You Have to Be Strong

When you're married, you have someone there with you who's strong, who picks up the pieces, who wraps an arm around you and says, It will be all right. When you're single, it can only be your friends and yourself. And some say spirit; however, I've never felt the arm of God around me. Figuratively, of course, but not physically. This is what I want, a tangible experience of Spirit and of man—eventually, that is. Many people say they are atheists, and although I can't say what is really there, I do know that the earth is there in abundance, enlivening everything. There has to be a force to make this happen. And then there is the old heart pumping away. How does this happen, this animation, without some great force making it all in the first place? These are questions that ring inside of me, waking me daily to the awe of life, reminding me to be full of joy. Here's a book I'm looking at by Julia Cameron

The garden is difinitely full of joy right now. Beautiful colorful flowers: zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers, cosmos, and glads shout with joy. I have a bouquet of dahlias in my kitchen right now. There are lovely shades of red and yellow and white. So full, plump petals vibrating with life. My sister likes to squeeze flowers and ooh over them. She is in the right profession, a wedding florist. I like to paint flowers, so much color, so much beauty.

Last night I saw Garrison Keillor at the Western Washington Auditorium. He was completely fabulous, such a professional. Such a talented man. Present, listening, making connections as the show unfolded. It was truly an enlivening experience. There was a outward expression of Spirit if I ever saw one. I was completely taken. Now I have a book to read and will enjoy every word of it. My friends Kelli Russell Agodon, Brenda Miller, and Nancy Pagh went with me. We had a blast.

Okay , then, must shower and get on with my day. Be happy and smell the flowers.

Flower

Mum’s the Word

I guess this means to keep quiet. Since I turned 20, I've been unable to keep quiet. I read a lot and felt free to pass on the information to whomever would listen. My brother once called me a walking encyclopedia. But think of it, it's developmental right, to gather information. Look at the two year old saying, "What's that? That? That? That?"

That is broccoli raab, that is a zebra striped tomato, that is an Italian prune, that is yellow hammer dahlia, that is candy corn, that is a big boy tomato. Yes, we have names for everything, perhaps more than enough names for everything but love. Well I'm leaping here, and I know there is platonic love and motherly love, unconditional love, sibling love, but there have to be more nuances than this. Love for a friend, love for a pet, love for nature, love of work. Perhaps there are more names for love than I know, but still, not like snow in far north. I love this concept of having hundreds of names for something.

When it comes to soil there is clay soil and peaty soil, hardpan, rocky soil, humus, compost, worm castings—huh, I think I'm on to something here. There is sandy soil, mica soil, red soil, rich soil. I'll have to look into this further. Remember Forest Gump's friend going on about shrimp this and shrimp that. Funny. So my soil is used-up soil. I'm thinking of this as a metaphor for my life and what do we do when something is depleted? Fortify. Improve the diet, add the nutrients, let things rest. Today I need rest, but there is not rest for the wicked. Today Garrison Keillor will be in town with his new novel Liberty: A Lake Wobegon Novel

I have a ticket to the show. Actually, I have more than one ticket and my friends and I will be having dinner and then going to see him at the Western Washington University. One of my friends had a poem read on air by Garrison from her book Small Knots. Kelli Russell Agodon is a fabulous poet and friend and choose my art for the cover. The book is beautiful.

Okay, I have to get going here, cleaning, cooking, showering—and by the way, what are some of the words for love that you know? And soil? Pass them on.

Flower