Self @ MindSay

I am trying to be an organic gardener. It's partly an ethical good for the earth thing but there is this streak in me from the 1960's Whole Earth Catalog that says everyone should have basic survival skills that don't hurt the earth but allow us to thrive. With that philosophy in mind I took a glass on edible plants so I could forage safely.
I learned how to start a fire for warmth; I made sure I could preserve my own food - although I don't that much-  and I learned not to use pesticides and chemicals in my garden. I confess to using some pellets that make the earth more alkaline under my many camellias and rhododendrons. and I add something to the composter that speeds up the process of making dirt.

But I weed by hand. It's a comforting and soothing activity. I put on one of three pair of gardening trousers, knees pads, washable gardening clogs, long socks, rubber covered garden gloves and a broad brimmed straw hat with a chin strap so it doesn't fall off as I climb around in the under story of the yard which is becoming a naturalists dream. . I have my hand tools in a gardening bucket filled with nooks and pockets- I keep it right inside the door near the boot trays and cat leashes... and go out and pick at each clump of grass, dandelion  or chickweed that I can find.  It's funny about weeds because some of them I cultivate:  the wood violets and the storks bill alone because while they are weeds to others I love them and they fill in the spaces so well and have such wonderful flowers. and occasionally a tree blows in- that's how we got two of the vine maples along the studio's  southern wall.  sometime it's worth it to let a plant alone for a season as it might do something interesting and you'll like it.

It's the same thing that makes me mend clothing with interesting and perfectly placed little patches and it's a small way of making the universe right when things go awry. And heaven knows that happens a lot.

                         It never ceases to amaze me

                   how

                   having a clear and unapologetic sense

                   of self

                   seems to impact the universe in ways

                  

                                                                     that

                                                          

                                                           cause a portal to open

                                                           through which

                                                           the tangible manifestation

                                                           of

                                                           our heart's desire

                                                           is

                                                           expressed.

                                                          

   

 

                                                          

                                                    lovespirit

 

 

 

Well it's official. I am now a danger to myself and possibly others.

Today I made an omelette for myself and my friend. As I began to serve it up, I ended up searing myself on the frying pan. Now i have a beautiful 2" line going across the top of my Left hand.

My friend recommended a remedy...ketchup. Yeah..supposedly ketchup is good for burns. How do I know? The Internet told me so.

So after applying and leaving on for a while, it turns out that the burn actually no longer hurts. It's not even painful to touch. So maybe it's all that.

Later in the afternoon, my friend requested assistance yet again. She's pregnant and thus no longer allowed to carry heavy loads. So I had to carry the top soil bag for her gardening. Not a problem. The problem was the fact that even though wearing shoes, I managed to cut the top of my foot real well on some plywood they had in the yard.

Yeah....2 war wounds in one day. You can stop laughing now.

I saw this on depp's page and thought it would be interesting to have my own done.

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Sarcasmsvoice

So you can do my picture and then make your own.

 "EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ...
how to fall in love without losing herself."  ~ Maya Angelou

 

I had lunch with a friend I hadn't really seen in about 10 yrs yesterday.  We met at 11:30 and didn't leave the restaurant until 4:30!  We solved all the major ills of the world, of course, but much of our conversation swirled around the above theme.  I have 2 daughters and she has one ... and we talked about the differences in how we were raised and how we raised our daughters.

 

I was raised in the 50's and 60's ... she's 10 yrs younger than me, but we were all, as little girls, spoon fed Barbie and Cinderella images and dreams.  In other words, we were taught directly and indirectly that the ideal life for us girls centered on marriage & children.  There was little, if any, talk of career or even employment.  There was NO discussion of self-sufficiency or independence.  None.  It was a "given" that all girls would grow up, get married and have babies, and, naturally, live happily ever after with Prince Charming!  My friend's childhood was much the same. OOOPS!

 

My question today is ... What has changed in the last few decades?  Are our little girls still raised with the images of Barbie, Cinderella, and happily-ever-after? I have made a distinct effort to impress on each of my 3 kids (2 girls/ 1 boy) the need for independence.  They each need to be able to support themselves financially and build a life to their own liking.  None of them are in a relationship at this point, and each of them are in fact, pursuing their career ... or at least heading in that direction.  They each have distinct goals and dreams, and a thought-out plan to achieve those dreams ... none of which I had when I was their age!

 

Of course, this in no way diminishes the dream of a happy & fulfilling relationship at some point ... (and grandbabies!), but I have worked hard to demonstrate that there's no hurry!  Get your feet securely planted.  Figure out who you are and who you want to be.  Build your life around your interests, with your priorities. Mr or Ms Right will come along when you least expect it, but if you're busy looking, you may be distracted by a counterfeit! 

 

Girls ...  Ladies, young and, umm, not so ... Cinderella: Friend or Foe?  How many of us were on some level deceived by this fairytale and the dreams it spawns? How many have found themselves trapped in abusive or less than ideal relationships because we had no career to support ourselves, or even to find affirmation. How many women have lost themselves to their relationships without even realizing it? Not very Happily-ever-afterish.

 

OK ... I got off my point, but ... ladies, figure out who you are and who you WANT to be.  We don't NEED a man to do that!  We don't need a Man to confirm our great value, our intelligence, our resourcefulness, our creativity, our compassion, our resilience ... We just need to take the time to get acquainted with ourselves and follow our own passions.  THEN ... we can share ourself without losing who we are. Don't be cheap, ladies! If we want others to respect us, we have to first respect our “own” self! That means defining ourself and coming to terms with our own imperfections and limitations as much as with our talents and outstanding abilities! :) 

 

(sheesh ... am I in Mom mode, or what???)

 

~ B