grateful today

I love it when the summer fruit shows up at the farm stand. This week there were blueberries, plums and — best of all — peaches.

- Estyn

-Katy

I’ve been meditating a little bit this past week.

I do it in the morning, after half a cup of coffee so that I’m not too wired but neither am I going to fall back asleep. I started with seven minutes — my compromise between five and ten — and have been increasing by a minute a day. I figure I can ease my way up to half-an-hour this way. Or not. I may quit tomorrow.

I’m finding that the practice helps me stay much more even keel and gives me a teeninsy bit of distance from my thoughts throughout the day. It seems to work even better if I’ve also done two minutes of yoga stretches, or spent some time in the garden before getting into my work day.

I should, however, make clear that my meditating does not look or feel like any kind of blissful peacey la-la trance. It goes more like this:

Breath.

“Maybe next year I’ll plant those cornichon cucumblahblahblahblah….”

OH! Thinking!

Half breath.

“What if I run out of money and can’t pay theblahblahblahblah….”

THINKING!!

Breath.

“Maybe I could blahblahblahblah….”

THINKING!!

“If I just blahblahblahblah….”

THINK… “Blahblahblahblah….”

Oops, thinking!

Breath.

Buzzer sound.

If you’ve ever watched Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan walk an unruly dog, then you’ve witnessed my brain at meditation. (Strain on leash. “Tsst!” Strain on leash. “Tsst!”) Which makes it all the more shocking that these tiny, unskillful attempts are having a distinct effect on my serenity.

- Estyn

Happy and I survived an early morning rush to the emergency 24/7 vet this morning.  So grateful.  Have you heard of bloat?  I just learned about it recently, and she sure had several of the symptoms, but it was a false alarm.  Weirdly, many of the preventative measures are the same as ones I need for my digestive system.

Maybe I was projecting…..

-Katy

After I took this toad’s picture, I gently lifted him off the hood so I could go to the market.  But he leapt out of my hand and jumped on my arm then my face then my chest then my leg before he got to the ground.

Hugged by the toad.

-Katy

I have a lot to do.

I could probably apply that sentence, and the feeling it implies, to my entire life.

Lately I’ve been enjoying the freedom of doing just one thing.  Just file one piece of paper.  Just send one email to that group.  Just do one today.

It’s amazing how simply and easily the whole thing gets done.

-Katy

It’s pretty hard to be unhappy when contemplating toes such as these.

He’s not in jail, he just loves to sleep in a metal basket on my desk.

- Estyn

I can feel my brain heading into negative mode so I’m stopping to take note of some things I’ve enjoyed in the last couple of days:

On Saturday we went to the Birdcage party in Cragsmoor, a fundraiser for the library. It was a beautiful evening and the garden where it was held had big beds of echinacea, phlox, and poppies constantly visited by butterflies. We saw friends and it felt great to realize how many people I’ve already met in my two years here.

It was a teeny bit cooler yesterday and we worked in the yard. I enjoyed deadheading (it’s a sickness). It felt good to be outside. I remembered Gretchen Rubin‘s commandment “Do what ought to be done” when I felt antsy about how long the task was taking and simmered back down.

A Japanese Beetle rode into the kitchen on my shoulder and was pounced on by Noola when it fell on the floor. It was disturbing yet hilarious to watch her chew it for several minutes then spit it out whole. So much for that eradication technique.

M mowed. Every time I don’t have to, I thank my lucky stars. And I thank him!

For dinner last night we ate the first corn of the season. You know how that goes…

- Estyn

I am finally number one on the waiting list for The Happiness Project. When I placed my hold back in February I was number 80-something.

I’m looking forward to reading it. And to talking about it with Katy.

- Estyn

They like boxes.

They are friends.
Spiky back fur — evidence of big sister grooming.

They entertain me.
Just because this box is made of wood doesn’t mean I can’t shred it.

- Estyn