Green and Gardens

I have written my first official post for the Coastal Green Alliance site. I also added a short comment to the opening post from earth day. The new post is on VOC's so if you are interested check it out at the link above and as always feedback would be greatly appreciated.

In other news, we planted our kids community garden this weekend. It went better than I could have imagined, the kids were absolutely fantastic. Before we started, Sue, one of the ladies from our group who is also a Wildlife Biologist, noticed this Brown Thrasher nesting in the bush next to the garden site. As the children gathered close to observe, one of the girls called it our little garden angel. In the picture above you can see one of the babies in front of mom, beak open wide, waiting to be fed. While we were planting, the vigilant and protective mom never left her nest. As soon as everyone left she came out and surveyed our work. I hope it met with her approval. Later I will post more pictures and information on our gardening party.

Update: When I came home from work this evening, mom wasn't in the nest. I attempted to blindly stick the camera through the bushes to see what I might capture of the babies. Mom was evidently not far away because she quickly swooped in cursing all the way. Look at that evil eye, she was not happy with me. I apologized and quickly walked away. This little lady is all business about guarding her young.

New Kid on the Block

We have a new little colt on our road. I have been waiting to post in hope of getting a better picture, but this guy is just not interested in having his portrait taken.

Our neighbor breeds Arabians and it gives me a chance to see a little baby each spring. My favorite moment is when they first discover their legs and start dashing around the pasture. They make it look like it must be the most exhilarating feeling. It always gives me the biggest smile that stays with me throughout the day.

This one picture was close to what I wanted to capture. He gave me his attention for about 3 seconds. Unfortunately I had something in my left hand and quickly zoomed and clicked one handed. As a result he has no feet, aaagh.

Earth Day and New Beginnings

Happy Earth Day everyone. I wanted to write a real thought provoking post today, but it ain't happening. I will take this time to briefly mention another one of the projects that I am involved with. The local home builders and realtors associations have joined together to start a green alliance. I am the chairperson representing the builders (that's what happens when you say you'll do anything). It's a little tough starting something from scratch and with people that are just getting to know one another. I did set up a new blog site for the alliance today and another member has set up a website. They both sit empty at the moment, but hopefully will soon be filled with our many activities and inspiring thoughts. You can see the beginning of the blog at Coastal Green Alliance and you get to see my green bag again. I'm just full of creativity today :).

Imagination Manifest Into Reality

At times the blogosphere feels like an imaginary community I have created. Much like a fantasy football team, it feels like I have picked fantasy friendships. That is until today, when a part of this imaginary world manifest itself into my physical world. There it is, laying on my table, in my home, proof that you are real people out there :). Sheila describes this surreal feeling much more eloquently in her post Being Real.

The photograph you see above was gifted to me by Charlane from over at Ramblins. I received this prize of sorts for being a snoop. They say curiosity killed the cat, it got me a Three Parts Whimsy original. It was very hard to pick just one. I find Char's photography not only a visual pleasure, but it speaks to me as well. I love photography that you can not only see, but feel it in your soul. I also love Char's writing. She makes me think, she makes me laugh, she makes me feel, and at times all of it at once. Like many of you, Char is also a great inspiration for me. Many days she will just take a ride in search of that perfect photograph, turning down rodes she has never traveled before just to see what is there. You can see this spirit in her post rural adventures. It is about one such road trip during which she captured this wonderful image. (You can also see a much better view of this photograph than what is pictured above.) Also inspirational is her devotion to family and her upbeat attitude no matter what is happening in her life at the time. Thank you Char for the photograph and for all that you share here in this not so imaginary blogland.

The Law of Presence

I am presently re-reading the book, The Laws of Spirit, by Dan Millman. It is written as a fable and as stated on the title page it is "simple, powerful truths for making life work". He calls the law for living in the moment the law of presence. In the chapter introduction for this law, Dan states, "Time is a paradox, stretching between a 'past' and 'future' that have no reality except in our own minds. The idea of time is a convention of thought and language, a social agreement. Here is the deeper truth: We have only this moment." Dan Millman provided some of my first introductions to mindfulness and is still my favorite author on the subject. Even though I am currently juggling many projects at the same time, they all seem to be clearly focused in my mind. I credit my attempt at living mindfully for this sanity.

The picture above was taken recently during one of those special moments in my life. I was having breakfast with my dad on his sun porch and was privileged to witness this little bluebird and her mate go about their duties of preparing their home. My dad is an avid bird lover and his backyard is a birds' paradise. Along with the bluebirds, there was also a visit from a cardinal and a woodpecker. The beauty of the birds was enhanced by the backdrop created by the newly blossoming dogwood trees.

Energy

As much as there is to learn from observing animals, they are not the only ones with lessons to share. I first touched on some of the opportunities for learning in my post We Are All Students, We Are All Teachers. After writing about the Resurrection Fern this weekend, it presented me with another opportunity for awareness, and to show you the plant in it's dormant state. Monday the weather turned cold and miserable, and in response to this stress, the fern pulled it's energy in, curled up, and protected itself. The picture above was taken before work on Tuesday, which turned out to be a warm and rainy day. When I returned home the plant was as lush and green as I have ever seen it. It made me aware of how so many of us continue to charge forward when our mind &/or body is telling us (sometimes screaming) it needs a break. How many of us go to work when we are sick only to end up wondering (and complaining) why it takes us weeks to get over this little cold, and how productive are we anyway. Many of us are planting our gardens now with visions of large plump tomatoes or fresh colorful blossoms all summer long. We will then be disappointed if our plants do not produce well. These non producing or scraggly plants are stressed in some way, and they have wisely chosen to give something up in order to survive. They pull what little energy they have at that moment inward. When the day comes that they have the energy they require, they can burst forth and be the productive plant they are meant to be.

Who's Wiser?

WE NEED ANOTHER AND
A WISER AND PERHAPS
A MORE MYSTICAL
CONCEPT OF ANIMALS.
Remote from universal nature, and living by
complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys
the creature through the glass of his knowledge
and sees thereby a feather magnified and
the whole image in distortion. We patronize
them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate
of having taken form so far below ourselves.
And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal
shall not be measured by man. In a world older
and more complete than ours they move finished
and complete, gifted with extensions of the
senses we have lost or never attained, living
by voices we shall never hear. They are not
brethren, they are not underlings; they are
other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of
life and time, fellow prisoners
of the splendour and travail of the earth.

From the Outermost House by Henry Beston.
Copyyright, 1928, by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York

I ran across the excerpt on a rescue site, donkey rescue to be exact. No, I am not looking for another donkey, I repeat, I am not looking for another donkey :). I really do not know how that site appeared on my computer, it must have been some kind of virus attack - ha. Shhh, here comes my husband. Seriously, in a world where I had an endless supply of horse feed, acres and acres of land, and more time I would definitely have more. For now, I am quite grateful for and satisfied with my little farm/zoo as it is.

Resurrection

I thought resurrection was a fitting topic for today, though it is not a religious resurrection I have chosen to write of, but a botanical one. The plant pictured above is the resurrection fern and it grows on some of the Live Oaks on our property. This fern grows on living trees, but does not rob it's host of nutrients. It is a member of the air plant family and derives it's food from the air or moisture that forms on the surface of the tree. This plant is unique in the aspect that it can survive even when depleted of 97 % of moisture. It will shrivel up and turn brown as if dead and when water is added will unfurl and return to a green state. You can learn more information in this article by a university horticulturist, including the plants prospects to be used in space.
A third resurrection this article could have represented was the resurrection of my blog :). I have a few projects going on, as I have stated before, and just do not seem to have the focus to write. Although my comments are less often or brief, I still enjoy keeping up with your blogs. I am finding I like this more than writing my own. You inspire me and brighten my day with your writing and photography, so today I would like to take this opportunity to wish many blessings for you all.

Animal Instructors

Everything at it's own pace.

Much of what I have learned (and continue to learn) about living has come from observing animals. Some of these instructors have been constant companions, and some I have just crossed paths with, such as the snail above. They all seemed to have a purpose in my life at the time and I am appreciative of what they have shared. A lot of what I have gained from them is the simplicity and joyfulness of how life can and should be. They have shown me daily the importance of living in the moment and through simple actions have made such profound statements. One new blog site that uses dogs in a photo essay format for such lessons is The Charlie Project. Journey on over, it's a quick visit that will leave you with much to ponder.

Tres

Last Saturday was part three of the beginnings of our little philanthropy group. Kelly overdid herself creating wonderful authentic dishes made with fresh ingredients. I learned a lot of new foods such as chorizo, which is a Mexican sausage that was used in the New Mexican chicken dish shown below. I also learned of a new root vegetable called jicama that she used in a salad called Guaymas Salad. I loved this one, it also had avocados, oranges and olives with a homemade avocado dressing. There was of course real tacos and for dessert she made Flan, which is something else I'd never had before. Now these foods might not be new to many of you, but I don't get out much. Oh, and I can't leave out the best Margarita ever. (We were good and only had one each.)
Our groups central focus is children and nutrition. With this in mind, Kelly invited a professor, Dr. Arunas Juska, from East Carolina University to join us. Besides information he shared with us in our dinner conversation, he also brought with him a documentary. Through this we learned how commercial farming is not only running independent farmers out of business, but is also affecting the nutritional quality of our food and the health of the environment. The film we watched dealt with the hog farming industry. While it was a bit disconcerting, it was also very enlightening. I will share this in another post, if I can handle rehashing the memory of what I saw. Arunas, being from Lithuania, also brought a traditional Lithuanian poppy seed cake. Hmmm, two desserts. What else could I do but have both :) .
For more on Dr. Juska see the following sites:
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/soci/upload/Juska.pdf
http://core.ecu.edu/soci/juskaa/
For our next gathering we are trying to get our act together and start the community garden we've planned to be the foundation for our educational program (we are pushing it time wise for NC weather). To be better prepared, Pam and I have been taking a horticulture class since February. Most of the other ladies know more about vegetable gardens than me, but I'm learning. I hopefully will get around to sharing some information and pictures from our class in an upcoming post.

Ingredients For Fun

A dog, a stick, a pond .... is there need for anymore

Oh

maybe add

a little boy

Visitors

Agapios and the boys had some visitors on Sunday. My friend Pam came by with her five year old nephew Nathan and her dog Jack. Gapi took immediately to Nathan. In the photo above you can see him sharing some love and making sure he is the center of attention. Gapi then proceeded to chase Jack around the pasture until Jack tried to hide behind his mom.

Can you just imagine what Jack is thinking?

Even though Nathan had no problem working C C from the ground, he thought the horses were too BIG to ride, (maybe another day). From his point of view there was just too much distance from their back to the ground. He still looks like a cowboy in the making.

Nathan said, "the donkey is more my size", so .....

Just look at the enthusiasm on Gapi's face.

Wedding Bells

This is a picture I took this weekend in Wilmington, NC. I thought it was just a perfect spring scene. Downtown Wilmington will just take you away to days of sipping mint tea on a veranda or under a grove of Live Oaks dripping in Spanish Moss. It has cobblestone streets, southern historic mansions and churches, lots of churches. It is just so much grander than my little fishing village. The architecture of the churches alone will take your breath away, or it at least it does mine, with steeples that seem to reach into the heavens. Below is but one example and you can also see one of the homes to the right of the church.

I was there on business of sorts, looking at venues for my daughters wedding. The grooms family is from Ohio, so they want to have it in a larger city with an airport and more access to hotels etc. Since she is presently living in Texas, I will be busy traveling back and forth to set up details. They became engaged just a few weeks ago, but notified me this week they wanted the wedding to be this November, so I had to get busy. I will try to share some of the beauty and history of this town with you as I can, and as best I can. It is turning out to be a very busy 2009 for me, many things coming to fruition that have been in the works, which is a good thing, but did it all have to happen at once :) I will tell you of some of the other activities I am involved with in future post, if I don't become to overwhelmed :)

March Winds

March winds, much like life, can be handled in one of two ways. You can sit around and complain; or you can embrace it and go fly a kite.

Nutritional Research - Update

Update for clarity purposes :)

I think this is one of those you have to know us to get it kind of jokes. We are Steven Wright kind of people if you have ever seen that comedian. First, I confused you with the pictures, they have nothing to do with the joke, I just wanted to post some pictures as well. Second, that is the end of the e-mail. If you will notice the time sent (which I had wrong if you read it last night) it shows that it had been exactly 5 hours and then it wore off abruptly. Now, he probably never actually took any, he is just entertaining his little sister. If anyone did get it let me know, if you didn't sorry to have baffled you today. I didn't set it up well and you do have to know the family dynamics. I guess inside jokes don't work well on the blogosphere.

My brother always brightens my day by sending quirky off the wall notes. Here is an e-mail I received this morning in its entirety.

Subject: Nutritional Research
Date: Mar 17, 2009 10:48 AM
Morning,
There is a nutritional product called 5 Hour Energy. Lots of B vitamins,
amino acids, etc.
Gets good press. I wondered if it could substitute for coffee so I
took some this morning.
I took it around 5:45 and

The pictures are some I took last fall as I spent the morning just being with my dad and brothers. It was such a great day full of gorgeous weather and very fond memories.

Glimpses

Well, as predicted, it did turn cold here again. I am back to being stifled beneath layers of sweaters, coats, socks and boots. It was a nice reprieve though, and a glimpse of what lies shortly ahead. Speaking of glimpses, here's a brief glimpse of the historic fishing village / tourist shopping and dining destination where I live.The photograph in my last post is one I took of a sunset over the intracoastal waterway. In that picture you can see two of the commercial fishing boats in operation today.

In the picture above you can see some of the other boats at the local marina standing ready to hit the water.

Many of the old anchors no longer go to sea, but some have found a home as yard ornaments. While most of the houses are still used as residences, many of them have become shops or businesses such as the one below.

I will try to show a little more of this area throughout the summer and give you more of its history. It is a growing area, but still maintains its quaint little charm.

The Beauty In This Moment

"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again."
-Emerson

Warning, Pretty Day Post Ahead

I almost feel guilty doing this, but we had another gorgeous day today. You can get me back this summer when I'm sweltering, but for now, after record lows and snow last week, I'm just soaking it all up. It was so nice I went over to the beach access for my lunch break and decided to eat under this great Live Oak. I had complete solitude here as the beach was filling with sun seekers. After I ate I just had to climb up on a limb. Well maybe climb is an exaggeration, more like hop up. Oh look, happy toes again.

After this I did wander to the beach to see what was happening. Lots of people out as expected, enjoying the weather before it cools again this weekend.

There were even a few nuts venturing into the surf. Now the air may be warm, but that water is still only about 50 degrees. Wishing you all warm weather soon if you are not already there.

Changing of the Guard

As I drive around town I am intrigued to see the pansies and daffodils growing together. It seems to symbolize the changing of the guard, one season blending in and giving way to the next. The pansies, beginning to look tired and ready to rest, and the daffodils glowing brightly in the sun.

It reminds me of this quote from http://childlightnursery.com/

"Seasons come and go. The sun rises and sets. We breathe in and out. Rhythm is at the core of all existence."

Happy Toes

What do you see in this picture (besides how pasty my feet are)? I see happy toes, so utterly glad to be out in the fresh air and sunshine! It was so beautiful here today I eventually had to come out of these jeans. You don't want to see a picture of that. There are not many things uglier than bare skin the first time it's seen daylight after a long cold winter. That look is even worse when you add in a lack of routine shaving. Since I brought that up I have to ask all the ladies, who keeps their legs shaved in the winter? As for you men, if you keep yours shaved I don't want to know about it. Now, getting back to the original topic, here's to more happy toe days to come.

The Men In My Life

This post is to give a shout out to my dad and the other top men in my life. My dad is venturing into the world of web logs and has started following my blog, everyone say hello. In true daddy fashion he says it's fantastic and he loves it. I have two older brothers; the oldest is one of my first followers, and the other I don't think has ever seen a blog, yet. Of course my husband has no choice but to hear my thoughts on a daily basis and I am quite sure he is happy I have this additional outlet. My family ties in well to recent thoughts about how I came to this point of focusing on mindfulness. I don't remember it being a sudden realization such as many people have after suffering from an illness or tragedy. One of the conclusions I have come to is that it has always been in me. My dad was a wildlife officer and pilot for the state of NC and both of my parents came from farming families. We were taught to appreciate wildlife and nature, respect the balance of things, and have gratitude for the blessings in our life. We also learned from our parents example to be caring, compassionate, and thoughtful. This was a pretty good foundation to start life with. All of this has carried into the life I now share with my husband and hopefully have passed on to our daughters.

This Is Your Life

"It's your movie, write the scene just as you'd like it and ENJOY!"

Upon needing to make a decision, I ask my friend Rosie for her opinion. This was her response.

Freezing (Update)

I awoke to a light dusting of snow this morning. I thought we had missed out on the snow that blew through the south this week, but I guess it had just a little left. This gives us two snows this winter, and although I am not overly fond of snow it has been nice to see. Somehow the snow makes the cold seem not so miserable.

Well now I have some pictures to post. We will be warm again by the end of the week and I can quit whining. I will be thinking of all of you in colder climates, and wishing you sunshine and warmth.

It is freezing here right now. With the wind chill I think it's the coldest I have been this winter, and yes, I know I am a wuss. The weatherman said that it is air dipping down from Canada. I had to post this because I follow a lot of blogs from Canada and a few actually follow me, so thank you very much guys. I have two questions for you. One - how do you survive up there and two - can you take it back now? I do not have a picture to post because I am huddled in a corner with my little space heater.

Ladies Night

We had another fun and insightful evening last night! This was a continuation of what we started in January with the addition of three more friends. Last nights dinner was at my friend Pam's house, a superb hostess and even better cook. The theme was Asian, the food was incredible and fun, the Saki ... not so sure about. We also started a fund to contribute toward needs within our community and discussed what needs we wanted to address. After dinner Rosie led us in a guided Qi Gong session. Our next dinner will be at Kelly's and my mouth is already watering. She is a native of New Mexico and makes delicious Mexican dishes and the best Margaritas. Kelly will be inviting a speaker and we plan to settle on a mission statement to pull all our thoughts together into a structured plan. We are all excited about having lots of fun together and giving back to our community. To date we all seem to be focused on children, nutrition and mindful awareness. Would love to hear about other similar groups already existing out there, or if anyone else is interested in starting such a group. It would be fantastic to see a multitude of small community awareness groups having fun, sharing, learning and growing together. For your comical amusement, this is me doing my best Jethro Bodine impression. This was the left overs after we made Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps, YUM! Pam also had Sashimi Tuna and Chicken Stir Fry with Basmati Rice.
Oh, and of course there was wine.

What Did I See?

While working in the pasture this past weekend, I had the sudden urge to just lie in the grass. What I noticed was how heavy 65 pounds feels when it was pouncing and crawling all over me. Our dog T-Bone thought lying on the ground meant we were playing a game, but then T-Bone thinks everything is a game.

I also noticed how ineffective it was to say stop while giggling uncontrollably.

Once he did settle quietly beside me I looked up at the sky. For the first time that day (I'm embarrassed to say) I noticed how completely cloudless the sky was. I also noticed that it was a beautiful shade of deep blue.

After we got up, T-Bone proceeded to instigate a game of Chase Me with the donkey. As I watched them dash about I noticed how exuberant, fast, and utterly happy he always is.

As I walked passed our little pond, I noticed the new buds on the Willow tree. At night I have noticed that the chorus of frogs that live there have begun to sing and call to one another.

As these new signs of spring have joined the Robins and Daffodils, the temperature once again has been dropping below freezing. With this I noticed what a tease February can be.

After I went in for the night, shut away from the chilling temperatures, I noticed how much I appreciate a good hot cup of coffee.

I would like to make this a regular challenge to myself and to anyone else who would care to play along. It will also become part of the Kids Awareness Program, kind of a twist on I Spy. Even though I say, "what do I see", this activity is meant to use all the senses to see what you may notice. I'm a visual person so whether I hear it, taste it, sense it .... I tend to say I see it. In case you are new and curious about this concepts beginning you can see it at my post What Do You See. Now tell me.... what do you see?

Discovery

"We all wish to live happy, joyful and satisfying lives, but moments of deeply felt happiness are often fleeting. The path of mindfulness is one of discovery. Through the practice of mindfulness, we become more fully aware of our true potential and awaken to the precious opportunities for happiness, joy and meaning present in each moment."

This quote was taken from the website Mindfulnesscenter.org

Communication in the Computer Age

Let's talk

E-mail has so many advantages, you can send a quick note when it is inconvenient to have a long conversation, or an inappropriate time to call; you can send pictures of your new puppy to family that is far away; and at work you can send messages to people that are hard to reach by phone, and hopefully in a short time receive a reply. I'm wondering though if we are forgetting how to have an actual conversation with one another. In one of the houses we are presently building the homeowner chose an unusual and expensive wallpaper that the hanger has not used before. The hanger promptly e-mailed the company, but is at a standstill because they have not e-mailed her back. Upon hearing this today, I went to the website and saw a toll free number written in large type above the smaller typed e-mail address. When I called the number I got an immediate answer from an actual real live person. He was very helpful and informative and the hanger is probably still sitting by the computer waiting for a return e-mail.