The dharma talk at the zen center today was Communication – a chapter in Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind by Suzuki Roshi. “When you listen to someone,” he says, “you should give up all your preconceived ideas and your subjective opinions, just observe what his way is… Just see things as they are with him, and accept these. This is how we communicate with one another… A mind full of preconceived ideas, subjects, intentions, or habits…
I was finally able to get over to the zen center to meditate this morning and it was like a breath of fresh air. Literally. My new favorite saying to Tin when he is upset is, “Take a deep breath, and count to zen.” This morning, getting ready to go, I was in the backyard watering some of the plants and was thinking about the weeds. Along the fence between my neighbor and my yard…
When I brought Tin to be tested for gifted, the woman said that he did not color inside the lines and recommended that he use video games so that he would be better at the test in six months. As if. As if I would have him perfect video games to perfect that damn test. The nerve. I had been trying to get him into Hines Elementary nursery, which since the 2005 Federal Flood and…
I know I am beginning to sound more like a new age blogger (not that there is anything wrong with that) than the usual crooner of the ups and downs of a woman’s life and self actualization, but I’m going to have to go with the new script – I feel amazing! So many things make me smile that I just walk around on a cloud these days. I ran into friends last night at…
I have given up my nightly glass of wine and weekend gin + tonics for the time being and what has that gotten me – more energy. I spent Saturday, well eleven hours of Saturday, planting queen and palmetto palms and cacumba ginger and a keffir lime tree and vitex and some butterfly plants along with some madras plaid coleus (and a whole lot of liriope) and now the front looks amazing and I was…
We’re sneaking around the corner again and coming up upon Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s that time of year when God trots out the Book of Life and decides what will be. During the ensuing ten days after Rosh Hashanah, there is time to ask for forgiveness from anybody you have wronged and to pray for forgiveness for yourself. It’s, as you might imagine, a time for reflection. Who have I hurt? And…
It was National Dog Day this week and I was posting old photos of my dogs on Facebook and reminiscing about the good old companionship that I received from them. I also have been enjoying Heidi who stayed with me during July and some parts of August and who is on loan to me right now as there have been two armed robberies on my block in the last week. But National Dog day goes…
You make a house a home. You can take that as a truism. My house feels so much like my home that I am thoroughly reveling in the feeling of really enjoying it. Two large items came into it to complete the picture. The cupboard found at Ricca’s that I boldly offered half of what they were asking and got it at that price and the baby grand piano that my friend gave me at…
Okay so I didn’t gain ten pounds, I just had weight from vacation – you know how delicious Spanish beer and cheese is and now I’ve shed some of it, so there. And as far as not having my hair ever, ever grow back, I’m totally fine with that too. So here’s what I have to say about depression – it depends on what is going on. Jetlagged, detoxing from a vacation, and hearing your…
It’s one of the most amazing things in life to watch your child grow up. Tin 2012 vs Tin 2013 – Summer in Spain 1) gets his own milk and water out of the fridge and even brought a glass to me 2) ridiculous (still) about his clothes and what he wears – crazed lunatic more like it – but he dresses himself for the most part 3) said he was “passed Louis Armstrong” and…