the buzz

This is why I love poetry so much! When someone can write it as well as Erica Jong.

Hope everyone has a beautiful long weekend - make the most of the sunshine, the rain, the people and animals that you love. Celebrate the country that we live in!

After the Earthquake

After the first astounding rush,
after the weeks at the lake,
the crystal, the clouds, the water lapping the rocks,
the snow breaking under our boots like skin,
& the long mornings in bed. . .

After the tangos in the kitchen,
& our eyes fixed on each other at dinner,
as if we would eat with our lids,
as if we would swallow each other. . .

I find you still
here beside me in bed,
(while my pen scratches the pad
& your skin glows as you read)
& my whole life so mellowed & changed

that at times I cannot remember
the crimp in my heart that brought me to you,
the pain of a marriage like an old ache,
a husband like an arthritic knuckle.

Here, living with you,
love is still the only subject that matters.
I open to you like a flowering wound,
or a trough in the sea filled with dreaming fish,
or a steaming chasm of earth
split by a major quake.

You changed the topography.
Where valleys were,
there are now mountains.
Where deserts were,
there now are seas.

We rub each other,
but we do not wear away.

© Erica Mann Jong

New Career: Adventure Planner?

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list. ~ Susan Sontag

I had a really fun weekend getting all my gear organized for hiking this coming weekend. I LOVE the process of finding my gear, replenishing old and used stock (i.e. for my First Aid kits), packing my snacks into ziploc bags, putting my toiletries into little tubes/containers, sealing things up, and systematically checking off the items on my gear list.

HOURS of entertainment, I am not kidding you. : )

tears on a Wednesday

I'm not sure why, but this quotation made me cry, today.

there are things you do because they feel right
and they may make no sense and they may make
no money and it may be the real reason we are here:
to love each other and to eat each other's cooking
and say it was good ~ brian andreas

There's something about the simplicity of loving someone and partaking in that meal with someone you enjoy and celebrating it all.

Sharing the simple nourishment that comes with food and the social comfort that we feel when we immerse ourselves in that intimate and satiating tradition.

Realizing that you can take the time away from all the noise and craziness in your day, and the way time seems to ooze through our fingers like oil, un-graspable, thick and heavy with promise, leaving a residue of memories and photographs.

Finding that sanctuary in the simplicity of love, the uncomplicated free love that we all know, that emanates from our souls, and that, thinking it is somehow wrong or inappropriate or feared, we hide and bury behind our walls of protection and our fears and insecurities.

And allowing ourselves to feel - making choices because they feel good and they feel right - irregardless of the logic or intelligence. Simply trusting our bodies and our souls; listening to hearts and our wisdom; finding that smile that exists just there. For no other reason, than because it does.

Indy and the next generation

I saw the latest Indiana Jones movie last night. It was good - it seemed authentic and the cinematic quality was just like the previous 3 films. The cheesiness was there, the inspired theme song came out in full force, and you could feel that the audience really liked Indy and was happy he was back.

I have to say that I enjoyed the movie even more because of the cute 7 year old boy sitting next to me. He couldn't wait to tell his parents that "She is evil," when Cate Blanchett appeared. He got so excited during the car chase scenes. "Cool! Yah! Mom, he's the best!" There was a scene with a lot (a LOT!) of ants. It was good and creepy, and I heard him cry "That's gross!" Just about the same time I did.

It was fun to experience this movie with the next generation of Indy fans. It reminded me about the simple pleasures of a movie experience. A little drama, a lot of action, some cheesy dialog, good theme music, and a whole lot of fun!

Fun fun fun, in praise of fun!

Here's the daily OM message for today. I loved this!!

Remember The Light Side
In Praise Of Fun

Often when we talk about fun, or doing things just for fun, we talk about it in a dismissive way as if fun isn’t important. We tend to value hard work and seriousness, and we forget to pay our respects to the equally important, light side of silliness and laughter. This is ironic because we all know the feeling of euphoria that follows a good burst of laughter, and how it leaves us less stressed, more openhearted, and more ready to reach out to people. We are far more likely to walk down the street smiling and open after we’ve had a good laugh, and this tends to catch on, inspiring smiles from the people we pass who then positively influence everyone they encounter. Witnessing this kind of chain reaction makes you think that having fun might be one of our most powerful tools for changing the world.

Laughter is good medicine, and we all have this medicine available to us whenever we recall a funny story or act in a silly way. We magnify the effects of this medicine when we share it with the people in our lives. If we are lucky, they will have something funny to share with us as well, and the life-loving sound of laughter will continue to roll out of our mouths and into the world.

Of course, it is also important to allow ourselves to be serious and to honor that side of ourselves so that we stay balanced. After a great deal of merriment, it can actually be a pleasure to settle down and focus on work, or take some time for introspection until our next round of fun begins.

blowing in the wind...

Do you ever have those moments where you feel as if your body is dutifully going about the tasks that make up a regular, ordinary, comfortable existence?

And your soul is just screaming to be let out to play.

All these signposts are around you...

...Your friend posts a quotation on her blog the other day: I am bigger than the life I lead.

And "yes!" your soul cries "I really am. Let me show you!"

...A colleague sends you a web site link for a pair of shoes called the Five Fingers. Plastered on the page is the glorification of freedom of another kind:
barefooting (bare•foot•n) n. 1. The exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional footwear offering the protection of a thin, flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings.

And your heart does a little leap of joy at the prospect of running naked in the great outdoors.

...You hear about people and companies that are doing things you would love to do!
Make people laugh. Fill your space with succulence. Do some good in the world. Create beauty.

And you quiver and shake with the intensity of need. "I want that for me!"

So what do you do? Stuff your face into a pillow and will it all to go away? Carry on dragging yourself through another eternity of a day? Dangle that big toe into the ice cold lake and prepare yourself for a tidal wave?

A Summer Toast

I had to write a toast for tomorrow's Toastmasters meeting. The theme is SUMMER.

I wrote this quickly - mostly because I am hungry and itching to get out of the house for some exercise. I scribbled this down on a pad of paper as I sat perched on my kneeling chair - one leg poised in a contortion, as if ready to make a mad dash to somewhere.

Although my mind was a bit scattered and distracted, the imagery came so easily.

And it dawned on me how much I enjoy this season.
How I wait for it for months and forget about the simple pleasures and incredible fun that lies in wait every moment during these short 12 weeks.

Here's a toast to SUMMER

to sunshine
green grass
gatherings of friends and family
lilac bushes
BBQ season
cold beer
summer holidays
ice cream
birds chirping at dawn
bare feet
impromptu cocktails on the back deck
campfires
outdoor music
picnics
brilliant sunsets
swimming
and all the things that are evocative of the warmest time of year with the longest days!

To summer!