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Beginner's Heart

 It’s an old Quaker saying — one I’ve always loved. The saying hearkens back to the 1950s, although it has taken on a life of its own. It goes well w/ a poem I read today, “Albatross in Co. Antrim,” where poet Robin Robertson likens today’s poet to the unlucky albatross: The poet is like…

I’ve been trying to spend time outside each day, even if it’s only to sit and watch the birds jostle each other at the various feeders. And I’ve been thinking about wind — always a presence in Oklahoma. If I’d had this word yesterday, it certainly would have been in yesterday’s post. The word is…

This conifer grows in front of where I park at my mother-in-law’s assisted living wing. The complex is situated on the outskirts of a suburb of the city where we live — in other words, pretty much surrounded by fields. So the wind really does come sweeping across the plains. Or at least the pastures…:)…

America has a love affair w/ meat. We eat — literally — tons of it a day. About 1/2 pound per capita. Considering how many of my friends are vegetarians and vegans, that means someone is eating a LOT more. I have a conflicted relationship w/ meat. I like a good prime rib as much…

I love farmers’ markets. When we go on a trip, I try to find out where the local farmers’ market is. In Portland, for instance, the Saturday Farmers’ Market is on the Portland State campus. And it’s amazing. You go early, planning to eat breakfast (and more) while you’re there. Today was the Wednesday market…

Meditation is hard for me. I’m not good at sitting still. I’m not particularly good at walking mindfully. What I do best is be in nature. Want someone to watch birds with? I’m your girl. Sit and watch a mountain breathe? Sounds great. But sit on my butt on a cushion/ a chair/ a zafu?…

It’s a shameful confession, for an eco-nut (a friend’s husband once called me an ‘eco-terrorist’ because I’ve supported Green Peace since the get-go :)). I love fireworks. Yes, they’re probably horrible for the environment. Yes, they’re totally ephemeral. (I think of them as a kind of Buddha board art — see below :)) But they’re…

You may well be sick of bees. I, on the other hand, see them everywhere. At the botanical gardens we visited as a field trip last week (see photo, attached :)), there were bees. And they make a lot of noise :). I confess: so do I. I buzz around doing this, babbling as I…

This is my past few months: the sands of time in a huge gritty mess :). Complete w/ the occasional glass shard. But yesterday my largest summer project ended (successfully!), as did another project, and a third the week before that. So tomorrow, in honour of hard work and exhaustion, we’re off to relax. A…

Each year, in the summer graduate seminar I help direct, we do a roundtable about the cultures students bring with them into our classes. We try to invite different perspectives, highlighting cultural and social differences that may not be familiar to the teachers who attend. Today was that roundtable. Listening to the four panelists —…
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