Learning in the Dirt is Cool Change

I worked on Bobbi's garden yesterday, apprenticing to my son in creating raised beds.
What a great experience to learn by doing what Peter told me to do. He imparted his new found knowledge by telling me, "Dig this deep down, turn it over this much deeper, don't bring up the clay, etc." New found because he researched it and used it for his own new "organic intensive" garden.

So I learned why this was a good way to garden: Allowing the roots of vegetables to go deeper, not having to turn the soil as deep for the next three years, and looking cool!

It was also so cool to get dirty while learning from my son. We got dirty together a lot when he was younger. Then we didn't. Then yesterday we did again. Change = cool, huh?

Discipline and Inspiration

My best friend and I were talking about writing for my blog. I was dismayed that I was not writing every day. She thought that unrealistic, observing that inspiration may not come every day. My response is that discipline unveils inspiration.

What discipline? The discipline to be present to what's going on. The discipline to not get caught up in judgment and whining. The discipline to drop limiting concepts.

Inspiration is hidden, not hiding, always. Breathing calls her out. Hello.

Intention to Show up and Sit

At our Southcoast Zen sitting group last night I shared that having the intention to show up for sitting on Monday nights has me make choices and take actions in spite of feelings or circumstances that make for easy excuses to not show up.

It was true for everyone there - flat bike tires, resucing persons with flat bike tires, work schedules, leaving projects in mid-course, finding the Zendog for the first time.

How curious that the intention to show up and sit silently on a cushion would be so powerful in our lives.

As another Zendogite put it - Why don't we bring the same intention to the seemingly more important commitments in our lives?

You and me

If my life is an adventure to discover joy and create love, what does that make you in my life?

Hasselhof vs. True Peace

While I was in the hotel gym this morning CNN "news" was on the television. The formation of the new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland got 30 seconds of coverage. David Hasselhof's drinking problems got 2 minutes. I now wonder how many Americans even know that there is a Northern Ireland. I'm sure that 50% of us are taking delight in a celebrity's problems. I'm doubting my faith in evolution here.

So - here is some short coverage from www.Earthtimes.org of the incredibly historic, joyful and optimistic event in the north of Ireland. (It references 40 years of conflict - the conflict between Ireland and England is almost 1,000 years and running.)

"Belfast - There were smiles and tears of emotion when almost 40 years of bitter conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland were sealed with the formation of an historic power-sharing government in Belfast Tuesday. The hardened men of Northern Ireland politics, Ian Paisley of the staunchly pro-British Democratic Unionists, and Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander, were seen relaxing over a cup of tea and standing shoulder to shoulder shaking hands of well-wishers. These were pictures, everyone agreed, that would have been unimaginable not so long ago."

Life's circle

In the airport today I watched as a woman held her newborn grandbaby for the first time. Wow.

Haiku string - my family gone

(I have not posted for a week. Life out of balance. Here is a haiku string written on an airplane flying to St. Louis this last Tuesday.)

Missing my father
in the early days of May.
First beers outside back.

Wanting my mother.
Her little one's little ones
miss her this Springtime.

Dear little brother:
You left in early Summer
Not March as they say.