It's Gone

I've been so sad for the four days it took to fell the magnificent maple. And oh, the carnage! The casualties noted so far: three forsythias, seven hydrangeas, three boxwoods, four rosebushes, too many hostas, ferns, daisies, and day lilies to count, the entire front lawn, a fence, one kitchen window, one majestic tree, and my hot hot house.

Our gorgeous tree is being taken down today -- thank you for your beauty, your hospitality to the birds and squirrels, cooling and shading our home and patio, and all of that oxygen! RIP, you will be missed.

Warren Dunes

I was somehow talked into helping drive the youth to Lake Michigan for camping and fun -- and it really was fun!  In the end... the 2 1/2 hour drive took a little more than 5 hours!  But with Chicago traffic and construction, there really was no way around it.  And the camping in the torrential rain with no nearby bathrooms wasn't exactly my cup of tea 😛   But other than that!  Delightful!

getting older

Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes! We had a wonderful day -- out for breakfast and then to Springfield for a little Frank Lloyd Wright, playing at the capitol building, running around the Botanical Garden where we climbed trees and found a labyrinth(!), shopping, and a yummy Vietnamese dinner. Matthew knows what makes me happy 😀

::nice duck face


::happy to be back climbing around historic buildings


::we are the champions!


::It was hot hot hot and humid! Which made for some crazy hair! 


::how does this bell work?


::their only speed is RUN


::a labyrinth! recent memories from Bodhi! 


::Ibby meditating in the center, while Matthew makes his way around. We then all sat on that bench and watched a wedding in the nearby rose garden.

Labyrinth

This morning we went over to Syl's house to walk the labyrinth that she has in her backyard.  It is incredible!  She gave us some material to read before we went and I thought it was all interesting, but seeing it in person was unexpectedly moving.  She based the design on the labyrinth in Chartres cathedral -- which I've had the pleasure to see in real life.  I loved that cathedral and its coat of ethereal blue!  I do remember seeing the labyrinth on the floor, but I really didn't know anything about them at the time -- I was 18 years old -- so the experience was wasted on me, as so much is on the young!  We spent time meditating on the lawn for a bit and then could enter the sacred space when we felt so compelled.  When I was using my brain, I decided that I wanted to go in when there were less people inside, I didn't want it to be crowded, but soon I let my heart take over, which is always better, and wandered in when almost everyone was still there!  



It was really enjoyable to join my yoga sisters and greet each one with a handshake, pat, or small embrace as we made our way through.  I spent quite a bit of time on my journey, with loads of thoughts racing through my mind.  The most delightful moment was hearing Twila's voice in the prosperity quadrant yelling, "It's all fiction!!!"  I texted her later to tell her and she said she was basically thinking that right at the same moment, haha!  I also really felt the enlightenment, healing, and peace of the other quadrants.  

The whole experience of doing this yoga training has been really transformative!  And the love I have for my fellow trainees is deep.

Wild Roses

I was so happy to be able to spend some time with my sisters today.  Ellen and I hiked up Rock Canyon with the kids and the weather was simply perfect!  It is so so so pretty here right now. I think they have gotten a lot of rain this Spring and I honestly cannot remember the mountains ever being this green!  As we made our way up the steep path, I noticed giant wild rose bushes blooming like crazy!  I had never noticed that they were there -- because it is a desert!  It was so lovely.


We had a little photo shoot with my wild sisters -- there is always a lot of chatting and laughing when we get together.  Which I love.  How lucky am I that I get to have three?







And one with our mama -- she thinks we're all quite silly



Tomorrow is the first day of my yoga training!  I am so excited!