• Plants,  quotes

    The Sadness of the Zoo

    “We are moving into a period of bewilderment, a curious moment in which people find light in the midst of despair, and vertigo at the summit of their hopes. It is a religious moment also, and here is the danger. People will want to obey the voice of Authority, and many strange constructs of just what Authority is will arise in every mind… The public yearning for Order will invite many stubborn uncompromising persons to impose it. The sadness of the zoo will fall upon society.”

    Leonard Cohen
  • Plants,  quotes

    Mundane Lifestyle

    A friend shared with me that her life was quiet and mundane. Yet, I see her life as full, vibrant, and rich, anything but mundane. She was also using mundane in comparison to what her life used to be like. I imagine most of us can relate to her, especially after retirement. However, the word stirred my thinker into spending some time delving into the word “mundane.” It seems to have a strong negative connotation in our culture. The word mundane comes originally from the Latin “mundus”, meaning ordinary and worldly as opposed to spiritual, and has been in use in English since the 15th century. The dictionary defines “mundane”: as lacking interest or excitement; dull; common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative and therefore not interesting. Quite a negative list!

    A mind full of preconceived ideas, subjective intentions, or habits is not open to things as they are.

    Shunryu Suzuki

    At this time in my life I am seeing mundane with a bit wider lens. My mundane life, as some would define it, is more about being comfortable with life as it simply is, living life at a slower pace. It’s being comfortable with who I am at this moment and who I’m becoming. My life does not need stimulated by externals such as work schedules, an ever growing to-do list, comparing with the neighbors, accumulating stuff and alcohol or drugs.

    I have found nature to be a wonderful teacher in living life. Seems the dandelion is content with being a dandelion, the mushroom is content with being a mushroom. I am content with who I am, living in the present moment, even if it seems mundane to others.

    Annie Dillard wrote that “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” I do not consider my life to be boring, dull or mundane. Although it may be to others. So, for me I fill my days with prayer, meditation, journaling, photography, time in nature, reading, blogging, coffee life, relationships, washing dishes, and cleaning the toilet. And, there’s no rush for any of that. I guess you can call it a Mundane Lifestyle.

  • Plants,  quotes

    Living its purpose

    “Our challenge is not only to recognize the face of the Creator in the beauty of creation, but also to serve the Divine by taking care of the land, the air, and all beings that dwell with us here…”

    Mirabai Starr

    This has been a wet summer for us in Colorado. So, we’ve been blessed with mushrooms sprouting in the shady area of the grass. These mushrooms are harmless but play a natural part in our lawn’s ecosystem. They have an essential role in breaking down organic material, such as dead leaves, grass clippings, and tree roots, into nutrients that plants can use. So, that means they are taking care of the land, the air, and all beings that dwell with us in their own way. Seems man is bent on doing the opposite! With reverence for their lives I bow down on my knees to shoot at their level rather than looking down on them. Such beauty, living its purpose in the short time it has on earth.

  • John O'Donohue,  Plants,  quotes

    A Sacred Gift

    May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

    John O’Donohue

    Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University says we’ve received 4.06 inches of rain in the past 14 days and more rain expected tomorrow. Therefore mushrooms are everywhere. And, here’s my proof.

    We have had a beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine. As I sit on my porch and type this I watch and listen as the wind dance with the trees. Robins, blue jays and goldfinches sing. The fragrance of the locust and linden trees fills the air. I will post this and then drive to Riverbend Ponds for some bird photography or at least a nice walk. Grateful as this day has been a sacred gift.

  • Anne Lamott,  Plants,  quotes

    Maybe love is the answer

    Not sure what type of mushroom this is but I ain’t gonna eat it.

    “Hope is not about proving anything. It’s about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak shit anyone can throw at us.”

    Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

    Each day I move towards believing this at deeper and deeper levels. Hatred and violence just are not the answers. Let’s try living the idea that love is the answer. Not just talk about it but truly love! It means learning how to open our hands and offer love to others.

  • Plants

    Love my mornings

    Mushroom outside the coffee shop

    I enjoyed this particular morning with predawn pink clouds over Dixon Reservoir. Then while driving to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area a nice buck bounced across the road and up the hill, with such grace. Wild turkeys grazed nearby, with one watchful eye on me. My peeps were everywhere; squirrels, robins, meadowlarks, and now baristas.

  • Dewdrops,  Plants

    Yearning

    the physical absence
    brings an empty ache
    missing you already

    a gravesite gathering
    family saying goodbye
    hugs, tears, prayers

    taken for granted
    moments with you
    yearning for more

    ms