Strange Places

Image via WikipediaToday, I am the Kentucky Clinic for a few hours. No, I am not sick. I am studying at the Starbucks there.(Sorry, nobody does a soy chi latte like them around here!)

I love this Starbucks location. It's a large open space filled with chairs and people. It is a cozy place with good light.  It has lots of seating. Most other locations around here are crowded and narrow.So, it definitely has a ambiance working in its favor.

There is a lot of energy in the clinic. Despite, all this swirling energy there is a sense of order that pervades this particular place.In terms of good study nooks, this one takes the cake.

Do you have any strange places you go to experience quiet?

My Review: The Fourth Week of the Year

Oh, my what a week.
Grounding activities
were sorely needed this week.

Meditation has become such
a life-line to me.
That coupled with a jot
in my journal in the morning
and a few psalms
is my gift
for my internal life.

 However, it is enough.
It is like pouring water on a thirsty plant.
At first your efforts seem hopeless but
eventually you turn around
and a little flower has bloomed
in the midst of you.


I hope that you are watchful for the blooming flowers of life and hope this weekend.
Happy Friday!

love,
k

poem-The Life of a Day by Tom Hennen

P.S. For an interpretation of the psalms with more inclusive/non-sexist language try this book.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Image via WikipediaToday is wishcasting wednesday, Jamie asks, "What do you wish to enjoy?"
What a great question!
I wish to enjoy this winter.So, far, I have despised and hated this season. It bring me down. There is not enough sun and it's cold and snowy. Things that really urked me but I want to enjoy this season a bit more.
 However, I want to enjoy it on my own terms.

I want to do the things I need to do to make winter fun for me. Winter makes me homebody. I want to stay inside and be a domestic nerd. That means cooking warm and savory food, knitting, reading, talking forever on the phone, npr listening,long baths and letter,etc. Alas, I can't do that all day because of class and work but I can really create chunks of time to do my domestic nerd things.Giving myself permission to do those things will most like enrich my spirit and also lift some of my winter fatigue.

I can't change all this snow and I can't seem to change my feelings about it. However, what I can do
is carve out meaningful time to connect to what I like most about winter. So, that is what I wish to enjoy most during this season.

Winter is a great time to appreciate that you have four walls and a heater to keep you cozy. There is so much to be thankful for even in winter. The earth will turn warm again. Trees will get their leaves but in the meantime, this is what I have.

The outdoors is not in my control but I can turn up the heat, slip into something comfy and enjoy the day when I am home.

image via wikipedia

Weekend Moments

This weekend was quite nice.
Sometimes, you just need
some time to unwind your life,
to let it simmer and gather flavor.

Sometimes, you need to let other people
encourage you and
to listen instead of talk.
Sometimes, you need to be silly
and play with shiny curtains.

There are days when you should toss your food
around with your bare hands.
There are times that you need to sing a new song.
Moments that you need to be still and look
out the window.

Life is a learning process.
We need a strong heart fortified with tenderness
community and grace.
Oh, and dash of sunshine, never hurt.

I hope that you had a lovely weekend ! Happy Monday!
love,
k

P.S. Sorry, my thumb made such a cameo in the last picture. It was probably hungry!

Snow Day

 There is nothing like a cup of tea.
A blanket and warm bath on snow covered day.
A good book, doesn't hurt, either.
I'm currently rereading Pride and Prejudice.
 Is it just me or does that book get better with each read?

Thanks for all your kind comments yesterday.  I really appreciate them.
Things have settled down this way{besides the snow}.
Now, I'm off for a wee bit of pleasure reading!

peace,
k

P.S.Seeing this garden inspires me. I want to get some micro-greens a brewing soon!

My Review: The Third Week of the Year

Image by B Tal via FlickrI started this post on Thursday at a very emotional time for me. Let's just say this week kicked my heart out.
However, here I am writing to tell it!

I am amazed what a little love can do.

I am amazed at what a little community and sharing can achieve.

I am amazed that when darkness seems inevitable a flood of light comes shooting 

in my heart.

 Under the current, beneath everything

there is a unflinching light. 

Oh, thank you love for lighting lamps.

Thank you, love for tending emotional wounds,

holding my hand in times of  trial,

offering me phone calls,words, letters, emails as songs of encouragement.

Thank you, love for whispering in ears "to light a heart".

Have a lovely and light filled weekend!

Peace,
-k

Wishcasting Wednesday

It's Wishcasting Wednesday!
Today over at Jamie Riddler Studios, Jamie asked"What hunger do you wish to feed?"
Hmm.. that's a loaded question and one I would rather avoid, if I'm being truthful.

What do I hunger for...

intimacy

love

understanding

confidence

enjoyment

beauty

grace

my authentic self

Sometimes, it seems like I am bursting at the seams with longing.
 I find it frustrating, to be honest.

To be so hungry for life

Yet so scared to leap.

Sometimes, I feel like I must digest my old selves

 and my current self before I can be.

However, that's not not true. I don't have to wait until I am perfect
to feast. I can feast now. I chose to sit at the table and feast with all this
hunger. I chose to feed it, nurture it and let it dance.


Song-Private Party-Indie.Aire

MLK Day- A Reflection

Image by elycefeliz via FlickrToday is Martin Luther King Day.
I love Martin Luther King, Jr's love ethic. His "Strength to Love" is one of my favorite books. His nonviolence and love centered ethics deeply inform how I like to engage and live out my own politics.
Moreover, I am thankful that people like King did and still do risk their life  to speak out against injustice and speak up for greater good.

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” –Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

I am deeply inspired by King but being inspired is not enough.
We must work towards not seeing King's dream as some mythological rhetorical creature but as part of the fabric of the world we are creating.

There are multiple ways to do that- Here's three ones to think about.

1. Being Kind to Others. Kindness is not just some passive feelings  you feel in regard to someone. It is a force, an action and a way of being in the world. Being kind is not about being smiley but about generously working to diminish hostility, creating a space of honesty and building "right perspective". I really enjoyed this article on Slice of Pink on the subject.

2. Being of Service to Others. Kim wrote a great blog post today about being of service to others. Service is a great way to get an heart for people. It can be challenging to finding your niche but once you find where your talents meet the needs of others you can open up a beautiful chapter in your life. I use to tutor ESL for refugees and it was such "aha" experience for me.  I really enjoy helping people learn that they could learn. I miss doing that work. So, my challenge is to find away to be of service again. Thanks, Kim for this important reminder.

3.Challenge our own small-mindness. This can be the most challenging but it's the most effective for creating a good world. We all have years of cultural conditioning that make us susceptible to certain stereotypical thinking patterns. We sometimes call that truth and hide behind it. Whatever your -ism(s) is challenge it. I don't mean token friends(ouch, but it happens) but really get out of your box.  Get to know people who believe different, who love different , eat different;dance differently,live differently, dress differently etc.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” –Strength to Love

song-Nina Simone- The King of Love is Dead

Monday's Om "Play" List

Image by Adam Foster | Codefor via Flickr

I am still on the mend. So, I am taking it really slow these days.
This weekend was all about resting and getting a little more grounded for me. It was about sitting/living with a lot of different energies in my heart with an open hand. It was not about trying to change but to cherish and accept what was. It was about not being so serious and not feeling guilty.  It was about playing with life, delighting in the moment and opening to the possibilities. Turn out when I get my play on-- the OM(bliss, grace, heart) comes back!


My Om "Play" List:

My friend gave me some flowers this weekend. It was such a sweet gesture. Not only did it cheer me up but it also gave me an excuse to use a cute green pitcher I had on hand.

I listened to a lot of NPR this weekend. I love hearing the Bonnaroo 2010 concerts and  the Splendind Table , especially.

Speaking of  2010, I finally watched Sex and The City 2. I confess I don't get all the lampooning. I liked it but I like cheesy, feel good fluff when it comes to movies.

Oh, and I soooooo want the coffee table from the movie. Trying to replicate the feel on my coffee table.

Had my first Nutella and banana sandwich. Not bad. I think I like peanut butter better!

Fell in love again and again with this album.

Helped a friend prepare for a spelling bee for her classes. It was so cool to get into kid mode.I kinda miss kids!

Starting listening to this interview for class. Sorry, I can't share the actual interview but I think it is proprietary!

Working on a wonderful new series I am doing here featuring some awesome ladies. I can't want to tell you about it.

Told someone I loved them and meant it. No, it's not that type of party! No romance on the horizon, I am speaking of friend love.

Connected with a few friends.

Counted my blessings.

My OM "play" wish for this week: Get outside and walk around! What's yours?


P.S. You know I could not leave you without a real playlist. Check this one out. I dare you not to smile!

 
top pic credit

My Review: The Second Week of the Year

I am struck by this quote, which is hanging around my desk.

Generosity breeds an immediate kind of happiness. This helps generosity beget more generosity with less and less effort.-Joseph Goldstien.

So, I'm going to be generous to myself and lay low for a bit. I'm no use to anyone if I am depleted. This is really hard for me. I hate to sit still. I hate to "take it easy". I much rather be doing something, if only the dishes. However, sometimes, your body says, "NO" and you need to listen.  Today, I had bad situation in pushing through and I just want to challenge myself to be okay with doing the minimal. I am enough!

Peace and kale,
k

Sharing My World

Lately, I have really intrigued by visions of domestic life. I don't know if it is my age, gender or social conditioning. I really do like peering at people and how they they live. It is something I am very curious about.

I'm one of those people who goes to new person home and immediately looks at their books and music collections. I wanna know what's in the fridge and beside their bed. I'm curious about how we lay our clothes out in the morning and how stacks of mail are scoped and put on the table.

So, what if you listen to country and I listen to drippy singer-song writers. All that matters is that I am willing to see past myself to you, for moment. 

When I am peering around people's home, I am not looking for anything in particular. It doesn't really matter what's on your shelf or in player. 

No matter our race, class, sexual orientation,body shape or mobility , I think that we all have a deep desire to matter and be connected. I think that in the fold of our laundry and around our tables lies that connection we yearn to hold. I must be willing to be seen and see others at their most tender and vulnerable moments and likewise. I must come into your world just a step, maybe, a glance or two.

I want to bring you into my world, too. Not because it's so wonderful and fabulous but because on some level I need to be known as I am and so do you. I'm not really sure how that will look but I hope you will stay tuned for the journey.

With all the peace in the world,
k

P.S.
Some blogs I love that capture domestic life
public::bookstore
Habit
3191

Inspiration

The truth is I'm sick. So, hopefully this will make sense.If not blame it on the blue stuff! Besides medicine and tea, this is what's fueling me this week.

My Fuel List

This scarf I got on sale at the gap last summer. I really like blue scarves with patterns. It just makes me happy. Right now it's hanging around the apartment reminding me to wear it again. Don't worry, I will.

This excerpt from Raymond Carver's  poem "At Least" is making huge impression on me. Oh man/woman, this just gives me goosebumps!!

I hate to seem greedy--I have so much

to be thankful for already.

But I want to get up early one morning, at least.

And go to my place with some coffee and wait.

Just wait to see what's going to happen

-Raymond Carver


Oh and this video from chookooloonks. So inspiring. So lovely. I just want to watch it again and again.

What's fueling you this week?

My Monday Truth

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours. -Dale Carnegie.

Last night, I found my old sketch books, art journals, and writing books. It was amazing to hold them in my hand and to open them up. I confess, I have not really been writing since 2005. As most things were dated around that time.

 I was overwhelmed with sadness at first. I felt like a part of me had died. However, as I got to reading and looking over my work, I realized I had a lot of heart and a good writing voice back then. I had and still have a lot to say.

Something happened that stop me from believing in myself. I know that I am not a perfect writer but I wrote my heart out all those years ago.  Writing has always been my balm, my saving grace. Putting words on a page/screen make me feel alive. I wrote because I could and because it was freeing. It was about expression and connection. I want that back. I want to write because I can and because it's mine. So, I will. I will pick up my pen and do it!

I don't want to be a perfect at it. I just want to move my hand across the page. If I know one thing about myself it is this-I like words.
So, there you have it.
 It's my Monday truth. What's your truth(with little a t) today?

My Review: The First Week of the Year

Friday! Whew, I can't believe it got here. How has your new year been shaping up? Mine is okay. I am doing a whole living challenge. Or rather I am trying. I pretty much broke all the rules but that's okay.

I think of rules as guidelines or something to aspire to and not as something I have to do. I do feel pretty good about it all because I have managed to get some quiet time, exercise some, eat better, and get some amazing sleep.

Additionally, I cut out coffee but not caffeine. I need tea in my life! I have notice that I have less anxiety and I am more aware when I do have anxiety.

Most exciting is wee little mediation practice that is developing right under my nose. I have been some techniques I got from lo and actually able to sit. Go figure, when I stop trying to build a practice, one just develops!

How is this help increase my joy you ask?
When our bodies feel better, I think we feel better all over. When our body feels better, our minds feel better and when our minds feel good we are at our best. I think we completely underestimate the effect our emotions and mental patterns have on our everyday life and decisions. Not that it has been all sun shine and cartwheels over here but I am really appreciative of this challenge for encouraging me to embrace my best health.

What are you really appreciative of this week?

Happy Weekend!

Welcome Morning by Anne Sexton

Image by Norma Desmond via Flickr

Anne Sexton is one of my favorite poets. Her poems are simple, truthful and full of heart. Some of them are very dark, some full of shock but all telling the truth of  her life.

I love poetry that is simple, personal and universal. This morning I came across this Sexton poem. I have been reading it over and over.  Enjoy.

Welcome Morning

There is joy 

in all: 

in the hair I brush each morning, 

in the Cannon towel, newly washed, 

that I rub my body with each morning, 

in the chapel of eggs I cook 

each morning, 

in the outcry from the kettle 

that heats my coffee 

each morning, 

in the spoon and the chair 

that cry "hello there, Anne" 

each morning, 

in the godhead of the table 

that I set my silver, plate, cup upon 

each morning.

All this is God, 

right here in my pea-green house 

each morning 

and I mean, 

though often forget, 

to give thanks, 

to faint down by the kitchen table 

in a prayer of rejoicing 

as the holy birds at the kitchen window 

peck into their marriage of seeds.

So while I think of it, 

let me paint a thank-you on my palm 

for this God, this laughter of the morning, 

lest it go unspoken.

The Joy that isn't shared, I've heard, 

dies young.

-Anne Sexton, The Awful Rowing Towards God, 1975.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Image via WikipediaOh, it's that time again. Wishcasting Wednesday. Today, Jamie asked, "What do you wish to say yes to"
So many things:

Yes, to ease. Everything doesn't have to be so hard. If life falls together don't fight it.

Yes, to romance. Not necessarily a relationship but romance. Romance can be buying yourself dinner or  taking a leisurely bath. It doesn't have to contained in a romantic/two party relationship.

Yes, to sleep. I have had my sleep off for the past few weeks. I really need to try and get a better schedule.

Yes, to making imperfect art. It doesn't have to be glossy and great to count. I want to give myself permission to make the worst art in America.

Yes,  to long walks, cookies and home cook meals.

I wish to say yes to some extremely indulgent self care this week. What about you? What are you wishing to say to?

Inspiration and Work

 Lately, I have been thinking about what fuels me. What feeds my soul? It's no secret that I like to make things and write but what does that mean?

I just like the idea of working on something. I don't think I have the dedication/skill set for being a "traditional" writer and/or artist. A finished product here and there seems nice.

Three Things that I am Currently Working on Finishing
1)a heart shaped embroidery
2)a dream board
3)multi colored knit blanket(still).

Three Things Currently Fueling Me
1)The way the sunlight streams through my living room windows.
2)Big Trees with empty branches.
3)Sitting in my chaise doing nothing. I am currently taking a t.v. fast.

What are you working on? What's Fueling you?

Oh, New Year

Image by tipiro via FlickrI can't believe its 2011. I hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Christmas and New Year.  I did. I trekked over to Texas to see the family. In spite of having a horrid cold for most of the holiday, it was quite lovely. When you are sick very little matters. I found I just needed a little day quil, some v8 and some time with the family to be quite content.

I love that it is a new year. A new day and a chance to begin again.  Although, we always have that. A new year seems like a brand new journal with a fresh sheet of paper. I confess last year was hard for me on so many levels. I messed up a lot(and in big ways). LOL, not that doesn't always happen but I felt it very acutely. However, in all that mess, there was a a lot of goodness and grace.

At the end of 2010, I can say I was so grateful and humbled in my heart for all the blessings this life has given me. I have a wonderful family, great friends, a bit of sunshine and enough!

Image by Parvin ♣( OFF for a while ) via Flickr
 I don't know if I believe in resolutions.There are many things I want to do but mainly there is something I want to be-joyful. Joy is not over the top happy, it's not cartwheels in the hall all day. It's savoring the grace of the ordinary, sharing your heart with others and living in the moment.

I wish all beings everywhere joy, peace and love this year!