blog, less is indeed more! (If you do yourself the favor of checking out her post, please read all the way through the John O'Donohue blessing - that last stanza completely sums up my feeling as we bid 2011 adieu!)

Happy New Year, all you dear souls! May 2012 offer you all your heart needs.

light adventure

2011-12-24T10:04:00.002-06:00

"Make of yourself a light." ~Buddha
"You are the light of the world." ~Jesus

During this winter solstice week I've been thinking a lot about light. I'm intrigued by the seasons and how they bring invitations for us to participate in the natural world. For instance, fall seems to be a time to savor the bounty of the activity of spring and summer and to start turning inward and let the outworn go.

It just occurred to me this week that the various winter holidays, with their emphasis on light, are a perfect invitation for us to experience the natural movement of bringing light. What if we look at the holidays as an opportunity not only to celebrate the return of light to the world, but also to join in? What if we look at this as a time to bring our light to the world? What if the food we make and the gifts we give and the company we keep are reflections of our light?

Whoever you are and however you're celebrating the winter holidays, your light is beautiful. Let it shine.

renew adventure

2011-12-18T11:09:00.003-06:00

This past week brought a welcome rush of energy and forward motion on several work projects. It also meant I was very much in my head all week. This weekend I've tried to get back into my body and the world around me. So I'm avoiding too many words and too much time on the computer. I thought I'd share some recent images instead. Enjoy! And take good care of yourself this week as we head into the holidays.

dark adventure

2011-12-11T11:47:00.005-06:00

I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you
Which shall be the darkness of God.

~T. S. Eliot

This has not, historically, been my favorite time of year. I get really worried about ice and snow. I've been known to go into a manic frenzy of gift making, trying to ensure everything is Holiday Perfect. But as I share in this guest post on lovely Steph's blog, Creative Living Experiment, I think I'm starting to make my peace with the shorter days of December. I'm so honored to have been included in this series of reflections on the Solstice!

This week, as I was catching up on my Sun magazine reading (up to November, folks!), I had one of those perfect-thing-at-the-perfect-time moments reading an interview with Michael Meade. Holy moly! It totally knocked me out:

"When I was growing up, I liked big questions: What is life all about? Why are we here? Eventually I learned that the key question involves the meaning seeded within each individual life.

"Almost all cultures have the notion that there is a judgement when we die. Some kind of accounting has to be made of one's life. I believe God - and to me 'God' is just shorthand for the ineffable divine presence - has only one question for us at the end: 'Did you become yourself?' We have a seeded self that begins to germinate at birth. Our true goal in life is to become that self.

"There's an African proverb: 'When death finds you, may it find you alive.' Alive means living your own damn life, not the life that your parents wanted, or the life some cultural group or political party wanted, but the life that your own soul wants to live. That's the way to evaluate whether you are an authentic person or not."

Yes, yes, YES!!! Now we're talking. And the amazing thing is that when you read this, don't you know exactly what self he's talking about? Isn't this incredibly liberating? Perhaps you're already living that life, and if so, hooray for you - keep going. But for the rest of us who secretly know who we are, but still look to the outside world for approval and encouragement and thus are constantly thrown off the path, doesn't this just feel like the best manifesto ever? I can't tell you how inspired I am to live my own damn life:) Hell yeah! Now this, my friend, this is the God who is waiting for me in the dark.

If all of this rings your bell the same way it does mine, you might also enjoy these videos: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. Plus you get some Very Dramatic Music.

[Also, I just watched an amazing John O'Donohue video from Sounds True right along these lines. Can't help but share!]

Other good things rocking my December world have been this incredible episode of This American Life (continuing the theme of the listening adventure), which really basically cracked me open in the best possible way. Also, super excited to have received the first crate of our local Community Supported Art program. It includes five amazing pieces of artwork by local artists, including (delightfully enough) my totally fabulous dentist's son!

listening adventure

2011-12-04T16:08:00.002-06:00

I love listening to people talk about things they're passionate about. And some of the best conversations I've heard lately have been on "Insights at the Edge," Sounds True's weekly podcasts with Tami Simon. I especially enjoyed "Difficult Times and Liberation" with Jack Kornfield and "Coleman Barks: Rumi, Grace, and Human Friendship". They're such good company and especially welcome in the car. Perhaps you might enjoy checking them out?

thankful adventure

2011-11-24T14:34:00.002-06:00

These days I'm dazzled by the power of gratitude. It seems like the only appropriate response to so much of my life. Every time I hear about or see all of the suffering in this world and I find myself scrambling internally to justify why it isn't happening to me, I've started just being grateful. It's crazy how lucky I am. And that includes your visiting me here. Thank you.

fire adventure

2011-11-20T13:00:00.006-06:00

As a librarian, I've been in on the whole ebook debate for years. For a while we all just tried to pretend it wasn't happening, but then our library started offering ebooks and we had to try to help our patrons use them. I was able to keep out of the fray for a good long while. People would ask me what I thought of ereaders and I'd say that I could definitely see the appeal, especially for folks who travel a lot, but at the time I didn't feel that I needed one.

Also I oversee a fine press collection at work and hang out with book arts folks. I think other people who know this about me thought I'd be outraged by the whole ebook development. But to me all of these things are tools, really. And I will out myself here and say that I am really not attached to books as objects so much. OK, to be really honest I'm just not a fan of old books. I enjoy a beautifully designed book as much as the next guy, but I'm not a big history person. Old does not mean good in my book necessarily. It is just as likely to mean musty. I guess I'm really a better Buddhist than librarian. Let's just say I have a deep respect for impermanence. So, while I love owning some books that are like dear friends, I'm not just a print books=good kind of person.

And I'm a former Merlin owner and devotee. Oh, the hours I spent pushing those little red lights! So I totally get the appeal of shiny handheld devices.

Anyway, fast forward 30 some-odd years from my Merlin days and now I'm responsible for actually helping our patrons use these various devices to read ebooks. And in not using these myself, it has started feeling like giving directions to someone on Mars: "Do you see a crater? They mention a crater..." I'm pretty used to just blocking out mention of new gadgets in popular culture. I don't have an iPhone or an iPad. I'm really all about trying to simplify my life and these didn't seem to fit that plan. But then in a staff meeting someone described the new Kindle Fire (brace yourself for more ereader questions after the holidays) as "the poor man's iPad".

Well, that sounded pretty great to me! I'd actually been wanting to read a book by Leo Babauta that came out last month but only as an ebook. It hadn't seemed at all appealing to download it to my laptop, so in the back of my mind I'd already been thinking of getting a really scaled-down Kindle, but hearing that the new Fire could access the web made me do a little more research. It was when I heard that there was a Netflix app that I knew I had to make my move.

So I'm a proud new Fire owner and thus far I'm completely delighted. My expectations were pretty low - just wanted to be able to answer patron questions better, read books from the library, and stream movies, so everything else I discover I can do makes me dance in joy. And I've been doing a lot of dancing.

breathing adventure

2011-11-12T13:58:00.002-06:00

Amazon did me a huge favor this week by recommending that I might enjoy Priscilla Warner's completely delightful memoir, Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life. Holy moly! Does that not sound like it was written especially for me? Memoir, year-long, breathing, and calm. And it has been as good company as I'd expected.

I may not have mentioned here how much breath is with me these days. My good buddy, Jon Bernie, has been my constant companion in my car for the past several weeks - love his podcasts. And one day I realized that I listen over and over and over to his good instruction on getting grounded in one's body. And I totally acknowledge that this is something I really need. And yet, I'm so much like the person in Pema Chodron's description of someone who gets a prescription from the doctor and shows it to everyone and puts it up on the wall and never actually takes the medicine.

So lately, when I remember (oh ignorance, why do you plague me so!) I'll take a few minutes to just feel my breath being breathed. I'll just feel my natural breath in my body, not forcing or manipulating any of it, just being with it exactly as it happens. And it's crazy how the colors around me get brighter, how calm and connected I feel, just by doing this super simple thing. And the even crazier thing is how I'll either forget or tell myself I don't have time to do it. Seriously. It takes 30 seconds.

I'm thinking setting a year-long goal like Priscilla Warner did might be a really practical support for sticking with this practice a little better. Of course, her book deal might have done something as well... And I'm exploring signing on a companion for my spiritual journey. I'm just realizing how much I drift. That or become my own personal jailer. Too loose or too tight, that's me. And so I often dissociate and kind of wake up a week later unmoored and amnesiac about what might help, with no memory of where I might have left my spiritual toolbox.

Anyway, Priscilla Warner and I have been traveling similar paths and have similar toolboxes, although hers seems to be getting more use. But that's just inspiring to me.

gentle adventure

2011-11-05T19:26:00.003-05:00

A Gentle Proposal

Go gently into the streets to protest the war.
Go gently into discussions with your neighbor
about the price of oil and human life.
Go gently into your own kitchens and living rooms.
into your schools and workplaces.
Go gently into your houses of worship.
into your hospitals and prisons.
Go gently into your opinions of world leaders.
And go gently, ever so gently, into your own mind.
Otherwise, what have you really accomplished?
If you go with aggression, you may win the battle
but you won’t stop the war—for aggression is war.
All wars are lost as soon as they’re begun.
So go gently into the very thick and heat of battle.
Go gently, and even if your cause does not prevail,
there will be more peace, in the world, than before.

~Joe Zarantonello

The planets finally aligned correctly and I was able to spend a lovely day with the delightful poet and teacher, Joe Zarantonello, as we explored the Lord's Prayer in its original Aramaic. Truly food for the soul. And this poem from his book, Green Bamboo, seemed very appropriate. Yes, there's a lot in this world to be challenged and changed, but there's also so much anger. I don't know about you, but I can certainly use this encouragement.

ease adventure

2011-10-30T09:50:00.003-05:00

One of the many nice things about having a lovely, long vacation is that it shakes up one's routines. And I am a woman of routines. Maybe it's part of being an INFJ, but I'm constantly trying to come up with a perfect daily routine that will take all the stress out of my life and hopefully set me up for major spiritual awakening.

What this meant before my trip was that I was constantly racing against the clock to try to fit in 20 minutes of centering prayer (which is only half of the recommended practice) and about 15-20 minutes of writing 750 words in the little bit of spare time I have. But a funny thing happened while we were in New York. The centering prayer fell completely away, immediately. And then one night after we got home from a lovely day of exploring the city and having a delicious dinner with friends, I just didn't turn on the computer. I realized the next morning that this meant I'd broken a 130+ day streak of 750 words. (For those of you in the know, look for my name on the Wall of Shame for the October Challenge. And soak it up.)

In the past this probably would have put me into a cycle of shame and regret. Instead I had a good laugh and felt a weight lift off me. What has been coming into the space left by these practices is a gentle, easy just being with myself. Instead of racing through my life to pack all of it in, I'm feeling like there's more space just to attend to these different aspects of my life, and by not feeling under stress to do it I'm enjoying it all more. I'm paying a lot more attention to how things feel and judging it all less. It all kind of has become very beautiful and sort of delicious, just by seeing it as it is and having the time and space to be with it in a more realistic and less perfectionistic way.

By writing this, I'm definitely setting myself up for a major swing in the other direction. And that's fine, actually. I'm seeing that I always learn something from the hard times, too. I'm learning to welcome it all. Part of that has been noticing how much I try to dance as fast as I can to keep things good, to feel happy. I can feel like a roach under a glass, spinning faster and faster trapped in trying to keep it a certain way. And I've noticed that part of that is a desire to feel like I deserve it. I'm doing the work so I deserve the goodies.

But in being with that feeling, I've realized what I'm secretly avoiding while doing that dance of worthiness: just feeling grateful. By trying to do it all myself, I'm avoiding the vulnerability of just relaxing and feeling grateful. So I'm exploring a bit of surrender and ease. I'm enjoying attending to my life in a more present way, especially fixing warm and nourishing food as the weather allows for more time in the kitchen. And I'm surrendering to feeling grateful for all of the lovely gifts I receive every day, from the amazing people I'm so blessed to have in my life to the gorgeous display of fall color in my physical world. There is so much to be grateful for.

A line from that Czesław Miłosz poem, "Late Ripeness," I explored this summer has been a regular companion lately:

We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part
of the gift we received for our long journey.

I think it is pride that's kept me from using that gift, but I've taken off the wrapping and I'm so grateful.

city adventure

2011-10-22T16:54:00.003-05:00

Just back from an amazing week in Oz (aka New York City). Man, do I love that town. And the visit was truly full of magic.

A huge thank you to the travel gods and all the dear souls who made our time there so special!

kinship adventure

2011-10-09T11:03:00.005-05:00

Photo from Buck Brannaman's website

"I've started horses since I was twelve years old and have been bit, kicked, bucked off and run over. I've tried every physical means to contain my horse in an effort to keep from getting myself killed.

"I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does. The method works well for me because of the kinship that develops between horse and rider."

~Buck Brannaman

I know, first no movie recommendations, and now I can't stop, but I watched Buck this morning and was blown away by his pragmatic, compassionate wisdom. For me, it was a major lesson in the care and keeping of one's soul. May you be attentive and gentle with your own this week.

inspiration adventure

2011-10-02T14:25:00.004-05:00

Temple Grandin

Opening Our Eyes

Dhamma Brothers
It's been a while since I've recommended any movies, but here are some recent highlights. They inspired me, they humbled me, they cracked me wide open.

summer adventure

2011-09-24T17:37:00.002-05:00

Amazing how this beautiful planet keeps spinning and before you know it another season is here. So I thought I'd like to look back at this summer and take stock of what I learned from her:

*I'm a contemplative mutt, a happy contemplative mutt

*Steaming farm fresh eggs is the way to go, although I'm still finetuning the timing

*Just because my work was really mellow in July didn't mean August wouldn't come along and basically kick me in the side of my head

*I really want to learn Spanish, even if it would make sense to learn Italian or brush up on my French for the traveling we may be doing

*On a related note, I could listen to this song every day

*When shooting off That's Your Problem fireworks, pay attention to the label and make sure they're well secured

*It may be time to take an ecourse hiatus

*Watching tree frogs eating moths on the window of our back door while I'm eating dinner is pretty much paradise

What did you learn this summer?

calm adventure

2011-09-18T10:38:00.002-05:00

A sweet friend gave me this wonderful mug recently and I love drinking my Rooibus tea out of it. It's such a welcome message every morning, as I can feel myself getting revved up about my day. I'm so grateful to be reminded that #1 I'm not living in war-time Britian, despite the level of fight or flight might be feeling, and #2 keeping calm is a really wise option. Carry on, my dear friends! And have a great week.

safari adventure

2011-09-10T16:37:00.003-05:00

We had such a fun time at the Nashville Zoo's Sunset Safari this week, having been very generously gifted the tickets. Wandering around a zoo at dusk, eating delicious samples of amazing food, and having sort of surreal experiences like this - we can't wait to go back next year!

simple adventure

2011-09-05T10:10:00.004-05:00

These days I'm enjoying keeping things simple and being in the moment. Instead of obsessing over things, as I'm inclined to do, or trying to pack in too many activities, I've been exploring creating a list of things that really need to be addressed and then working through them, one at a time, just doing what I'm doing and then when that's done, doing the next thing that needs to be done. It's been a helpful way to eliminate time wasters and to put more energy and creativity into the essential things. And essential for me includes exercise, contemplative practice, moments of beauty, 750 Words, simple, delicious meals, and loving the amazing people in my life. Slowing down and living simply feels just right these days.

If anyone wants to join me in my simple adventure, Leo Babauta's mnmlist and zenhabits blogs provide practical tips and inspiring encouragement.

Hope you're all enjoying a lovely Monday, wherever you are!

zoo adventure

2011-08-28T17:29:00.005-05:00

We had such a good time at the Nashville Zoo last February, we've been longing to go back and become members ever since. This morning seemed like the perfect time. We were there right after it opened and enjoyed some lively time with the animals in the cool morning. I felt blessed with some lovely connections, from feeding the beautiful lorikeets with their sweet little clingy feet to a powerful moment with a peaceful giraffe (my mom might remember her as Htebazile).

sweet adventure

2011-08-20T14:53:00.002-05:00

Learning this week to balance my compulsive drive to keep gobbling down poems with my desire to savor and keep the process fun. So in this spirit I'm just going to share one verse from a current favorite: "Last night, as I was sleeping" by Antonio Machado:

Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt - blessed illusion! -
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old bitterness.

Although I will say that if you want to read the full poem, it pretty much knocks one's socks off. Have a beautiful week!

poem adventure

2011-08-13T19:25:00.002-05:00

Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,
I felt a door opening in me and I entered
the clarity of early morning.

One after another my former lives were departing,
like ships, together with their sorrow.

And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas
assigned to my brush came closer,
ready now to be described better than they were before...

So after my post last week an amazing poem dropped into my lap, "Late Ripeness" by Czeslaw Milosz. Oh, it has been fabulous company! Learning a poem like this is such a pleasure. It feels good in one's mouth and throat to speak such beautiful words and I love how the various meanings of the poem unfold as one gets to know it better. Eventually, there's a fabulous point of union where you feel both like you're in the poem and it's in you. And here's the craziest part - other than the cost of printing it off, it's free! While driving I would recite it out loud, adding a few words at a time. While waiting for the bus I would recite it in my head, testing myself on new sections. This has provided hours of entertainment, a workout for my brain, and deep nourishment for my soul. I was a little stumped on how to read a line in the last stanza and when I found this video I felt like I was in heaven. Enjoy!

poetry adventure

2011-08-07T09:33:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been catching up on a rather amazing backlog of my favorite magazine, The Sun. As you know, for some reason for the past year I've craved memoirs of women going through soul searching times. And now the tide is turning again. I've been able to catch up on a lot of issues, still have plenty more to go, but I'm getting there. It was a delight recently to read the interview in the December, 2010 issue: "Written on the Bones: Kim Rosen on Reclaiming the Ancient Power of Poetry" by Alison Luterman (one of my favorite writers for The Sun).

As often happens with The Sun, this article spoke directly to my soul. I have a profound respect for the power of poetry. At times I've memorized poems that have been great friends to me when I've been in despair. And then when life speeds up again I find I'm moving too fast to give poetry the time and space it needs and it falls off my radar. Just in the same way that losing my sense of humor is a danger sign for me, I really would be well served to notice if I'm able to slow down enough to enjoy a good poem. And, thankfully, these days I am.

This conversation between Kim Rosen and Alison Luterman focuses on the power of reading poetry and learning poems by heart. While they touch on the power of writing poetry, they're really talking about the appreciation and enjoyment of making great poems part of one's life. It inspired me to check out Rosen's book, Saved by a Poem, and wander the anthology section of the library's poetry collection.

There I found an amazing series of books, which I'm just diving into, but so far would highly recommend: Roger Housen's Ten Poems series. I believe there are five books in this series so far: Ten Poems to Change Your Life, Ten Poems to Open Your Heart, Ten Poems to Set You Free, Ten Poems to Last a Lifetime, and Ten Poems to Change Your Life Again and Again. Right now I'm reading Ten Poems to Open Your Heart (who's surprised?) and I love the format. He's selected ten excellent poems and after the text of each one he includes a beautiful exploration, not a scholarly essay. He looks at the themes in really human ways, often bringing in examples from his own (fairly messy) life. This is good, soulful stuff. If you've been wanting to explore poetry, but have been put off by dry study of the classics in school, I would encourage you to visit your local library and check out one of the Ten Poems series and try it again.

Have a beautiful week!

summer learning adventure

2011-07-31T10:26:00.004-05:00

I thought this might be a nice time to let you know how all my summer e-courses have been going. Well, they've all been wonderful! And I've signed up for more, which I'll be sharing with you. But let's start at the beginning...

So, the Fear Cleanse, which is coming to a close this week. I'd signed up for this class mainly because I really liked the women leading it when I listened to their free call about the class. And I still do! Gabrielle Bernstein and Christine Arylo are fun and inspiring women who are willing to share their own struggles and stories. They don't shy away from the truth and have a lot of wisdom to share. This class was especially wonderful for me around really valuing my body. I've shared with you my anxiety around visits to the doctor. Perfect timing! I got to work with one of my biggest fears right in the middle of this class - a routine, annual doctor visit that has the potential to elevate my blood pressure for weeks in advance, in anticipation of the dreaded cuff! So that morning I sat down and really opened up to what my fear was in that moment and realized that the biggest problem around these visits is that I totally abandon my body. I am not my body's advocate at all. I totally dissociate. I'd taken my blood pressure that morning and knew that it was really good. I told my body that I was't going to pay any attention to the numbers we got at the office, that I wasn't going to add that on top of the already existing stress. I felt so much love for my body and the really good job it does for me all the time. I wasn't going to let this dear friend down. I was just going to stay in as much of a loving space as I could and not give into the panic and fear. So, I went to the doctor and the cuff went on. I could feel myself start to panic and come out of that peaceful and accepting place. And then the little mantra we've been given for the class popped into my mind. I could still feel my heart pounding, but I had this supportive statement to say and I just stayed with that. And my numbers were great! So, not to say that will happen everytime, but I'm so grateful for this tool and this insight. Two thumbs up for the Fear Cleanse!

To say that my life has been transformed by my Centering Prayer class really would not be an exaggeration. I am in awe of what a perfect journey it has been and continues to be. Let's just say that this has been exactly the right thing at the right time and so many pieces seem to have fallen into place.

And then there are my wonderful photography classes, the Slice of Life Project and Superhero Photo, which started on the same day and run the same number of weeks. Why two photography classes, you might ask? Well, I'd already signed up for the Slice of Life Project when wonderful Andrea Scher announced her plans for a class and I love her and all of the classes I've taken with her, so this was an easy Yes. And I haven't regretted it at all. Darrah and Andrea have really similar, kind teaching styles and the classes are both about having fun with your camera and seeing the beauty all around you. I can use as much support as I can get in this area, so twice is nice! Here are photos that I took as a result of their encouragement that I wouldn't have taken otherwise:

So I think that's everything I'd shared with you. Since I last updated you on my classes I've also signed up for a Welcoming Prayer online class, which works in conjunction with Centering Prayer, and is also rocking my world, joined the Goddess Circle and am just starting the Goddess Haven e-course, and am looking forward to the SouLodge beginning on August 8. So much goodness out there, people! And I'm just saying Yes, Yes, Yes! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

savoring adventure

2011-07-24T11:38:00.006-05:00

So enjoying a relaxing weekend off with my sweetie and wanting to share some great stuff:

The amazing August Art Bash at Dandelion Seeds and Dreams.

This movie blew me away this morning!

I loved the spirit of this post from Keri Smith, even if I don't have the technology to use what she's describing. The last part has stuck with me all week, though. May have to become my new motto:)

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend and here's to a beautiful week!

church adventure

2011-07-17T08:22:00.002-05:00

Who saw this coming? But I will tell you that finding this gorgeous refuge this past week was like gold. It's amazing how our lives flow and I'm reminded of John O'Donohue's poem that I've quoted here before, but must quote again:

Fluent

I would love to live
Like a river flows,
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.

It is a huge surprise to find myself seeking out a church and relating to it in this new way. I was longing for a place to do centering prayer at lunchtime and have been led back to my roots. And for now it feels like home. It's delightful to have a new way to relate to an old friend. The coincidences these days are many and it's like I'm catching glimpses of angel wings flying around corners, just out of view. It feels like a summertime ripening of these seeds I planted last winter. Ah, life!

Also wanted to share a project I've been working on with a really dear friend who made it all happen. Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and if you've longed to leave a comment in the past and been stymied by Blogger, give it another try. I've changed to a slightly different comments interface and am hoping that makes it an easier experience. Thanks and have a wonderful week!

July adventure

2011-07-10T11:06:00.003-05:00

Continuing to soak up and savor all the goodies that July has been bringing me. I'm also really exploring the feeling of receiving and not pushing so hard. Messages like this one keep arriving at my doorstep:

"Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it.
Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing,
where something might be planted,
a seed, possibly, from the Absolute."
~ Rumi, from the lovely Poetry Chaikhana website dear Katie turned me on to a while back

And this advice to all of us perfectionist INFJs out here, from the book Prayer and Temperament that my sweet Mom shared with me during a recent visit:

"Try to enjoy whatever happens without worry, anxiety, or hurry."

Okay, so this could be the work of a lifetime for me, but I welcome the encouragement:) Hope you all have a beautiful, restful, soul-filled week!

relaxing adventure

2011-07-03T17:14:00.004-05:00

Ah! Hooray for a long weekend and having made it through an intense month. The last program was wonderful and inspiring. Anyone who fearlessly uses the words "love" and "intimacy" when describing landscape architecture is tops in my book.

And so now I'm just relaxing. I declared this "independence from cooking weekend" and loaded up at the local HoneyBaked Ham store yesterday, although I did just make a couple of salads with the delicious veggies we got from our farmers.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Fear Cleanse and the Centering Prayer class! It's pretty amazing the level of interactivity that's possible in online classes these days. The Fear Cleanse utilizes some kind of great telecom package so we can actively participate in the weekly calls. And I'm a total sucker for the way the Centering Prayer class is set up. Had I received this as a print workbook with DVDs and CDs I can guarantee that the workbook wouldn't have any writing in it, but since I'm used to typing 750 truth-filled words every day all the boxes in Session 1 are filled in. The embedded videos are perfect. So, I'm getting everything out of these classes that I'd hoped for. Definitely looking forward to the photography classes that start on the 11th.

There's also been some great wisdom out there on the blogs I love. Here are some highlights:

"I'm learning how to let go, to do less, to lay down and stare at the ceiling and to sit down and stare out the window. I'm learning how to listen, how to ask and how to receive." ~Jen Lee

"What kind of good can I do in the world today?" ~Susan Piver

"Take your expectations, and throw them in the ocean." ~Leo Babauta

And I just can't get enough of that fabulous Goddess Leonie! Loved all the podcasts she lists in this post. (I had trouble listening right from the posts, but they worked great through iTunes...)

Hope you're all enjoying a fun and safe 4th! Have a wonderful week!

family adventure

2011-06-26T10:07:00.004-05:00

So wonderful to be on vacation with lovely family this weekend! Soaking up seeing relatives I haven't been with in way too long and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings. Times like these really soothe the soul. Just wish my sweetie could be here with me. Hope you're all having a nourishing weekend as well!

self care adventure

2011-06-19T12:38:00.007-05:00

I'm no runner, but getting through this June I'm reminded of watching the Boston Marathon as it pounded past my apartment years ago. At this point my head is down and I'm concentrating on the finish line. While I know there is magic and beauty going on around me, most of my focus right now is on endurance. Self care is having to take the front seat - conserving my energy and making sure this introvert is getting enough silence, solitude, and stillness. And story. So while I'm delighted that the second exhibit is up and looks beautiful and has been received with much inspiration and delight from the public, the best parts of this week for me have been these quiet hours of restoration, alone in my house with my sweetie, sleeping until I'm not tired anymore, watching Somewhere and Blue Valentine, catching up with my Sun Magazine reading, volunteering, getting in my 750 Words a day (thanks for the amazing tip, Molly!), and keeping up with my meditation and stretching daily practices. Oh, and capturing some images that delighted me...

Yes, that is Ganesha on the right:) Have a wonderful week, everybody! And a very happy Father's Day to all you wonderful dads out there!

opening adventure

2011-06-12T15:25:00.002-05:00

It's such a wonderful thing to be halfway through my June duties! One exhibit and two programs down, one exhibit and two programs to go. And I may be deluded, but I think the "worst" is behind me. So I feel myself turning to what comes next. I'm really excited to have more energy to put toward my own projects. My soul has been crying out for more attention and so here's what's on the agenda:

The Slice of Life Project starts on July 11
The Centering Prayer Course starts on June 30
And after watching this video and listening to the call Christine mentions in it, I slept on it and then signed up for The 40-day Fear Cleanse, which starts on June 22

Plus, my sweetie and I are talking about long-term plans to visit Venice, which has coincided with my desire to confront my fear of learning foreign languages and got me to check out Rosetta Stone recently. So, looks like I may be learning Italian soon, too. Yeah, it's kind of a renaissance over here these days:) I'll keep you posted...

relief adventure

2011-06-05T09:43:00.003-05:00

So as I mentioned last week, there's been a project that has been looming over my head for about a year and a half. Every time I thought of it my stomach would drop and I'd feel a sense of dread so strong that my brain would pretty much stop working. This project felt completely overwhelming to me. So I tried something new. I asked for help. A local curator helped get me pointed in the right direction and a talented graphic designer and friend made it look consistent and beautiful. And so here it is (not a great image, but what I could quickly snap yesterday with a patron in the gallery). Hooray, it looks like an exhibit! And it actually tells some great stories. I'm really pleased with it.

In addition to the show opening, I also coordinated a couple of big programs last week that went well and the folks attending seemed to have a great time. I certainly didn't achieve perfection with any of this, but my heart was in it all and open to it all, and I was OK with the glitches. It felt more real, alive, and interesting.

And so now I have a wonderful day of rest, which also happens to be my 17-year wedding anniversary! I feel like the luckiest lady on earth today. Thank you for everything, sweetie!!

shining adventure

2011-06-01T08:23:00.002-05:00

I love this organization, as you well know:) It's full of wonderful people like this sweet friend:

blessed adventure

2011-05-30T09:03:00.002-05:00

Every day I get a little more caught up. This morning I finally checked out Lucinda Williams' videos for her amazing album, Blessed. If you haven't heard the title song I can't recommend it highly enough. And even if you have, I recommend listening to it again. There's a really nice version here. And these are my two favorite videos from the series they created of people talking about how they're blessed: Part 4 and Part 5. Enjoy and be blessed!

[And for anyone who enjoyed my post yesterday about how I fell in love with "Halloween Girls" - you would likely really enjoy The Maiden Heist, now streaming on Netflix.]

beautiful adventure

2011-05-29T09:54:00.001-05:00

Painting copyright Murat Kaboulov
"Nothing fascinates and inspires me more than human nature. Storms and calm of the human soul are the preeminent subjects of my art."
~ Murat Kaboulov

When I walked into a wonderful local gallery a couple of weeks ago, the last thing I was expecting to do was to fall deeply in love with a painting. But when I saw "Halloween Girls" it was as if I had found a long-lost treasure. I felt a deep recognition - there was my soul on the wall. All the people I carry in me, the witch, the gold-star girl, the wild animal, were looking back at me, beautifully. And so, to make a long story short, the painting now hangs on my bedroom wall and I love to lie in bed and look at it. Every time I walk past it it makes me smile. It makes my life feel more beautiful.

This is a big thing for me. Being given gallery duties at my job has had me worried in the past that it could take away some of the joy from my connection with art. I do feel like my creative impulse has changed for my own work now that I spend so much creative energy at my workplace. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, to be paid for being creative and for a much larger audience, but the projects I'm asked to work on often aren't my own ideas, although some do become something of my own creation. And my patience with artists sometimes runs a little thin... So it has been a real joy to reconnect with my deep passion for art, for the power a piece of art can have on one's life. It also doesn't hurt that a huge project that's been hanging over my head and terrifying me is looking pretty good these days. More on that next weekend...

And now for a list of other things that have been bringing joy into my life these days:

Viktor Frankl on the spark in everyone

A heartfelt pitch for a movie and the movie itself (thanks for the tip, Mom!)

Jack Goes Boating (now streaming on Netflix)

Paper Heart (also now streaming on Netflix - thanks for the tip, Kath!)

Signing up for the Slice of Life Project and WholeHearted Living and finding out about this

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

quiet adventure

2011-05-23T18:51:00.002-05:00

I really am enjoying having a different relationship with my online time, but I miss you guys, too. Thought I'd share some of the things I've been enjoying lately:

A great Tim Burton quotation from Quiet: The Power of Introverts

Jen Lee in a similar state of mind

Please Give (So many things I could say about this one, maybe for a future post... Thanks for the tip, Mom!)

Orange Is the New Black (Totally LOVING this book!)

Hope you're all doing well! Sending you all much love from this quiet corner.

The adventure continues

2011-05-14T17:16:00.004-05:00

There were a couple of things that I heard at the retreat that really spoke to me. One was about being in service to our lives. Suddenly meditation and rest and exercise and eating well weren't about being "good," but really about how to skillfully live my life to best serve it. Taking "good" out of the equation was very powerful for me. If I look at my life as something I'm in service to, then it makes sense for me to be in the best shape I can be in so I can do that well. That's practical good common sense. I also like how this perspective means that life isn't just something that's happening to me, but that I'm in relationship with it, that I can bring something to it.

The other thing I heard, which is related, was about how we're really not in control of our lives and that if we think we are it causes our whole nervous system to clench up. Yeah, it sure does. I think it was David Whyte who exposed me to the idea that our lives are not what we want them to be, nor are they what the world wants them to be, but rather that they're somewhere in between. I think our culture likes to pretend that we're in control, but if we're really honest I think this other view is much more truthful.

Living from these two truths has been very helpful for me. I've been sensitive to when my nervous system clenches up and allowing myself to relax into not being in control, while at the same time being creative with how I can best serve the situation. Most of the time this has meant trying to give it a lot of space, slowing down, and tuning in. And the lovely thing is that I have a lot of opportunities to practice, to start over:)

A couple of books that I've really enjoyed lately are Expecting Adam by Martha Beck and wonderful Sharon Salzberg's Real Happiness. Such good and gentle company on the journey.

adventure with trains

2011-05-08T20:09:00.003-05:00

Cheekwood, our local art museum/gardens, has an amazing model train display for the rest of the year that we've been dying to check out. What a wonderful way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon!

enjoy and love adventure - home and shifting gears

2011-05-03T18:36:00.002-05:00

Got home about midnight last night to be greeted by the cheeriest flowers and a sweet, sleeping hubby. Home, sweet home:)

It was an outrageously wonderful time away and quite clarifying in a lot of ways. There are so many people to thank for all the things they added to my experience and made possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you dear lovely friends and family. You are my treasure and I am immeasurably blessed.

While I was away the tightness I usually carry in my belly and chest disappeared and it is my deepest wish to try to shift some parts of my life to help me keep some space in my day and in turn to try to keep a sense of spaciousness in my body. So I'm going to experiment with posting once a week here. It is lovely to keep in touch with all of you, but it's a lot to fit into a busy day for me and likely for you to read. So, let's open up some space and I'll meet you back here this weekend. Let the adventure continue!

enjoy and love adventure - day 42

2011-04-30T20:09:00.002-05:00

Yep, this picture pretty much sums it up. I'm one happy bee!

Also looking forward to heading home in a couple of days, giving my sweetie hugs and kisses, and getting back to my regular lovely life with a fresh perspective.

Hope you're all having a beautiful weekend, too!

enjoy and love adventure - day 41

2011-04-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

The adventure today has included meditation, delicious food (an incredible nicoise salad with lovely greens and big pieces of perfectly cooked mahi-mahi), beautiful walks (more California poppies), and art-making with my sweet sister. This retreat is a real treat!

enjoy and love adventure - day 40

2011-04-28T20:16:00.001-05:00

Here!!

enjoy and love adventure - days 38 & 39

2011-04-27T19:46:00.002-05:00

And a little of day 37:)

A beautiful Easter morning rainbow, taken from the kitchen window of the main house in the "compound":

Attending Katie's wonderful performance in The Rainmaker (as Lizzie!):

The meadows were covered in gorgeous California poppies:

Views in and around my little studio home and the rest of the "compound" - such a perfect spot! And the weather was amazing:

And now resting up in San Rafael, delightedly anticipating a wonderful retreat this weekend:

enjoy & love adventure - days 35-37, take two:)

2011-04-26T16:04:00.010-05:00

Photo documentation:)

enjoy & love adventure - days 35-37

2011-04-25T21:21:00.002-05:00

Having so much fun! This auntie/sister/daughter is in seventh heaven:) Having trouble loading pictures, but will keep trying this week... Hope you're all doing well!

enjoy and love adventure - day 34

2011-04-22T17:40:00.003-05:00

Hitting the road and I can't believe that tomorrow I'll be with some of my favorite people on this planet! The only thing that would make it better would be if my sweetie could join me...

My plan is to try to post as much as I can along the way. In the meanwhile, I hope you all are enjoying your own adventures!

enjoy and love adventure - day 33

2011-04-21T19:25:00.001-05:00

I do love how all of a sudden everything is green. Like magic!

enjoy and love adventure - day 32

2011-04-20T18:15:00.002-05:00

These days I'm living by lists, making sure everything is ready for a trip to see sweet family and go on a much-needed retreat. My sweetie won't be joining me on this ramble, so I want to make sure he has what he needs and I'm leaving things in OK shape here and at work. Wish me luck:)

enjoy and love adventure - day 31

2011-04-19T19:00:00.002-05:00

Another delightful day with the Thomases! It's such a pleasure to get to spend time in a lovely, creative atmosphere and they teach a great workshop. It will be a rude awakening to be back in my regular routine tomorrow...

enjoy and love adventure - belated day 30

2011-04-19T07:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was packed with book arts and I got home too late to post. But it was a wonderful day and due to a last-minute cancellation I was even able to make a book as you can see. Very fun!

The lovely folks who are teaching the workshops refer to themselves as wandering book gypsies, so it seems fitting that when I was driving to work yesterday, for the first time after living here for over 13 years, I followed a string of cars being led by five runaway horses, trotting down the country highway. I cannot believe I didn't have the good sense to pull out my camera to document this wonderful, wild moment. But this video sort of captures what it felt like. (Plus you have to listen for the fabulous soundtrack! This especially means you, Kath and David!)

enjoy and love adventure - day 29

2011-04-17T18:27:00.003-05:00

Today we attended an event at the library where my husband used to work. It was good to see friends we don't get to see enough. One of them gifted a Broken Bells album to Rodg recently. I've totally fallen in love with the last song on it, "The Mall & Misery." (The title of which pretty well sums up last Sunday for me...) Enjoy!

enjoy and love adventure - day 28

2011-04-16T18:31:00.002-05:00

"[If] you're on the path of truth ... the sacred duty is that you walk hand in hand with beauty in order to discover the real presence of truth."
~ John O'Donohue in The Divine Imagination

Normally a gray Saturday like today might be depressing, but there's been something cozy about a little blast of fall weather. I had a very productive morning, taking care of several errands, but I could feel how the rushing wasn't doing my soul any favors. Now there's a lovely fire crackling and I'm looking forward to curling up by it in a bit and coming back to a more present pace.

enjoy and love adventure - day 27

2011-04-15T19:24:00.002-05:00

"[B]reakage, whatever its cause, is the dark complement to the act of making..."
~ Louise Glück (quoted in Beauty: The Invisible Embrace)

Feeling that lovely openness that comes after being broken open. As I was sharing with some dear friends today, I don't mind the state of brokenness, but I hate the feeling of breaking.

enjoy and love adventure - day 26

2011-04-14T19:39:00.002-05:00

Today was a hard day. Wandering the aisles of the grocery store this evening I let the feeling sink in and I felt broken and then a new thing happened. Nothing in me tried to fix it. Nothing tried to convince me that it wasn't hard. There was no resistance. And it felt fine. Very interesting. I can only credit listening to John O'D. for about an hour a day with a shift in my perspective.

And then I got home and my amazing personal DJ put an old favorite record on and it was just the right thing. You can listen to the song I'm listening to right now here.

enjoy and love adventure - day 25

2011-04-13T18:15:00.002-05:00

"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things."
~ Mary Oliver

"The world is offering itself in every moment to your imagination. And through that imagination you can open the riches of the world, to calm your fears, to satisfy the hungers of your heart, to break out of your own isolation, and to heal whatever is damaged or limited or wounded within you."
~ John O'Donohue

Listening to wonderful John O'Donohue's "The Divine Imagination" in my car I was amazed to hear almost the same line as in one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems, "Wild Geese". Weird, eh? And here's the oddest part. I had no idea what that line meant. In fact I've listened to that disc of the O'Donohue talk 4 times. But I think I'm starting to get it.

enjoy and love adventure - day 24

2011-04-12T22:09:00.002-05:00

Stayed out too late tonight attending this month's Indeterminacies program. It was fun but I think I'm already paying for it:)

enjoy and love adventure - day 23

2011-04-11T18:55:00.002-05:00

Stormy weather! Nothing like spring in the South:) Delayed ride home this evening when the buses evacuated at the shelter and we all headed downstairs while the tornado sirens wailed. At least I got to chat with a few of my favorite patrons:) Yes, today definitely qualified as a real adventure!

enjoy and love adventure - day 22

2011-04-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

When I was a teenager I spent hours and hours and hours at the mall. Now I cannot imagine. Let's just say I am not a practitioner of retail therapy:) At least not for clothing. So today's shopping trip fell under the heading of Soul Care only as finally checking something off my to-do list that has been lurking in the back of my mind, not really as a pleasure in and of itself.

Happier hours were spent watching "Pow Wow Highway", though! Oh, I love Gary Farmer!

enjoy and love adventure - day 21

2011-04-09T19:24:00.003-05:00

One surefire way for me to relax and rejuvenate is to watch movies. I've seen some good ones lately!

Today I watched "It's Kind of a Funny Story" on DVD:

And streamed "I'm with Lucy":

And streamed "Days and Clouds" earlier this week:

enjoy and love adventure - day twenty

2011-04-08T19:23:00.002-05:00

Today was my first day back at work after a week away. It seemed like a good idea to at least clear out my mailbox so I can start on Monday with a relatively clean slate. It felt great to see dear friends and be reminded of the many things I enjoy about my job. Plus Nashville is in a friendly mood these days. I love how strangers smile at each other in this town.

It also felt great to get on the bus this evening and pull out my current read, Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth - very fun!

enjoy and love adventure - day nineteen

2011-04-07T17:52:00.002-05:00

Much of the adventure so far has revolved around this lovely woman - my dear mother-in-law, pictured here on her wedding day. It was wonderful to spend time with my husband's family, helping to distribute the contents of Maxine's apartment, attending her memorial service, and - amazingly - to welcome my new grandniece, Maebrynn (Brynn) Grace, and even get to hold her sweet, little newborn self. A powerful time of endings and beginnings and limbo, it makes me excited to get back to living my own wild and precious life.

enjoy and love adventure - day eighteen

2011-04-06T21:00:00.002-05:00

Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, arriving back in Tennessee. What a day! Yes, we've been away helping clean out Maxine's apartment and attending her lovely memorial service. So much to share, but I'm road weary. Meet you back here tomorrow...

enjoy and love adventure - day seventeen

2011-04-05T21:22:00.003-05:00

I feel like we've entered a bit of a lull in my reported adventure here, as if I'm treading water a bit. Not to worry. All will be revealed soon. In the meanwhile, here's something I've enjoyed recently:

Monk in the World

Am currently enjoying:

Unravelling #2: Living in My World

Will be enjoying soon:

The Art of Noticing

enjoy and love adventure - day sixteen

2011-04-04T21:31:00.002-05:00

Yes, here's to you, my dear readers! And a couple of treasures...

Love this instant visit to NYC thanks to Jen Lee

Care to join me at the Spring Dream Lab? - Pretty great line-up!

enjoy and love adventure - day fifteen

2011-04-03T22:11:00.002-05:00

This is my idea of paradise. I love the light and space of modern art museums. This shot of the top of a Donald Judd piece in this lovely space just soothes my soul.

enjoy and love adventure - day fourteen

2011-04-02T21:06:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm totally addicted to John O'Donohue. I feel like parched earth and his words are gentle rain. I can't stop soaking them up.

enjoy and love adventure - day thirteen

2011-04-01T22:05:00.002-05:00

Oh dear. Not even words for today:) Not at all bad, just full, full, full. So here's a little glimpse. More tomorrow, promise!

day:

night:

enjoy and love adventure - day twelve

2011-03-31T21:29:00.002-05:00

Man, what is it with this week? Busy, busy, busy:)

But not too busy for some soul nourishing goodness!

"Be great by being honest, by seeking the truth and telling that truth when no one else will. Create amazing things. Contribute to the world, make the version of the world you want to see."
~ Leo Babauta

"You are allowed to keep doing what you love and trust the rest to take care of itself."
~ Jen Lee

"You can get outside and walk
You can give God a chance
You can ask for help and then ask for help again
You can save your best stories for the moment when they will do their truest healing work"
~ Jen Lemen

enjoy and love adventure - day eleven

2011-03-30T18:39:00.002-05:00

Really nose-to-the-grindstone these days, so no huge insights to share. But during lunch today I helped break down bundles for the paper release for The Contributor and look who made the cover!!

Other things I'm loving:

- John O'Donohue is seriously rocking my world. He even talked about the thing that tortured me for a lot of my youth (damning the Holy Spirit) in one of his talks - his interpretation made my jaw (and shoulders) drop. And he mentioned my dear Chogyam Trungpa in another. It's like this guy travelled the same landscape as my soul. And I could listen to his accent forever...

- My new reiki prayer shawl - warm and beautiful!

- Kohinoor Heat & Eat Curries, Punjabi Kadhi Pakora - super yummy! Keeping my fingers crossed that Publix gets more in soon...

enjoy and love adventure - day ten

2011-03-29T19:00:00.002-05:00

This was a long work day with a very short lunch break, but I have wonderful goodness for you nonetheless.

"I am on a journey of learning to follow my heart." This totally sums up what the Enjoy and Love Adventure is all about. Brené Brown posted this fabulous video by Liz Song today and it knocked my socks off. Enjoy!

And this still image reminds me of an amazing John O'Donohue poem I fell in love with recently:

I would love to live
like a river flows,
carried by the surprise
of its own unfolding.

enjoy and love adventure - day nine

2011-03-28T16:20:00.003-05:00

Today was kind of a mixed bag. I got to work and immediately realized that in rushing to catch the bus I'd forgotten to shut my computer down at the end of the day on Friday, which we'd been repeatedly asked to do since the power would be off and on over the weekend. Clearly someone else had turned it off for me, but I had a hard time letting myself off the hook for this one. Earlier on my drive in to work I totally mis-timed a signal and ran a red light - thankfully no cops and really no one else at all was around - but that still felt very out of character. And then on my way out of work I put my water bottle in my backpack and immediately realized that the top wasn't fastened and dumped a good bit of water in there - thankfully down the pocket I keep my umbrella in, so my new camera, phone, wallet, book, outgoing mail, and other paper odds and ends stayed dry. Fairly miraculous.

The good news is that someone kindly turned my computer off for me, I didn't cause an accident (or get a ticket), and the contents of my backpack were pretty unscathed. Poor Maxine - I've already got her watching out for me! And the other good news is that I was kind to myself in each incident. I'm just rushing too much these days. In each case I was hurrying, which I truly believe is a form of violence, but one I'm very susceptible to.

So I'm turning back to my intention for this year, to remember to rest. Listening to an amazing John O'Donohue talk this afternoon I loved hearing this: "[Meister] Eckhart says nothing in the universe resembles God so much as rest." And very interesting that when I googled this quotation it appears that he actually said "nothing in the universe resembles God so much as silence." Oh John, how did you know that I needed rest more than silence?:)

enjoy and love adventure - day eight

2011-03-27T10:21:00.004-05:00

[photo by Rodger]

Today's adventure began last night with a phone call that Rodger's mom had died peacefully in her sleep earlier that evening. After long weeks of waiting there was an immediate sense of relief, that surely Maxine herself must also have felt, and then a deep sadness and grief.

I was blessed with pretty much the perfect mother-in-law. We clicked immediately, from the evening when we first met, 18 years ago, and I couldn't stop laughing as I told a favorite story about my brother claiming to be an amphibian when he was a little guy. I was suddenly laughing so hard I couldn't get the words out, and I looked across the table and there she was laughing just as hard, while our men looked on with bemused looks on their faces.

She was always fun company and when her health was good we loved the same kind of adventures - lunches in interesting restaurants, poking around fabric and craft shops, and visiting museums. We also enjoyed the same kinds of movies and spent a good bit of time watching those together. I even remember she and my father-in-law came to visit for our birthdays (my sweetie and I have the same one) when I was turning 30 and she kindly sat through a completely narcissistic afternoon of home movies as I took a long trip down memory lane.

But what we really excelled at was talking. Maxine had the heart of a philosopher. We solved all the world's problems together, mixed in with much laughter. And she was never anything but supportive. I can still hear her voice in my head saying, "I love you, Liz." Oh, my dear, dear Maxine, I love you, too! Thank you for everything. You were the bee's knees, Billie Maxine!

enjoy and love adventure - day seven

2011-03-26T16:42:00.005-05:00

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

~ Mary Oliver ~

The Adventure today has been very quiet, full of sleep and taking care of our home and catching up on my work for Susannah Conway's wonderful Unravelling: Living in My World class. But I've been thinking this week as I posted my 500th entry here and have been listening to Mary Oliver's wonderful new CD, Many Miles, which includes "When I Am Among the Trees" quoted above, that I might share with you where the phrase "enjoy and love" came from for me.

A couple of years ago when I was riding to work with my sweetie, who was doing the driving, and we were stuck in traffic in the usual spot, I was spacing out looking at the woods along the highway. I was just in a sort of reverie. And then I felt like I got a strong message from the trees: enjoy and love. That if that's what I accomplished in that day, to enjoy and to love, that would be a successful day. It was such stark contrast to all that I'd been worried about, the things I felt I needed to make happen and the way I felt I needed to prove myself on some subtle level. To enjoy my life and to love those around me seemed like a radical approach. But it felt like the best wisdom I'd maybe ever heard.

enjoy and love adventure - day six

2011-03-25T20:16:00.002-05:00

Today's was a bit of a sleepy adventure. It's been a long, hard week and the weather has turned cold and rainy. Tonight my sweetie built a fire, perhaps our last for a while, and it's nice and cozy in our little country cabin.

Certainly the highlight of my day was volunteering at the local street (homeless) newspaper, The Contributor, which I started doing shortly after posting this last August. The staff and volunteers I assist are such wonderful people. It's 2 hours of laughter and fun and always lifts my spirits. I just open bundles of papers and count them into these neat stacks of 10 for the vendors to buy from us for $.25/paper and sell for $1.00. I love my interaction with the vendors, many of whom know me as the Library Lady.

People have really turned their lives around selling these papers. Working for themselves is perfect for a lot of these folks and there's a lot of pride in selling a great paper. The office provides a few of the things people get from a workplace, too, like water, a clean restroom, and respect.

enjoy and love adventure - day five

2011-03-24T17:16:00.002-05:00

Today's adventure was a routine trip to the doctor, just for an annual physical. If only I could convince my sweet nervous system of that. The good news is that my bloodwork and EKG looked great. Oh, and that I don't have to go back until next year:) But I clearly still have some work to do with my frequent guest, Anxiety, who loves to show how hard my heart can pump while they take my blood pressure. Thanks.

But that really is my attitude. Thank you, Anxiety, for wanting to protect me. Still, I think we can rethink this approach for the 21st century. In the most gentle, loving way I'm trying to greet the first signs of Anxiety in my body and remind it that I will actually, despite its best intentions, do better if I can relax my throat, heart, and stomach, if I can feel my breath in my belly and my feet on the ground or seat in the chair, if I can open my senses to everything that's going on around me.

We're working on this one together, Anxiety and I, because I know we both have my best interests in mind. But we're not quite there yet.

enjoy and love adventure - day four

2011-03-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

"It’s okay to fall apart.
You don’t have to know the answers.
All those pieces you’ve been holding for so long while you raced around your life looking for the last roll of scotch tape, go ahead, let them fall.
Let them fall.
Every last piece."
~ Jen Lemen

Today was about letting the pieces and the facade fall. I got to work and wrote "don't pretend" on a little sticky note and stuck it to my computer, to remind me:
Don't pretend everything is OK when it isn't.
Don't pretend you know more (or less) than you do.
Don't pretend you are more (or less) than you are.
Stand in your truth.
And don't forget to laugh.

It felt good. It felt real.

enjoy and love adventure - day three

2011-03-22T20:08:00.003-05:00

"If you visit a dragon's domain, keep your spirit light and jingly."

I read this in Rob Brezsny's horoscope for scorpios after I'd already maneuvered this territory earlier today and I will attest that this is definitely the way to go.

One thing that always keeps my spirit light is a trip to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and today was no exception. Thoroughly enjoyed their current Vishnu exhibit and an excellent docent tour. What a fun lunchtime treat!

Another spirit lightener for me is chatting with my checkout friends at my favorite grocery store. The stories from their lives that they share are wonderful! This evening my lovely bagger, an older gentleman with a Spanish accent, told me amazing tales of going to Radio City Music Hall in the 1950s, while we stood together under a pink, sunset-lit sky. Such food for the soul!

enjoy and love adventure - day two

2011-03-21T18:28:00.004-05:00

"That’s why I believe that meditation and yoga are so successful in bringing about my own creativity. They create space for inspiration to flow into."
~ Nicola's Monday Mantra

"May it shape a new space in your heart..."
~ John O'Donohue's Blessing for a Friend on the Arrival of Illness

"I really think there's something gained by slowing down the ideas..."
~ Jen Lee's video about her awesome new project

"Why do I return to Haiti again and again?
Well, it's simply to plant a tiny seed
of Presence--and then water it
with great Openness."
~ Joe Zarantonello's newsletter

Today the theme for the dispatches from the universe seemed to be about space, so I headed to the most spacious-feeling destination in my local downtown environment - the plaza surrounding the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower.

There's something about the whole feel of the space and the new, spring plantings that reminds me of visiting the Getty Center when it first opened years ago, so it all seems lovely, artful, and intentional to me.

It felt great to open to the physical space and feel the wind rushing all around me, blowing all my thoughts and cares away. And I found myself returning and returning to the question of authenticity. When all the extra "stuff" blows away, what's left?

enjoy and love adventure - day one

2011-03-20T17:38:00.002-05:00

Today my sweetie and I headed to Cheekwood to see if the cherry trees were in bloom in the Japanese garden (and to check out the totally cool Modern Masters exhibit from the Smithsonian - such a treat to stand so close to a Franz Kline and a Sam Francis here in my home town!) We were not disappointed. So delightful to wander slowly, looking carefully, and smelling all those amazing flowers in bloom! Total enjoyment.

the enjoy and love adventure

2011-03-19T14:23:00.006-05:00

Lately I've run across some amazing things that people are doing, such as Susan Piver's Open Heart Project and Jennifer Louden's Savor and Serve Experiment. And then there's the wonderful Dream Lab with Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen that I've gotten such benefit from the several times I've joined them.

As spring officially begins and I'm responding to the call I'm hearing to clarify my sense of purpose and live a more soulful life, I thought it would be fun to explore that here, as a project/experiment/lab. So after a trip to the thesaurus, today I'm beginning my Enjoy and Love Adventure! I love how this sounds like a children's mystery book or TV show title and implies that risks will be taken, that there will be wrong turns and plenty of scrapes:)

Each evening I plan to record how the adventure unfolded that day, for better or worse, and hopefully how I fed my soul through moments of beauty and connection. We'll see what happens...

fully living

2011-03-19T10:10:00.005-05:00

"Imagine if rather than focusing all your energy on proving your worth you were free to focus on fully living your life."
~ The Mindful Way through Anxiety (this book totally rocks, by the way)

"As Einstein liked to say, 'God doesn't play dice.' This isn't some random crapshoot--this is your life. If you've forgotten what you are supposed to be doing here, no time like the present to remember! And if you haven't discovered your purpose yet, keep looking. Don't give up on the one thing that really matters! Follow your star!"
~ Joe Zarantonello's weekly newsletter

"When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms."
~ Mary Oliver

"Slow down, slow down, slow down. Look down, look up."
~ Carol Tatsumi on Trust Tending

~ John O'Donohue (this video is short and such a treat)

Conversation with Jennifer Louden from susan piver on Vimeo.

~ Susan Piver and Jennifer Louden (this video is about 35 minutes long and such a treat)

~ scene from Blade Runner that our friend, Stan Link, spoke about so eloquently at a beautiful event we attended this week

So these are the dispatches from the universe that I'm receiving these days. And I'm actually starting to listen...

five senses friday

2011-03-18T05:35:00.001-05:00

tasting:

nourishing lunches with kind friends

smelling:

crisp spring air in the mornings and bowing down to pay homage to the amazing scent of hyacinths in our yard

seeing:

blue skies and flower blossoms

feeling:

worried about my brother and his sweet family in Japan, grateful for their continued safety, and sad for my husband's (and my) impending loss of his lovely mother

hearing:

Mary Oliver remind me of everything beautiful in this world

An Irish Blessing for you

2011-03-17T07:17:00.006-05:00

This blessing is really lovely. I encourage you to hang in for the English translation that starts at 1:20. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

gentle

2011-03-16T05:38:00.002-05:00

Lately I've had a front row seat to my inner faults and failings, especially to how critical and self-absorbed I am, much to my dismay of course. But I'm trying something radical for me - the power of gentleness. I'll let you know how it goes...

a beautiful mess

2011-03-15T06:01:00.000-05:00

And I can't pass up mentioning these posts as well:

Dani Shapiro on The Noble Failure: "So. Failure. What does it mean, to attempt failure? I think it's actually incredibly liberating."

My Squam yoga instructor, Michelle Madden Smith's account of her vacation in "paradise": "i want to wrap this all up in a nice little package and put a bow on it…but i can’t seem to find the lesson that ties it all together. because there isn’t one."

Kal Barteski's Ugly Beautiful Truths here and here - and the comments: "Sometimes the truth isn't beautiful. Sometimes there's beautiful in the truth."

And, of course, there are situations in the world that just aren't beautiful. Looking at images of the tragedy in Japan and worrying about family members there, feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the suffering, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected. My deepest wish is that in the midst of the sadness and fear and loss that there may still shine moments of beauty and love and hope.

more good stuff

2011-03-14T06:25:00.000-05:00

I hope you enjoyed this past week and my own humble version of one of the most popular books in a fine press book collection I help oversee at my work, The Temple of Flora. It was such a fun treat on that gray Sunday when I visited Cheekwood to find all of those glorious flowers!

Once again I've been knocked out by so many wonderful, inspiring posts on the blogs I follow. I just have to share a few excerpts here:

"What takes a lot out of me is trying to be someone I’m not. Truly, when I can settle in to being utterly myself and not think I’m supposed to be wise or know it all, I have a blast." from Susannah Conway's interview with Jennifer Loudon

"For me, the spiritual journey is not about growing more certain about the world, but embracing more and more the mystery at the heart of everything. In a world where so many people are so very certain about the nature of things, especially in religious circles about who God includes and excludes, I believe unknowing calls us to a radical humility." from Kristin Noelle's interview with Christine Valters Paintner on Trust Tending

"But the things that are before us must be walked through, whether words come along for the ride or not. My body has come to mean so much more to me these days--I feel things in my joints and in my chest and remember that I have not quite laid them down. I feel my toes pressing into the earth when there is nowhere to stand but here, and when I'm not sure which way to go I let one foot simply move in front of the other." from the ever-lovely Jen Lee

peace

2011-03-13T06:48:00.002-05:00

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

You can read the rest of "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry here.

purpose

2011-03-12T06:34:00.002-06:00

One thing must not be forgotten.
Forget all else, but remember this, and you will have no regrets.
Remember everything else, but ignore this one thing,
and you will have done nothing.

You can read Coleman Barks's version of this poem by Rumi here.

inspiration

2011-03-11T06:57:00.002-06:00

Good poetry begins with
the lightest touch,
a breeze arriving from nowhere,
a whispered healing arrival,
a word in your ear,
a settling into things,
then like a hand in the dark
it arrests the whole body,
steeling you for revelation.

You can read the rest of "The Lightest Touch" by David Whyte here.

grounded

2011-03-10T06:55:00.002-06:00

Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.

You can read more of "In Praise of the Earth" by John O'Donahue here.

Growing

2011-03-09T15:54:00.002-06:00

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

In case you haven't seen this beauty yet... Wowza! Also, totally recommend checking out the amazing post on Superhero Designs where I discovered this and also the other post she links to. So much powerful redwood goodness!

mystery

2011-03-09T06:40:00.003-06:00

The temple bell dies away
The scent of flowers in the evening
Is still tolling the bell.

You can read more about poet Matsuo Basho here.