I am late in the day responding. My routine task was washing dishes by hand. I turned off the radio, and was grateful and conscious for the gift of water. 🌻☮️a new week to begin anew.
I wanted to do something fun on a day off although I did need to get a few things done like cook chicken and some summer squash from my garden. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 70’s after a rainy cool day yesterday. I drove to Narragansett Bay to a beach for a bit. My sailing partner has been sick so that seemed like a great alternative plus I wanted to make sure I got some walking in today too.
What has become one of my favorite exercises
is becoming what I am doing,
especially
if it is something I do often . . .
like folding the laundry,
cleaning out my car,
or pulling weeds in the garden.
I like to dig in with my fingers
into the rich, brown soil,
wrap them around the roots of an invasive weed,
and say to it
that I am sorry,
‘but you will have to go . . .
you’re strangling the other plants’.
And although I am not particularly a StarTrek fan,
if I break the root
of a plant I want to keep,
but give room to others,
I tell them, ‘I’m sorry,
but that you have been sacrificed
for the good of the hive’.
I notice a whole other universe
beneath my fingers,
among the web of roots . . .
ants and little spiders,
roly poly’s and worms,
and tell them
that I’ll disturb theirs towns and cities
as little as possible,
and pat them back into the soil.
I am Alive . . .
part of the grass
and the sun and the sky
and the rain,
and I never feel it more acutely
than when I participate
and play benevolent god in the garden. ♥
A late reply because I remembered a poem I read recently on this very thing.
“Groundwork”
Aby Ray
Groundwork
A friend returned from Japan and described
how when new plants are to be added
in a garden, care is taken to both
nurture the new addition
and protect the existing
interconnected life around it.
Nemawashi,, it is called, sometimes translated
as “laying the groundwork,” but this is
really much more intricate; each root lovingly unearthed, seen bare, needs and direction
revealed,
then a plan formed that includes its well-being,
avoiding amputations by spade,
starvation and thirst from
heedless prioritizing of the new shrub,
or erosion when the soil itself is no longer held
together.
Let me live, each one says,
and the gardener answers
I want more than that for you.
Thank you,
dear Barb,
for sharing these two poems with me.
I could so relate
to Aby Ray’s poem
about her friend’s feeling
for caring for transplants . . .
I am happy there are others. ♥
I hurt my shoulder and fingers on Friday afternoon picking up bags of heavy wood. I thought that taking a rest over the weekend would help, but it didn’t and my pain got worse when I started work again on Monday morning. I no longer have any routine tasks to do because I have been sent home injured. I normally bring my fullest, most alive self to cooking, but I can barely manage to do that anymore. However, there are things that I can do to make cooking easier on me, such as making simpler meals etc.
I hope that your injuries
heal soon,
dear Louise . . .
as I get older
I too,
have to find solutions
for not being able to do what I used to do
in the same way . . .
opening cans is a big one for me.
I’ve given up on the electric ones. 🙂
So sorry that happened! Feeling your pain in a way; I wrenched my wrist yesterday trying to open a jar, then got another zing from it later just squeezing a sponge. I broke that wrist 4 years ago and still have reminders pop up every so often. Frustrating not to be able to do an everyday task!
My lovely wife Cheryl found a jar vise that has three set circumferences, and each one is lined with gripping rubber. Just spread and put the lid in the appropriate opening, squeeze the handle, grip the jar, and twist. Works like a charm.
No, we use the handheld kind that last for a while. Cans (can’t be my crooked fingers🌞) do not open as easy as they used to, dear Sparrow.
1
Emmaleah
3 days ago
Today I will try my best to be present as I go about making storm preparations, rather than worry about what the storm might bring. I don’t know if I have the capacity to be “my most alive self” today, but I can at least try to avoid panicking about the approaching hurricane. I am blessed and grateful to have a safe, warm, dry place to go with my family.
Ha, the first thing that leaped into my mind was a letter to Carolyn Hax I read a few years ago in the Washington Post. In it, someone wrote a comment in praise of doing things half-assed, saying something along the lines of “Very few things are worth bringing my whole ass.” So there’s that!
I do appreciate the value of being in the moment even when that moment involves doing dishes or dusting. Several poems at AYearOfBeingHere.com speak to this. I’ll share one.
The Zen of Housework
Al Zolynas
I look over my own shoulder
down my arms
to where they disappear under water
into hands inside pink rubber gloves
moiling among dinner dishes.
My hands lift a wine glass,
holding it by the stem and under the bowl.
It breaks the surface
like a chalice
rising from a medieval lake.
Full of the grey wine
of domesticity, the glass floats
to the level of my eyes.
Behind it, through the window
above the sink, the sun, among
a ceremony of sparrows and bare branches,
is setting in Western America.
I can see thousands of droplets
of steam—each a tiny spectrum—rising
from my goblet of grey wine.
They sway, changing directions
constantly—like a school of playful fish,
or like the sheer curtain
on the window to another world.
Loved the Zen of Housework, Barb.
Laughed out loud at the letter to Caroline Hax about which tasks merit bringing one’s whole ass to.
Always, always, always KISS – (keep it simple, Shirley)
😇 😂
Now I’m in Stockholm so I’m sort of out of my routine, but meditation guiding will take all my attention! I’m so grateful! Thank you universe for letting me come here again !
I slept in this morning and will be eating breakfast for lunch! Looking forward to cooking eggs and fried potatoes plus toast with strawberry jam. We experienced a power outage during yesterday’s storm but when I awoke this morning, the power was back. I will do this routine task with full appreciation and gratefulness that the storm did not cause any serious damage. I am really hungry so I am sure I will be bringing my fullest and most alive self to this task!
First, by stating an intention.
Secondly, I will write this down.
Thirdly, I will take the first step.
Fourthly (fourthly? What a strange word.😁)
I will keep coming back to the moment while doing the task.
Today I will attempt to be as present and grateful as possible while doing the dishes. Along with other things I have to do today.
There, and now I said it publicly. That should do it, but we’ll see. 😊
I will stay in the present moment & focus on the task at hand.
Breathe deep & remind myself often how blessed I am.
I may hum too, as I go along my merry way!!
Happy Labor Day to all.
🕊️❤️
I am meeting a relative through marriage. Both of us recently had our long time partners pass to the next place. I will hold the preciousness of life and its routines in mind. I will especially thank those will labor to serve me the beverage I might have.
There are two main things I’ll continue doing today. First, reading While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger. This book is required in my mental health awareness class. This is the second time I’ve been interested in a book that is required in class. Usually, they drain my mind. I’ll continue to dive into the book with curiosity and empathy toward people with mental illness. 🌱
Second, I’ll practice my ocarina. My goal is to play it smoothly for a video recording to post on Facebook!
My fully alive self with curiosity and empathy.
My Ngoc, I’m very familiar with the song and dance. Anything relating to the inner world is very broad and paradoxic. Having the right people is huge. Having a spouse with plenty of experiences and interest is the ultimate cheat code.
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I am late in the day responding. My routine task was washing dishes by hand. I turned off the radio, and was grateful and conscious for the gift of water. 🌻☮️a new week to begin anew.
I wanted to do something fun on a day off although I did need to get a few things done like cook chicken and some summer squash from my garden. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 70’s after a rainy cool day yesterday. I drove to Narragansett Bay to a beach for a bit. My sailing partner has been sick so that seemed like a great alternative plus I wanted to make sure I got some walking in today too.
What has become one of my favorite exercises
is becoming what I am doing,
especially
if it is something I do often . . .
like folding the laundry,
cleaning out my car,
or pulling weeds in the garden.
I like to dig in with my fingers
into the rich, brown soil,
wrap them around the roots of an invasive weed,
and say to it
that I am sorry,
‘but you will have to go . . .
you’re strangling the other plants’.
And although I am not particularly a StarTrek fan,
if I break the root
of a plant I want to keep,
but give room to others,
I tell them, ‘I’m sorry,
but that you have been sacrificed
for the good of the hive’.
I notice a whole other universe
beneath my fingers,
among the web of roots . . .
ants and little spiders,
roly poly’s and worms,
and tell them
that I’ll disturb theirs towns and cities
as little as possible,
and pat them back into the soil.
I am Alive . . .
part of the grass
and the sun and the sky
and the rain,
and I never feel it more acutely
than when I participate
and play benevolent god in the garden. ♥
A late reply because I remembered a poem I read recently on this very thing.
“Groundwork”
Aby Ray
Groundwork
A friend returned from Japan and described
how when new plants are to be added
in a garden, care is taken to both
nurture the new addition
and protect the existing
interconnected life around it.
Nemawashi,, it is called, sometimes translated
as “laying the groundwork,” but this is
really much more intricate; each root lovingly unearthed, seen bare, needs and direction
revealed,
then a plan formed that includes its well-being,
avoiding amputations by spade,
starvation and thirst from
heedless prioritizing of the new shrub,
or erosion when the soil itself is no longer held
together.
Let me live, each one says,
and the gardener answers
I want more than that for you.
https://www.dipitylitmag.com/post/2-poems-by-aby-ray
Thank you,
dear Barb,
for sharing these two poems with me.
I could so relate
to Aby Ray’s poem
about her friend’s feeling
for caring for transplants . . .
I am happy there are others. ♥
“What has become one of my favorite exercises is becoming what I am doing.”
Fabulous, Sparrow! I love this. ♥️
🙂
So true and good, dear Sparrow. Sometimes disruption is enough to allow the beneficials to out compete.
I hurt my shoulder and fingers on Friday afternoon picking up bags of heavy wood. I thought that taking a rest over the weekend would help, but it didn’t and my pain got worse when I started work again on Monday morning. I no longer have any routine tasks to do because I have been sent home injured. I normally bring my fullest, most alive self to cooking, but I can barely manage to do that anymore. However, there are things that I can do to make cooking easier on me, such as making simpler meals etc.
Blessings on your patience and recovery, Louise.🌺
Wishing you a speedy recovery Louise.
Oh no I hope you recover quickly!
I hope that your injuries
heal soon,
dear Louise . . .
as I get older
I too,
have to find solutions
for not being able to do what I used to do
in the same way . . .
opening cans is a big one for me.
I’ve given up on the electric ones. 🙂
So sorry that happened! Feeling your pain in a way; I wrenched my wrist yesterday trying to open a jar, then got another zing from it later just squeezing a sponge. I broke that wrist 4 years ago and still have reminders pop up every so often. Frustrating not to be able to do an everyday task!
My lovely wife Cheryl found a jar vise that has three set circumferences, and each one is lined with gripping rubber. Just spread and put the lid in the appropriate opening, squeeze the handle, grip the jar, and twist. Works like a charm.
Does she have anything that works well
for opening cans,
dear Joseph? ♥
No, we use the handheld kind that last for a while. Cans (can’t be my crooked fingers🌞) do not open as easy as they used to, dear Sparrow.
Today I will try my best to be present as I go about making storm preparations, rather than worry about what the storm might bring. I don’t know if I have the capacity to be “my most alive self” today, but I can at least try to avoid panicking about the approaching hurricane. I am blessed and grateful to have a safe, warm, dry place to go with my family.
Prayers for you Emmaleah & all the folks in Hurricane Lowell’s path. Be safe.🙏🏻🙏🏻
My you, your family and all others be safe from Hurricane Lowell.
May you and your family be safe, Emmaleah.
Hoping for safety for you and all those you love.
Ha, the first thing that leaped into my mind was a letter to Carolyn Hax I read a few years ago in the Washington Post. In it, someone wrote a comment in praise of doing things half-assed, saying something along the lines of “Very few things are worth bringing my whole ass.” So there’s that!
I do appreciate the value of being in the moment even when that moment involves doing dishes or dusting. Several poems at AYearOfBeingHere.com speak to this. I’ll share one.
The Zen of Housework
Al Zolynas
I look over my own shoulder
down my arms
to where they disappear under water
into hands inside pink rubber gloves
moiling among dinner dishes.
My hands lift a wine glass,
holding it by the stem and under the bowl.
It breaks the surface
like a chalice
rising from a medieval lake.
Full of the grey wine
of domesticity, the glass floats
to the level of my eyes.
Behind it, through the window
above the sink, the sun, among
a ceremony of sparrows and bare branches,
is setting in Western America.
I can see thousands of droplets
of steam—each a tiny spectrum—rising
from my goblet of grey wine.
They sway, changing directions
constantly—like a school of playful fish,
or like the sheer curtain
on the window to another world.
Ah, grey sacrament of the mundane!
https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2013/02/al-zolynas-zen-of-housework.html
Another on this theme by Glen Sorestad: “Making a Salad” https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2014/11/glen-sorestad-making-salad.html
Loved the Zen of Housework, Barb.
Laughed out loud at the letter to Caroline Hax about which tasks merit bringing one’s whole ass to.
Always, always, always KISS – (keep it simple, Shirley)
😇 😂
I love this: “Very few things are worth bringing my whole ass.”
I love the poem,
dear Barb . . .
I may have seen it before,
as it looked familiar. ♥
Now I’m in Stockholm so I’m sort of out of my routine, but meditation guiding will take all my attention! I’m so grateful! Thank you universe for letting me come here again !
Your gratefulness inspires me, Antoinette. ♥️
Thank you Mary that is so kind of you . 🙏
Enjoy.
Thank you Joseph! 😉
I slept in this morning and will be eating breakfast for lunch! Looking forward to cooking eggs and fried potatoes plus toast with strawberry jam. We experienced a power outage during yesterday’s storm but when I awoke this morning, the power was back. I will do this routine task with full appreciation and gratefulness that the storm did not cause any serious damage. I am really hungry so I am sure I will be bringing my fullest and most alive self to this task!
Carol, I’m glad you got your power back. As for your cooking, you have a lot of delicious dishes.
I too,
could eat breakfast
for all the meals of the day,
dear Carol Ann . . . ♥
I love breakfast any time of day, Carol Ann. Enjoy!
Happy to hear you got that power back on Carol Ann. Your breakfast sounds delicious!
First, by stating an intention.
Secondly, I will write this down.
Thirdly, I will take the first step.
Fourthly (fourthly? What a strange word.😁)
I will keep coming back to the moment while doing the task.
Today I will attempt to be as present and grateful as possible while doing the dishes. Along with other things I have to do today.
There, and now I said it publicly. That should do it, but we’ll see. 😊
Fourthly. Good word. 😄
🌞
I will stay in the present moment & focus on the task at hand.
Breathe deep & remind myself often how blessed I am.
I may hum too, as I go along my merry way!!
Happy Labor Day to all.
🕊️❤️
I am meeting a relative through marriage. Both of us recently had our long time partners pass to the next place. I will hold the preciousness of life and its routines in mind. I will especially thank those will labor to serve me the beverage I might have.
I’ll stop-look-go throughout the day to slow down my mind and appreciate what I have.
Drea lovely .
Start off with coffee, nice deep breaths, and then just do it.
Happy Labor Day – I am grateful to get paid for a day off of work.
There are two main things I’ll continue doing today. First, reading While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger. This book is required in my mental health awareness class. This is the second time I’ve been interested in a book that is required in class. Usually, they drain my mind. I’ll continue to dive into the book with curiosity and empathy toward people with mental illness. 🌱
Second, I’ll practice my ocarina. My goal is to play it smoothly for a video recording to post on Facebook!
My fully alive self with curiosity and empathy.
That was a book I could relate too. My stepmother had issues. My life was certainly chaotic.
My Ngoc, I’m very familiar with the song and dance. Anything relating to the inner world is very broad and paradoxic. Having the right people is huge. Having a spouse with plenty of experiences and interest is the ultimate cheat code.
Today is my Menards piano shift. I’ve had this job for 10 years now. Grattitude helps me bring my fullest most alive self to a routine task.