Tapping Into Possibilities

SEEKING PEACE: My favorite summer read

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I’ve never written a book review and I haven’t read any reviews of this book.

I am simply writing from the heart. If you are a multi tasker, if you have too many “shoulds” in your life, if you ever doubt yourself then give yourself the gift of this book.

Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World by Mary Pipher (2009).

I knew Mary Pipher as the Midwestern psychotherapist and well known and in demand author of 1990’s best sellers, Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other. I still remember her writing about the importance of sitting down to family dinner without the distractions of TV (this was long before cell phones and texting) no matter how busy and over scheduled you are. What I didn’t know is that she dropped off the radar for years after running in to a brick wall.

I would be surprised if you don’t find something of yourself on almost every page of this memoir.

We are all so hard on ourselves. We are all so over scheduled and spread too thin. We are all regretting something we did and worrying about what we need to do next. If you still don’t get it about the importance of being “fully present”, if you still haven’t made the time to have a regular meditation practice, this gem might help.

We are what we pay attention to. Sadly, most of the time we are not attending to the world or ourselves. Psychologists estimate we have  60,000-70,000 thoughts a day, 99% of which are more or less what we thought yesterday. Our habits run our lives. Most of the time we are phoning it in. (p217)

Not all minutes are created equal and only a few become moments. We tend to greet every minute with demands such as: I want this. I don’t want this. I want more of this. I want less of that. We have ideas about what our minutes should or should not be. We want sunshine or rain, quiet or company, work or rest.  We are such yearning organisms. Yet, there is a sense in which many of us are fighting for our lives. We are struggling to be present for our own experiences. (p212)

Do you want to rush past Joshua Bell? (p212)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary How DID Your Garden Grow?

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Or Invasion of the ……Cucumbers.

My fledging attempt at vegetable gardening was not a thing of beauty like the gardens in magazines but I loved planning it, planting it, nurturing it (though my maternal skills need some improvement), watching it and harvesting it.

This spring I took a leap and planted more than the usual tomatoes, basil and other herbs in pots. I pulled out some aging boxwoods which is the only good sun on our postage stamp sized lot and planted squash, eggplant, cabbage, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes.

Reap what you sow? Well, yes and no. You don’t always get what you wish for.

Squash:                           Me – L                  Squirrels – W

Cabbage                          Me – L                  Bugs     – W

Heirloom Tomatoes      Me – L                  Drought/ Lack of Nourishment – W

Sun Gold Tomatoes      Me – W (if you count reaping enough to eat while I’m watering)

Roma Tomatoes           Me – W    see recipe above

Peppers                          Me – W (I guess I won but only green and purple, no red or yellow)

Potatoes                         TBD

Eggplant                          Me – W       but seriously how much eggplant can you eat?

Cucumbers                      Me –  W       A total blow out victory.

Could I have done a better job? Weeded more? Watered more consistently? Of course, but I’m not discouraged. It was fun and rewarding; I’m thinking about a fall crop even though I have another month to enjoy what’s already planted.

Along the way, I learned about gardening, timing,  food production, patience and the joy of eating locally, seasonally and organically. I don’t think I’ll ever eat another winter tomato or cucumber. There is nothing better than a cucumber right out of the garden sprinkled with sea salt.

I also learned that what I’m doing is really doable for everyone.

How much do you know about the World War II Victory Gardens?

Victory gardens were encouraged by the government to reduce the pressure on the public food supply. There were 20 million, yes 20 million, planted and they produced as much food as commercial production estimated at 9-10 million tons.

This is serious gardening. Gardens were planted in front and back yards, roof tops and empty lots. Neighbors pooled their resources and formed cooperatives.

As important as the food they produced, is the sense of community they produced, the sense of accomplishment and contribution and the boost of morale. Sounds like something we could all use a bit of.

Seed thoughts of peace, moistened by love, tilled by right action, weeds of discord pulled by diligent action. The harvest shall be abundant joy sustaining future generations. From Voices of Our Ancestors: Cherokee Teachings from the Wisdom Fire by Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo

The Artist’s Way, Thank You

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7 composition books, 1200 pages, 365 days. Today is the one year anniversary of my first date with The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

I had told myself so often that I’m left brained, that I don’t have a creative bone in my body that I had started to believe it. I began The Artist’s Way with the goal of completing the 12 week course in order to develop my right brain and to find something creative that I might enjoy and be good at.

Like many of us, I start things and don’t finish them. I give up too quickly. Even when you complete a goal, it’s all about the goal. You set it, start it, complete it, then what?

But I finished and after the 12 weeks I kept writing and writing.

The writing has become something I do, part of me and I am grateful for it.

The writing has brought excitement, creativity, this blog, a garden. It has carried me through joys and sorrows including a stressful senior year and a milestone birthday. It has helped me work thorough more problems than I care to count.

It has made me a better listener (to others and to myself). The ideas and inspiration for almost every blog I’ve written have come while writing these morning pages.  I’ve released a great deal of sorrow, anger and fear (still more to go) and there have been so many dots connected and “ah ha” moments.

The finest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to oneself Of Solitude,  Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), French Renaissance essayist

7 compostition books, 1200 pages, 365 days, 525,600 minutes and still writing. If you haven’t listened to Seasons of Love from Rent for awhile, Enjoy.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iTeDl_Wug

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. This life changing book is a 12 week self guided course on awakening or reawakening your creative self. Initially developed for “blocked” artists, this book is a must do for all us left brained folks. www.theartistsway.com

Stuck in the Mud or Fly like an Eagle

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Are you stuck in the mud like our “leaders in Washington” (definitely an oxymoron in my book)?

In the 13 Moon calendar (that’s another story), the other day was a Blue Eagle day and shortly after, the classic Steve Miller Band song (1976) Fly Like an Eagle was on the radio. I don’t ignore synchronicity so here we are.

“The eyes experience less stress when they can look upon a wider horizon.” R. D. Chin, Feng Shui architect.

The higher we rise the wider is the horizon. We really can rise above our petty differences.

I believe the the wider our view the less isolated we are. The less the feelings of separateness. The less the feelings of us vs. them, you vs. me, right vs. left.

The words Fly Like an Eagle make me think of other words and phrases such as  Eagle eye, Bird’s eye perspective, See the forest through the trees, See the big picture, have a Broad objective view and See beyond our limited perceptions and perspectives.

And most importantly, to be balanced we need to see what’s both near and far.

Enlightened leadership is service, not selfishness. The leader grows more and lasts longer by placing the well being of ALL above the well being of self alone. John Heider, Tao of Leadership

Need I say more?

Firework

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This song gives me goose bumps. Not the Katy Perry verison which has 205,000,000+ hits on youtube but the PS22 version which only has 300,000.

PS22 is a public elementary school in Staten Island with a music teacher with a vision, with a faith in these kids that should be a lesson for all of us.

It’s not that I don’t like Katy Perry or her version (she did co write the song so she does deserve a lot of credit). But somehow her voice doesn’t ring true to me or give me goose bumps (maybe because it is a performance, maybe because she tried to outshine these kids on Oprah). Click on the link below and just listen to little Denise belt out

Just own the night like the 4th of July. Cause baby you’re a firework.  Come on show them what you’re worth.

and I hope you’ll know what I’m talking about. Watch the faces on these 5th graders and you can’t help but believe in them (and maybe even yourself) and feel something. Is that joy stirring in you? Is there a smile on your face?

Do you ever feel so paper thin, like a house of cards one blow from caving in? Do you know there’s still a chance for you  cause there’s a spark in you….Come on let your colors burst.

And if you have any doubt about your own gifts and talents, your own worth, doubt no more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGpdULugKo4

PS To help light that spark, find music that you don’t just like but music that gives you goose bumps.

Nuts to You

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Hopefully you were not surprised to learn last week that 100 calories of walnuts are healthier for you than 100 calories of french fries.

A federally funded 20 year study led by the Harvard School of Public Health found “striking differences in how various food and drinks, as well as exercise, sleep patterns and other lifestyle choices affect whether people get gradually fatter”.

So it’s not just the amount of calories but the kind and the quality of the food that has an impact on weight gain.

Come on people, this is not rocket science. You are what you eat. And most of the things (notice I did not say food) in a grocery store that aren’t around the perimeter of the store are not even “real” food.

We live in a primitive body that really is not much different from 100,000 years ago. Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame) were an important component of early man’s diet so it should be no surprise that nuts in spite of their high fat content helped people in this study avoid weight gain.

Unfortunately, all nuts are not created equal……

See my recipe for Roasted Nuts (in the Recipe drop down menu above) adapted from a wonderful cookbook called Nourishing Traditions. If you want to know what real food is or you already do but want to learn more, this is a great cookbook to add to your collection. For more information check out www.westonaprice.org

Let they food by thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food. Hippocrates

Age Related Joy

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We turn not older with years but newer every day. Emily Dickinson

I think I can honestly say I am comfortable in my own skin. I can appreciate where I have been, where I am and I am excited about where I am going.

If you haven’t guessed, I had a Milestone birthday earlier this month. While not all milestones are happy, they are significant, literally, a stone acting like a marker or a milepost along the road of life.

While the crow’s feet and sun spots may hint at which decade I’ve just left, I am happy about exactly where I am. But I must note, that I place a priority on finding balance in my life and figuring out how to stay healthy.

Western society has put such a premium on youth and beauty and fixing stuff on the outside that we have neglected what goes on inside. Ageing, in fact, is really the weakening of the immune system by diet, stress, drugs, chemical toxins, etc. which then makes us susceptible to disease.

For some fun or a wake up call go to www.realage.com and take the test to see how old you are biologically as opposed to chronologically.

In Japan, ageing (and they have a specific word for it, Shibui) is  considered “the revelation of beauty, the time when the inherent radiance becomes visible” (Beauty by John O’Donohue, p 185). I rather like the idea that rather than being over the hill, I’m just hitting my stride.

So rather than wasting this time worrying about Age Related Macular Degeneration and the like, I’m embracing this time with Age Related Joy and faithfully taking my Vitamin D, CoQ10, B1 and Omega 3’s.

Allergy Sufferers, Are You Dehydrated?

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Allergy Sufferers, I know you’re miserable.

First it’s the trees, then the weeds and grasses. Whether its global warming causing climate change which causes a longer and hotter growing season which causes more pollen or not, the pollen levels are trending upwards where I live.

Histamine 101: Histamines are produced by the immune system during the inflammatory response i.e. when foreign invaders like pollen and bacteria attack. Histamines do more than make you miserable (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes). Histamines are chemical messengers whose main job is to regulate the distribution of water. When water decreases, histamines increase to conserve water. They also regulate your gastric activity and your sleep and wake cycles.  Histamines also are neurotransmitters affecting emotions and behavior and if your level is too low, can cause paranoia, low libido and fatigue.

Dehydration can cause a histamine response producing the symptoms of allergies even if there is no allergy factor (pollen) present.

Numerous reports and studies show 75% of Americans do not drink enough water and are “chronically dehydrated”. 10-20% of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Do the math, chances are you’re dehydrated.

Extra Water and a Neti Pot are my first line of defense during allergy season.

If you are really miserable, try drinking a quart of water with a pinch of sea salt. You may have to do it again 30 minutes later, but this will often relieve your symptoms.

Bathing your nasal cavities twice a day with a nasal irrigator or neti pot should be a daily habit. If the pollen is washed away, the inflammatory responses will be reduced.

The bottom line: Grab the water bottle before grabbing the OTC Anti-Histamines.

Have you been a good neighbor?

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Today is the 41st celebration of Earth Day which marked the beginning of the modern “environmental” movement. Even though lots of activities are planned today doing all sorts of green conservation things, I’m not sure how much has really been accomplished in bringing environmental awareness and change to the world even though the UN declared April 22 International Mother Earth Day in 2009.

Whether you call her Pachamama, Gaia or Mother Earth and honor her or simply take her resources for granted, I encourage you to read HOT Living Through the Next 50 Years on Earth by Mark Hertsgaard.

Love the world as your own self then you can truly                                                               care for all things. Tao Te Ching

We must set a new course of action for healing our biosphere (which is the part of our earth’s crust, waters and atmosphere that supports life, just in case you didn’t know).

Earth’s fate is our fate.

What steps can you take? Drive less, walk more, change your cleaning products, compost, eat vegetarian a couple nights a week, use dish towels instead of paper towels. The resources are endless for ideas of things we can do. Some cost money like having an energy audit or installing solar hot water; others cost nothing like eliminating “vampire energy” simply by unplugging small appliances when not in use.

The key here is to put ideas in to action.

Me? Recently, I bought several Smart Strip power strips which save energy by eliminating wasted “standby” power; I installed another rain barrel. My daughter walks or bikes a mile and a half to school instead of driving.

Make everyday Earth Day.

We must become the change we seek in the world. Mahatma Ghandi

Little Miss Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

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As I planted kale and spinach today and picked some Red Sail lettuce, I thought about how soon I would be able to plant my Black Krim and Georgia Streak tomatoes. I also thought about how much easier it is to tend my actual garden in the back yard than my own garden.

During the winter, I think about what I want to grow and plant each spring. I begin to visualize how the garden will look; when I’ll make the first salad with my greens in April and when I’ll pick the first tomato in July. I think about the miracle of life and the power of potential of those seeds.

Your life/Your body is a garden. Think about what you want and plant those seeds, those ideas, with intention. Feed them, water them. Watch them grow.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of your life that you ignore the weeds, the stink bugs, the slimy slugs or you forget to water regularly.

What seeds are you planting? All seeds need a good start; just feed, nourish, water, weed and the natural process of growth and flowering will unfold.

If you don’t know what to plant, this is the reason you need to take the time to be quiet, to breathe deeply. You have abundant inner resources.

Seed thoughts of peace, moistened by love, tilled by right action, weeds of discord pulled by diligent action. The harvest shall be abundant joy sustaining future generations. From Voices of Our Ancestors: Cherokee Teachings from the Wisdom Fire by Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo