Embody peace

"It is difficult for us in the West to trust that we can achieve peace and happiness if we're not doing something active to bring it about, but embodying peace and happiness does bring it about."

- Alberto Villoldo, from The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power and Grace of the Earthkeepers

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Sky pink

This is literally what the sky looked like for about 3 minutes while I was getting ready for work yesterday. Quick, grab the tripod and camera, screw the camera onto the tripod while running out the door and try not to slip on the frosty deck, throw glasses on, run down hill past electric lines, set up tripod, zoom in. It was gone 2 minutes later.

BTW, those are trees, not weeds, silhouetted, the last of the leaves hanging onto the top branches.

Speaking of pink skies, here is part of a poem called "North Woods" by John Tranter. Read the whole (long) poem here.

The imagination babbles forever,
the kitchen light in the cabin always
glowing in the fog ahead where frail ghosts
glimmered, like a gin ad in the ancient forest
then her remedy rattles down from the shelf, the sun
spoking through the lonesome pines and she becomes
as we prayed she would - full of zip,
the sky pink and happy.

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Leaves of gold

For the Laika, there is nothing more important than being true to one's word, so they're very careful about what they say to themselves and others. They believe that to utter a single negative syllable to someone is to cast a curse, and that to say something positive is to give a blessing.

- Alberto Villoldo, from The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power and Grace of the Earthkeepers

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Christmas in October

If you want to see it bigger, click on image

When I brought the Christmas cacti in from the porch in September the decrease in light sent them into blooming mode. So here we are two months early, blooming with the pumpkins. We might be lucky enough to have some abloom a month from now when Don's family comes for Thanksgiving (and Lesley and Peter are home - yay!).

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Looking out a window

Yes, I've been busy keeping a photo posted daily on the East Lansing blog. But that's not the only reason I haven't posted here in a few days. Just feeling pensive, you know? (The photo here is of Don in a building at University College, Cork, in Ireland in July, looking out at the quad.)

Things I'm thinking about:

• the literal nature, or not, of holy scriptures
• the illusion of this world and its forms
• Relaxing my shoulders and wishing I could have a weekly deep tissue massage (Ginnie?)
• the nature of "God"
• saving the planet, or not (thanks to Rauf)
• Tiger baseball and the World Series
• Writing poems, or not
• ego constructs (hopefully not)

Sorry, but I can't help myself.

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Last harvest

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Don gathered the last of the tomatoes and left them on the adirondack in this still life. (And he thinks he's not an artist.)

Don fries up the tastiest green tomatoes EVER. That perfect combo of tender inner sweetness with the savory, crisp crust.

We're back to a typical autumn day after the early snow last week.

Before moving to the farm in November 2003, autumn was my favorite season. But now, living out here, nature is close at hand every day of the year. I get to drive through farmland to work 5 days a week. Each day of each season is observable, touchable, changeable. Even the daily-different clouds are important in the landscape. If you ask what is my favorite season, I might just say "now."

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Happy Birthday, Peter

Click on photo to enlarge

24 years ago today my son Peter was born. Happy day!

Peter, you're a man of character, talent, humor, depth, intelligence, beauty and grace. I bless the day you were born.

This 1983 photo of Peter on my back is in the Redwood Forest in California. I was 26, just two years older than he is now.

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