November Wildlife Garden

November is a significant month for a wildlife garden because it's generally the turning point for the first frosts of winter. This November has been warm - I harvested raspberries yesterday! - but the rains have begun in earnest.

In September I wrote about my Nature-Culture ideas: living my life as part of nature; sharing my resources with those who share theirs (the bees and the birds, etc.); becoming more aware of nature's needs so I can be a better neighbor; changing my habits so I can cause less harm.

My working definition of Nature-culture is "Humans living in unity with nature: acting in ways that create shared spaces that mimic the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems."

Agenda:

1. Bird watching

2. Feed the birds

3. Add to my wildlife garden habitat

4. Winter vegetable garden tasks

5. Personal life-style goals

6. Education and advocacy plans

Simple Time

In November everything slows down, and I try to remember to be more aware of time flowing; to find the right tempo for each activity; and to transition calmly. Advent will bring a wealth of activity, so take time this week to savor the changing season. Remember, as Waverly Fitzgerald says in Slow Time, that time is "much more fluid and mysterious than I had imagined."

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Simple holiday decluttering

3. Simple projects list

4. Love meditation

Sabbath for Gratitude

Today is my Sabbath. 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! And why don't we? Mostly because we don't make it a priority.

A sabbath day was originally a day of renewal, and rest from work, kept on Saturday by the Jews and Sunday by most Christians. And, of course, when religious people got involved, the day got bound up with "shall and shall nots". Keeping the day holy became a lot of work, and people were arrested if they didn't do it right; enforced rest is not usually very relaxing or renewing! 

In the modern world we have swung the pendulum too far the other way, escaping religious rules and adopting the rules of progress, where no day is holy - only the dollar.

My theme today is Gratitude: How do I express my gratitude to people, the earth, and to God? What has filled me with Light?   

Agenda:
1. Simple Sabbath plans

2. Read "Wake Up Grateful"
3. Testimony of Gratitude
4. Winter Earth Awareness Practice

Xia Yuan Jie and Full Frost Moon

 

Today is Xia Yuan Jie (pronounced "Shaw you-an Jee-a") -- Lower Primordial Festival -- a Chinese festival that falls on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month, usually the full moon of November. It’s the third of a trio of Taoist holidays that honor three Taoist gods, called the Three Great Emperor Officials:

• Tian-Guan, the Heaven Official, gives happiness, and rules over the first 6 months of the year (the yang part), beginning  on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, at the Lantern Festival.
• Di-Guan, the Earth Official, forgives sins and guilt, and rules over the next 3 months (the yin part), beginning on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at the Ghost Festival.
• Shui-Guan, the Water Official, rules over the last 3 months of the year (also yin), starting today.

And tonight we see the Full Frost Moon, called that because now is when the first hoarfrost might appear - that white frost that makes walking crunchy, and that requires scraping of windshields. Frost is a reminder that winter is coming, and we all need to finish our outdoor chores and close up the storm windows.

This moon is also known as the Alangitapi moon - the Moving-Inside-for-Winter moon, by the Kalapuya people of my valley.

We are now at the peak of the strong-energy yang phase of the waxing moon, and will soon begin the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon. But today it's time to CELEBRATE! 

Agenda:
1. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Take a vision walk
3. Celebrate abundance

4. Hold the world in the light

5. Plant paper white bulbs

invite Equanimity

I long for equanimity, but instead I own this ongoing emotional reactivity: I'm feeling fine, maybe a little tired, and someone says something that pushes a button and I'm suddenly tense and angry; I over-react, I snap out a response, and say something I later regret. I do it to my spouse, my children, grandchildren, friends, and to complete strangers.

In that moment, my perceptions of the situation are altered. The emotional charge prevents me from seeing the situation clearly and calmly. I'm not listening, or analyzing, and I'm not aware of the love I have inside. My emotions and defenses are driving my behaviors.

I've worked and worked on this, and have definitely improved, but not enough. While I want to be accepting of myself, I also deeply desire to be a calmer person. 

I intend to continue to work at growing my equanimity by practicing a Formula for Calm (breath, name feelings, time out), using a trigger journal, and nurturing active listening skills, because I want less unnecessary emotional disturbance, a better relationship with my loved ones, and I want to understand people clearly and honestly. 

Agenda:

1. Formula for Calm

2. Trigger journal

3. Emotions list

4. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

Simple Holiday Season

The holiday season is already upon us. I'm making plans for Thanksgiving, preparing for advent, and starting some gift-making.

My top three tips for keeping these next months special are:

• Keep the main thing the main thing: Be clear on my holiday intentions and set priorities each week.
• Focus on savoring experiences like good meals, nature walks, and decorating together.
• Communicate early with everyone involved to confirm  schedules and priorities. 
• Don’t overspend on gifts; instead, make as many as possible and buy used books and toys.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Power of Less"

2. Simple holiday decluttering

3. Simple projects list

4. Practice visualization