Sunday, May 31, 2009
planting wishes
i planted a wish today. actually, it was a small strip of something pink and compostable that was magically filled with tiny wild flower seeds and on it, it said "wish". it was attached to a birthday card i received on my 50th from some ones dear to me. i soaked it in a clean red clay dish of water and then dug a tiny tiny trough, soaked it some more and then covered it with an inch of potting mix, then gently swept the cedar chips back in place. i don't know what kinds of flowers they are, or if they will come up, or if, when they do they will have the proper amount of sun, or if they will be too tall for the front part of the garden. i don't know anything about them except they told me to wish and that is what i am doing. what am i wishing? i am not sure but whatever my wish is, what a perfect idea to tuck it into something cool and warm and safe, and let it reach it's tiny roots down as it pokes it's tiny head up and then we shall see what we shall see. so my wish is snuggled in and i believe in it, even though i am not exactly sure what i am wishing for. when it comes up, and when i see it, then i will know.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
the proper gardner
yesterday afternoon, a tiny old lady was sweeping the sidewalk of her tidy home on minnehaha parkway. i was happy for the red light so i could sit and watch her for 2.3 minutes. she must have had her hair done yesterday - little old ladies do that on saturdays, and it was silver white, puffy and perfect. she was wearing a short sleeved white blouse and light blue capri slacks, both crispy clean with neat creases where creases ought to be. sturdy sensible shoes helped her bend and balance, balance and bend as she swept some flower dust and helicopters off her front walk with her O Cedar angler broom and pale yellow (perfectly spotless) dustpan.
in line at the garden store there were three old people behind me in the long long line. one man in a nice shirt and casual pants, leather belt and walking shoes. two women with perfect hair (of course), one darker than the other, and both wore comfy pants and bright sweaters, one red and one light green. jewelry? of course. dangly chains around their necks and matching earrings.
being the curious person i am (read: snoop), i listened in on their conversation which trailed around from topic to topic -- betty's new hip and the crackpot who did the surgery, what a whack job he is! betty should sue but she won't but she should. they wondered about the plants people around them were purchasing and marveled at the money being spent...these three with their shopping cart containing three small pots of pink petunias.
next to the check out lines ther were piles and piles of every kind of dirt and soil you can imagine...topsoil, sterile garden dirt, potting mix, moisture control...all by Miracle Grow. one said
"who owns that outfit? look at all that stuff! we oughta buy stock in that outfit!"
old man answered "scott - it's a scott company"
"well we ought to buy stock. look at all those piles. people buying it up like crazy. who ever thought we would see the day when people are paying good money for dirt?"
and finally this afternoon at garden store number 2, another pretty old lady with a fresh do was carefully placing one medium sized pot of bright red geraniums in the back seat of her car, but only after being sure the towel in the back seat was in place so as not to soil the apholstery. denim jacket, black pants (the backs of which were covered with white cat hair), large shell earrings, and again, a good pair of shoes.
when i shop garden stores and when i garden, i try my best to make sure my t-shirt is not stained and my shorts aren't too tight. it's ok to be sloppy when you are considering dirt, yes?
what a shame for me, how embarrasing for me. oh dear -- what i look like!
the proper gardner cares about his or her appearance at all times. it is the respectable way to choose plants and care for them.
and don't forget
the sensible shoes.
in line at the garden store there were three old people behind me in the long long line. one man in a nice shirt and casual pants, leather belt and walking shoes. two women with perfect hair (of course), one darker than the other, and both wore comfy pants and bright sweaters, one red and one light green. jewelry? of course. dangly chains around their necks and matching earrings.
being the curious person i am (read: snoop), i listened in on their conversation which trailed around from topic to topic -- betty's new hip and the crackpot who did the surgery, what a whack job he is! betty should sue but she won't but she should. they wondered about the plants people around them were purchasing and marveled at the money being spent...these three with their shopping cart containing three small pots of pink petunias.
next to the check out lines ther were piles and piles of every kind of dirt and soil you can imagine...topsoil, sterile garden dirt, potting mix, moisture control...all by Miracle Grow. one said
"who owns that outfit? look at all that stuff! we oughta buy stock in that outfit!"
old man answered "scott - it's a scott company"
"well we ought to buy stock. look at all those piles. people buying it up like crazy. who ever thought we would see the day when people are paying good money for dirt?"
and finally this afternoon at garden store number 2, another pretty old lady with a fresh do was carefully placing one medium sized pot of bright red geraniums in the back seat of her car, but only after being sure the towel in the back seat was in place so as not to soil the apholstery. denim jacket, black pants (the backs of which were covered with white cat hair), large shell earrings, and again, a good pair of shoes.
when i shop garden stores and when i garden, i try my best to make sure my t-shirt is not stained and my shorts aren't too tight. it's ok to be sloppy when you are considering dirt, yes?
what a shame for me, how embarrasing for me. oh dear -- what i look like!
the proper gardner cares about his or her appearance at all times. it is the respectable way to choose plants and care for them.
and don't forget
the sensible shoes.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
wanting what we don't have
spring comes finally, and summer close behind. we have just begun to dig in dirt and lay our heads back on tall lawn chairs under cool night breezes and smell the lilacs and then
97 degrees. hot winds. twisty sleep.
i am resisting air conditioning with all my might this year. someone in print recently compared the hot hot summer to the cold cold winter - in either case we settle in and forbid the elements from affecting our senses and our comfort. in the frost of winter we light candles and fires and cover up toasty in blankets, watch movies and fall to sleep early.
in the drenching sweat of summer we light candles (watch out for the effect of ceiling and floor fans), cover up in blankets (we like it cold), watch movies and fall asleep while the sun is still up.
funny this minnesota proposition of how well we fare in the event of extreme temperatures, and i realize that as for me, i close myself off to very cold and very hot, so that in very cold i can feel quite warm, in the very hot i can feel quite cool. even chilly.
the grass is always greener, the snow is always whiter, and the woman in front of you at the grocery store always always has way better hair than you.
always.
97 degrees. hot winds. twisty sleep.
i am resisting air conditioning with all my might this year. someone in print recently compared the hot hot summer to the cold cold winter - in either case we settle in and forbid the elements from affecting our senses and our comfort. in the frost of winter we light candles and fires and cover up toasty in blankets, watch movies and fall to sleep early.
in the drenching sweat of summer we light candles (watch out for the effect of ceiling and floor fans), cover up in blankets (we like it cold), watch movies and fall asleep while the sun is still up.
funny this minnesota proposition of how well we fare in the event of extreme temperatures, and i realize that as for me, i close myself off to very cold and very hot, so that in very cold i can feel quite warm, in the very hot i can feel quite cool. even chilly.
the grass is always greener, the snow is always whiter, and the woman in front of you at the grocery store always always has way better hair than you.
always.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
wear a helmet!
i bought a new bike last weekend, a stunning and comfortable machine i hope to have forever. everyone i told said in return, "good for you, wear a helmet".
i used to think helmets were a good idea but kind of nerdy for less-than-racer types just out for a leisurely roll around the lake. but there are many who are much smarter than me who kept saying "wear a helmet".
$38 later i was delighted with my helmet, shiny, sleek and stylish. god i looked hot in that helmet. even though i'm just riding around the neighborhood...
"let's head for lake harriet, ok?" neighbor ted said with great enthusiasm as he admired my new bike and helmet. baby lucy was snuggled in the burly and i thought that sounded like an awfully long ride but i said
"ok!"
off we went. 16 miles later i am back home and loving the memory of that ride. gorgeous paths, fragrant blossoms arching overhead, and a sweet lemonade between there and here. lucy had crackers and learned the word "seagull" and we did see one unfortunate woman who crashed on the sidewalk and was taken away by lifelink.
she wasn't wearing a helmet.
ok everyone, lesson learned. enjoy the paths of this magnificent city, there is so much to see that i have never seen in my 30 years here. so much to explore.
and
wear a helmet.
i used to think helmets were a good idea but kind of nerdy for less-than-racer types just out for a leisurely roll around the lake. but there are many who are much smarter than me who kept saying "wear a helmet".
$38 later i was delighted with my helmet, shiny, sleek and stylish. god i looked hot in that helmet. even though i'm just riding around the neighborhood...
"let's head for lake harriet, ok?" neighbor ted said with great enthusiasm as he admired my new bike and helmet. baby lucy was snuggled in the burly and i thought that sounded like an awfully long ride but i said
"ok!"
off we went. 16 miles later i am back home and loving the memory of that ride. gorgeous paths, fragrant blossoms arching overhead, and a sweet lemonade between there and here. lucy had crackers and learned the word "seagull" and we did see one unfortunate woman who crashed on the sidewalk and was taken away by lifelink.
she wasn't wearing a helmet.
ok everyone, lesson learned. enjoy the paths of this magnificent city, there is so much to see that i have never seen in my 30 years here. so much to explore.
and
wear a helmet.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
the sound of silence
i spent my day today with several other people and we all were silent. the only thoughts i could hear were my own, and even some of those i pushed away in an effort to
just be.
silence is a lovely thing and we all were mindful as we slipped into various states of calm. we meditated on those we love and those we don't. we meditated on mountains and flew gently like eagles and windmills. we pushed and pulled the ocean, rowed across the big lake, and held the sun and moon in our outstretched hands.
when the silence was broken, we spoke very little. all of what is inside of us is still in residence there, but we have had a better look at it.
still, it is hard to describe.
may you have peace and love, health and strength, care and protection,
and may you live your life
with joy and ease.
namaste.
just be.
silence is a lovely thing and we all were mindful as we slipped into various states of calm. we meditated on those we love and those we don't. we meditated on mountains and flew gently like eagles and windmills. we pushed and pulled the ocean, rowed across the big lake, and held the sun and moon in our outstretched hands.
when the silence was broken, we spoke very little. all of what is inside of us is still in residence there, but we have had a better look at it.
still, it is hard to describe.
may you have peace and love, health and strength, care and protection,
and may you live your life
with joy and ease.
namaste.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
dana
a young attorney at 24, she tried cases wearing mini-skirts. she played bass guitar in a country western band. she is an accomplished chef, musician, pastor, intellectual, counselor,
and a good friend.
she worked at our place a decade ago, and when i heard she was coming back i wrote to an old friend and asked "what should i expect from this person, this leader? what advice do you have?" and my friend told me
"she will ask you hard questions, things you have never thought about. she will want you to do well. never lie to her, and most of all, appreciate every moment you can spend with her. she will amaze you."
that she did and that she does.
this afternoon amidst a throng of good people wishing good things, we sadly said farewell. eloquent tributes, funny stories, cake and flipflops - all were a part of the celebration of her. she will be truly missed but there is an organization out there so lucky, so lucky to place her at their helm. they don't know how her presence will change them,
as it changed me.
it was hard to say goodbye, it made me cry, so i gave her a hug and left her a card and hopefully i said what i needed to say but there are not enough words to tell someone who has lifted you up so many times how much they have meant to you. loss is hard.
i was poised at a stoplight on my home on this perfect spring afternoon. straight ahead and up high and out of no where, a balloon shaped like a gold star, with a sparkling curly string attached flew and blew over the cathedral of st paul. it twirled and danced and flew higher and higher and i watched it as long as i could as it flew out of sight.
beautiful things touch our lives, and then they fly away.
the best to you always, my friend
i thank you with love
for everything.
and a good friend.
she worked at our place a decade ago, and when i heard she was coming back i wrote to an old friend and asked "what should i expect from this person, this leader? what advice do you have?" and my friend told me
"she will ask you hard questions, things you have never thought about. she will want you to do well. never lie to her, and most of all, appreciate every moment you can spend with her. she will amaze you."
that she did and that she does.
this afternoon amidst a throng of good people wishing good things, we sadly said farewell. eloquent tributes, funny stories, cake and flipflops - all were a part of the celebration of her. she will be truly missed but there is an organization out there so lucky, so lucky to place her at their helm. they don't know how her presence will change them,
as it changed me.
it was hard to say goodbye, it made me cry, so i gave her a hug and left her a card and hopefully i said what i needed to say but there are not enough words to tell someone who has lifted you up so many times how much they have meant to you. loss is hard.
i was poised at a stoplight on my home on this perfect spring afternoon. straight ahead and up high and out of no where, a balloon shaped like a gold star, with a sparkling curly string attached flew and blew over the cathedral of st paul. it twirled and danced and flew higher and higher and i watched it as long as i could as it flew out of sight.
beautiful things touch our lives, and then they fly away.
the best to you always, my friend
i thank you with love
for everything.
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