I'm having a hard time. Are you having a hard time? And then with every complaint or whine I utter I silently hear "first world problems" at the end of each. The tragedies unfolding around us on this spinning globe are massive.
Where do you go for solace? Where do you pull it together? Behind closed doors while staring in a mirror? Pounding your feet, one in front of the other, along a cement path? Kristina wrote a lovely piece on her blog about baking a pie, and finding some humor in a story, despite the chaos surrounding us. I appreciated her humor. It felt needed. Margaret at Away to Garden said today, "Japan news is so big as to be incomprehensible. For me, gardening (raking, digging, sowing) is prayer, I guess. Time for prayer."
Here in Oregon I go to the moss. To the green. To the nature of this place. Open my eyes to see the daily beauty in front of us. It is there, everywhere, and in this moss, it is green growing upon layers of green, even coating itself as if hanging green shawls from the trees. The moss grows ferns, and lichen chimes in as well. It's alive, this forest of green, and for now, we are too. And I am grateful.
Sending you peace.
13 comments:
What a lovely post. We deal as we feel we can deal.
I guess I am a princess gardner. I am on vacation this week, but it is just too Oregon-ish for me to get out & reclaim the garden from winter. Hydrangea & Magnolia are setting bud, but to me it still really feels like winter
nature, always. even if it's just briefly...to get out and walk around...to look at the sky and clouds...the architecture of the still-barren trees...watch the birds that flit onto the porch. nature...she always heals me.
I was feeling a bit low on Sunday, so I decided to stir. Risotto and the need to stand still and not go run and do X thing rightthisveryminuteorelse and stir until it's done unwinds my brain and ends in warmth.
I love that you embrace the nature around you. No complaints about the rain. My love right now is seeing the snow recede out of our yard. It is like finding an old love when my planting spaces are revealed. I find the disaster in Japan deeply disturbing as well...nature can be so violent but then so healing. Anyways, ramblings from Idaho!
I also find moss very calming. I don't know what it is...
When I moved into my house a couple years ago, there was moss growing in the back yard around and up this one tree and my dad, trying to be helpful, gave suggestions on how to get rid of it..and I had to school him that I LIKE moss. Moss is relaxing. Moss is natural. Moss is my backyard friend. :)
after 9/11, we drove up to the Olympic Peninsula (aka "the other Peninsula") and camped with our babies -- one had just turned two; the other one I was carrying. We camped and hiked and meditated. Then i saw a car at the campground w/ NY license plates and started sobbing like crazy. i'm sure that comforted them.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/
thank you for the link to Mouth of the South...that was just what I needed.
Yes! So much pressure, pain, questioning. I like that "I go to the green" phrase. I think we both understand that.
i love your thoughtful post. it's hard to write about since everything we say seems so trivial. i always resort to nature and gratitude. if nothing else, it's all so humbling. watching those stoic, courageous people endure such horror. this too shall pass...
i love your thoughtful post. it's hard to write about since everything we say seems so trivial. i always resort to nature and gratitude. if nothing else, it's all so humbling. watching those stoic, courageous people endure such horror. this too shall pass...
I love the moss, too. I was walking through Laurelhurst yesterday admiring it on some older stone walls, and hope that I too can someday have a mossy front garden. Swoon....
That second photo is stunning. Much peace in return.
Jack the Demon Cat and I send our hellos and also the request that you show us how you make photos like those! My oh my. Thanks for this; we always enjoy visiting you, even in hard times. Yours is a place of connectedness and compassion.
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