summer adventure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!