I’m resorting to another wordless day for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. My brain and body are tired and depleted. Here’s my effort at hula hooping. I managed to stay afloat for 45 seconds. I have done better but this is my best today. I’m nowheres near Rachel of Hula Dancercise but I’m trying. Maybe if I practice a little every day.
It’s been a busy October for me. Rather than throwing up my hands, skipping another day or giving up on the Ultimate Blog Challenge altogether, I’m posting another sort of wordless day. I’m featuring the star in my greenhouse – the bitter melon. Though it is almost mid October, they are still charging along. I’ve given the vines a huge haircut to let more sun in. That’s also a lesson in letting go. Trimming off excess vines stimulated more baby bitter melons to form. I’m not sure of the count. I think it is over 10.
I’ve just did a head count and got about 20 melons.
Today’s meditation practice is to an imagine of catching a falling leaf. It’s not too hard when I am looking out towards my large living room window. Even with my eyes closed I see the tree with its golden and orange leaves framed like a photo, lit by the morning sun. How beautiful the picture. I breathe in and out. The leaves are slowly drifting down like soft feathers. I reach out with my hand to catch one. I close my hand over it and felt it crumble. We live and then we crumble. That’s how it is. One life time. Spring, summer, autumn and then its winter.
There’s joy and sorrow in each and all. There’s growth and celebration in spring and summer. Come autumn there’s a slowing down. We mature, getting ready for winter and our rest/sleep. There’s much to learn and get ready. There’s sorrow but also joy, having lived a good life – the best we knew how. I have learned much in this autumn. I have celebrated. I have learned how to forgive and what to let go. I am a good gardener. I know how to tend and weed. I feel blessed.
A glorious sunny October Sunday. Hopefully it’s not the last hurrah. It’s Thanksgiving in Canada. We have much to be thankful for. We have an unpredictable summer followed by an equal autumn. It was a good growing season resulting in an abundant harvest. We are cleaning up and harvesting the last of the garden.
The garlic is planted and mulched with compost. The winter compost bin is put in the garden near the house. The water tanks emptied into the raised beds and the garden. The pepper plants are cut and dropped in the raised bed. We thought we would leave the carrots till later. The flower pots gathered for storage. We are almost ready for winter. We are ready and waiting for our Thanksgiving supper cooked by my nephew for all in the family. We are thankful.
Peace is elusive these days. Just when I think everything is copacetic and I can finally coast, along comes a monkey wrench. I take nothing for granted now. I breathe and stay in the moment, appreciating what is. Mornings are the best. I love how the early sun hits and lights up everything, creating Monet paintings of my very ordinary home and household objects. And I feel peace easing into my body.
It is Saturday. I have no place to go and nothing to do. I can stay in my pjs the live long day and languish as I used to long ago. I can still remember how. Tomorrow is another day.
I’m falling madly in love with the easy peasy way of doing things. It is so nice to give yourself a break once in awhile. When my brother said let’s discuss Thanksgiving and maybe we should just skip it this year, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Our 92 year old parents have been having more health issues this year. Just when you think everything is ok, something else happens. Though things have quieted down, we are all tired. It’s good not to fuss with ‘celebrating’ and gathering. I like the thought of celebrating and giving thanks in rest and quiet. I have given up the mantra of ‘I must. I must.‘ With that thought, this is my day 5 and 6 post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Easy peasy.
After a windy and cold night of -5℃, it is a sunny calm day. It’s not a sweltering day but it looks warm at 10℃. We finished harvesting what we want yesterday and covered the bed of brassicas. They are looking well. The lone pepper in the bed is done though. I’ve baked a batch of pumpkin muffins. The rack of pork is cooking in the oven. We are giving thanks and are grateful.
It’s a weird kind of a Wednesday with clouds, rain, wind and sun all in one day. I’m not functioning at my best, lacking sleep. My word bank is scanty if not completely empty. I’ve never resorted to a wordless Wednesday before. I thought I would try it today. I was introduced to hula dancercise on Facebook. The music is energizing. Looks like great fun and I hula hoop. Bet I could lose a whole lot of inches off my waist if I can keep up. Something to aspire to. Enjoy.
Finally some sun on this third day of October. My garden is still producing. I’ve just harvested a bowl of goodness – some green and purple beans, 3 Sunburst squash and a few sprigs of broccoli. Life is good though challenges and difficulties never stop. Having this space to tap and sigh and bitch a little helps a lot. You will not find any Pulitzer winning writing here. It is but some mumbling of a simple woman travelling her path.
This month will be an exploration of solutions for easier ways of doing and living. I’ve started already by adopting shorter posts and letting go of my desire of writing a thousand words a day. It is a much easier goal to obtain. The other day, I made 3 instead of my usual loaves of bread at a time. Dough for 3 loaves is so much easier to knead. Then there’s only 3 pans to wash after. It was a much more pleasurable experience.
I’m not sure of what the next thing to be. I haven’t got a clue right at the moment. I won’t whack my head trying to figure it out. It will come on its own. I don’t need to work so hard at living though that is my personality trait. I can change. It won’t be easy. Old habits die hard even those that hurt and harm us. The payoffs of change are great. I will and can make the effort.
A rainy and gloomy day 2 of the October Ultimate Blog Challenge. I could easily fall into the gloom of the day. But as soon as I step out into the backyard and garden, I am greeted by cheer and colour. There’s my little monk sitting so peacefully in the herb spiral. I am reminded of my departed but not forgotten fur baby, Sheba. She forever resides in me and the little monk.
I snap photos as I walk through yard and garden, trying to capture the beauty and feelings of the moment. I cannot totally get it all. Still it is enough to store for memory and to share. Who would think that I still have green beans to pick? The Chinese long beans are flowering but maybe too late and cool for beaning now. No matter. Still it is heartening to see them thriving and blooming in October.
It is soothing and relaxing to sit and tap out these words and images. My chaotic thoughts are ironed out by the rhythm of the keyboard. My distress is replaced by the images of the yard and garden. And I do not have to spew out the poison within me. I am saved and sane for another day.
October 1, the first day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I hope to write a post each day of October and share it on the Ultimate Blog Facebook page. Of course sometimes when we have hopes and aspirations, even the best laid plans can go asunder. Being such a dismal and rainy day, there’s a high chance for failure. Such negativity! I can hear the tongues clicking. I’m here, aren’t I? I’m giving it a good go.
I’m choosing sweet, simple and to the heart – meaning short. When I first started this blog, I had aspirations of writing a thousand and two words a day. I have never achieved or even got close to the count. But I do love the written word. And I am good at short and sweet, stuff for Hallmark cards. So I’m going that route. I enjoy challenges, interacting and obeying rules. The rules here are fairly easy and simple to follow. If we choose to post in the daily thread, we have to read and comment on the 2 posts immediately above ours. I plan to do that. At this moment, I have no extra energy to go beyond. I thought I would put that right up front.
So here’s good luck to me and all. One post a day for October. That’s it. I have no idea about what I will write each day – probably just more mumbling about my day to day life. It keeps me sane and hopefully sweet.
