Is Orange the New Black ? - A Haibun of Sorts

Someone asked me recently if I thought 80 might be the new 60.  I wondered, irritably, I might add, why in the world she would ask ME that question since I'm nowhere near 80 or even 70 for that matter?  How in heaven's name would I know?

For me, whatever age I am is a new adventure and some years have been a slide down while in other years, I have seemed to gain ground.

Take for instance the year I took up running. I was 57 years old and by the time I had been running for two years, I was thinner, stronger and healthier than I had been at 50.   Then came Rheumatoid Arthritis and with it, enough pain and stiffness to take running off the table. For almost two years, I was without an effective treatment and unable to exercise at all.  The downward slide was all too evident in those years.

crying child
orange balloon
just out of reach

My mental attitude was even more important than my physical condition.  At first I resented the betrayal of my body and I was angry. Stubbornly I decided I would not exercise until I could run again.  Call it denial, call it stupidity, whatever it was, I did not benefit much from that attitude.

snow moon
the brim of her hat
too wide

Once I accepted my body as the gift that it is, I began to move again and found that I really LOVED walking - long hikes at the beach, in the woods and in the city.  I realized I had missed so much while running and now I could enjoy the sights and sounds, particularly of nature, in a whole new way.

deep shade
just off the path
a blue heron

One of the triggers for R.A. is high levels of stress and my doctor suggested I take a look at what kinds of things were stressing me and how I was responding to that stress.  I began a meditation practice.  This changed my life in ways that are still a challenge to describe. 

stone Francis
outside in February
a dove perch  

I use several forms of meditation, each one adds significantly to the quality and joy in my life. They include contemplative prayer, breathing exercises and guided meditation.

 As you may know,  I have an active practice of writing Japanese short form poetry especially haiku.  This kind of writing brings my mind and senses to the present moment - and once I began to live in the present, I discovered, it is not only the best place to be, it is the ONLY place to be.

 winter snowfall -
a lotus blooming
on her kimono

What is Haibun? 

Busy, Busy, Busy!

My life is so full these days, I barely have time to write about it.   A few family obligations have stepped in the way of my writing time to some extent and this blog has been neglected while I kept a few other balls in the air, so to speak.

The truth is, I have been doing some writing, but it has been mostly poetry.  Much of it is on my poetry blog here : wabi sabi poems and images and lately, on Facebook too.  I was delighted to have several of my short poems published over the past few months including these two haiga.

These appear in the current issue of Prune Juice, a journal of senryu and kyoka .

My garden is blooming  and I am so blessed to have a wonderful peaceful backyard where I can work up a sweat pulling weeds and meditating on the beauty all around me.  I am one of those people who communes with the trees and the birds and even the bees.  In the garden, I feel close to the Creator.  

 I have a wrap-around view from my sunroom of the entire garden so even when the mosquitoes are biting, I can enjoy it.

 In the sunny area we've planted an array of flower magnets with lots of nectar and seeds to  attract the hummingbirds, gold finches, butterflies and bees too.

Above you can see the blue salvia - sure to bring in the hummingbirds ....

as will the monarda.........

also called bee balm!

Day lilies add so much joy and color to one area and each variety feels like an old friend.

This hydrangea loves its shady spot and, with the ferns and astilbe, it brightens up the mostly green fern garden.

I have begun harvesting herbs.  Today the kitchen smelled of lemon verbena.  I dry this wonderful herb to flavor my teas.  

Chamomile has seeded itself willy-nilly throughout the garden - I welcome these cuties especially since they make a wonderful sleep tea AND I add them to my hand cream and ointment recipe.  Chamomile is a lovely healing herb found in many natural skin care products on the market.  

The herb garden, moved to its new sunny location, is thriving.  The  African Basil plant pictured above (purple flowers) wintered over very successfully in my sunroom and took off as soon as I planted it outdoors in the spring.  

The summer weather has been good to us so far - not too much humidity.  The plants look so healthy this year- not as stressed as usual.   The humans are loving it too!  

My plans for the rest of July include:

* Keeping up with the weeds and the herb harvest.

* Early morning walks with the Admiral, who is recovering from surgery.

* Making photos and poems as a way of writing the joy I feel in the natural world around me. 

* Reading list : Moloka'i by Alan Brennert and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.

*  Daily meditation (and prayer) a way to spend  time with God and offer thanksgiving for all of the wonders of summer.

Take Away - It's summer!  Don't forget to stop to smell the lemon verbena!

Keeping a Journal...It's not just for teenagers anymore

     Keeping a journal is a time honored exercise for many writers and since I fancy myself a writer, I'm no exception.  I've kept many different journals over my lifetime and find it a rewarding past time.  Journaling isn't just for 'writers' though.  It is a wonderful way to keep track of whatever it is you desire to record.  It can be therapeutic, spiritual, practical, health-promoting and fun!

****  Are you always noticing the weather, keeping track of the phases of the moon or when the cherry trees bloom? Which birds are visiting?  Do you love walking at the beach or through the woods and observing  nature?  How about keeping a nature journal!  This has been one of my favorite writing exercises over many years.  I found a ten year journal that was perfect.  It has only a small space for each entry but you can compare the weather, gardening observations etc with the previous years.

****  Perhaps you are starting an exercise program or a diet.  (It is January, after all.)  Writing down goals and then tracking progress, including keeping a list of what you eat and how and when and where you exercise, can be a powerful motivator.  It is also great to look back to see where you were.

****Many people keep a gratitude diary.  This is easy....just list all the things that happened each day for which you are grateful.  This can be tied to a spiritual practice or not, your choice!

****  A spiritual or prayer journal  can be  another source of nourishment.  If you are in the habit of communicating with God,  meditating mindfully, contemplating a higher power, or sitting in silence, journaling about the experience can be fruitful.  Perhaps you read scripture as part of your meditation.  After reflecting on your reading, write about how it moved you.

**** The arrival of a new baby into a family is a wonderful time to begin a journal.  New mothers  are often given a book to record all of their baby's milestones but there is no reason grandma or grandpa or even dad can't write about the little one!  Along with your  photos you will  create a treasure worth more than gold!

**** I love to bring a small book along when I go on vacation.  I try to record all the sights, sounds, smells and sensations of my experience in a new place.  Along with my photos, my travelogue can recreate moments from a vacation long after the return trip home.

**** If you are artistic, your journal can incorporate other  ways of communicating to enhance your words or  instead of words.  I am not  very artistic  but have recently been drawn to using paint, pencils and pens to "doodle."  I bought a sketchbook and, when the time is right, I  plan to create  a visual journal.

****Some other journal ideas:  Cooking and recipes, memoir writing, poetry or haiku journal, mindful moments,  a garden diary(with photos,) a dream journal, a reading journal (with book reviews/synopses)  Keeping a journal is proven to reduce stress and can be life affirming and lift one's mood.

   Although I blog ( an online way to journal)  I keep and have kept many paper  journals throughout my life. The idea of creating a book, even if it never sees the light of day, appeals to me.

Try it!  You may like it!

For Recuerda Mi Corazon Postcards from Paradise