Little tykes

zola & brie

Beginner's Mind

"If grief or anger arises,

Let there be grief or anger.

This is the Buddha in all forms,

Sun Buddha, Moon Buddha, Happy Buddha, Sad Buddha.

It is the universe offering all things to awaken and open our heart."

Jack Kornfield

Life has been bringing up challenges for me; I have been seeking new and graceful ways to learn and grow from them. I am trying to cultivate "beginner's mind", to look at things afresh and in new ways, instead of letting old habits and fears determine my path. I am appreciative of the things that I am learning, and of the family and friends that have been offering their support along this leg of my journey.

The picture is from last weekend in Esalen, where I had the opportunity to take a weekend workshop called "conscious embodiment and the path of nature". We were taught some somatic akido methods of mindfulness and presence--what does that mean? Well, it's a bit like grounding/meditating in your body, while standing or walking instead of sitting. We also applied this to the lessons & grounding & connectedness one can get from nature, and this included a hike in the Big Creek wilderness preserve in Big Sur.

more kitty pics for Caleb

Zola & Brie. Sleeping during the day. Brie managed to fall out of a window last night at 5am, but she seems fine, except for some of her little claws on one paw--I can't get the image out of my head of her hanging on by a paw...but again, she seems fine.

Caleb, 3 year old photographer extraordinaire

what happens when a 3 year old takes your picture while you're dancing (aka the funny faces we make for little kids vs. the funny faces white people make when they dance?)

Realities

Once when my sister Ali was 4 and I was 9, she woke up remembering a really intense dream, which she began to tell to our mother & myself.
Ali: "And then I was kidnapped by racoons, and they took me down into a hole in the ground..."
Lisa: "...what happened next?"
Ali (with a roll of her 4 year old eyes): "You know! You were there."

(some of the ages in this story have been approximated).

wow

wow! ok--I didn't get a million dollars, but I did get a windfall! As they say, the universe is conspiring to help you succeed...