MountainWave Tribe

a harp in the subway

2012-01-23T07:34:00.003-05:00

Frederick Buechner writes, "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

and so it is that he plays in the subway...

and so it is that she gives good hugs...

and so it is that you smile at strangers...

and so it is that I see your Light and smile back...

2012-01-21T22:39:00.002-05:00

peace

Destination is never a place

2012-01-19T13:31:00.007-05:00

If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.

-Henry Miller, The Oranges of the Millennium

My bro is pushing off again for adventures far, wide, and splendorous. In my course reading today I came across this Henry Miller quote and it reminded me of Erik.

And in the spirit of the traveling tribe we offer these words today (Travelers' Psalm 121 with my own paraphrase):

Dear one,
Blessings to you
The sun shall not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night...
The Great Spirit protects and guides you
Your going out and your coming in, from this time forth, and even forever more.

What blessings we've enjoyed, this time together. Peace and love and grace enfold you until we meet again. Yeeeeeeooooowza!

towards justice

2012-01-15T08:02:00.004-05:00

It is the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I've been perusing YouTube and Vimeo videos for awhile this morning and came upon one that especially inspired me...my favorite line:

"We shall overcome because the arch of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice." If there was ever an amen in my heart....Amen to that.

Thank you Reverend Dr. King for continuing to be a voice of inspiration:

Joy

2012-01-05T07:23:00.004-05:00

"Joy is more than an emotion,

it is a way of being in the world."

Good vibes be yours this day

2012-01-02T19:52:00.000-05:00

First day

2012-01-01T16:46:00.006-05:00

This morning I walked on the beach with a friend as the elements sparkled and shined around us. Walking and creating little somethings in the sand, close to the waters' edge, gift to the ocean, spiritspeak for the sky. We named intentions and spoke dreams. Rocks and shells and words and togetherness, prayer as noun, prayer as verb. I joined Mom & Tina for a hike. In the sun, by the sea for most of the day today. Perfect first day of the year. I have sun in my cheeks. And I have prayers---reverberating throughout my being into this starsparkling sky---for me, for you, for all of us: Self-care, Peace, bigger love, wider minds, finding and sharing the joy of this journey, and for dreams...may they be realized according to our Highest Good.

-from In the Sanctuary of Women by Jan L. Richardson

"There are prayers inscribed on our bones, prayers we carry in our marrow,

prayers that run through our blood.

There are prayers we carry with ancestral memory, prayers passed down from generation to generation, prayers that spiral in us like DNA.

There are prayers that we carry in the most hidden parts of ourselves, prayers we have never breathed aloud, prayers we can barely acknowledge.

There are prayers that have taken form in this world, prayers that have made their way into letters and diaries and books, prayers that have taken the shape of stitches and poetry and paintings, prayers that have bodied forth as compassion, as justice, as mercy, as grace.

There are prayers of blessing and of lament, prayers we pour out for others, prayers we offer for our own selves. There are prayers whispered, wailed, shouted, groaned; prayers sung and laughed and wept and dreamed.

There are prayers of stillness and of silence, prayers in the breath and in the belly, prayers in the beating heart and in the space between the beats.

There are prayers."

they got me/we...singing and dreaming...

2011-12-27T18:53:00.003-05:00

I am dicing onions and tomatoes, Erik is cutting up hot spicy peppas, and we are listening/watching PlayingForChange goodness, a "must" whenever we're sharing space. This one is my favorite and makes me dream of my future as a social worker and desiring to be part of something like this...international creative musical peace addressing racism war in a one-love kind of positive tribe vibe way...I'm thankful for them...makin' me dream, inspiring me...

2011-12-17T08:09:00.003-05:00

"I learned about the sacred art of self-decoration with the monarch butterflies perched atop my head, lightening bugs as my night jewelry, and emerald green frogs as bracelets"

-Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves

Good morning scattered tribe~

2011-12-02T08:59:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday everyone...

My tribe is scattered today, some in transit (my beloved with a long train of a truck) and others having arrived but far away. Erik is foraging for goodness in the rainforest of northern Australia, Tina's in Germany, Leo's somewhere between Lansing and Wellfleet (closer to Lansing at this point). So, I woke up feeling how small the world seems --Precious ones hither and yon but I feel them close.

To get into the Friday morning groove, here's a little ditty for you by Michael Franti called Hello Bonjour and it's about the world without borders, it's about the Tribe scattered but connected...Bumps to Michael for his Portugues~

So hello, Bonjour, Ola, BON DIAAAA~

2011-11-27T20:20:00.003-05:00

I am on the "finished" side of the paper that I just emailed to my professor, and another paper deadline on the horizon. For a moment though, I'm going to take a breather and tell you a little about my morning.

I woke up, drank my coffee, and checked my email. As I did so, a good friend and colleague from Sri Lanka (actually her technology savvy daughter) instant messaged me asking if I could Skype. We have not laid precious eyes on one another for a few years and I was in a sleepy eyed, jammies, hair-fairy'd, needing a shower kind of place so I suggested Skype in 15 minutes and she accepted. I downed the rest of my coffee, jumped in the shower, dressed and dialed up. Rohani's voice soon filled our kitchen :) and Leo and I told her about our lives here in the States now...fishing and taking care of elders, studying and trying to save money...she understood and could relate on many levels and it felt good to share these realities together. We showed her our tupperware of dry lentils, a staple in Sri Lanka and luckily something we loved loved loved to eat. The fact that we still eat it totally cracked her up and we let the cadence and sound of her voice and laugh soak in. Rohani. What a gift to spend a little time together this morning.

All clean and dressed so early in the morning on a Sunday, I decided to head for P-town to St. Mary's, lil church right by the sea. It was the first Sunday of advent and the bishop was visiting. I. LOVE. HER. Poetic presence, sings during her sermons, has mastered the art of the quiet moments between words, elicits nods and groans from her audience, and most important of all, channels inspiration to open our hearts and minds and lives ever wider to better love one another.

And so it was that I sat down to write that paper, all filled up inside from my morning...and so it is that I have finished at this reasonable hour. I'm headed for bed with a book for class.

Sleep come soon for me and for you~

Eating with the fullest pleasure...

2011-11-24T07:42:00.000-05:00

Eating with the fullest pleasure — pleasure, that is, that does not depend on ignorance — is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world.

In this pleasure we experience and celebrate our dependence and our gratitude, for we are living from mystery, from creatures we did not make and powers we cannot comprehend.

-Wendell Berry

Amen Mr Berry...and with that,

bon appetit sisters and brothers!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T15:36:00.007-05:00

Light shine upon the fellowship of these days~

Together we give thanks for those precious things in our lives for which it is easy to give thanks; as well for those difficulties that challenge us and by which we are learning to be humble, gentle, patient and trusting...trusting that what is unfolding in our lives has meaning and purpose, and that we are moving ever closer to our beautiful potential, to our individual and collective highest good. Amen.

~Peace be with you~

2011-11-13T17:55:00.006-05:00

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked pensively.

"You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."

-Trina Paulus, from Hope for the Flowers

A nugget from one of my groups this past week that I thought I'd share with you precious lights, 'round about.

Inspiration be yours as a new week begins~

the power of Presence

2011-11-04T08:41:00.003-04:00

"...they also serve who only stand and wait"

-John Milton

This is one of my Grandfather's favorite lines, and has been very helpful to him over the years serving as a chaplain in the hospital as well as a pastor. It has been his advice to me in my work with families separated by war over the years, and again now as I participate in various therapeutic environments as a Masters of Social Work intern.

Our very Presence is a gift we bring in service to those around us. When we feel at a loss for words, when we aren't sure how to respond, what to say...often just holding the moment together, being present to what is being shared is enough.

~they also serve who only stand and wait~

Love and light in your direction and thank you for being Present to the little ones and the old ones and the strange and ordinary ones in your day today~

me lately

2011-10-30T18:13:00.004-04:00

I was super bored last Sunday at work, MY LAST SUNDAY SHIFT UNTIL NEXT MAY!!! so I took a few pictures of myself, the "me lately" pics. It's been awhile since I've shown my face :) Today was my first free Sunday here on the Cape since last May. Leo and I attended a holy halloween service at the UU church in Brewster which warmed my soul in the middle of this nor-easter wind and rain chillin' our bones (high winds and rain, no snow for us). The theme of the service was honoring our ancient ones, our ancestors, bringing in the new season of quiet, of darkness, of reflection and remembering. I remembered many, my father, my mama-in-law, and a friend of ours died just yesterday. Phil Pollard. A whimsical, creative, open and loving special soul. It was the place for us to be this morning. I appreciated the message, the community that gathered, the opportunity to remember in fellowship (thanks Monica). We're now home. Football is on TV. Banana bread in the oven (Eva's recipe), the house smells yummy. My mom is on her eastward journey. She'll arrive tomorrow, moving in, begining a new job here on the Cape. I'm so proud of her, and of Tina and Mom for "moving confidently in the direction of their dreams" of living out here full-time.

The Great Spirit moves within and across our lives in large and intimate ways, blessings abound and look how we are stretched, and see how we grow, and oh how much we are learning, learning.

Bowing in remembrance, in welcoming anticipation, and with thanksgiving for this rich and strange and wonderful ride.

Love to you in your many directions~

creation of the beloved community

2011-10-23T16:18:00.005-04:00

I read this quote of BU alum, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Dean of Boston University's blog. It resonated and inspired me to share with you precious lights:

"...the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community."

Amen to that.

Amen to actively creating and re-creating the beloved community.

Thank you for being part of mine.

2011-10-11T08:33:00.001-04:00

"...best preacher that ever was..."

-from an Emily Dickinson poem

Presence

2011-10-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

From On Being website:

‎"I learned over the months that to evoke a place where hope might arise, I had to give up any idea of service and to offer instead my willingness to be deeply, authentically present, much the way that a mother does with her infant." ~Judith Leipzig

Let girls be girls...

2011-10-07T20:01:00.003-04:00

Something I saw on The Elders website today...and watching this on the same day as it was announced that three women won the Nobel Peace Prize, it's been a day to be thankful for many things, including strong women leaders, (s)heroes to inspire us and show us the way:

bringing in the day

2011-10-05T07:56:00.001-04:00

Morning clouds over Newcomb Hollow

We bring in this day watching seals in the water and crazy beautiful cloud action above.

"Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness."

-from Mary Oliver's Why I Wake Early

Elder time

2011-10-04T08:28:00.008-04:00

Elders are the roots of our tender growing. We open ourselves and our cups are filled. History and lore, what a beautiful way to learn. From the mouths of ones own tribe.

Even the quiet, together times when nothing is being said but much is being shared through presence alone, even these and especially these moments are the ones that I tuck away as greatest blessings...Erik and I made our way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota a few months back to spend some time with our grandparents.

It was days before my grandfather's 92nd birthday, and they celebrated their 60-somethingth wedding anniversary while we were there. This last picture is them looking through their wedding album, Gramps with an LED-flashlight to see better by, Gram recalling the stories that went along with the images...

Blessings abound. Eldertime, grounding ourselves, rooting down, listening to where and what we come from, and also sharing what we've learned and what we've seen and experienced out there in the world....what this tree, this tribe is becoming. It is a gift to them as well.

2011-10-02T06:07:00.003-04:00

Whispered upon the earliest light,

Peace in my mindheart

Peace in my body

Peace to those near

Peace to those far

Peace in all directions

with no exceptions

Peace

happy fridayyyy

2011-09-30T07:01:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday and there is a clear sky after a night of rain. Sheets are in the wash to hang out in the morning sun before work. Sunkissed sheets, on the list of my favorite smells. I am behind in my school work, I am behind in my chores, but I am present to this morning and I have been present to the people around me this week. All in all it's been a good week. I found a Mary Oliver poem this morning that I think some of you might appreciate, as I did through nods and mmm's and yesssses~

Blessings to your weekend, for goodness of the good-est kind~

Ocean by Mary Oliver

I am in love with Ocean

lifting her thousands of white hats

in the chop of the storm,

or lying smooth and blue, the

loveliest bed in the world.

In the personal life, there is

always grief more than enough,

a heart-load for each one of us

on the dusty road. I suppose

there is a reason for this, so I will be

patient, acquiescent. But I will live

nowhere except here, by Ocean, trusting

equally in all the blast and welcome

of her sorrowless, salt self.

-Mary Oliver

Wangari Maathai

2011-09-26T08:15:00.004-04:00

Wangari Maathai, first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, environmental activist, leader of the Green Belt Movement died yesterday. I became aware of her and her work through a Speaking of Faith (now On Being) interview a few years back. I found this little snippet on YouTube, her hummingbird story...enjoy and be inspired. Wangari Maathai, we will watch for you in the dancing leaves, in the waving branches, thank you, thank you:

under the same sky

2011-09-13T06:26:00.002-04:00

I spoke with my 92 year old grandfather last night on the phone and at his recommendation, I stood on the porch and looked at the full moon with my binoculars (Erik's binoculars actually). I highly recommend it. You will fall in love all over again with that milky sphere, I guarantee.

When we got off the phone, Gramps was going to pull aside the curtain in his nursing home room and look too. Simple grace....we are under the same sky, we are looking at the same moon.

Oh we many lights shining together even when we're apart.

2011-09-11T11:50:00.004-04:00

Nodding as I read in one of my textbooks for Intro to Clinical Practice:

"Silence is a form of communication, not just a blank space between periods of speech."

Indeed it is.

2011-08-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

via Danielle's Facebook comes a really wonderful little vignette:

2011-08-21T11:24:00.011-04:00

I see you, he said.

And he did.

That was all that was said.

And that was everything.

Sunrise

2011-08-19T07:25:00.003-04:00

I'm doing pretty well this week at making time to play before and after work. Last night we surfed the sundown. A little seaweedy, cold, and small....but fast and fun. The fact that I am still on my learning curve and lookin' like a fool more than lookin' cool didn't stop me from having the biggest smile on my face as I walked up the hill to the truck last night. Gallon jugs with warm water felt like heaven pouring over our heads to rinse off the salt and seaweed. We headed over to Mac's at the harbor, ordered up goodness and ate in the truck as the wind whistled through the mast lines of the boats lined up for the night. Crawled into bed early, leftover seaweed bits and all. This morning we were at the beach at 6 and while the surf has dropped off, it was a beautiful place to sit and watch the awakening day. Blessings to yours. Happy Friday.

2011-08-18T08:50:00.004-04:00

"...smell the sea and feel the sky

let your soul and spirit fly

into the mystic..."

summatyyyme

2011-08-12T08:19:00.005-04:00

Some of you might know that Leo and I transplant ourselves in the summertime and live with dear friends while we rent the house out to tourists. Our summer residence is a divine cottage style Cape Cod house topped with 20-something solar panels (we feed the grid, even with all of the Blandford gadgets), rainharvesting bin, lots of sunny space to hang our clothes and sheets after washing (my favorite smell ever, sundried clothes), and a wonderful bountiful garden with beans, beets, squash, melon, tomatoes, and stuff for later in the fall like parsnips. Feeling really grateful for our summer digs that come with such meaningful, genuine fellowship as well as abundant and good vibes with the elements. Loving this summer-time, loving this place~

peace in all directions, love in all directions

2011-08-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

this music

2011-07-30T14:17:00.001-04:00

At the Edge of the Ocean

I have heard this music before,

saith the body.

-Mary Oliver from New and Selected Poems

Ni haoooo

2011-07-20T07:49:00.002-04:00

Leo and I have embarked on another leg of our serendipitous journey. We've begun taking Chinese language classes together. They're being taught by a young married couple, a Taiwanese woman who comes from the south of Taiwan from an aboriginal tribe, and a whitie Wellfleetian surfer man who was born and raised here in Wellfleet, went to Taiwan and learned Chinese, met his wife and married, and lived in the south of Taiwan, surfing and getting his Masters (in Chinese!!) in Aboriginal Studies. Our energy was shining so bright in class last night as we heard their story. And that's because of our story: Leo's late mother is from Taiwan, and her mother (Leo's grandmother who is still living in Taiwan) is of aboriginal descent. Leo has wanted to learn the language, return to Taiwan to connect with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, AAAAAND surf in the waters of the motherland. He's also long been curious about his aboriginal bloodline. These two teachers embody all of those elements that Leo has been moving towards in his mind for years. As for me, my late father spent a great deal of the last ten years of his life in China and had learned enough of the language to travel, live, and work there. He worked hard at it and his dedication and efforts paid off in meaningful friendships with several Chinese people, young and old. I never got there while my father was still living. It will be an intense experience for me when I finally visit China.

Sitting in class last night, listening to Akay and Caleb speak, making new yet familiar tones with our mouths and drawing these ancient and beautiful characters, stroke by stroke, it was as if we had Arrived in a time and place that had been waiting for us, especially us. There were places in our minds and hearts popping open like a million little morning glories. Something old and familiar, yet new and exciting was tapped in that room last night.

in the Flow and feeling fine....

our homework for tomorrow is to create our Chinese name. Leo knew right away what he wanted. I'm pondering....

Chocolate Drops jam out near Highland Lighthouse

2011-07-18T08:46:00.003-04:00

We went to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops last night under a lil tent by the sea here in North Truro. Faaaaaantastic show with lots of clapping, stomping, singing, and grooving on our parts and totally jamming out on the part of the Chocolate Drops. The music kicked the winds up and by the end of the show spirits and breezes were soaring.

I checked YouTube and www.carolinachocolatedrops.com for a video and this one gives a little background and has some different music clips in it. Check their tour dates. If they come anywhere near you, GO and be lifted and inspired :)

2011-07-17T14:42:00.002-04:00

Ever since happiness heard your name

It has been running through the streets

Trying to find you.

-Hafiz

pleasant good day

2011-07-16T09:44:00.005-04:00

The weather report in the paper today said "82F, mostly sunny and pleasant"

Pleasant as part of the weather forecast....gotta love the good juju comin' out of the Cape Cod Times this morning. Guests at the Inn where I work on the weekends are coming and going, unwinding from city-life, planning their day, their night.

I'm pointing out bike trails, giving restaurant tips, steering people in the direction of their fancy. I'd quite honestly rather be surfing or tending to my undone odds and ends at home, but the bacon don't make it home on its own and this is as nice a spot as any from which to be bringin' it, whilst vicariously enjoying the vacation vibe of these smiling sunlotion'd folk. It's all good.

In other news, I'm back to my full facial self from being twisted up with Bells Palsy for a little over three weeks. Quite thankful to have my blinking ability back and, while I've got my quirky facial ways under normal conditions, it's a good feeling to be able to smile my smile again. Eating and drinking without the fanfare of slurps, drips, and drools is nice too. Oh the joy of normalcy!

Pleasant good day to you, there where you are sitting and shining so~

inspiring tribe vibe, check it

2011-07-14T19:16:00.002-04:00

I was introduced to Playing for Change by my sister Christi (I think!) and have been following them on Facebook for awhile. They just posted a blog that got me watching videos again. I thought I'd share their very first episode.....totally MountainWave Tribe vibe and inspires us to stay engaged and keep the dream alive...good vibes, enjoy...

Big love in all directions~

people who warm us

2011-07-13T08:16:00.006-04:00

"Being with real people who warm us, who endorse and exalt our creativity, is essential to the flow of creative life. Otherwise we freeze...I'm not certain how many friends one needs, but definitely one or two who think your gift, whatever it may be, is pan de cielo, the bread of heaven."

-Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés from Women Who Run With the Wolves

thirst

2011-07-08T07:47:00.008-04:00

I cast the net wide when I say We...

We are thirsty for such grace.

We drink the very sound.

DBS

2011-07-07T07:45:00.004-04:00

It's my Dad's birthday today. He'd be 60 years old.

David Bruce Schoon, born July 7, 1951.

I went outside this early morning and sat at the edge of the lavender patch buzzing with bees. Life. When I'm quiet I sense you. Everywhere you. Effervescent you. Shimmering on my face and glimmering there in the water of the birdbath and in the buzzing and the purple of these flowers.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

In this shimmery connected space is also woven silver threads of presence; Erik, Eva, Jess, Matt, Mom, Gram, Gramps, Sue, Mark and and. Smiling to the tribe.

Thank you

I go into my day vibrating with Life, a quiet heart, blessed by the shimmering of the tribe. There are so many ways to be alive, so many ways to live on...

abundance

2011-07-05T08:43:00.003-04:00

Abundance...it is simply a matter of Seeing

sweetest softest hands

2011-06-22T22:23:00.002-04:00

There is a song, Gypsy by Suzanne Vega, that since high school has had the power to sing my life...different parts of the song for various precious people, different parts of myself....it's a magical song that never loses and keeps gaining meaning. I thought of Gypsy tonight with regards to my Dad....

Two years ago tonight, I spent the night and much of the next few days and nights, holding his hand..it was a rough night and an honor to be by his side.

The song has a line, "...and the sweetest softest hands, and we'll blow away forever soon, and go off to different lands. And please do not ever look for me, but with me you will stay, and you will hear yourself in song, blowing by one day. But now hold me like a baby, that will not fall asleep, Curl me up inside you and let me hear you through the heat"

So damn elemental and raw and sings my peace and love and joy and grief.

I've been tenderhearted today, thinking about my Dad. And as if on queue, the Universe responds. My elder told me she loved me this morning. I brought my trash to the dump and the guy who manages the dump said, "Has anyone told you today that you're beautiful?"...and tonight, Leo and I went to get pizza at our favorite pizza joint and Mama Pizza told me my eyes looked sad, came around the counter and gave me a fat hug. Angels...

And you precious friend, there where you are sitting....in your peace and love and joy and grief....angels to your left and to your right, angels all around you.

twisted little sister

2011-06-14T08:01:00.003-04:00

What a strange week it's been. A week ago last Saturday, I was driving home from class, went to put some chapstick on my lips and when they didn't pucker right, I checked myself out in the mirror at a traffic light. I noticed that not only were my lips a little crooked (left side not really puckering at all), my left eye was not closing when I blinked. It was a bit unsettling to say the least. I thought I was maybe having a stroke or something. That evening, the left side of my face became progressively less responsive. It wasn't a stroke, it is something called Bells palsy which is an inflammation of the 7th cranial nerve (the nerve bundle that controls your facial muscles on the left side). I've taken the medication, I've been blessed with several acupuncture sessions, and tested negative for Lyme's. I'll get re-tested in a few weeks if it hasn't gone away. In esoteric healing terms, the left eye is related to the throat chakra, the creative Word, the eye of the Mother. The cranial nerves are related to the crown chakra. That just to say, there is a physical reality, and then there are other subtle realms which I find interesting to consider as well. Now, it's just a matter of time and self-care. For most people, it goes away completely and the time for recovery varies...2-3 weeks for most people. The causes vary but they all point to a stressed out system. Yes, I'm listening...

Having Bells palsy is a cosmically educational and humbling experience. I don't like it and pray it to heal, yet at the same time it is with me and the lessons are rushing in, the way nothing else could teach me. It is a small taste of "otherness" and "strangeness" in my social interactions. It is skin deep, encouraging me to delve ever deeper, and be mindful of everything else that IS working and healthy in my body. It is allowing me to Receive, good vibes and prayers and healing touches and other love energy from my people...what a gift, what a gift.

Naps are higher on the list of things to do this week. I have a full schedule, but I've given myself permission to move forward at my own speed. No rushing. Slow and steady.

Blessings to this week of life, with all of its teachings, for you, for me.

Big love~

2011-06-04T06:06:00.002-04:00

"We need leaders-neither saints nor sparkling television personalities-who can situate themselves within a larger historical narrative of this country and our world, who can grasp the complex dynamics of our peoplehood and imagine a future grounded in the best of our past, yet are attuned to the frightening obstacles that now perplex us."

-Cornel West, from Race Matters

parlez-vous francais?

2011-05-21T06:06:00.003-04:00

I'm leaving for Paris today, joining up with Jess, Eva, Della, and Diana tomorrow for a week of girl-fun. In the spirit of that, I offer you a fav' of mine, Ingrid Michaelson with Jason Mraz, in Paris singing YOU AND I, which I also offer up as an early happy marriage song to my darlin' with whom in a few short days I will celebrate 8 years of marriage and for whom I continue to fall head over heels (and who is drivin' around in a cutie new pickup truck! what-whaaaat):

foster compassion

2011-05-15T23:44:00.002-04:00

Up late, writing a paper....it is kickin' my lil backside. Almost done and I came across a passage in one of the readings that I'm using to write my paper. Thought you precious Lights would appreciate it:

"The Navaho say that the way to tell that a rug has been made by human hands is by its flaws. As helping professionals, we can cultivate acceptance of imperfections within families--as well as acceptance of our own limitations--by viewing flaws not as defects, but instead as part of being human. If a family member has been wounded by life struggles, we need to diminish blame and shame and instead, foster compassion."

--Dr. Froma Walsh, from Strengthening Family Resilience

2011-05-08T18:17:00.004-04:00

the tao of touch by Marge Piercy

What magic does touch create
that we crave it so. That babies
do not thrive without it. That
the nurse who cuts tough nails
and sands calluses on the elderly
tells me sometimes men weep
as she rubs lotion on their feet.

Yet the touch of a stranger
the bumping or predatory thrust
in the subway is like a slap.
We long for the familiar, the open
palm of love, its tender fingers.
It is our hands that tamed cats
into pets, not our food.

We touch each other so many
ways, in curiosity, in anger,
to command attention, to soothe,
to quiet, to rouse, to cure.
Touch is our first language
and often, our last as the breath
ebbs and a hand closes our eyes.

2011-05-07T06:57:00.002-04:00

"When I dare to be powerful--to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."

-Audre Lorde

pass the peas like we used to do

2011-04-27T13:29:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting here writing my paper, eating peas.....I daydream, peas, pass the peas, visions of James Brown....then Maceo Parker....amazing riffs circle through my mind, then an episode of Martin bubbles up. I google it, YouTube watchin' and I am ca-RACKIN' up because I just came from my elder's house and...nuff said:

sunday song on happy good friday

2011-04-22T08:48:00.003-04:00

Leo and I saw this precious flower of a person, Meklit Hadero perform on Sunday at Wellfleet Congregational Church. It was such a gift, such a pleasant evening. I was kinship-vibin' big time. This song called the Sunday Song is about being slow motion and I love love love the words. "Patient like a woman from ancient days" Mmmm-hmm. This is for us slow-mo's of the world...a different perspective:

Happy Friday
Happy Good Friday
Mmmmhmm.

sarvangasana

2011-04-21T08:22:00.002-04:00

Sarvangasana

Candle pose

Queen pose

shoulder stand

my body's craving

and Gracie gave me cherry toes

pretty to the sky

2011-04-13T08:46:00.002-04:00

Thunderstorm outside while I was in bed this morning. Low rumble across the sky, like a deep quiet voice, power and calm. Now it's just the rain, steadily falling. Mesmerizing. I would stay right here looking out at it if I did not have other tasks calling my name, calling my name.

whole face shining

2011-04-02T08:57:00.004-04:00

The sun's whole face is shining and I am all the way happy, like that blue blue open sky. I am going out in it before the clouds come. I will hang some laundry in it before the clouds come. I will tilt my chin and warm my cheeks before the clouds come. And then I will (as a beautiful friend suggested) nestle down into the soft sunshine of this day, and work on my paper.

Blessings to your day, there where you are, gathered together or in solitude, working or playing, going out and coming in again, blessings~

tuesday

2011-03-29T07:04:00.006-04:00

Oh to be soulhungry for something and then receive....

Another blue sky morning. I take my elder to physical therapy today and I'm thankful that there's sun, that she will receive light and warmth on her face in the car as we drive. She needs it. I need it.

Birds are singing from the pine trees making everything seem warmer with that Spring song.

Blessings to this day full of gifts,

...and Happy Birthday Uncle Phil~

monday morning

2011-03-28T08:21:00.002-04:00

It's happening...slowly but surely, as it always does (and in metaphoric appreciation, we say Amen).

And I'm going out into it, under a blue sky to breathe with the trees in the sun before work. A good thing, a necessary thing (and in appreciation the very cells of my body and synapses of my brain say Amen).

2011-03-18T13:34:00.003-04:00

I learned about PS22 from Tracy (check out her blog at Music from Big Pink) and have fallen in LOVE with these kids and their teacher, the whole livin' out loud vibe that is evoked. I keep watching video clips. It reminds me of that Marianne Williamson quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talent, fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"We are all meant to shine, as children do...."

Thanks Tracy for introducing me to PS22. I'm so inspired and filled up inside. The kids. The teacher. The passion. Livin' out loud is the only way to live.

Happy happy Friday!

2011-03-15T08:32:00.003-04:00

Ptown kitty.

That looks soooo good.

Sittin' home, in a sunny spot, watching the day go by.

Another research paper turned in last night, the last one for Social Research I. And we don't skip a beat. Today I'll start to prepare for the next course, Social Research II which starts on Friday: Downloading statistics software, reading, reading, reading. And Japan and Libya seem to remain a constant backdrop to everything I'm doing. How can Ann Curry still not know about Family Tracing? I was soooo waiting for her to plug the ICRC website last night. Not that it's the magic solution but it's a tool, it's something, it's better than Well, it's going to be tough..., back to you Mike. The Japanese shelters have lists of names posted up. Sweet... The authorities seem to be handling the dead in organized and responsible ways. Very important for a host of reasons including the ability to take those names off "the Missing" list. This is what happens to my mind when I'm watching news.

Redirecting my sails....Onward! to the home of my elder this morning, dreaming of a sunny spot at home, praying for Japan and Libya and beyond~

Lucille Clifton

2011-03-14T08:29:00.002-04:00

2011-03-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

she said,

that's just the way it is....don't waste your energy

i say nothing

i think, light will never shine through a closed door.

2011-03-11T09:11:00.002-05:00

Our brothers and sisters affected by the Tsunami that hit yesterday...to those who died, to those who are grieving loss, to those who are working to help, we hold you in our prayers.

teacher

2011-03-11T07:06:00.003-05:00

I think of myself as someone who does relationships fairly well. I share deep, caring relationships with my friends and family. I have a wide circle of Tribe.

I have one area of weakness though, and that is with people who lack the conventional sense of boundaries. Rrrrrr. Boundary issues. It is a life-long lesson.

Usually it's fine. People act in an appropriate way. Relationships are respectful, feeding both parties the goodness that friendship should provide. Once in awhile, I get into a friendship with someone who soaks up alllll that I give, and is left wanting....and chastises me for it....AND, slow to come to any concrete conclusions about this, I only recognize what's going on when I find myself exhausted, frustrated, hurt, and my give tank is on empty.

Unfortunately, it's happening with someone right now. I need to establish some rules of the game for my own mental health. I hate when this is necessary, but it is something I need to practice so.....bring it. And may I learn this lesson. I want to learn how to walk around with my boundaries in-tact and be quick to recognize when they've been crossed, and to have the words, right then and there to rectify the situation. It's the second and third piece of that which I need to practice. Wisdom and grace come with time and experience.

And so it is that (not for the first time in my life) I come to realize that this person who is causing me grief, has guided me straight to an area of weakness in myself, and is thus an important teacher.

clueless and happy and totally behind schedule...

2011-03-09T06:48:00.002-05:00

Rising from a drowsy delicious half-sleep. I am a beat behind the rhythm of the clock today, and happily...

Lifting the curtain of time to give you a peek into last night at the Brooks Free Library in Harwich: Women's work ending war, a celebration of International Women's Day. It. was. awwwwwesome. Poetry from-the-soul silenced our chockfull room, holding our collective breath to hear the next word, phrase followed by passionate applause, the kind that is full of thank yous and wows and mmms. Dance, the kind where your eyes are glued to the bodies of the performers and you feel stirred in your core. Singing, the whole room, together, loud and hungry for putting our own voices, and together, to Peace and Stand up for justice, and History and Herstory, harmonizing. People put themselves out there in such raw and powerful ways last night. Riveting, inspiring. I'm excited that the community of last night exists here. And all the while, I was side by side with my friends from school, and that felt good too. Really good. At the end of the night, during the last performance, I felt a little tiny hand on my neck. I looked behind me and there was a wee-boy trying to put a necklace over my head :) I tipped my head low, and he stretched his little body, eyes wide, smile Huge and put the cord over my head. It felt significant, like a metal of honor, like the white kata scarf in Tibetan Buddhism. A blessing. So good. So good. The whole night.

And so it is that I start the season of Lent and this Ash Wednesday with such contentment and with this smile. I haven't decided yet how to mark these 40 days and the first is already upon me. I have until 5:30 tonight to figure it out, plenty of time for inspiration. Tonight I'll slip into the little old church by the sea, darkness adorned with candles, quiet. My forehead be smudged with ash and oil, and I will carry with me an inspired intention to hold sacred for the next 40 days...for now I'm clueless and happy and running totally behind schedule...

Blessings dear ones~

International Women's Day

2011-03-08T07:25:00.003-05:00

Today is International Women's Day. So many options for posting today. So many women who have and continue to inspire me on my life journey. Women in my own family, in my friendships, in my work-life here in this country and in Norway, and Haiti, Sweden and Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, and England, Bulgaria, Indonesia, India, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, Afghanistan, Germany, Brazil....voices and echoes, present and past...thank you for living your life out loud, guided by love and light.

Tonight I'm joining with a few of my classmates for an evening of women's poetry, stories, and music at the Harwich Library to celebrate International Women's Day. The theme, Women's work in ending war. I am so syked that this event is happening, and that I have some amazing women to celebrate with!

What I've decided to post today is a message that I wish all girls and women, young and old, could soak deep into their being. A contemporary counter to yesterday's post, and much more personal. It is a simple expression of self-love and acceptance and the beauty that emanates from that. India Arie helping to spread the vibe of LOVE and LIGHT on this Women's Day:

(I'm also posting this song for myself. I have an interview at 1pm for my social work fall placement. Prayers welcomed, and I will be bringing India's self-love vibe with me into that place!)

2011-03-07T14:08:00.003-05:00

March is Women's History (Herstory) Month and it is my intention to dedicate many of this month's blogs to such goodness and import. There is a song that I'd love for you to listen to but I can't find an embeddable format....so click on this link: ANN REED'S HEROES which will take you to a different page. The recording is a little crackly but it's a great song, especially at the end, the names...gives me goosebumps, the good kind. Blessings to your day~

A ramble on transfiguration and the wise-vibe

2011-03-06T07:58:00.004-05:00

So, today's kind of a big deal in the liturgical calendar. Great story, I can totally picture it...Jesus gets a few of his buddies to go on a hike with him to the top of a mountain. And when they get up there, his whole body fills with light. And then Moses shows up, and then Elijah shows up, and then God speaks out of a cloud. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday before Lent.

I can't help but wonder if any of his buddies that morning were like, I do not feel like goin' on this hike today. My feet hurt, I got nets to mend at home...

Lately I've had conversations with people about scheduling and being social versus focusing inward. We're all striving for balance with the precious resource of time. The extroverts trying to make sure to save some time for solitude and introspection, the introverts pushing themselves to get involved or get out there a little more.

So that's what I'm thinking when I read the Transfiguration story this morning. About if the friends had passed up the hike that day and missed out on that mountaintop moment in exchange for staying home and mending their nets....I mean, they wouldn't have known ahead of time what they were missing.

And that's just it. Sometimes it's hard to know when to stay home and mend the nets, and when to hike the proverbial mountain. I screw up sometimes. I miss out on things because I stay home rejuvenating in solitude. Other times I agree to things that don't feed me just for the sake of "doing something" or making others happy when I really need to be home gittin' it done, or resting.

If we're tuned into that inner compass---it's not so hard to discern what to do. Inner compass, intuition, divine intervention, being aware of your own needs...whatever it is, it's a Wise vibe. It whispers us to the mountaintops, it helps us find time and peace in our days to mend our nets. Yet another aspect to the art of living---keeping in tune with the wise-vibe.

That's all from MountainWave today.

Be well dear ones, have a good week.

Wise-vibe be loud and clear to yas.

Bliss is a Saturday morning with no place to be

2011-03-05T09:25:00.005-05:00

It is my sister Christi's birthday today (aka Mama Gast of Living Loving Learning with Mama Gast) and I'm invoking the TRIBE VIBE to help celebrate her today. GIRLLLLL, may you feel the love from all directions. She's had a week that makes mine look like Easy Street. Stop by her blog and share some love. And I want to give a shout out about her new gig. Christi is a talented artesian whose medium at present is fabrics. She just opened a store on Etsy called Thread Head Designs. Check her out and keep her in mind for hand-made gifts, etc....

Today on the Cape is grey and quiet and I am taking that as gracious permission to stay curled up under a blanket with my book. I'll venture out eventually because fresh air, grey or sunny, is the best multi-vitamin ever for me. But right now, I am blissing out with a slow morning, no place I have to be, no class, no work. Mmmmm...

To the MountainWave Tribe on this 5th day of March:

This day be healing,

This day be rejuvenating,

This day be big love enfolding you in all of its music and flavor~

Funky bless-ed Friday

2011-03-04T08:04:00.003-05:00

It is a blessing to our loved ones, our community, our world when we take time to tend to our own needs, nurture ourselves. Not to do so = negative vibes. No good. So as this week comes to a close, and Saturday and Sunday are as wide open as the ocean Herself, I ask myself, What do I need to recharge and rejuvinate? The answer I get is this: I wanna lay down and sleep...until spring preferably but an extra many hours over this weekend'll probably do wonders. I have the overtired funk (paper's done and IN, hallelujah), added to being so ready for spring it's like heartache. My cold toes are over it. Last night I came home from work (lil after 5), took a hot bath to warm my body, and went straight to bed (6). I read for three hours for pleasure, then went to sleep (9). It was divine. I was expecting to wake up a new woman, transformed by my evening in bed and many hours of sleep but, it's going to take more than that. Still feelin' the funk. Thankfully, (though I love school and absolutely adore my classmates--go ahead, say it, geeeek, and I'm proud), we don't have class this weekend. Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday are wide open. Bless-ed weekend. And from what I hear, I'm not alone, so all you weary pilgrims out there, blessings to your weekend, and may you save time and space for whatever it is that recharges your batteries~ Our loved ones, on up to the greater world community will thank us for it come Monday!

Merry go round and round

2011-02-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

When I was little, I loved that butterfly feeling, the g-force playfully pulling, the exquisite dizziness afterwards of the merry-go-round. The only time I didn't like it was when I suddenly wanted off. Those few moments of having to wait for things to slow down and stop were...well, not so fun.

These days I am on a metaphorical crazy round round and I'm having that "let me offa this thing" feeling. I'd rather be sitting with my feet dangling off and pushing myself ever so softly along, nice and slow. Instead, the deadlines stand alongside me, pushing me faster and faster, my eyeballs are beginning to knock together. Financial aid application + taxes, a research paper, and my first field placement application are all due in the early part of this week, and like a test of strength, I'm in monthly pain and all I wanna do is curl up in a ball. So with a heating pad on my belly, I've managed to finish my financial aid app, submit my field placement app, and get a pencil draft of the taxes done. The research paper I have yet to write stands as the last merry-go-round pusher. As soon as my paper is written, I can move at my own speed again...slow. mindful.

I've been in a discernment process about a possible full-time job opportunity the past few days and...at the moment, it feels like taking a full-time job (with school) would be like getting on a permanent crazy round round. There is such richness on my road less traveled, this odd assortment of jobs: school, care giving to my elder, being MG's handy-woman, and a shellfisherman's sidekick when that time comes. I'm not totally decided though. There are pros and cons on either side. But, I have a paper to write....I'll think about the rest later.

Thanks for sharing your precious time here. Blessings to the ride, the road, the upcoming unfolding week...and to the discernment and decisions we all make about our lives, creating peace or adventure or both.

Sun day

2011-02-20T08:23:00.002-05:00

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

I could, like a cat, be content to stay in this sunny spot for a good while. The day beckons, but just a few more blissful moments, I stay right here.

Silence.

Warmth.

Rest.

Sabat in my mindheart.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

(Italics lines are the first and last from Mary Oliver's poem Why I Wake Early)

2011-02-15T08:18:00.004-05:00

My lover he gave me the sun and the moon

(14 February 2011, 17:13)

dear traveler dear friend

2011-02-15T07:36:00.003-05:00

Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and saw my long time friend. It had been awhile since I saw him last, his journey must have taken him far. A smile on my lips, and one in my heart, I asked from whence he came. He said not a word but I think he too was quite content to be back. Make feast, settle in, dear traveler dear friend. Stay as long as you wish...

As this day unfolds, so too our hearts...

2011-02-14T07:51:00.008-05:00

Rumi says, Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.

Today is a day for love, in all its varied forms. As this day unfolds, so too our hearts, for ourselves, for each other, for our tribe and on and on until we are open and embracing and embraced by the whole of this blossoming existence called life, and by life I mean much more than life.

As this day unfolds...so too our hearts, for ourselves....

So primal and important and a love that is oft' overlooked.

Love after Love, a poem by Derek Walcott

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Mmm. yessss. Thanks Em for sharing long ago, and thanks On Being for reciting recently.

Love for each other, the tribe, and on and on...

says Hafiz,

I wish I could show you...the Astonishing Light of your own Being!

Gives you chills...the good kind, check it:

2011-02-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning I had the treat of sharing breakfast with 3 girlfriends, classmates of mine from Boston University and all living in this area. I am so happy to be making friends with like-minded, really amazing women who live close by (yayyyy!). The hostess of our morning gathering shared this inspiring video with us just before we parted ways. Thanks for sharing this Monica and for having us over yesterday. Still smiling~

You shining Lights around the world are going to ENJOY this:

Spam, my cosmic visitor

2011-02-12T08:03:00.003-05:00

I'm writing a paper for class about what it takes to be a resilient and happy elder. I have several hypotheses, and one of them is "attitude"...specifically, having an attitude of gratitude. Spending mornings with my elder, I observe her reactions to things and hear stories of her elder friends and how they cope or thrive. I speak with my grandparents by phone, I try for every week. Last night I had a half hour conversation with my 91 year old grandfather (loved that!). They are all aging, in their last years of life, and they have different reactions to similar issues. It fascinates me. It inspires me. It makes me think about my own reaction to challenges.

The past two mornings, when I've checked my email I've had a new message from my father....who died a year and a half ago. A tiny part of my heartmind leapt for joy yesterday morning and then crashed and burned a millisecond later. It was jarring and upsetting. This morning, irritating. And now that I'm writing this, I'm deciding that if I get any more, I'm going to treat it like a little cosmic visit from my dad instead of just SPAM. Attitude of gratitude...for Spam...yep, on the resilient and happy road and planning to stick to it for the long haul. Thankful to my mentors, both those who exhibit this behavior for me to model, and those who don't....learning from both.

Reality transforms with our applied gifts of perspective, acceptance, creativity, and gratitude.

Off to walk in the sun.

Enjoy your Saturday~

Happy Friday

2011-02-11T07:45:00.006-05:00

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.

-Henry David Thoreau, from Walden

Happy Friday everybody.

Radiant love and vast peace be the vibe today~

where is your village?

2011-02-10T21:37:00.006-05:00

Several times lately, I have heard people refer to Wellfleet as a village. It feels like a village, and I smile in remembrance of conversations past with friends in West Africa asking me, Where is your village? Back then, I lived in Washington DC which has a slightly different feel than this tiny nook. I wish I could show my friends these pictures. This is my village. My village is Wellfleet.

Mmmm, yessss~

2011-02-08T07:56:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine reads cook books the way other people read novels. She rarely carries these books with her into the kitchen. Rather she draws upon her inspirations and pieces together something of her own creation. A little of this and a little of that. I do NOT do this with cookbooks, but I can be found with piles of poetry and books on spirituality surrounding me in the mornings. I page through them, I underline and dog-ear certain pages, I copy lines down in my journal, I absorb and become inspired and nourished. And when I find myself uttering mmm or yessss, I know it's something to share:

Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver,

from SWAN

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don't hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that's often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don't be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

Mmmm, yessss.

Friday

2011-02-05T18:57:00.003-05:00

Friday, Leo and I met our friend Joan in P-town at her apartment for lunch. We met Betty the kitty and Joan's friend, Nini who was full of good stories about 1940s Brockton....Madame Gaudette's Hat and Corsette Shop....vavavavoom! Nini snapped a few shots yesterday so, here they are. It felt great to be in P-town on a sunny day, meet our friend, and make a new one too. Blessings to the ladies and kitties of P-town. Thanks for having us youngins for lunch~

cleanse time

2011-02-04T08:02:00.007-05:00

I've been over-riding that body wisdom again for awhile. Body says, take a break from the coffee. Brain says, COFFEEEEEE. Body says, run some miles so I can SWEAT. Brain says, stay right here curled up on the couch, there's homework to do. And 'round and 'round they go. So, I'm writing about it as an act of intention, and putting it out there. I'm going to follow the body wisdom for awhile, put the over-ride function "to pasture" as my Grandfather would say, and get right inside. Leo has blazed the trail this week, inspiring me to do the same.

I have a book on Ayurveda that I was reading last night to help my momentum of heeding the body's call. For a chuckle and a little inspiration, check ya-self:

Suggestions for a creative, healthy life

Routine

Awaken before sunrise
Evacuate bowels and bladder after awakening
Bathe every day to create a sense of bodily freshness
Twelve pranayamas in the morning or evening create freshness of mind and body
Do not take breakfast after 8:00am
Wash hands before and after eating
Brush teeth after meals
Fifteen minutes after meals take a short walk
Eat in silence with awareness of food
Eat slowly
Each day massage the gums with the finger and sesame oil
Fast one day a week to help reduce toxins in the body
Sleep before 10:00pm

from Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad

City yearn

2011-02-03T09:58:00.000-05:00

I love where we are, way out here on Lands' End...and yet I've been gettin' the city-yearn lately. We have friends in Concord, Mountain and Erin, and a friend in Boston with whom we'd love to chill more regularly, and just to walk on sidewalks that are hustling and bustling with humans speaking different languages, young and old, black and brown and white, cafés, lectures, concerts, readings, signings, museums would feel stimulating and wonderful.

I was thinking this two nights ago as I was driving home. And a conversation with Emily came back to me. She said, "some people live in the city and go to nature to recharge their batteries and other people live in nature and go to the city to recharge." While I go around thinking that I'm in that second group, I wondered for a moment if I'm perhaps in the first group, just on an extended retreat....Hmm.

I pulled into our driveway. Got out of the car and I was met by the most beautiful sky. The naked sky only reveals itself in nature, so many more stars, it takes your breath away....and as I was standing there looking and loving and feeling so FULL inside, two owls began a conversation. This is where I live...

Yeah....I'm definitely in the second group. A city visit is on the agenda as soon as my school schedule allows but I am happy as a cape cod clam right where I am.

2011-01-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

"The borderland where cultures collide is the best vantage point for observing human resilience. Where cultures intersect, all of a sudden everyone must do things differently."

-Mary Pipher, The Middle of Everywhere

via Pat Weeks FB...

2011-01-28T22:15:00.002-05:00

So, I just got home from my first class of the Spring Semester, Social Research 1 and I'm checking Facebook a little before bed and I see this FANTASTIC example of social research right before my droopy eyes. Check it:

That's the kind of social research that I wanna do :) Spread some joy...Love this! Inspiring as I am thinking about my next research topic...hmmmm.

wery important Wiking skill is visdom ower ego

2011-01-27T09:53:00.003-05:00

Soooooo, I attempted to drive to my elder's house but decided that I'd first drive around the circle with my 2-wheel drive Honda Fit...fact-finding mission. Who wants to get stuck between hither and yon with a 10-page research paper due tomorrow? How deep is the snow on the road? Is it icy underneath? How does the car handle? Have other people made it out? I made it around the circle, blazing a trail for the rest of the neighborhood. No other driveways on the circle have been backed out of this morning except for one and since him, it looks as if no-one has driven on the road itself lately. I decided against going any further. I called my elder and she's up and fine. I'll wait for the plow to come. Back to my paper...

Viking skills

2011-01-27T08:30:00.004-05:00

Winter-wonderland....again :) I'm still smiling. I'd much rather have snow than rain. Driveway is shoveled, car is shoveled (when you first take a shovel to the car before the scraper, you know you've had some serious snowfall) and scraped, and did I mention I'm still smiling. I haven't seen the snowplow in the past few hours so I'm not sure I'll be able to make it out of here to my elder's house but I'll give it a careful try. Viking skills....

Have a blessed day all you people~

the beginning of another big one...

2011-01-26T08:31:00.006-05:00

A snowstorm, and a honkin' research paper. Here I sit on this side of both, waiting. Perfect timing for the snow because I need to crank out some pages today.

Ten to be exact. My topic (-ish), "Childhood development in times of war."

Knuckles cracking, shake out the arms...piles of books and now to get my own creative and intellectual juices flowing...

On my mark....get set....get busy....

Callin' all good vibes! And back'atcha for the rest of you working or writing or pulling your hair out on this side of a big one...whatever that big one may be, good vibes be yours~

Frozen Tide: Oyster check

2011-01-25T13:52:00.016-05:00

It was cold yesterday. Online weather reports had varying degrees of temperatures from 6 to 15 degrees F, with a wind chill factor varying from -1 to -15F. Regardless of what the temperature was...it was cold. Besides the cold weather it was also a negative low tide, meaning the water would be out further than most days which gives easy access to hibernating oysters. Cap'n Tidy asked us to check on the oysters a couple weeks ago while he is away in the Bahamas for a few weeks, knowing these couple of days would be a really low tide, but not knowing what the weather temperature would be. Never having been fond of the cold, I was not looking forward to it. But, it was actually awesome...really pretty. I loved it. No one else was out except for a few tough birds.

Here are some pictures of the walk out and back:

Someone drove out to check the tide, then changed their mind and decided not to go out. There was about half-an-inch of ice covering the sand all the way out to the oysters, which is roughly a 250 yard walk.

The oysters are in hard plastic mesh bags, and the bags are on rod iron racks which sit about a foot and a half off the ground. Thousands of oysters are in all the ice covered bags.

The camera stopped focusing because of the cold. There was a few inches of slush on top of a foot of water I had to walk through as I checked to make sure the bags were securely fastened to the racks.

The walk back.

Great Island.

The water on my legs froze.

Now I just need a new wetsuit so I can surf in this weather.

Hope you are warm and happy wherever you may be.

6F

2011-01-24T07:31:00.003-05:00

Coldest day of the year. I worry that my elder won't be able to handle it....but then I remember that she's weathered many more days like this than I have over the years. Safe sojourns today. Before any of that happens, both Leo and I have outdoor stuff to do. Single digit day and I am thankful beyond thankful for shelter....and New England Clam Chowder!

Sunday of work and rest

2011-01-23T09:55:00.003-05:00

I dust the wait away

and wake the sleeping halls

make warm again

whatever's cold

the old pilgrim comes home

My elder, my elder, I can't help but wonder how long she'll be home this time, which is a shift in my paradigm of her homecomings. I'm beginning to learn that she has seasons of her very own. Tomorrow I'll bring her home. Today cleaning and stocking up....and the Christmas tree, "leave it up" says my research paper deadline as it looms large and I, clumsily and with all intention, strive towards keeping a somewhat graceful balance, remembering that between here and there is Sabat and a warm nest of blankets and football and lovin'. What is the wise way through this day of work and rest? asks tomorrow's early morning.

2011-01-22T10:26:00.003-05:00

I lift up my eyes to the hills...

Happy Friday....thanks Jack

2011-01-21T08:28:00.002-05:00

This flick ca.racks. me. up......may it do the same for you on this Happy Friday :)

vast peace

2011-01-17T21:35:00.004-05:00

triple blessed

2011-01-15T16:24:00.002-05:00

I spoke with my grandfather this afternoon by phone. My grandfather. His voice. Our shared presence. I was looking out the window onto snow-covered everything and a fox passed through the yard....and then came back toward the house as my grandfather said, "God bless you" and I said it back, and the three of us went on to do other things, triple blessed if that is such a thing.

And if it is, triple blessing to you, my dear.

2011-01-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

For A and other precious Lights

2011-01-13T08:39:00.007-05:00

In memoriam

Holy moment of Becoming everything

my heart is one million shiny pieces

of sadness

and gladness.

I can feel you everywhere

effervescent presence, greeting us in these many ways.

Morning sun shines through ice jeweled windows

beyond everything sparkles, hello~

may I have this dance?

2011-01-11T09:43:00.002-05:00

Fear and love are dancing....

Now I will say to fear, "excuse me"

and now I will say to love, "may I have this dance?"

All good on the B-ford front

2011-01-10T11:31:00.004-05:00

A few years ago, I was going through a box of my grade-school papers that my dad and Eva had kept. I came across a poem that I had written sometime in my early teens titled, "I am me." Leo came into the room and read over my shoulder. Cracked. Him. Up. Every once in awhile, out of the blue I'll hear, "Sara......who are you?....Sara, are you you?"

Last night, I had an "I am me" moment. I asked Leo for the billionth time the hypothetical question, "should I start my own Facebook page?" to which he responded for he billionth time, "if you want," as I went on to do laundry and study and shower and whatever else I did thinking, "too many pictures to upload, too much work, blah blah blah..." I came back into the living room and he was doing it!! He hadn't pushed, SAVE CHANGES yet but he was in the process of bootin' me off. Should I? he asked.....I'm not sure why, but it took something akin to courage for me to say yes. I like sharing space, even e-space with Leo. It's easy. It's comfy. We are together a lot and it's simple to upload pictures just once. He gives me "news" if I don't have time to log on. Etc. But I knew that if we HAD our own pages, there would be some fun and freedom in that too.

It's a strange feeling. Strange good. Like when you take yourself to a movie. A little weird and lonely-ish which when you relax into it morphs into solitude, goodness, empowerment.

A friend wrote a message to me this morning asking if everything was alright between us. So just a note to everyone else who might be wondering the same: It's all good on the Blandford front. Just a little harmonizing goin' on :)

Thanks for the comments and likes and "action" during my first day of solo FB!

Telephone

2011-01-04T09:26:00.003-05:00

Miraculous telephone, bringing my brother swinging in his Thai-hammock under the stars, into this very room with us this morning. This very room where a moment before it was us and the stillness of furniture and morning-time with coffee. Hearing his voice and his description of where he was brought us a little bit there, and hearing our voice and our description of where we were, brought him a little bit here. But mostly we twirled wherever it is that voices and kindred spirits dance, somewhere between here and there.

joy

2011-01-03T08:47:00.006-05:00

proclaim your joy and Spirit will share

even more of its secrets