Blue Umbrella (John Prine)

It is waaaaaay past midnight.  I should have been in the bed over an hour ago.  I am tired and I am wired and tomorrow (ugh, that would be later today) is going to be a long, hard day.

Tonight we hosted a poolside gathering of close friends and out-of-town family, 6-9 p.m.-ish.  Sarah's friend Joe (whose family owns and operates an Italian restaurant) contributed 10 pizzas, 3 large trays of ziti (one of them vegan), and 2 trays of garlic rolls (one of them vegan).  We bought soft drinks and a large dispenser of water.  Sarah's other friends Nicole and Susan brought an amazing assortment of desserts.  Voi-f*cking-la... 🎆

Definitely a worlds-colliding party, that I don't have the energy to go into now but hope to revisit at a later date.  Everyone there was a meant-to-be.  Eric would have loved it.

Kind Words might be my Kryptonite... but Gratitude is my default... 💖

P.S.  For obvious reasons, I will not post Saturday night... but I certainly hope to on Sunday.  And then it might be a good time for the break I spoke of in yesterday's post.

SONG:  Blue Umbrella by John Prine

BOOK:  Grateful for the Color Blue: Surviving the Loss of an Adult Child by Ellyn Wolfe

POEM:  Peregrina by Sharon Blackie

O mother of the sea

lend me a wave that is strong and true

to carry me from this Age which unbinds me.

I do not need a ship, mother,

but make it a buoyant swell

to bear me up and float me on the sea’s dreaming

then beach me on some lighter shore.

When I land there, give me warp and weft again,

and an urchin quill to remind me

how the prettiest barb can lodge under your skin

and leave you undone.

Only lend me a loom and I will

take up the threads of this unraveled life.

I will weave a braid from three strands of seaweed

I will wind it three times around my finger

I will dig my salt-encrusted hands into the soil

and wed myself to the thirsty

brown roots of a new beginning.  

QUOTE:  "At a certain point, you say to the woods, to the sea, to the mountains, the world:  Now I am ready. Now I will stop and be wholly attentive. You empty yourself and wait, listening." ~ Annie Dillard

Be Here Now (Willy Porter)

My devotion to Christine Kane's songs and blog posts have been detailed here before - her wisdom comes in many ways, shapes and sizes and almost everything she writes hits me in the heart at one time or another.

Christine's last few posts have focused on the two goals I'm trying to set in my life these days: releasing clutter and living mindfully - the more I attempt, the more I realize both are hopelessly/helplessly intertwined... and when I accomplish the former, I'll have much better luck with the latter!

Todd Snider sings, "you're either out of control or you're stuck" - I used to believe that, but I'm more willing these days to strive for the balance/moderation/happy medium (I can hear the mumblings now: "who are you and what have you done with Susan?"... :-)

The One Thing, an essay by Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now

I can't seem to find a link to this specific song but did manage to unearth a jumble of the entire CD's lyrics - since they're foundational to the theme of this post, I've copied and pasted...

SONG: Be Here Now by Willy Porter

Chorus:

If we can think it

we can do it

we can be it

We've got to be here now

Can't find your soul inside a bottle

Can't smoke love out of a pipe

Ain't no short-cut to the Bodhisattva

Only dim out your flashlight

Chorus

It's like my brother Tom he told me

He said, man you think too hard

If you can't make a decision,

Get your head out of the way of your heart

Chorus

May your feet be firmly grounded

And rooted in black soil

Give your conscience to the children

Help to spread some peace and joy

Chorus

BOOK: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

POEM: You made crusty bread rolls... by Gary Johnson

You made crusty bread rolls filled with chunks of brie

And minced garlic and drizzled with olive oil

And baked them until the brie was bubbly

And we ate them thoughtfully, our legs coiled

Together under the table

And then salmon with dill

And lemon and whole-wheat cous cous

Baked with garlic and fresh ginger, and a hill

Of green beans and carrots roasted with honey and tofu.

It was beautiful, the candles and linens and silver,

The winter sun setting on our snowy street,

Me with my hand on your leg, you, my lover,

In your jeans and green T-shirt and beautiful feet.

How simple life is. We buy a fish. We are fed.

We sit close to each other, we talk and then we go to bed.

QUOTE: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~Annie Dillard