May Sabbath for Joy

Today is my Sabbath. It's been a few weeks since I last had an entire day that was unscheduled. In the best world, everyone would have one whole day each week to spend as we want; to stay in bed, read a good book, take a slow walk or do a crossword; one whole day to do no work, run no errands, send no emails, and clean no toilets.

My focus this May is joy, contentment, self expression and play, and I've been sharing some of my ideas on this subject. Most of us would say that we don't regularly feel joyful; it seems like such a big emotion. Joy comes in little splashes that come and go so fast we hardly recognize them.

But when you begin to invite those moments, and relish them -

(like the walk I took with my grandson, when he found a bed of dandelions in seed, and I watched as he gleefully shook loose every seed head he saw, and I felt relaxed and lifted up with his play)

and then you relive them by telling the story - that moment of joy stays with you, and carries you a long way.

Agenda today:

1. Keeping the Sabbath (and Mother's Day)

2. Read (and Practice) the Happiness Habit

3. Express myself

4. Our huge garden project update

1. Keeping the Sabbath (and Mother's Day):

Keeping a sabbath day is a personal thing. For me, it's a day with a slow pace, and everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the Sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Today I plan to spend my whole day at home, read and write, take a bath, go to an online worship, work in the garden (if it stops raining for an hour or two), and make a new banner. I also expect a visit from my son and daughter-in-law, and I will call my Mother.

2. Read (and Practice) the Happiness Habit:

I'm reading a book called "Happiness is a Habit: Simple Daily Rituals that Increase Energy, Improve Well-being, and Add Joy to Every Day", by Michele Phillips. 

Habit 4 is Inspire, Motivate, or Educate Yourself in the Morning. This is already my favorite habit of the day, and it continues to help me feel centered and inspired.

Habit 5 is Eat Breakfast. Sure. No problem.

Habit 6 is Juice When You Can. Ugh - I don't like juice, and I don't have a blender, so why should I consider doing this? She says, "Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner." That make sense, so I'll give it a try (but not today).

3. Express myself:

The joy within me supports my creative spirit, and gives me the self-confidence to express myself. But as I get older, I find that it is my spiritual and moral integrity that drives my need to express myself; I can't not say the things I'm led to say.

One of my favorite ways to express myself (after blogging) is craftivism - that is, crafty activism. Today I'm going to start a new banner to hang in my yard, to celebrate "May is Bike Month", that says,

 "Biking is a radical climate action."

One of the things I like most about the Craftivism movement is that, as I work, I'm not only expressing my hope for change, but also creating a quiet space for myself to regain a sense of power and purpose.

4. Our huge garden project update:
Since our beloved old apple tree came down we've been working on reconfiguring both our back and front yards. 

The vegetable beds in the shady front yard came out, and we've been putting in a wall to hold plantings that will shelter a new patio. The wall is about halfway complete.

In the newly sunny backyard we sculpted out vegetable beds and paths from the piles of soil. And we put in new fencing around the new duck yard and moved the coop to its new location. We've been planting in both parts of the backyard, but everything is still tiny.