The Sunshine Observer: SO… V28

It was a bit gray today, partially due to a new discovery. Remember those beautiful straight poplar sticks I lovingly cut and stacked for future creative use? Well, they’ve all developed unexpected growth. Apparently, I cut them a little too late in the season. I’m not sure what to do with them now other than make very tall budded arrangements.

Speaking of unexpected growths. I am reminded of the cinematic, yet sexist, masterpiece “Dude, Where’s My Car”. Sexists and hilarious. In one scene, Dude and Sweet encounter female aliens. Dude says “Guys…” and an alien responds, “We are not Guys…We are Hot chicks”. I had been thinking about unexpected growths and ticks. Ticks rhymes with Chicks, and Dude where’s my car was a natural segue …

Many of you know, I am part tick. For those unfamiliar with my tickness, I’ll try to be brief. On a trip to see the little family in Lisbon a few years ago, we ventured into the Portuguese countryside. Where unbeknownst to me, a tick become intimate with my torso. Some days later I found it while showering. At first, I thought it was an enflamed mole or growth. Then it moved. The CDC website said, pull it out. So I did. The body came out, but the legs stayed fully engaged. I went to a clinic, they worked on removing the appendages until they decided they were doing more harm than good. They crossed themselves and me, then sent me on my way, with antibiotics. For a year or so, Limbs the tick (of course I named it), was visible. Although over time, Limbs slowly faded into me. Thus, making me part tick. Slick trick tick; more rhymes.

Now if I could only remember why I wanted to tell this story… Oh yes, when the Kids were younger, Fridays were pizza movie nights. Comedies are important, especially now. Watch something truly mind vacationing. If Dude, Where’s My Car? doesn’t appeal perhaps Galaxy Quest.

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. The waning moon moves from Last Quarter towards Balsamic.

Meditation…

The dark pushes.
The window is shutting. It’s OK to leave old ways behind.
Don’t dwell, embrace what you have with gratitude.
Balance from Love.

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V27

We have new recruits for the Sunshine Lane garden party. The only edibles are 3 golden raspberries. The other 40 are different kinds of beautiful. We planted 6 pots and the rest went into the ground. Again, a lot of work.

In other news… OK people, I have been having crazy insightful dreams lately. And they’re so good, they must be shared.  Because I can’t remember a dang thing upon waking, last night I decided to write them down during the night as they came to me. Ready? Cause I need a little help, this is what I wrote down…

Distancing -masks- growing.
Womb for rent. Never a dull moment.
Worlds- each functions separately.
At noon, the radio plays the latest.

I kid you not (see photo). Ideas anybody? As I have no idea. Womb for rent?

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. Waning moon moves from Last Quarter towards Balsamic.

As a reminder, the following statements are taken from meditation notes over this past year. Each aligns with this specific phase of the moon. Hopefully more cogent than my dreams…

Preamble Poem

We go into the heavy thick darkness that weighs us down, that suffers.
Sit with it, don’t criticize.
Allow it to exist, to be.
Through allowing we release its grip.
It won’t be controlled, or it will control us.
Ease comes from seeing all is not light. See its ugliness. Hear it howling.
It too wants Love. Unconditional Love.

Meditation

Listen, forgive, release, let go, Love.

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V26

Speaking of haircuts, the Fairytale squash has met with a Grimm ending. Somebody lopped off its head. I’m now naming that somebody “the executioner”, all lower case to keep it lowly. It’s unclear yet whether the executioner slides, flies, meanders or hops whilst stalking its victims. Likely all.

I try to meditate every day. I’m not always great at it. For example, today my mind kept wandering to a situation where I felt the need to point out when someone did something wrong, so they would feel bad. Yes, there is a mean person in me. And today like many days, I brought out my executioner and I told that mean person to… Back the fuck off.

It’s the little things that help us stay afloat. Little funny things are all around, have a looksee.

Onto our daily 5-minute meditation. The last Quarter Moon moves toward Balsamic.

Meditation

Find the center between spirit, intellect, and emotion.
Align our will with Love.
Go in Grace.

Poem

Oh beautiful one
a wink
a smile
liberates
sees forgiveness

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V25

Blessed spring, to sit in the sun with its warm rays and be graced by gentle breezes…

And then there is all the work that needs to be done. Weeding, weeding, weeding. We have however decided to delegate and hire Roberto and crew to dig up sod for more garden beds and battle blackberries. While we could do it with much pain and suffering, our abilities are best used elsewhere. Like pointing and saying, “dig there”.

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. The Moon is Third Quarter phase.

Preamble

Where are we now?
You know the truth. Accept that much of what we encounter isn’t ours, so move past or through it. Burn down any residual stuck bullshit. Freedom is accepting the unknown.

Meditation

The past is the past.
What matters is now.
Allow for now.  

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V24

It’s been another sunny day here on the Lane. My intention was to get outside and play in the dirt, but that didn’t happen. I did do a quick survey of all the little baby plants and noticed they look a bit sad. I may have planted too early. Also, someone has been nibbling on Raphael (the bean) so I may need to tent them.

It had been 4 days since seeing other humans. We decided to venture out to the Greenbank Pantry & Deli to pick up a little lunch. The door was open, so the only things we touched were what we brought home. OK, that sounds weird, but true.

Upon returning home I set to make a 5-minute mask, which took all afternoon and much cursing. 5 minutes she said. Perhaps for one “skilled in the art”.

Moving on…

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. Waning moon is almost to Third Quarter.

Preamble

All is mind.
See our oneness with the Universe.
Every thought, feeling, and action is a reflection of our relationship with the great mystery.
We are one.

Meditation

Wear Love from the inside,
Let it radiate outward bright and transparent.

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V23

Happy Easter One and All!

It’s a beautiful breezy day here on Sunshine Lane. The birds and bunnies are ever present enjoying the warm sun and new growth. The new seedlings seem to be adjusting well. We’re all grateful.

I planted 5 blue lake beans plants yesterday. 4 were planted on the inside of the teepee in the 4 directions. They were named respectively for the guardian angels for each direction, Raphael for the east, Miguel for the south, Gabriel for the west, and Uriel for the north. The 5^th plant, was set on the outside of the teepee and it named itself Love.  

Easter has different meanings for each of us. Especially in American culture, where there is a melding of old and new rituals. Looking back, in one Pagan ritual community members exchanged eggs as a symbol of fertility and to celebrate the longer days of spring moving to summer. Christians continue to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Commerce hails an opportunity to spend the all mighty dollar on things not good for us. My neighbor shoots his pistol at a target… It goes on in a beautiful mashup.

As we remember, many of our ancestors came to this country to escape religious persecution.  Regardless of our individual beliefs we are lucky to be in a culture that celebrates the freedom to believe whatever rings true for each of us.

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. The waning moon decreases in light moving toward third quarter.

Resurrect what has always been ours.

Meditation

Sit in silence
Bring our consciousness to our hearts
Imagine resurrecting Love
See and feel what grows

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V22

Sideways

Today was a sideways day on Sunshine Lane. The riding mower broke a belt. I spent forever on things not that complicated. I kept watering into the wind… And somehow, it’s now 7pm.

I did however manage to plant a bunch of seedlings into their final homes. I just hope I didn’t plant sideways energy along with them.

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. Waning moon is Disseminating.

Preamble

This meditation is from the principles of the Four-Fold Way developed by Angeles Arrien.

Meditation

Show up
Pay attention
Speak your truth
Release attachment to outcome

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V21

We are busy hear on Sunshine Lane with many things outdoors, and as we frolic in the sunlight, I keep hearing Lizzo’s song Juice, especially this lyric…

“If I’m shinin’, everybody gonna shine” – Lizzo

Shine on!

BodyMindSpirit

Our daily 5-minute meditation. The waning moon decreases in light… but we still shine.

As ambassadors of Goodwill, may the merit of our love-based practices be of benefit to all beings.

Meditation

We’ve bathed in the light of the moon, received new energy and ideas, and now direct them toward our vision.

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V20

I gotta be honest…

All that exercise I didn’t do over the winter.

All those nights binge watching Netflix, with incredibly interesting content that I no longer remember.

 All the extra scoops of whatever.

All the projects I that could have happened.

All the sunset walks I didn’t go on.

All of it

Has made me…

Soft

And today it paid off as I worked outside most of the day. Tried to anyway.

Onto our daily 5-minute meditation. While still mostly full, the Moon is now waning.

Meditation…

Imagine arriving at our vision, victorious.
What gifts have we brought to share with the world?

The Sunshine Observer: SO… V19

Yes, things are happening here on Sunshine Lane. The seedlings are bursting out of their pots. Pino eats and naps every chance he gets. And Tom is working on building a fenced garden with helper Bin.

Meanwhile, during my meditation this morning, I thought about how directing our energy along the right path is key to becoming centered, and our overall happiness.

I remembered a time when I had Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV). We had been skiing on a family vacation. The snowpack was low and hard, with grasses, and branches sticking up out of the snow. Long story short, while skiing, I was flipped by a Twig. I received a mild concussion and BPV. The BPV made me feel like I was constantly being spun around on a whirligig, unless I lay perfectly still. My doctor recommended a physical therapy. The therapy was frankly odd, it involved specific movements for a specific amount of time. For example, turn your head this way while lying on your right side for 15 seconds… then sit up and tilt your head this way for 15 seconds… I think there were about six movements in all. Odd as it sounds, it worked! I had my bearings back.  What had happened was the small stones in my inner ear had been wacked out of place and this process guided them back to their proper location. Amazing!

So why is this relevant? It is so easy to get distracted by things that make us lose our bearings. Whatever our Twigs may be, centering practices help us stay on the path of wellbeing. Meditation is one practice that works for me.

Onto our daily 5-minute meditation. The Moon is still full, in the peak of illumination.

Meditation

The moon is eager to show a clear path to the heart.
Bask in the light, peace be with you.

Poem

Yes, I see it
in all its glory
feel the optimism it is sharing
welcome it
like a dear friend