Diet for the Earth

Diets don't work for humans and they don't work for the earth. Just as a list of foods to avoid in order to lose weight, become cravings before too long, the lists of things we need to do to save the world soon feel like hardships of the same sort. Hard to give up ice cream, cake, potato chips to save our bodies. Big screen TV's, SUV's, and large houses to save the planet. Especially when the things we are being asked to give up are taken out of context.

When we don't understand the connection between ourselves and our bodies, ourselves and our earth, sacrifices feel like hardships and won't have staying power. Before long, the weight is put back on and in the case of the planet, we purchase another round of consumer goods after trying to show care for the Earth by recycling or using cloth grocery bags.

Making a decision to eat right because you care about the health of your body makes it easier to avoid harmful foods. You decide to not consume processed items in order to avoid GMO's or to not eat soy because the estrogen in soy feeds the growth of cancer cells. You form an understanding as to why you are avoiding those foods and are not doing it just because your diet told you to. Understanding brings a desire for long term change.

The same goes for the environment. If you understand we are all a part of the natural world, understand that whatever we do to the earth, we do to ourselves, you don't just hear those words, but feel those words. Buying a big, resource depleting car becomes near impossible to do because you know the impact those resources make on our world, ourselves. You are in relationship with the planet.

I feel all the lists of things we can do to save the planet become meaningless without a connection to our planet. Without feeling we are the planet. Before we can embrace those lists and ideas, we need to form a relationship with our world by spending time outdoors, learning to love the natural world. Only then will we be willing to do the hard work to protect it.

Arne Naess, a Norwegian philosopher, founder of the term "Deep Ecology" wrote the following quote which sums up what I am trying to say quite nicely:

"What humankind is capable of loving from mere duty or moral exhortation is, unfortunately, very limited… The extensive moralizing within the ecological movement has given the public the false impression that they are primarily asked to sacrifice, to show more responsibility, more concern, and better morals… [But] the requisite care flows naturally if the self is widened and deepened so that protection of free nature is felt and conceived of as protection of our very selves."

Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs?

According to Peterson's Guide on Reptiles and Amphibians, snapping turtles are rarely seen on land unless they are laying eggs in early summer which may explain why my dog Dakota found one this morning just beyond the fence to her pen.

While Dakota may have thought she'd like to dig under the fence to play with her new playmate, I doubt it would have been a pleasant experience for her especially given how the bite of a snapper can be pretty ferocious. Thank goodness for fences!

What Tree Am I?

For kicks, I took an online test to see what tree I am and it turns out that I am an Oak. Below are the results of my test. If you are interested in determining what tree you most identify with, here is the link for the test:

http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/new/scaryshari/what-tree-are-you-celtic-astrology/

In the book "Nature-Speak" by Ted Andrews, the Oak with its energy is said to awaken great strength and endurance, even through trying circumstances. It also helps to manifest a stronger and more active sense of helpfulness towards others. Oak has strong ties to the realm of nature spirits and provides energies to open the doorway to the inner realms and their mysteries in meditation, magic and real life. As I read this definition, it fits me pretty well. Take the quiz yourself and see if your tree fits you.

Have fun with it!

My results from the quiz...

You Scored as The Oak In Celtic astrology, you're an Oak, the most sacred of trees. The animal symbol that accompanies this tree is the wren. The ancient Druids say Oak people are wise, strong, responsible, self-motivated, optimistic and good leaders in the face of adversity. However, Oaks may be prone to being overly serious or intense. The Oak 80% The Elder 65% The Reed 65% The Ivy 60% The Alder 55% The Hazel 50% The Holly 50% The Hawthorn 45% The Rowan 40% The Willow 40% The Ash 35% The Birch 35% The Vine 30%

Celebration!

My pup and I hit the trails at a nearby preserve today, participating in a celebration of sorts. A celebration of the day. Just today, just this moment in time. To notice the blue sky, the trees "speaking" to us in the wind. To feel the cooler temps and fresh air that rolled in overnight, ushering the stale air of the last week out to sea. To just be while embracing the day...today!

Raspberries...a Sense of Taste

Raspberries,

Sweet taste of a Midwestern summer.

Transports me right back to my Grandmother's cottage.

Barefoot, running along the side yard to the water's edge.

Collecting Petoskey stones.

Slumbering in the sun on the dock,

Cousins and siblings by my side.

I can taste the feeling of "up north" Michigan,

of summers oh so long ago.

Simpler time, bonfires and fireflies,

Lighting up the night, my life.

Rootedness, connectedness, family, community.

Circle of life, coming back around.

Different place now, but the taste is just as sweet.

Meditative Woodland Walk at Longwood Gardens...

Many public gardens and arboretums across the country contain backcountry trails in addition to their more public offerings. These woodland trails offer up quiet and solitude and are a great way to get away from the bustle of the crowds.

A newly created and specially designed meditative woodland walk at Longwood Gardens in Chaddsford, PA. encourages you to temporarily leave the more groomed gardens behind and come into the forest. The idea being to walk or sit quietly and take in the woods and see what nature can offer you.

My husband and I recently recently took advantage of the woodland walk at Longwood Gardens and it didn't take long until the voices of people were replaced by birdsong, hot pavement replaced a dirt path, cool shade overhead. A welcome respite!

I thought the trailside banners, filled with contemplative quotes were a nice touch, reminding you to be quiet and listen, slow down and notice.

I especially loved the above quote. "What did the tree learn from the earth to be able to talk with the sky?" Makes me wonder what we humans could learn from the earth in order to be able to talk with the sky. That if we humans could become more in touch with the natural world, the sky could teach us many things about what really is important in life. I envision our rootedness in the natural world leading us to reach higher and higher, searching for a new way of living in the world.

Capturing Nature Through Art...

All of the rain we have been receiving lately has made the view outside my window look more like something an Impressionist painter would capture rather than me with my camera. Just as the Impressionist Claude Monet used short, broken brushstrokes to barely convey forms, our locally heavy rain upon my window obscuring the landscape beyond, along with cloudy skies overhead, has achieved somewhat the same effect. The picture above was taken with my camera while the picture below shows an example of Impressionism.

While not a true Monet, the painting above was done by an artist influenced by Monet's painting called "Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies." Last year while visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I visited an exhibit containing Monet's work and was taken with the beauty and vibrancy of it. Reading about Monet, I discovered that he tried to capture the light, color and atmosphere of the natural world into the pure expression of paint on canvas. Monet perceived his art as the result of his relationship with nature saying, "All I did was to look at what the universe showed me and I let my brush bear witness to it."

What pulls at us humans to capture the natural world through photography, painting, singing, writing or in many other forms? Maybe it is our disconnection from it, a desire to be more in relationship with it...

Rain and Wind Today...

I want to go outside and cry with the earth. Let my tears slide down my cheeks while nature's tears wash them away. Empty myself of all the sadness that wells up in me at times, reminding me of the hard places I have walked. Fill up the creek that runs through my yard, flowing away, letting go.

I want to go outside and feel the wind in my hair. Shout my painful stories into the air and know they have been heard as the trees dance and sway in reply. Repeat my tales over and over again as they are whisked up and away, no human hearing, yet nature knowing.

Rain and wind, cleansing me, clearing me. Healing me.

Beyond the Fence...

Only this one time will I willingly litter. Cover the newly arrived plants of spring with shredded bits of myself, words describing the parts of me I'd like to release to the earth. Words written on a piece a paper soon to become compost, providing for the soil rather than robbing me of the energy to truly live. Slowly the wind and rain will work their magic and the molecules of me bound up in those words will give way, allowing me to open up to new directions, clearing the way for new possibilities. I wonder what will grow there on that ground along the back fence, the seeds of my words fueling it?

The Work of Trees...

Outside the sun is fading, days end, sunlight cast on just a few trees. Other trees already resting in the shadow of nightfall. All day these trees have been at work- CO2 in, oxygen out- giving life to the world. This example makes me wonder what I gave to the world today. Did my work give life to the world? Does preparing a meal for a new mother or playing a game with and talking to my son count? Is this life giving work? Should my life's work give to the world? If so, what should my life's work be? Maybe I should ask the trees...

Bat as Spiritual Guide, Animal Totem

I've been sleeping with bats since I moved into this house last October. Well actually, given the fact that bats are nocturnal and I am not, we really only rest together each night between the hours of 5:30am and when I wake in the morning. Taking into consideration that the bats also leave during the winter months to live somewhere warmer than under the the shutter outside my bedroom window, gives us even less time to be together.

But together we are, and only two feet separate my pillow from their roost where they hang upside down quietly during the day and cause a racket in the very early morning when they return from foraging all night. They outside and me inside the house. Apart yet together.

Living and sleeping near these bats is the closest I have ever come to being with any wild animal and because I feel that everything the universe offers up has relevance, I wanted to understand what wisdom or meaning bats were connected to and why suddenly I found myself in such close proximity to them. What I discovered immediately resonated with me. Doing a quick search on bats as animal totems, I found that because bats are highly sensitive to their surroundings, they are considered by Native Americans as a symbol for intuition, dreaming and vision. Some other words associated with bat animal symbolism are- illusion, rebirth, inner depth, communication, journeying, and initiation- all words associated with the focus of my life as of late.

Bats as totems encourage one to pursue spiritual growth by letting go of ego, doing inner work, renewing thoughts on a regular basis, and loving enemies as ourselves, all leading to the rewards of self-improvement. Because of bats ability to see where others can't, there is also a psychic component to this totem.

Since moving into this house last October, surrounding myself with the natural world outside my windows, and living just feet away from bats, I feel as though I have been on a spiritual journey of sorts, yet not able to pinpoint or understand it. Recognizing the bats as some kind of sign offering up direction on my journey allows me to see my path more clearly. To offer up a hint of understanding that quite possibly I am on the right path. Going forward, I just need to continue to lean into what the universe is bringing me and see where it takes me.

Helpful websites on the topic of bats and bat totems can be found here:

-Bat as Animal Totem.

-Bat Conservation International.

-Bat Conservation and Management.

Maybe you have an animal guide or totem. What animas do you see in your midst? Do they speak to you? What could they bring to your life? Consider the possibilities...

Finding the Light in Your Life...

At times, clouds obscure the light. You know the sun is there, tucked behind those big puffy orbs, yet try all you might to see it, the light is elusive. Like the clouds, we have obstacles we must push aside in order to see the passions that light up our lives and make them worth living. Many things stand between us and our purpose, distracting us.

The needs and expectations of those we love must be met. Work obligations, household tasks, our self-imposed to-do list, all calling to us and veering us down a path that feels darker and less fulfilling.

We mutter under our breath as we go about our day, "If I didn't have to do such and such, then I would have time to follow my dreams." But what really stands in our way I wonder? Is it really those tasks and obligations, or are these simply excuses we use because we are afraid to set off on our course? To strike a different balance and all the uncertainty that comes with it. Life, even though it may be slightly unsatisfying now, at least offers up predictability. We know what tomorrow will bring for the most part.

Pushing away the clouds and setting off on a new direction, leaving behind our old ways of living, is challenging but holds the promise of reward, of finding our days brighter with renewed purpose. Staying focused on the light and working to clear time in our lives in order to discover our passions and pursue them is worth the effort, the fear, and whatever else stands in the way. It is a sunny day behind the clouds.

Opening to my Life

I sat this morning with my coffee cup in hand, staring out toward the pond and woods behind my home. Listening to the bird calls and watching the wind sway the very tips of the trees. I felt the natural scene beyond my window pulling at me, causing me to stop and contemplate what I was beholding. I tried to focus the thoughts, make sense of them so that I could read their message. No luck. Still my thoughts swirled and still the jumbled haze of all that greenery outside my window pulled at me. Finally in frustration, I got up to retrieve a notebook in order to write the fragments of what was entering my mind, and as I did so, the pages of the notebook fell away to reveal the words "Opening to Our Lives". These words were the title of a podcast I had previously listened to and taken notes on by Jon Kabat-Zinn when he spoke on the Science of Mindfulness.

Here are a few of the notes from the podcast I had written in my notebook:

-Mindfulness- a way of being awake, not about thoughts or sitting in your head.

-The ability to think gets all of the focus in the world. We have never been trained to pay attention, be aware.

-When one begins to become intimate with attention and awareness, it balances out thinking and then imagination and creativity comes out of the stillness.

-Mindfulness equals heartfulness.

-Wakefulness means resting in a kind of awareness that is so stable it is not thrown off by the coming and going of events. No matter if things are going your way or not.

-Be aware by dropping into your body. Thoughts carry us away from the heart of the matter.

-Choose life, awareness, rather than rushing.

-Find out who we are and live authentically in service of the world.

Suddenly, as I read the notes above, I discovered the message the universe was trying to deliver to me. To stop. Slow down. Pay attention and be aware. I have been rushing about too much lately as one obligation in my life has led to another, forgetting to take the time to be mindful. Thankfully, the call to me from the trees was very loud and thankfully I had enough time in my schedule this morning to figure out what was being delivered to me. A reminder to be open to my life by being aware which will in turn allow me to live authentically and in service to the world. A lofty goal I know.

Out of the Fog

"I write and write and write and find joy in it. A connection to myself. To others. A place of strength not known. Where I let fear go and press forward. Embracing those things important to me while looking for and supporting those things important to the rest of those I care about. This is where I am- giving to others and giving to myself. Slowly, hesitantly, walking down my path but seeing the light shine brighter as I go. Being only what I can be- doing what I need. I find the connection with others and love for others and they me coaxing me forward- embracing me on my journey toward home. The sun is rising as I set out. Come with me and enjoy what is in store."

I wrote the above last night during a workshop on Jungian archetypes. Amazed at how apt it was for where I currently am in my life. Perched between being a full-time mother and the haze that can sometimes accompany that place and the clarity that comes from finding one's life work.

Unfolding, Opening Yourself to the Journey

The two pictures in my blog post today were taken about a week apart. A week during which time I spun my wheels and rushed about, trying to force things in my life that couldn't and shouldn't be forced, ending up dissatisfied at the lack of results. Meanwhile, if you look closely at the buds on the branches in the two pictures in this post, you will see that nature has been quite productive during this past week. Slowly letting things unfold and open up, a dance of life playing out just outside my back door.
This dancing of nature acts as a heartbeat of sorts, keeping time for us and operating according to a rhythm that our bodies naturally pick up as winter moves to spring. As the the browns and grays of winter fade, and the green of spring unfolds we find ourselves shedding our warm winter coats and opting for lighter weight clothing without giving it much thought. Physically, we appear to be in tune with nature, our bodies walking in step with it.

Our minds are a different story. We (or at least I) try and obtain things for myself before the world is ready to relinquish them to me. I may think I am ready for a new phase in my life but roadblocks stand in my way. There are lessons I must learn first and I must journey and solve the many puzzles of my life, some frustrating and others rewarding. This preparation is an unfolding of the bud of my soul. An opening up, of allowing things in my life to happen as they should.

I need to pay better attention to the needs of my soul and less to the cry of my mind. Let the ancient wisdom of my inner world guide me through meditation and dream work . Let the spring buds on the trees outside my window serve as a visual reminder to slow down and be present and that life will unfold for me, allowing me to find my place in the world.

Rainy Day Ramble

With my older son Jimmy home from Indianapolis for a visit, we didn't let today's rain force us to squander an opportunity to get outside and hike, as we donned our rain gear and set out. Due to the weather, the trails at our local arboretum were empty, giving us an opportunity to enjoy the quiet of the woods alone.
For a good part of our journey, the trail followed a creek which soon became more rocky as the topography changed and the creek found itself tumbling over rocks and boulders, forming small waterfalls as it cascaded downward.
Coaxed onto the rocks, my sons slowly made their way along the creek bed, hopping from one rock to another until they found themselves downstream and atop a log which crossed over the creek.
Rocks along creek beds have always been an attraction for my boys from the time they were little. The challenge to hop from one rock to another without getting wet called them into waterways when they were 3 and still now at 23, in the case of my older son. Some things never change.I myself, moved onto the rocks and loved the feeling of having the water rush around me as I stood safely atop a large rock. I was awed at the beauty of the water, the woods. The time spent with my two boys in such a magical place.

It's almost Spring and the Trash is Blooming...

The last of the snowbanks have melted alongside the road in front of my house, paving the way for yellow daffodils to push their way upward and bloom. Unfortunately, the melting snow has also revealed all of the unsightly trash that has been tossed out car windows along the rural road I live on all winter long.

This morning I picked up two full black trash bags of trash on both sides of the road in front of my house and extending down the hill to my neighbor's. What I found didn't surprise me...pop cans and bottles, take out food containers, beer cans and empty jugs of whiskey and gin. The cardboard that at one time housed various products, cigarette cartoons, and plastic cups.

I did find one surprise- a pair of underwear and down the road a bit, a torn open prophylactic package- more than likely tossed from the same car. I figured the car was probably traveling south, given the location of the underwear, which would have come off before the prophylactic went on.

After I weeded the roadsides of man's contribution, I could once again enjoy the beauty of the drive through the woodlands near my home. No longer distracted by the refuse of those who think nature is something to be trashed.

Awakened by Thunder

Last night a thunderstorm rolled through while I slept, helping to turn the season from winter to spring. This morning, fog greeted me as stepped outside with my pup, and I realized the last vestiges of winter will soon be gone, paving the way for the birth of spring.

Like the animals in the brush making their preparations, I too need to start moving toward a place of new beginnings. Investigating the opportunities for spiritual growth which lie inside me and which I can awaken through my dreams, journaling, and storytelling. Like the wild animals around me, I have a lot to do to get ready for the change that is coming. For a re-birth of sorts for myself.

Almost Spring in Central Park

With my son's school still closed due to storm damage and power outages, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring day and head out to Central Park.

With temps in the upper 50's and the day glorious, we decided Spring had officially started, even though it was actually still a few days off.

While the boys played a game which involved batting a Koosh ball between two Frisbees,

getting a huge dose of fresh air after a weekend spent cooped up due to the storm,

I sat on the rocks in the sun, soaking up some well deserved sunshine, snapping lots of pictures.

We were not the only ones taking advantage of this fantastic day!

I am always amazed how quiet it is in the park, despite being located in the heart of such a big city. These trees and many, many others help to buffer the noise of the city from the quiet of the park.

With schools closed again tomorrow and the forecast calling for even warmer temperatures than today, I look forward to spending the day outside again.

Just a few more weeks until the ice rink in the above picture is removed for the season. Goodbye Winter!