Sunflower rising

 

Sunflower rising

Sometimes, just around dawn, on the mornings I don’t have to work, Barry drops me off a mile or more from the house.  I walk in the cool morning air toward home, breathing deeply, welcoming the day. 

This morning felt crisp and almost autumn-like.  Temperature:  49 degrees.  I walked briskly. The temperatures are starting to wobble a bit.  A few days ago we luxuriated (OK, some of us sweated) in the 80’s.  Yesterday we plummeted to the low 60’s.  Today:  70’s.  On Saturday back to the upper 80’s.  The thermometer is loving its roller coaster ride toward fall.

Moon at dawn over the North woods

 The full moon winked in the sky this morning. 

“Ha ha,” it said, “Keep harvesting! I’m headed toward winter.”

We merely smiled back at it, knowing we have plenty of warm autumn days in which to make more salsa, pull up the dying bean plants, harvest sweet orange carrots, cut off sixth-generation brocoli snippets, pick lettuce before it bolts, bite into a jalapeno (caliente! oo la la!) and boil beets for Greek Salad.

Sunflower risen to meet the day

All these flower photos come to you courtesy of Nancy’s gardens.  These are some of the photos which sulked when I chose the frog photos over them  the other day.  We are meeting at her house for Book Club tonight at 6:30.  The book for our discussion is “Still Alice”.  Since I nearly had a nervous breakdown when I read the book back at the end of December–in between blogs, on our way downstate for Christmas with my parents–I don’t know how to intelligently discuss it.

Here’s what happened.  The book, as some of you may know, is about a Harvard professor who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  She slowly loses her memory and sense of self.  The book is terribly sad but also somehow inspiring because the essence of “Alice” still remains when she can’t even recognize her children or husband.  Her capacity to love and be in the moment somehow increases.  It’s a poignant mixture of devastating loss and the triumph of essence.  That’s my take, anyway.

Precious pink

Some of you may know that my own memory is not stellar.  It feels like I live so fully in the moment that everything outside of the moment sometimes–completely disappears.  Fortunately, this cunning memory-fellow usually reappears as needed, thank goodness.

But after reading that book I was convinced, fully convinced, that I had Alzheimer’s for twenty-four hours.  We were driving downstate and I couldn’t remember simple words.  I remember sitting despairing in a restaurant trying to put together thoughts in convincing order. 

Fortunately, my bonding with Alice dissolved within a day and my memory returned to its usual lackadaisical self.  But I can still empathize deeply with what it must feel like to start losing memory in such a radical way.

Blooming white

Back to today.  After this morning’s walk (and sometimes run) down the road, I meditated for maybe forty minutes.  As many of you know, this has been a big part of my life for many years.  On an ideal day–and that was not yesterday–I try to meditate morning, afternoon and night. 

In the past four months I have been doing deep breathing meditation and have been seeing incredible changes in all areas of my life.  It feels like “Sunflower rising” indeed.  I recommend daily meditation for everyone as a way to connect to deeper self, build energy and release stress.  Could write an entire blog waxing poetically about the benefits of meditation.  Maybe will, someday!

Topsy-turvy yellow

One of my little bitty stresses which arose during meditation involved:  should I bring Mexican grain/bean salad to Book Club?  Or pesto pizza? 

My goodness you would think this shouldn’t be a stress!

Salad?  Pizza?

(I calmly said to myself as a mantra while breathing deeply, “I trust myself to easily decide.  I trust myself to easily decide.”) 

Upon opening eyes the answer was apparent.  Of course it would be pesto pizza!  The basil insists.

Inner mysteries of red

So there you have it.  Some random thoughts rising as the temperature rises.  Two adult deer munch grass outside the window while a fawn scampers by filled with energy.  Hummingbirds dive in and out of the feeder.

Life is good!  I am so grateful for all that is rising these days…