Ode to Gibby

(he was present and joyful with me on my 1st birthday,
and beyond...)

this past month you would

have been 110

though you've been gone

physically

for a long time now

  I feel your spirit

daily.

your wisdom and gentleness

live on through your only son,

a gem of a father

and human being.

when I left your side

as you were taking your

last breaths

I pray you knew that

I didn't know that

I didn't have to listen

to the adults who

intended to protect me

by leading me away from witnessing

death.

I knew you were leaving

and I wasn't scared.

 I needed to hold your hand.

It is a painful consequence

at any age to not

trust yourself.

I carried a piece from your

rock collection

in my wedding bouquet,

and I carry you in my heart

wherever I roam.

May you continue resting in peace.

gorillas in our midst

spoiler alert! 

If you have not watched the short video from my previous post, do that first before reading on. 

If you are as fascinated as I am about totally missing the gorilla (or if you did see it, how about the one player leaving, or the background colors changing?), they call it

Inattentional Blindness:

 When we're not paying attention to something,

it is as though we are blind to it...

The Illusion of Attention:

 The belief in my head that I see and notice much more of what's going on in the world than I actually do.

Where this brought me is to the awareness that I have a choice. If I choose to

soften my gaze,

I can become more

present

with what is happening in my midst.

"We don't live with the way the world is,

we live with the way we receive the world."

-Dr. Douglas Brooks, addressing the quality of your gaze to create more conscious receptivity.

I found this 5-minute video to be a lovely way to relax my entire body through relaxing my eyes...

For more on The Invisible Gorilla, you can watch

this video 

from one of the creators of this experiment...

 se détendre et être patient

(relax and be patient)

monkey business...

Watch the video below and count how many times the players in

white shirts 

pass the ball...

How did you do?

Any insights about awareness?

responsibili-tea...

response.ability.

the ability to respond.

 

☀

As the Great Eastern Sun rises,

meet the day with a child-like spark.

Remember to feel and simply be present

to what is encountered throughout the day.

Then re-member that much of what

we encounter

is our own neuroses.

And laugh.

Work to become more aware of what blocks

the ability to be present and curious

so that the channel

to responses

of joy and enthusiasm remains

open...

 

But re-member there is no need to

take it all

so seriously...

☀

Driving in an unfamiliar area with my love yesterday
I gave up my ability to respond with
curiosity and enthusiasm for this
new and exciting experience
to my unconscious 'responsibility'
as the co-pilot who knows
where to go
and the need to be right.

Apologize for unnecessary gruffness.

Then like the setting sun,
let the day go.

As with the breath
and each new dawn,
practice it all some more.
Have some fun.
...and savor the moments of
la joie de vivre!

 

a fine mesh...

The key

to sprouting yummy seeds at home.

It's super easy...

They're like a garden in a jar,

in the middle of winter.

Watching them grow is fun for the

whole family!

good drainage doesn't have to be fancy...

after just a few days, voilà!

(this is the sandwich booster blend)

a short, helpful little tutorial

from Mumm's...

my seed source of choice.

Give it a try!

And if you are a sprouter,

do tell...

what are your fave(s)?

the S word

Most of us have seen it,

smelled it,

maybe tasted it,

played with it,

prayed for it,

even sat in it.

But did you ever make a corsage out of it to wear to your school prom?

The Inuit have dozens of names to capture the many nuances of...

Snow!

Call those soft, full flakes floating down

wings of white butterflies,
Call it piranha when it bites your cheeks,
…or kitten when it sleeps in the

crooks of window.
Call it forgiveness when it lies like balm over an area that's been clear cut,
Call it tickle when you stand, arms outstretched, and catch it on your tongue.
Call snow lace when it lines the

limbs of lilacs,
…or grandmother when it rests in the

porch swing.
Call it prayer in its stillness.
Call it mouse when it squeaks under your boot,
…or trickster if it appears on April 1st.

And,

In the evening when snow delivers you to the comfort of hearthfire,

call it friend.

(adapted from Judi K Beach's 'names for snow')

trinkyi         first snow of the year 

tlapat          still snow

don't just *do* something...

...sit there.

Do you have the patience to wait til your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving til right action arises by itself?
~ Lao-Tzu

The silence we value is not the mere outward silence of the lips. It is a deep quietness of heart and mind, a laying aside of the preoccupation with passing things -- yes, even with the workings of our own minds; a resolute fixing of the heart upon that which is
unchangeable and eternal.
- Caroline Stephen


Be in the truth of each moment - all that you are sensing in the body, thinking in the mind, feeling with the emotions. Don't suppress it and don't support it.
Be with what is.
- Paul Lowe


If you go into a forest with your mind only, you'll only notice the sounds and the mind will try to interpret them. You might think you're present; but you're not really, you're simply judging what you hear. But if you become aware of the silent dimension underneath the sounds and in between the sounds, then you become present because the moment you become aware of the silence,
you also have become silent.
~ Eckhart Tolle 

...and to all a good night

Finnish nisua with fresh ground cardamom
and Cape Breton pork pies...

If you work to make it true, It's a Wonderful Life
George may not have much money, but he's the richest man in town

I offer this beautiful version of Lucinda Williams' 'Blue' for anyone whom it is not, or anyone wishing to acknowledge that for many among us this is not,
the 'most wonderful time of the year'.