These are precious days in the garden. As the weather cools in autumn roses bloom again after a long hot summer when they give up the ghost, and the last of the cosmos and the odd zinnia are still blooming and make a lovely bouquet. [You can click on any of the photos to see them full size.]
It started forming in my mind last night, and this morning as I woke up I knew that this was something that I wanted to do, for you dear reader, but especially for me. These moments are precious and I want to remember them. I plan to do this here on the blog and then turn it into a little self-published book, just so I remember. So I remember how precious each moment is, and how many miracles there are in each one of them. Writing about mindfulness will help me stay in the moment and and it is a daily practice for me. I felt that recording my days would deepen my practice.
This morning , as every morning, I awakened covered with pugs and full of joy. To sleep with 4 soft, sweet, living, breathing, teddy bears is one of the things I love most in my life. Here is a picture I recently took remarking that now you could understand why I woke up feeling like Gulliver tied down by the Lillipugtians! And so it was this morning as we started our day…
I am watching the birds at the feeders just outside my studio windows here, one of the dearest things in my days. I hung feeders all around 2 sides of my deck and there is quite a community of wild birds who grace my feeders from dawn to dusk. I live very closely in communion with the wild creatures on my acre as well as my pugs and parrots. All of the animals inside and out are an integral part of my life.
I just looked down and started to laugh. While I was loathe to get these for the pugs they are highly recommended by pug rescue, something for them to chew on that is all natural and doesn’t splinter, and I get them at a wonderful place that sells them at 80% off because they are not cheap other places (I get mine at petflow.com). They are called Bully Sticks and yes they are made from bully boy parts, sigh… But the one thing that really helps other than that they really enjoy them is that I have 2 dogs who have anxiety issues so badly that they have to take medication, which helps, but the long time chewing on the bully sticks really helps them. Below is my sweet boy Pugsley who was terribly abused and is the sweetest boy but he came on Prozac. I love this picture because he didn’t even make it all the way into his bed. Hiney end up and going like a houseafire chewing away!
I just sat down with a yummy bowl of the stew I pictured in last night’s blog post. I am now cooking in the crockpot on the weekends so I have nourishing meals through the week because I am working very long days. In the photograph last night I was just beginning to make it. Here is the finished product. Mmmm. And since I’m being mindful I will stop right here and enjoy my stew.
I hope you are finding each moment a space to breathe into, and feel fully. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yet here, but today well lived will ensure more beautiful tomorrows. I wish you many blessings, I send you so much love, and now, I’m going to eat my stew!
What a beautiful plan – and when you look back a year from now you will be filled with wonder.
Cathryn honey,
Yes, that was what I thought. Living mindfully is one thing, but to really appreciate having LIVED mindfully so that you can take it in more deeply and really appreciate it, well, I thought this would be very meaningfully to me. Thank you so much for stopping by… 🙂
Love,
Maitri