Overwhelm

I feel overwhelmed, with ideas, projects, emails, and family demands. Today I want to take some time to get clear about immediate priorities, and what I can put on the back burner.

Agenda:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

5. Beginner's mind meditation for worry

6. Teaching brainstorm

7. Projects for the week

Unity with Winter Rain

We have a paradoxical relationship with rain. Rain gives us life - we can't survive without it, but it's so inconvenient; we like to complain about it, and try to avoid being caught out in it. We sometimes find it dismal and depressing. (I certainly got tired of rain, as a young person who had to walk to school in it EVERY DAY; and not just gentle showers, but cold, sideways driving rain that penetrated every part of you...)

Agenda:

1. Ongo journal

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Explore rain

5. Write a mission haiku

6. Proaction and reciprocity plans

First Quarter Moon of Late February

Today is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action and full effort.

I use this late February quarter moon's energy to lean in to vigor and enthusiasm! Some strategies: Better diet, more water, movement and dance, sunlight, and visualization (wash negative energy away in a shower).

Agenda Today:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Journal queries

5. Full effort for writing

6. Synergy plans

Monday Reset

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun.

Agenda:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Ongo journal

5. Home projects

Pea Planting Day and Forgiveness Sunday

Pea Planting Day is a special anniversary for us. February 22 is listed on my planting calendar as the first day to plant peas in the Willamette Valley; it also happens that this is the day W and I got engaged to each other, 50 years ago!

Peas are traditionally the first vegetable sown outside in the spring because they will germinate and grow in very cool soil. We plant peas today to ceremonially kick off the start of the planting season, and also to remind ourselves of the beginnings of our relationship; the day we decided to be together forever.

Forgiveness Sunday is an Eastern Orthodox holiday that marks the start of Lent. The Western and Eastern churches usually celebrate Lent and Easter on different dates - the Western dates are calculated with the Gregorian calendar, and the Eastern dates use the Julian Calendar.

Agenda:

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

5. Ask forgiveness and offer forgiveness

6. Pea planting ceremony

7. Permaculture pea tips

8. Light a candle

Phenology Saturday

Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal changes in nature. It's nature's calendar - when flowers bloom, leaves break bud, birds begin migrating, leaves change color and begin to fall, and so on. Farmers and gardeners use phenology to develop a planting schedule. Researchers observe changes in phenology as an indicator of the vulnerability of species and communities to changes in climate.

I record the phenology in my garden to broaden my awareness, deepen my connection to the wildlife around me, and to better understand the calendar of my environment and how it is changing. I'm focusing on a few native plants and personal favorites in my yard, the birds at my feeder, and some specific patches of leaf mulch (for insects).

1. Devotions

2. Beingness 

3. Earth Action

4. Phenology journal

5. New squirrel feeder