Sunday, funday

We had a grad time of it on Sunday, from Meeting with Friends to harvesting the garden to stopping by the library. The summer seems especially designed for our enjoyment. Vivian continues to enjoy the greenway and her bike, and -- bonus -- she has begun meditation on her own. Pretty cool. Check out the Little Free Library that we found! We are thinking of starting our own.

A Week of Happy

Meditation Practice

I struggled with meditation forever.

Part of the practice for me is actually noticing the discomfort or whatever else is going on -- the traffic outside, the garbage truck, the bills on the desk, etc. -- and letting them EXIST, not letting them "go" exactly. It is beyond hard for me, but it is a powerful practice when I do it. {seventeen Yes, that is a big stack of bills and work over there. Well spotted! sixteen}

Try the activity below and let me know if it works or helps at all. I found my way into meditation through this little numbers game, and I still use it to center myself when I'm getting scattered or anxious:

1. Sit or lie comfortably, or as comfortably as you can for whatever is going on.
2. Lower your shoulders.
3. Be aware of your breathing.
4. Count backward from 20, with a breath on each number if it makes sense to do so -- when I'm in the board room, it's sometimes difficult to get this to line up at the beginning, but it frequently happens once I think of it and then forget about it again.
5. If you lose your spot in the count, it doesn't matter; pick up with the last number you remember.
6. Lower your shoulders whenever you think of it, if you think of it again.
7. Be as comfortable as you want, physically -- I do small adjustments and never worry about it.
8. Count to Zero.
9. If you get to zero and still have time for more, start over. :)

This worked for me, and I like to use it when I have to be present for the activity (a board meeting, a court hearing that I can't stand, etc.) but not participating (listening and not falling asleep). Caveat: I did once start a sentence with "seven," but that was only one time and I was pretty deep in the headspace, having been in it for over an hour in a court hearing while I listened to lies about me as a bad parent and was supposed to not crack so much as an expression. It's not a BIG danger, but it could happen. :)

Best of luck with the practice!
If you make one intentionally positive action today, every day, you won't believe the beauty that your world will be in a year.

Hot enough for you?

After 15 days in a row in excess of 90 degree heat, and the sixth in a row of ninety-five plus, I think I'm getting used to it. I actually feel more comfortable with the air conditioning off, the windows open, and the ceiling fan moving the air about a bit.

Of course, it could just be that I've lost my mind, but either way, I'm comfortable.

I made macaroni salad. It got a lot bigger than I thought it would, but it's delicious. The dressing has fresh basil, dill and oregano from the garden, and the salad has cucumbers carrots, peas, celery and red onion. This is summer.

Growth

This morning as I was writing, I realized that I have gone from

to

Life is good.

The beginning of the tomatoes

The tomatoes and cucumbers are beginning to come in.
Life is good.

Garden harvest

Lettuces, Cucumbers and Herbs, O My!

Playing catch with a green tomato that fell off the vine.

We got the first of the lettuce, and the herbs are coming along well. The tomatoes have overrun their cages, and I have no recourse other than to wish them well. There will be a large harvest soon from them. The first yellow grape tomatoes we're full of sunshiney goodness.

There are also the beginnings of pumpkins, which tickle us no end.

Dear Ethan

When I found out I was pregnant for you, after I wrapped my scared confused mind around the reality that I was going to have a baby, I sold my musical instruments to buy a crib. After you were born, when you were two weeks old, I took a waitressing job and my mother watched you in that crib so I could keep the money I made toting people's food and earning a few dollars being nice.

And you don't owe me anything, and I have no regrets; these are the things parents do.

When you have children, you will understand one thing more than anything else: parents don't give up on their children. Not for anything, not ever. They break our hearts, talk back, make messes, have wacky ideas and make decisions that hurt and sometimes scare us. But parents never give up on their children.

Parents believe in their children, and I believe in you.

I don't care what path you choose, but I do care that you are happy, healthy and whole. More than anything, when we disagree, or when you are afraid I won't approve of something, I want you to remember that I love you. I support you and accept you, the real you, and I will always have your back, even when I disagree with you or when it is painful or inconvenient.

That's what parents do.
And I am proud, so very proud, to be your parent.

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Saturday in the park

Saturday movie at the Grandin Theatre in the Village and then a tour through the furniture store where we found a super cool tic tac toe set. We dropped by Linda's used bookstore and then went to a puzzle room put on by the library. 

A good time was had by all.