Taking a Tumble

When a child is learning to walk, you won't ever hear anybody suggesting that this little creature has failed every time it takes a tumble to the floor. And yet, as adults, we are so hard on ourselves and forget that this is the way we learn. I am painfully aware of the scars on my own knees. Thousands of dollars have 'slipped' through my fingers and I have often been surprised that the people I have dealt with didn't have the same integrity that I do. Perhaps it is simply my nature because I haven't ever chastised myself or 'them'. I watch and I learn.

So anytime you endeavour to learn or do something new, it is unlikely that you will do it perfectly. You haven't done it before; how could you not trip over your own feet a few times? Get up off the floor and do it again. You deserve to receive some encouragement. Therefore be the first one to give it to yourself.

Truth

I am grateful for the technology of checking for truth. Truth can be ambiguous depending on the point of view. So I write here of the 'higher' truth that accounts for the best interest of all... including the malevolent. The descriptor 'higher' might appear to be subjective or even judgemental. However, now that we can measure a truth, it is 'higher' when it can be recorded to have a higher resonance (i.e. literally a higher number in log form).

With the ability to discern truth comes the opportunity to choose truth. Truth then can be reflected in my thoughts, words and actions. One becomes single-minded in purpose, specifically, to live for the best interest of all and everything. This path is not always the easiest but life is simplified and its gifts come in abundance.

To be a plant

I gratefully accepted a seat in the sun. Closing my eyes for a moment as the rays embraced my face through the large picture window, I heard myself say, "To be a plant". It came out like a sigh. "I ought to write a poem", I added. My verbalised thoughts were met with laughter. However, the way I was feeling, I could have even written a symphony.

There are such simple pleasures in life when we take the time to notice them. I recall observing our cat as it stretched out in the sun on the living room floor. Without a moment's hesitation, I went to lay beside it to find out what was going on down there. Such a blissful peace in the warmth of the sun. If anyone were to witness some of the silly things I do sometimes!

Anyway, for the first time, I was the plant. It lasted but a moment and I was completely present to it.

New food (to me)

My diet as a child was so limited. Even when our family lived on the African continent, we continued to eat the same things we always had. Mangoes, for example, fell to rot on the ground there were so many, and we didn't eat that fruit. I remain confused to this day that my mother did not introduce us to more variety. Maybe we tasted things and she couldn't get us to eat them again.

I have since learned to eat turnips, kolhrabi, beat leaves and different grains. I had parsnips for the first time a couple of years ago and now grow them in the garden. Recently I have started to make teas with leaves from the yard. Wow! So fresh, light and generally more alive than dead leaves in a bag. And this year, I am introduced to avocadoes and follow the lead of my daughter. I am finding all kinds of ways to eat them. This is too much fun. I will continue to be open to new possibilities.

Bob the Plumber

I marvel at the gifts that literally show up at my door. Bob the Plumber is one of those gifts. What a lovely gentleman! And gentle is an apt description of this individual. Retired, he continues to help people out with the odd job for a small stipend. He enjoys being of service. I had the opportunity to see that he is lovingly appreciated by others too when we ran into someone he had 'rescued' just the day before.

My request to the universe was that I would like to learn how to solder. It came in a bigger package. Bob demonstrated and taught me how to set up copper and drainage pipes for a dishwasher. He answered every question I had with pleasure. That led me to watch videos on the internet and read a couple of plumbing books from the library. I plan to execute a couple of projects and anticipate that I will have some future repairs. I will be able to handle it. And if it is a big job, I will know what and who to ask.

Peaches, Pears and Pie

Mmmm! Summer...

I don't ever get enough of the fruit during this season. It seems like the closer it grows to home, the better it tastes. Like Saskatoons ... Some of you may not have ever heard of those.They are native to western Canada. They'll make your mouth blue. You don't even have to pick them yourself anymore; they have farms. Saskatoons without hot, dusty labor taste even better. I didn't even mind cleaning them.

The little grey haired lady at the fruit truck supplies us with the earth's bounty from California, Washington State and British Columbia. She always starts to tell us the price and we say "It doesn't matter what it costs". She grows silent, obviously relieved that we don't think she is overpriced. Last week, we savoured peaches, pears and cherries. This week, we'll indulge on apricots, peaches and nectarines. As I write there is a classic peach pie sizzling in the oven. The aroma is intoxicating!

Rain, Rain! Don't Go Away

The weather patterns have drastically changed since the days my father would call us out onto the porch to watch a thunderstorm. We learned to relish the flashes of light and the thunderous claps.

Most recently, I have witnessed that my own daughter has been fascinated by the near torrential rains. These deluges have been a regular occurrence and she finds this unusual in her experience unless she is in Florida. "This is the way it used to be", I tell her. The gift of water from the heavens has been such a blessing... a welcome old friend.

Rhubarb and More Rhubarb

Oh my goodness! So much rhubarb and I don't even eat the stuff. For years, I have appreciated the voluptuous foliage of these plants as it fills some parts of the yard where nothing else will grow. Surely it must be for somebody else; I only make one or two cakes a year with it.

Sure enough, after two decades of nurturing these huge beasts I gain a friend who loves the fruit. And then a neighbor asks for some to grow in his yard. Within two weeks a new neighbor who moved in from the country makes a request as well. She was used to having three plants to keep up with her growing family. Well, it would appear that I have been the keeper of someone else's abundance. It has been a pleasure.

Multiculturalism

Once a year, I bathe myself in the dance, food and colours of a local multicultural festival. I marvel at the variety of ethnic groups within the world and in my very own community. Food tasting is a glorious if not a gluttonous activity... I usually have to fast for a couple of days. The whirlwind of colour as children dance in their native costumes delights my senses while the flavorful music courses set my cells into motion. Sometimes, I feel like I am remembering something of old that escapes me. It is truly an enigma that people all over the world do not have the peace that we have here. It is so easy to get along. Someone is always stirring up the pot and some of us are dumb enough to fall for it. Such lunacy!