What I can post is my own writing, though.  After listening to and with Carlson’s poem a bit, we got to go our solitary ways.  I listen well when I am writing, when I am doing nearly anything.  To listen for my own imperfections at a deeper level, I sat.  I wrote.  This is what surfaced.  (I apologize in advance that I cannot get the spacing to change, so pardon the stanza run-on! I tried.)

“imPerfection”

I can sit with the ants in the dappled light

On this, another awe-inspiring autumn morning.

What mysteries might the breeze whisper in my ear?

What chatter does that strange creature

echo from my monkey brain?

Usually I listen for the wisdom I stumble upon,

Doing the tasks that need be done.

For once, at least,

I let myself

discover

my Self.

May the pen be my trowel

And my busy-ness the weeds

I remove from the soil.

The soil is rich and fertile.

Or maybe I fold the distractions

Away

With each shirt, pants, and sock.

Some thoughts need to dry in

Their own time.

No dirty nails this time to

Show for my effort.

Digging deep.

What are the treasures?

I cannot be rid of the roots from the species

Too invasive.

This is hard,

too hard.

But the longer I ignore them, the harder it gets

To let the soil be rich,

To appreciate the beauty

That is there if only

It, too, could obtain the resources

Stolen

by that which needs the

Persistent practice,

The daily tending.

It helps to name the

bermuda grasses of my being.

I cannot ignore the

Reality of money,

The need to connect with my family,

The limits of time.

I have to give up this idea of

Stagnant Perfection.

A garden is not a photograph.

It teems with

Life and Intention,

with Persistent Practice.

Blood and sweat, surely,

From the thorns and twigs of

Truth

Running

Deep.

I didn’t plant the oak tree there

Or the rose there.

Gifts of vulnerable strength and

Fragile beauty.

Timeless, both, and full of

Grace.

The mosquito offers its own poison

As it draws my blood,

Leaving the stinging itch

That will gnaw like the

Censor to challenge any

Gift I may unearth and

Lay claim to.

But it, too, will fade.

And even after my blood

Is dried and gone,

The earth remains to

Receive again

That which it gave.

Live into this cycle,

every moment.

Practice persistence with

Compassion

and

Gratitude,

whether with the harvest of the Earth

or the

Fruits of our wombs.

All is still and alive.

All is well.

This I am told.

For this brief moment, I find myself sitting in a quiet house . . . well, maybe not completely quiet.  The thunder, rain, and dishwasher have their voices heard at the moment, along with the clicking of the keyboard.  It is, however, still — especially compared to what it’s usually like with four kids and two adults and a dog and cat running about.

Some days we just have to revel in what is, and I know that this is good.  I don’t know what the next hour or tomorrow or next year holds for us, but I do know that if I can remember the joy and gratitude I feel in my heart at this present moment, that all will be well.

Right now we also get to enjoy eating the few fresh strawberries we have from the garden, reminding us what a real strawberry tastes like, what a fruit of the earth carries in a perfectly packaged little bundle of tender juiciness.  Experiencing and tasting these delights, I know that what I buy in bulk from the store doesn’t even get close to the truly organic variety from the backyard.  Sometimes we just have to be reminded of how good it can be.  Sometimes we have to remind ourselves how sweet we really have it, fresh strawberries or no.

I consider myself delightfully spoiled today, and I give thanks to all that is.

(Cloudy skies today contrast with the sunny skies of yesterday morning, when we remembered to collect our first strawberries of the season. )

Need a close-up of our apparently not-so-clean sink?

Yep, that’s a plant growing in the sink trap.  A bean plant, it seems.  I didn’t even know a bean had fallen in there.  We really don’t use this sink that often.  In my defense, beans grow quickly and with little assistance.  Perhaps you home-schoolers could do this as a project in your own home.

Of course, now I’ll have to transplant the little guy.  I figure it’s meant to bean, I mean, be. 

]]> http://everydaysimple.org/2009/11/27/sink-surprise/feed/ 0 http://everydaysimple.org/2009/11/25/fall-fairy-wishes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fall-fairy-wishes http://everydaysimple.org/2009/11/25/fall-fairy-wishes/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:51:26 +0000 Sara http://everydaysimple.org/?p=421 May your season of harvest and abundance be filled with thanks for blessings big and small.

The days have just been hot enough to make you sweat, and many nights have been cool enough to cut the a/c and open the windows.  I sense a pull to what is natural, intuitive.  I’m making decisions based on a gut feeling, and great things are happening, however seemingly small they might be.

All this is related in that by clearing out some of the stuff that’s filling my days, my house, my mind, I am making room for quiet, for creativity, for Divine energy to move about and through me.  I love being aware of the synchronicities as they unfold, and I love having time to participate in them.  I offer unbounded thanks to those who are able and willing to participate with me.

This morning, after daddy took the older children to school, I was clearing the breakfast table (from a yummy feast of omelets and potato cakes).  Table clear, dog having eaten the leftovers, I gathered up the compost.  The youngest had been going in and out the back door, revelling in her ability to open and close the sliding glass door, talking in her suddenly realized vocabulary about the cat and dog being in and out, out and in.  I watched her through the window when she was outside making a barricade of her body so the cat couldn’t go any further.  Of course, the cat just walked around her.  Suddenly, she ran inside to get a “tiny bowl.” “Mommy come?” she asked.  I slipped on my shoes and grabbed the compost.  It was time again to get a little raspberry snack.  I dumped my bowl of scraps and grounds and then searched with childlike enthusiasm for the dark red treats, wondering why I had ever worried about the birds and the bugs getting them all.  We have to share.  With our snack-sized bounty, we turned to the house.  Behind the glass door, I saw my husband smiling, coffee in hand, and I relished the moment when our little one realized her daddy was back home.

It truly is the little moments that make life rich, even if we tend only to remember the big events.  As I continue my late summer and early fall clearing, I hope to continue to embrace the time given to do what need be done but also be who and where I need to be.  I wish no less for you, with love.

Yes, you can see some of the splintered edges or the awkward, haphazard trimmings.  But the trees continue to stand as tall as they can and put forth new growth with as much determination as ever.  Where the trees were trimmed carefully, with attention, you would hardly notice anything amiss, save for the less dense canopy.  The new growth is amazing.

I might say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be a tree, where all we had to do is grow, go through the seasons, letting go and growing when it’s our determined time.”  But that’s not all a tree does.  No two trees are exactly alike.  No breeze blows without ruffling each leaf in its own way.  Every natural event leaves its mark upon a tree’s trunk, but the tree is ever adapting.  Maybe I should say, “Oh, to have the wisdom of a tree.”

When I was a little girl, I remember going into the woods beyond the pasture of my grandparents farm.  I found a young maple that I sat beside and talked to at length, looking up into its branches, certain that the leaves blowing in the wind were responding just to me.  I promised to be this tree’s friend.  I found a large-ish rock and put it beside the base, so I would be sure to remember which tree I had chosen.

Time passed, though, and when I returned, I wasn’t sure which tree was which. There were rocks all around.  I felt bad.  I had defaulted on a friendship, and I was sure that this tree would certainly remember who I was, was probably watching me circle around and around, aching that I couldn’t hear and feel.

Maybe I had read The Giving Tree too many times.  Maybe I was personifying the tree too much.  But I don’t think so.  Even now, when I need to be grounded, I see myself as a tree.  When I need to disperse extra energy or receive it, I can exchange with the trees.  I’ve not forgotten the relationship one can have with the trees, and I have a special place in my heart for maples.

The trees are beautiful and have much to teach us.

Looking at several lists, these are the basics to making getting started again next year that much easier.

Clean out plant debris.  Healthy stuff can be composted, but diseased or pest-ridden plants need to go in your yard waste or burned in your brush pile (if it’s legal).

Plant or tansplant your trees/shrubs.  Be sure to keep watering young plants until the first freeze.

Clean and sharpen your garden tools.  I hear that putting oil into a bucket of sand is good for storing your tools in and keeping them honed.

Save and store seeds from your favorite plants.  I use regular paper envelopes.  It makes them easy to label and keep separate.

Harvest your herbs.  If you don’t already have an herb garden, now might be a good time to plan for next year’s.

Feed the wildlife.  Make sure your feeders are free of wasp nests and such, clean and ready to fill for the winter time.  We have a feeder hanging right outside our dining room window so the kids can watch birds eating while we do.  We don’t mind the mess, but be aware that wherever you hang a feeder, it gets messy below.

Water features need to be cleaned and drained.  Frozen water expands, and you don’t want to ruin your investment.  It’s not attractive, but that’s why fountains are turned upside down in the winter.

Take care of your roses and gladiolas.  (See links below.)

Some sites if you want to know more:

• Assocaited Content
• Garden Guides
• Love to Know
• Suite 101 — Cottage Garden
• (Google “fall garden chores” to find related articles)

Enjoy the early fall and the beautiful weather to get your boost of vitamin D and fresh air.  My kids are loving it, but most importantly, so am I!

I took my youngest to the botanical garden yesterday, the older three being with their grandma, and we got to pick some purple beans (like green beans, only purple).  I brought our handful home, added them to our small bit of green beans and the small batch from our produce delivery.  We had a full bowl, and they tasted delicious.  I’m not sure if it was the purple beans or not, but they seemed to have a particularly buttery flavor.  Delicious.  (picture coming as soon as my obstacles are overcome!)

I’ve also taken our bounty of squash and zucchini, added some onions, bell peppers, mushrooms (all flavored with some hoisin sauce and a bit of soy sauce) and teriyaki chicken to make a stir fry, served with brown rice.  The kids raved and raved, much to my surprise.

If you don’t have your own garden, take advantage of the local farmers’ markets.  Use your imagination to create something from what’s in season.  It’s a good practice anyway and will add something new to your diet, and, chances are, you’ll be glad you did.

Enjoy!

Watering

• Rain barrels!  Who knew you could collect so much water even from 5 minutes of rain?  Making your own seems to be the most cost-effective method.  If time is a pinch, then buy one or four.  You can daisy-chain them, which is a goal of ours after we have one at every corner of the house.  Right now we just have two, and I’ve never run out.  I can’t imagine having one this huge!  I use the water for the plants outside since we don’t have a filter on the home water system yet.  The chlorine and other chemicals in the water are understandably hard on plants.
• Water in the early morning.  Mid-day the water evaporates too quickly and could be hard on the leaves.  After dusk the moist soil can attract more pests and can leave the roots too soggy.  If you can’t get up and into the garden before 10am, then set up a sprinkler on a timer.  An exception might be for drip hoses, shaded by the plants’ foliage.  I would think those would be okay into early afternoon and are ideal for conserving water.

Pests

• Companion planting works wonders.  I’ve planted radishes with cucumbers just for the benefit of the cucumbers, not because I’m fond of radishes.  If you can’t find a companion, it’s worth planting other beneficial flowers or herbs.  That’s why marigolds are so common in gardens.  (And because they seed easily — take the dead flower, open it up and sprinkle the seeds around.  Cover with a little soil, water, and you’ll have marigolds soon enough.)
• If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t use it in the garden.  We promote organic gardening around here.  Sure, it takes a little time and effort, but isn’t it worth not adding harmful substances to your family’s bodies?  I suppose the exception is the minerals we add to the soil.  You wouldn’t catch me eating compost, either!
• Don’t be afraid to catch a bug.  When bad bug hunting, carry a container of soapy water.  It doesn’t have to be big.  I caught about a dozen Japanese beetles the other day who were munching away on our raspberry bushes.  Catching the few that were there is better than using a trap and attracting even more.  Usually I let them eat away at our non-blooming wisteria if it keeps them out of the garden.  Hornworms die in the soapy water, too.  Fast-flying bugs are harder to catch, and squash bugs I just, well, squash.  I don’t like squash bugs.  Wear gloves if you’re afraid of the bugs.
• Egg shells are effective for keeping slugs at bay.  I rinse them off and keep them in a bowl by the kitchen sink.  After they’re dry, I crush them down.  When I get a bowl full, preferably in early spring, I take them out and sprinkle them around the plants.  I wasn’t as good about doing it this year, and the slugs are everywhere!
• Remember the beneficial insects!  You gotta love the worms, ladybugs, wasps, bees, even some ants and many more.

Weeds

• Newspaper makes a great biodegradable weed barrier, preferably just use the black and white print.  So does straw (so long as it’s not hay).
• Toss the weeds to the compost pile.  Some say it’s better to wait to add them until they’ve died.  We’ve done both.
• Be aware of volunteer plants when weeding.  Some of our tomatoes and melons are from volunteers.  Keep a keen eye out for those fledgling plants, especially around the compost pile!  You can move them if they’re still small and in the way.  I’ve found that they grow best if they’re left where they are, though.

Compost

• Okay, I’ve mentioned it more than once already, but I think all gardeners will agree this is one of the most important aspects of gardening.  Read up on it; there are over a million sites related to composting.  Learn what you can and start building up your pile.
• No meats, dairy or fats/oils.  We have read that you can have these things in your pile if you’re careful as to what you add with/around it, but we have a rodent family around here, and I don’t want to encourage a village.  I’m not particularly keen on the stench, either.  With just our fruit, veggie, coffee grounds, tea bags, weeds, twigs, soil, etc., we’ve got a good pile or two going, and I can stand to be around it.  If the top layer of scraps stinks a bit, toss some soil on it.
• Fancy gizmos aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.  We got a compost tumbler for our last house.  It stank, and we never got to use what we put into it.  Now it sits neglected.  I have it if anyone wants it!

Journal

• I have a garden journal (a spiral notebook with a cover I collaged), but most of the time I just use a sheet of paper to map out the garden.  This is handy so I know where I planted things the year before to prevent planting the same thing in the same spot.  Crop rotation has many benefits.
• Plan your calendar/seasonal chores.  Some books help with this, but I haven’t found a favorite yet.  It also depends on where you live, what kind of plants you’re working with.  It’s best to put everything in perspective and have an idea of what you need to do when.  I know this, but it’s practicing it that I’m having a hard time with!

I hope this helps in some way with your gardening.  If you have other tips to share, I’d love to hear them.   The best way to learn is from other’s successes and mistakes, right?

Almost as much as the plants needed water, I needed some fresh air.  We had turned on the air conditioning just a couple of weeks before, so the home was sealed off from the natural flow.  As good as it is to keep the humidity off our pictures and portraits, there’s something to be said for being in tune with nature as the temperature and humidity rise and fall.  I was grateful for my fresh air that morning  and enjoyed the once limp flowers rising tall again.

As for the rain barrels that provide the water for my watering cans, they were overfull when I began my chore.  I should have known they would be filled again soon.  With our summers around here, though, you never know if it’s going to rain for a week or come a drought.  I shouldn’t have worried. 

As with all things, if we hoard or collect, we can become stale and stagnant.  It’s much better to be useful and beautiful in due course and then be renewed when the time comes. 

I remember the story of the proud Zen student asking the teacher why he hadn’t experienced enlightenment, especially since he knew so much about the ways of a good monk.  It was tea time, and the teacher poured the student some tea as he listened.  And he kept pouring.  The cup was overflowing, and finally the student asked the teacher why he didn’t stop.  The teacher asked how he could teach when the student’s mind, like the cup, was so full.

Hopefully I didn’t completely destroy the beautiful story, for it is one of my favorites.  (If you enjoy good, quality dharma talks and Zen stories, please visit Zen Reflections.)  I think of this story, though, when I feel like I’m all used up, when like the flowers and plants, I’m wilted.  It’s not entirely a bad thing.  When the rain comes, when the energy returns, the sense of vitality is incomparable, the possibilities endless.  Best to use while it’s fresh and make room for more than worry about what may or may not happen, wasting what is already at hand.  Plus, I’d hate to miss an important lesson, not able to catch it because I thought I already had enough.

May your days be fresh and fruitful.