In our local coffee shop the Vita-Mix machine roars. I thought it was a coffee grinder, but it’s a Vita-Mix machine, whatever that might be. I got up from the high-perched computer table and asked what was the noise?
I am drinking black tea. Outside bagpipe Christmas music blares out of the loudspeakers. In a half or so, give or take, I’ll head up the hill to the library for a used book sale sponsored by “The Friends of the Library”.
A long-lost friend, OK, not that long-lost, just asked my spiritual advice about a complicated question. It was one of the most complicated questions on the planet, the kind it’s impossible to answer. We humans want simple answers. I rattled off a complicated answer that involved six perspectives and felt sorry that she might try to figure it out.
Ask Abe.
My eyelash didn’t need to be lanced yesterday. Nix the advertised lancing from two blogs ago. It’s a long story and I don’t want to type it out because it involves six explanations. Suffice it to say–the doc said the body usually absorbs chalazions–excuse my previous label of “sty”–in about a year. So it’s only a minor cosmetic inconvenience.
Our new stove arrived. It is beautiful. We have yet to bake in it.
A woman just came up to me in the coffee shop. She’s embroiled in one of those sad human family happenings that break a listening open heart. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shared about the good and bad days.
“Just pray,” she said.
Birch bark.
A “Toys for Tots” box sits in the corner. Poor children, perhaps hungry children, will unwrap these gifts on Christmas morn.
I want to write a post about my challenges with being inconsistent, but I don’t want anyone to reassure me. Don’t want anyone to say anything. So why would I want to write a public post about this? Beats me. Maybe I’ll write a Dear Secret Diary blog about this and close comments. Why do we humans think and feel the way we do? Beats me. (Please don’t mention this paragraph in the comments. Pretend you didn’t read it.)
Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat
We bought a new humidifier that attaches to our wood stove and furnace yesterday in Marquette. We need to install it today in between eating a frozen leftover Thanksgiving turkey dinner and…well, I don’t know what else comes “in between”.
Eckhart Tolle speaks about how we humans have a psychological need to know what comes next. But what if we renounce our need to know what happens next? What if we simply abandon ourselves to this holy/wholey moment as it appears?
Beautiful death by frost
In which case, taking another sip of black tea, smelling the cooking ham, mushroom and cheese omelette, listening to the soft chatter and laughter around the coffee shop and wondering whether to buy a latte because the gingerbread flavor smells so sweet and spicy and gingerbread-y. This sacred holy moment.
What does your sacred holy moment right this very moment look like? Are you crying, confused, delightedly happy? What makes up your moment which will never ever look exactly like this ever again?
Lake Superior Spirit 
my moment holds a lot of moments, past, present and future–but in making a few pendiong decisions I will be deciding which way my day, my next week, and ultimately my life will go–so I best get myself up out of this chair, away from my laptop and just “do it” as those Nike ads say– or answer that question that we all have: “if not now, when?” Actually, maybe I will just go have a coffee…………..(lol)
The multi-faceted moment, LouAnn. I hope you enjoyed your cup of coffee. Happy weekend!
This moment is enjoying your scattered “wonderings” which remind me so much of my own, typing hunt-and-peck style with one hand, the other hand on my dog’s warm head, letting my toes warm up after a long walk in new snow, and looking forward to the next sip of my coffee. Oh, there I go, out of the present moment, and “looking forward.” Thanks, Kathy!
Do you hunt and peck, Cindy? Do you have new snow? (We’re snow-less, pretty much, except for a few fluttering lazy flakes.) Enjoy your weekend!
Oh my Kathy, just opened an envelope from you. My real time present moment holds my green smoothie, not by Vita-Mix, but by Kitchen Aid.
And the distinct feeling that comes with all the hoop-la and all the letting go of my own plans and expectations, that just simply listening is enough. The music of your cafe there by the bay and the gray wet sky here, the moss that winked greenly as I passed in en route to the compost- it all sings it’s enoughness…no need to embellish….no hurry…no nagging. Just enough.
All my best to you today. xo S
Suzi, I would love to sip your green smoothie, but it’s just as precious to listen to your enoughness. That is the preciousness of life, is it not? Enoughness. I love that word, and that you got your real-life envelope.
Well, I just don’t know! The shriek of that blender made me have to read what you wrote a gazillion times, and I STILL can’t remember what you said, so I’ll just pray, I recall someone asking for that…
WordPress has forced me, YES FORCED ME, as I can accept no responsibility in this and feel a need for blame, to make copyrighted images of my Purple Shoe Photography items. I was working very simply and consistently, reinventing the wheel of my lack O organizational system for images. Oh, wait, while my little fingers are tired and my back now has a twinge, I have come up with a MUCH simpler system and done said edits and copies all the way back to September. I create a LOT, how could I forget? I feel incontinent….no no no inconSISTENT. I hope that I will remember this new system here on out and in order to move backward through time as it again is now, cause WordPress
mucked upoffered a new learning challenge AND a way to get my sh…belongings together. Wow, my head is spinning now, I swear that blender is a b….eautiful addition and where is my tea?ooo hey! IF i copy and paste this into noticing nature blog area, I’ll have another item done for the day! None of my daily practice things hit the hey there i posted radar, cause they are on individual pages. Oh, and I made Elisa’s Spot a purple shade, though maybe it blows out one’s eyes and I should change it back?
I have no idea about the purple. Yes, no, or maybe? lol!
Let’s hope, Elisa, that we’re not in the incontinent stage yet, lol! Good luck with your copyrighted images. I am drinking my second cup of tea right now. How many cups of tea have you drank today?
uhm…only three
I May (ok that is too much like a lie and I can’t lie), DID have some Gluten Free cookies. I will probably want to die tomorrow and will have to keep reminding me that things are holy in order to wait for me to level out. Will someone please write me a note, telling me that there is, as yet, NO Good Cookie. Tasty maybe, good, not so much! I am currently eating too much food, but not skipping a decent meal due to cookies. GF Pizza with these EXCELLENTY crusts, spinach, mushrooms, onion, and kalamata olive YUM! There are no children
to take care ofto yell at me to do things, including NOT eating those cookies. Big Hugs!My toes are warm. They’re sunk into Butter’s the cat’s fur, as he lies curled at my feet under the desk. Maya the cat is knocking the computer mouse and showing me his cat bum. Why do cats think we live to stare at their bum holes. I’ve tidied my bedroom. That always puts me into a good room. I just about live in my bedroom and it’s small … say 8′ X 12 ‘ … so it’s important that things are where they should be.
I’m listening to CBC Radio and catching up on email/blog reading.
It’s around freezing or perhaps a degree or two above outside. Wendy and Trey are dozing on their beds. I need to go find my lined “wellies” and take these two goofs for a walk.
I’m in a pretty good mood.
I just read a very interesting blog by some thoughtful lady who lives in the remote wilds of Michigan with her beloved and her new stove.
Sorry — what was the question ?
Oh, I loved your story, Sybil! What a wonderful story. There was no question. Only the answer of your story, shining in my eyes right now.
Hi Kathy,
I am, this very moment, sipping coffee, eating oatmeal and soaking in your daily words. That paragraph I’m not supposed to mention? Ok. Well. I have a PhD in Inconsistency, just so ya know. A struggle? You betcha! But here’s the thing. In a word it’s called Acceptance. I know I’m inconsistent, on a supremely royal level with decades of experience, but I’m tired of fighting it. It’s just me and I love me so it’s all good!
Hugs
SuZen
Shhh, SuZen, I have no idea what paragraph you’re talking about! But I am now longing for oatmeal. Perhaps tomorrow’s breakfast, Doctor SuZen?
I’m taking a break from writing Christmas Cards, which I finally got from the printers, and trying without succeeding to come up with a few words for each one. No big info letter from me. Whatever would I say…..
Bonnie, oh gosh, I guess it’s time to write Christmas cards, isn’t it? But, dear friend, I suspect you would have MUCH of interest to say! Just look at your blog posts.
In this very moment, your quote by Eckhart Toll got me thinking. I’m not so hung up on what’s going to happen next, as just wanting to be prepared for whatever comes next. Which I suppose I’d need to know so I could prepare. A counselor has told me it’s my need to control. Hmph. Looks like I need to practice living more in the holy moment. 😉
Yep, look at us humans, Lori. So many of us have a need to control, or think we do! I find Eckart Tolle’s words revolutionary. And, now, to figure out how to live them…in this moment…
This moment finds me catching up on some reading and enjoying more hot coffee with a peppermint dropped in for a treat. The house is cleaned and decorated and we’re anxiously waiting for my oldest son to arrive. He’s just coming for the day but even a short visit is wonderful! ♥
Peppermint in your coffee? What a sweet idea, Brenda! I wish I had a peppermint here for tomorrow morning, except, wait a sec, that’s way too many minutes in the future! Have a wonderful visit with your son!
Yep 🙂 the peppermint is an added treat in the coffee for the holidays. I’ve been enjoying it. We did have a nice visit with Ben…he left last night after a 4 hour “nap” (he works the night shift so his schedule on the weekends is much like the weekdays. When he left, I was worried and he said “Mom, this is like my lunch time so I’m wide awake. Don’t worry.” I couldn’t sleep until I knew he was home safe. Then I finally slept and woke up to a winter wonderland! Snow everywhere and it’s still coming down. 8-15 inches is expected by tonight.
Just because of you I added a peppermint candy (from the post office) to my tea. It was great! Did you get that much snow? We only got 2 inches from Caesar.
Just this then: ❤ and hugs
And – gingerbread lattes can be happiness in a mug, but I always ask the barista first, because too much ginger can ruin my coffee. Also, if you come across anyone who wants to give me a vitamix, lemme know 😉
Heather, I suspect the coffee shop owners wanna keep their Vita-Mix, but I dunno…could always ask them! I have actually experienced very few gingerbread lattes, but will keep your ginger tip in mind, thank you!
I’m TRYING to follow Eckart to but IT”S HARD!!! MY EGO has served ME well and to remove it has not been easy. I wish you luck on your journey to NOT being anxious about the future. . . and am NOT reassuring you!!!
It IS hard, Jasmine! (At least our Ego tells us it’s hard.) It’s probably the Ego’s ploy to keep itself surviving, convincing us how hard it is and how much better we’d be if we just kept listening to It. I am also convinced it’s the easiest thing in the world…that awareness that we are. Hmmm, another conundrum. Please reassure me.
Oh I hope to reassure me. My ego monster is ALWAYS waiting for me to through it a bone! That’s all I intend to feed it. BONES!!! Nothing more substantial and as infrequent as possible! And I assure you after we tame this something else will pop up. So I will be sure not to congratulate my self once this is achieved!
Ha ha, Jasmine! Until our ego/familiar self drops away, I guess we just have to deal with our egos. 🙂
DAMN IT!!! I was REALLY hoping to live a life of ENLIGHTENMENT. . . now i’ll be on a reality TV show arguing about who’s dog is cuter… DOOM!!!
But Jasmine you may be arguing about who’s dog is cuter and be totally enlightened!! I may be carrying on about VitaMixes totally enlightened! There is hope I tell you.
OH KATHY you’ve SAVED ME!!! MY HERO!!!!
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As I begin another comment to your ever so delightful and funny blog- I really have nothing to share except way too much of which I can not do here so…. let’s see. I dont’ have a moment to dwell on being in the moment. But since you asked or perahps you didn’t, I like that you went from topic to topic because that is kinda how my day goes. From one thing to another and another, and the list is endless. I never get done. So yes, I am typing and before that I read every comment and I thought that some of them were very funny especally the woman who wrote about wordpress and something about purple. I think it was Sybil but I need to go back and find HER so I can subscribe to her blog. I need to be kept in stitches for I am constantly worrying. (my worries are not about petty things) So that is what, my in the moment is- worry and not being organized. I don’t think too much about tomorrow. It’s called living one day at a time. That old AA motto and no, I am not a recovering, AA person not to be confused with triple (AAA). I am just grateful that I could get out of bed; walk, talk, think ( but not too deep).Keep writing as you did today. I really, really , REALLY LIKED THE BLOG A LOT!
Is this one funny, Yvonne? Really? That is so interesting. I thought I was doing a Presence-filled blog, but maybe a bit of humor snuck in sideways. 🙂 I never know what I’m going to write. That’s the inconsistent part. Ooops, forget that last sentence.
I am sorry your worries are not about petty things. May you find a few minutes in your day to relax and put the worries on the back-burner and maybe drink a cup of tea. Blessings!
Thanks Kathy for the nice reply. In all honesty, I found what you wrote to be really funny. Am I the only person that saw the Vita-Mix post as funny? I am curious to know since your humor is dry sometimes (as mine can be but it rarely shows) and I can not always tell where the funny and the serious begin and end.
Frankly I think that not planning on what you are going to write might just make for better writing. Once you hit a certain part of what you are writing, a different part of your brain and imagination kicks in and thus whether or not you intended to begin this one as presence filled or not- it to me came out as candid yet secretive in some places. You left the reader dangling and I wanted to know what the woman had asked you about but of course you could not tell your readers. That was the good part that rooked me in and then it just began to flow from there.
Regards,
Yvonne
I’ve decided that some people think my posts are funnier-than-the-dickens and others not at all. I guess it’s if you like a dry sense of humor. I’m almost always laughing while writing. Glad you have enjoyed the posts!
If your readers can not find the humor in your stories then something is terribly wrong in their loft. I am really getting a bang out of how you write. I’m not even sure if you are aware how funny you are.
I like when you write seriously but I like your funny side the best. The vita-mix post was really good. There have been lots more I just can’t name them off the top of my beebee brain.
Regards,
Yvonne
Sorry it was not Sybil it was Elisa’s Spot that was the very funny commenter or at least I thought she was funny.
Thank you, those were kind thoughts shared–I think 😛
giggling at self
psst. don’t offer me a cookie
Ok. I will not offer a cookie. Do cookies make you funnier and more talkative?
Sort of, in the moment, it’s a stinking rotten dirty trick that sugar lie, nearly worse than booze! Having sugar hangover today blaaaaaaaaaaaaaah blah blaaaaaah.
Well you are not alone. I had to give up eating anything sweetned with cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. If I ate cookies, cake, ice cream, candy- the next day I would feel like I had the flu and fatigue was awful. Now I don’t eat any of that stuff except rarely. I can use honey as much as I like and it does not cause me to feel ill. I buy local honey and the stuff is actually good for you. When my children were still at home I baked lots of cookies for christmas. I don’t do that anymore for then I want to eat what I baked. I bake only a few things and I must slap my own hands to stay away from the cookies.
Excited about the next moment without discounting the moment I have
That sounds lovely, Kim. Sounds like you have the best of both possible moments!
I think this post has about 6 different points of view and I loved it. The sacred holiness of being on-line and rather than playing stupid video games connecting with people I don’t know but hold dear – like you. Thanks Kathy!
Only six, Lisa? lol! My heart warmed when you said you held me dear. Loving the sacred everyday holiness with you. Maybe even video games at times?
okay, occasionally video games too.
My moment is when I realized that there was at least one person in the county who thought I had a fortress and didn’t walk around the end of the fence.
We need to talk and laugh. My mantra to my sons “We can’t build a fortress, learn to live with it”
Ha, John! I had to go back right now and read my email, and sure enough, I DID use the word fortress! Could I have found a way around the end of the fence? Is there a secret entrance? Yep, let’s get together one of these days.
My happy moment right at this time is sitting here with only the light from the christmas lights and the lap top, a hot cup of tea and knowing that there are people out there that care.
(but in a few mintues time it will be a different moment and something else)
Yes, me2013, the different moments all arising and one minute we’re happy that there are people who truly care and the next our mind will be telling us no one cares. I am always interested in what’s bigger than our conflicting changing thoughts. On the other hand, let’s just sip tea together.
I find these stream-of-consciousness blogs of yours so very interesting. My moment, although of course not exactly the same, is very similar to those I experience most Sunday mornings: I’m drinking my coffee, catching up with friends in the blogosphere, thoughts of what I need to get done today zooming around in the background, contemplating what Kathy has set out for me to contemplate today in the foreground.
Really, Karma? I both like and don’t like them. Ha ha…gotta get a grip, Kath, and quit saying stuff like that. I was really really having fun describing Presence in the coffee shop. Simple moments arising and passing, just writing down what was happening, thoughts arising, people coming by, smells wafting by, the owner, Bob, laughing his huge guffaw and his wife Nicki saying “What’s up?” Ooops, I didn’t write half of that. It would have been a book to write down everything that happened. Are you getting lots done now? P.S. i took a picture of my lunch. just in case, you know.
I accomplished what I needed to, not much more…. sigh. By the way, do you write from your, what was it that you won, a Kindle Fire?, in the coffee shop? Do you like it? Planning to get the girls those for Christmas, I hope they love them.
PS I forgot to photograph my dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll start tomorrow!
No, I don’t write from my Kindle, Karma. I find it very hard to type on the little things. I like it for some things (movies/reading/quick checking of FB or blog hits) but don’t enjoy it for writing, messaging. Barry keeps wanting me to say I love it 100, but really it’s only about a 71% love affair.
Here we all are, with thoughts running through our minds, or not, but the fingers moving nonetheless. Isn’t it wonderful? I am having my coffee, my first cup – but more will follow – and watching the sun creep up over the hills. Not thinking yet – haven’t been up long enough. Some things, like thinking, require at least two cups of coffee.
I am always amazed, Carol, how NO thoughts can be running in our minds, absolutely none, and yet it’s possible to sit at the computer and start typing. All you have to do is look around and see the teabags sitting by the steps (waiting to go down to the food room for storage) and pretty soon the fingers are typing about the cup of tea they’re drinking now (although fingers only pick up the cup; they do not drink, they need a stern talking-to for typing that) and how we had coffee earlier when Kiah called with hazelnut pumpkin creamer. The creamer contained both flavors because the fingers tossed together two leftover kinds of creamer to make one. Seriously, I wasn’t thinking before writing this paragraph. lol! Have a good weekend!
Kathy – when I read your, “…the doc said the body usually absorbs chalazions,” my mind said, “Yea, and the body usually absorbs calzones, too!” 🙂
Ha ha ha, Laurie! Yep, those bodies do absorb calzones!
I am sitting with pain during this sacred (w)holey moment. But it’s okay. Well, it’s not okay. But it’s okay. I think you’ll understand that. 🙂
I do totally understand, Robin. And feel very sad that you are/were in pain, even though it’s okay. It’s okay that you are in pain and it’s okay that it’s not okay and it’s okay that I feel sad and it’s okay to stop typing right now. *hugs*
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Lovely post. You words put me “in the zone.”
Awww, Lunar, your moonlit words are beautiful. Thank you for enjoying this moment of Presence.
Ah yes, and now I arrive at the official post about your non-sty on the eye. (It can take me a while, but I’m still plodding along!)
We had to buy a dehumidifier to try dealing with all the excess moisture in our apartment. I remember having a humidifier in Alberta and can’t imagine ever needing one here on the We(s)t Coast. I’m amazed to see how much water needs dumping out every single day from this dehumidifier. You’d think we were living in a tropical jungle or something!
You’d think it was a jungle, Dana! (I hear rumors that the upper West Coast there is kinda jungle like…) Yep, half of us have to deal with humidifiers and the other half dehumidifiers. Are we never satisfied? lol!
So true! I guess we technically live in a rain forest, though it is a temperate rain forest and not a tropical one. (Clearly.)
Kathy, I don’t know how to make those little hearts that mean love and WP won’t let me press like because I’m not a blogger so will have to just say it. Love this:)
Colleen, thank you. I loved writing this post, too. It’s weird…I had nothing to say before sitting down to write it. Yet looked around and told a story of Presence, simply a story of what was happening. Perhaps the best stories of all…the ones we simply witness and perhaps share…