A Wonderful Women's Gathering

Last night I had the honor and joy of taking part in a gathering of amazing women under the starry sky of a South Florida spring. After an afternoon of work (I try to avoid working on Saturday but sometimes it's the only day the Hubs and I can get together to plow through paperwork, and we need to keep the money coming in if we want to keep living in our house), I stopped by the market to pick up a veggie tray. My plan had been to make falafel but the mixture kept falling apart so I finally shoved the bowl back into the fridge and gave up. I'll figure out how to make that work later; I didn't have time last night. Anyway, though I'd wanted to get to the gathering in time to help set up, I still arrived plenty early enough for everything else. The Sisterhood did a beautiful ritual and enjoyed some very special time together eating the food we all brought and talking and sharing stories and poetry. Driving home, I thought about how a few years ago I would've been too nervous to attend a gathering like this one. It's terrible the lies we tell ourselves and the untruths we buy from others, falsehoods that keep us from finding true companionship, acceptance, and a deep sense of joy, spirituality, and belonging. I drove home still feeling the love of the group all around me, as one of the women there said, like a protecting and nurturing womb.

It's amazing, wonderful, and powerful what saying "yes" to life can help us accomplish.


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It's Spring in South Florida

The arrival of spring in South Florida doesn't quite mean what it does in other parts of the country. While in other places the earth is just beginning to wake up, here the cooler weather is making a departure, soon to be replaced by the swelter of pre-summer. Still, I've been feeling inspired to garden; no matter how much time I've spent down here my inner clock is still programmed for New England time.




I've only done a little bit so far, but the front gardens at our house are beginning to shape up. My goal was to bring some color and life to the front yard, and we're on our way now. I'm still learning about gardening, both by trial and error and by reading. I love Martha Stewart Living for advice in this direction and have also been reading various books and online articles.




I have plans for the back yard as well. I would love to create a magical sitting place under the mango tree, but that will need to wait until after mango season. Sitting under the tree once the mangoes begin to drop is a risky venture.




And now, I'm off to pinch off some spent flowers! Have a blessed evening!

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Trust

Trust is the word I keep trying to focus on: trust the process, trust the Great Spirit, God/Goddess who guides us. I trust my husband, my family, and a few friends, but lately I'm still overwhelmed by fear and bogged down by frustration. I keep praying and each day I hear that same voice, telling me to trust the process, keep trying to do the right thing, keep living life actively, one step at a time.

Truthfully, nothing is so bad as to be unsurmountable. I was inturrupted in the midst of writing this several days ago. In the time that has passed, I learned that a friend of several years has lung cancer and that a close friend might have a heart condition. Just a moment ago, I learned that an old high school boyfriend just finished up chemotherapy in February and is, so far, cancer free (insert much cheering and dancing). I've gained perspective over the past few days, and have been trying to focus on gratitude and positive action.

Spring Equinox festivities took place at our local UU Church last weekend, and my daughter and I joined in for a wonderful night of heartfelt celebration. Watching my little one dance around the bonfire in her butterfly wings, so free and happy, lifted my heart as if it too had wings. I was invited to join in the ritual and felt truly honored to be given the priviledge. It was an inspiring, fun night and I was glad I took my daughter and attended. I can recall so many times in the past when I haven't, for various reasons (none of them very good), gone to events such as this, then regretted being afraid to put myself out there. This is the year of "yes"! I needed to go to this for my own spirit, and I needed to go so that Sparkle Girl could experience the joy of the Equinox too.

I worked on the garden this afternoon, nestling some new flowers into fresh, rich soil. It took longer than expected (doesn't this sort of thing always take longer than we project they will?) but it felt good to dig my hands into the dirt and to finally get the front garden planted. There is still work to do around the yard, but the joy in gardening is at least partly in the creating stages, and I'm looking forward to more planning and getting dirty.

I feel better today, more positively minded and able to focus and work toward what I feel are some necessary changes. I don't know what all of the solutions will be, but at least I'm taking some productive steps.




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Tending the Garden

It looked like today was going to be a semi-unproductive day, but then the Hubs awoke from his midday couch slumber and agreed to make a trip to the garden center (insert lots of crazy cheering). An hour or so later, we were driving home with a truck full of soil, mulch, and assorted plants. My daughter and I had fun planning out the front garden, an area that has largely fallen into sad barrenness and really could use a lift. We decided upon a purple and pink flower theme, because it's a pretty combination and has a mystical sort of feel. Tomorrow will be the day of dirt; we'll be turning up the old bed, cheering up a tired section of the front yard. I'm looking forward to the smell of soil and the feel of fresh dirt under my nails.

On a sadder note, our neighbors will be moving to California soon. Standing out front this afternoon, talking with my fellow mommy of several years now, I got the update, and it wasn't the one I wanted, the one that said they'd made a terrible mistake and had decided to stay. No, this was an update filling me in on a much too soon move date and creating images in my head of tearful little girl good-byes. And tearful grown up good-byes too. I hate good-byes.