Raspberry Saturday

Harvest raspberries and mulch:

We are right at the glorious beginning of our raspberry harvest, picking a large bowl of berries daily (which I usually eat with yogurt for breakfast), and then grazing on the leftovers while we play in the wading pool.

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) belong to the genus Rubus, along with other cane berries such as blackberries and boysenberries. The Rubus genus is part of the Rosaceae (Rose) family, to which almonds, apples, cherries, hawthorns, strawberries, and many other fruits also belong.

Watering and mulching: Raspberries have shallow root systems, so they need to be watered regularly in spring and summer. Mulching around the plants (using a straw-like mulch such as pea straw, lucerne, hay, etc) helps retain soil moisture and keeps roots cool in hot weather, and also suppresses weeds all year round.

Harvesting: In terms of cropping seasons, there are three types of raspberries:

1. Summer-bearing types – early cropping, produce their crop in summer
   
2. Autumn-bearing types – late cropping, produce their crop in autumn
   
3. Everbearing types – long cropping, produce a large main crop in summer, and a smaller second crop in autumn.

I have both summer and everbearing berries mixed together in the row, both of which are producing right now. I can tell the difference because the summer berries are larger and not as tart. I like to eat them blended together. (The everbearing are more vigorous and are gradually pushing out the summer variety, so I will need to intervene sometime soon.)

Summer Action Plan

Friday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

Agenda:

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

2. The summer action plan

3. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Prepare for Summer Creativity

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for a summer of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

And thirdly, I've got lots of projects that help us function better: Fixing broken things and maintaining the house.

Agenda: 

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. Summer creativity

3. Camp preparedness

4. Projects for the week

Pool Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

And today we are going to the swimming pool!

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "The Achievement Habit"

3. Writing themes and passion plan

Tuesday for Equanimity

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons.

Agenda:

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Explore behaviors for equanimity

2. Beginning script for equanimity

4. New narrative for equanimity

Prepare for the Solstice

Solstice is less than a week away, and my habit is to have a week of summer fun and attention to welcome the start of this amazing season.

Summer is the wonderful time when we get to slow down, sleep in, play with friends, go swimming, bask in the sun, eat ice cream, stay up after dark... let’s face it; all the best stuff happens in the summer! No matter how old you are, summer is a time to slow your pace and savor the fun and freedom. The shift from spring to summer is worth noticing!

Agenda: 

1. Practice a Reverent Way of Being

2. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

3. Giving Each Thing a Home

4. Plan a fun build-up to summer

5. Make Sima

New Dragon Moon

The new moon rises today; the Chinese call the fifth new moon the Dragon Moon. Chinese dragons are a symbol of cosmic Chi, good fortune, and new beginnings, but the time around the Dragon Moon is strongly yang, with bright sunlight and moist heat. The Chinese consider this to be a dangerous and unhealthy season and they have customs to protect against the excessive yang energy.

I feel strong and effective when I am able to harness my yang energy to get stuff done, but I like to remember that yang's best aim is to protect yin, and yin's best function is to nurture yang; life is good when I have each in a kind of dynamic balance. This week I will make an effort to bring a balance of restorative yin energy to my life: Slow down, rest well, drink more water, and practice ‘discipline of purpose’.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

Agenda:

1. Retreat Day plan

2. Read "Intrinsic Hope"

3. Choose a month theme

4. Set intentions

June Garden

The June garden is pure abundance. It's too late to start most summer veggies now in my valley, and too early to start fall crops, so my focus is on garden care - watering, weeding, mulching - and on HARVEST. We are going to have an early heat wave this week - so watering will be paramount.

Agenda:

1. June tasks

2. Planting

Thursday Creative Brainstorm

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for a summer of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

And thirdly, I've got lots of projects that help us function better: Fixing broken things and maintaining the house.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Brainstorm for summer cretivity

3. Projects for the week

4. Camp preparedness

Hump Day

We saw Bob Dylan last night!

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

3. Brainstorm for Nature-Culture

4. Writing themes and passion plan

Tuesday

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons.

Agenda:

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Expressing Needs in the World

3. New narrative for presence

4. Monthly journal brainstorm

5. Brainstorm my equanimity

6. Cleansing

Third Quarter Moon of June

Tonight is the waning Third Quarter moon of June. Today's moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

June is a month of action and movement. Today I will pause to consider what I'm acting on and where I am moving to.

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

2. Zen Care for the studio

3. Meditation and Evaluation Journal

4. Ritual for Release and Realignment

5. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Sabbath for Renewal

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in quiet contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

The sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. 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.

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Renewal brainstorm

3. Morning Beingness routine

4. Harvesting practice

Thursday for Preparedness

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for a summer of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

And thirdly, I've got lots of projects that help us function better: Fixing broken things and maintaining the house.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

2. Projects for the week

3. Camp preparedness

4. Gratitude meditation

5. Sigel for preparedness

Bump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

(I actually had my Hump yesterday, which should not have surprised me but did - let's try to keep it from extending!)

Agenda today:

1. Love meditation

2. My bump plan

3. Read "The Sweet Spot"

4. Writing themes and passion plan

5. New narrative for passion

June Transitions

June is a transition month - the end of spring and the beginning of summer. June’s element is fire, which purifies and gives life. It’s a highly yang time of movement and power, the season of completion, abundance and fulfillment. I have a hope that in summer I will reach the full flowering of myself and my dreams.

June has a different pace, less scheduled though more active. It’s a time for fine-tuning, and for decisive action. June is when I like to energetically climb to the top of a hill, survey the landscape and climb down again, to put myself in context, evaluate my progress, see what I’ve accomplished since January, and make careful adjustments in my goals and priorities. 

My aim this month is to stand still and calm in the center while I am playing, cleaning, writing, socializing, teaching, digging in the garden, swimming, traveling, and painting. 

"Only when there is stillness in movement can the spiritual rhythm appear which pervades heaven and earth." -- Taoist text

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

Agenda this week:

1. Journal query

2. Read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

3. Zen Care for the Living-room

4. Ray of Sun Meditation

Blue Moon Sabbath

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and/or other bipeds. This Sabbath is unusual because II'm not alone in the house - and I need a plan for how to be quiet with a partner: Well, I'll start off with my usual quiet morning writing time, and flow directly into Meeting for Worship. Then scoot outside for time alone in the garden. After that, quiet will be an inner feeling I carry with me!

Today is also the full moon called the Blue Moon, because it is the second full moon in May. Actually, the original definition of a blue moon is a fourth full moon in one season, but I'm going with the newer definition - the second full moon in a month - because I don't have any better name for this moon. Both are correct, because it's folklore, and folklore is fluid!

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Review, refine, and shift

3. Balance journal

4. Celebrate balance

5. Truth walk ceremony

End of May Garden Catch Up

On this last day of May, when the crisis of surgery is over, and we are both recovering our equilibrium, I want to take time to catch up a bit in the garden. We've had a wet spell, but the trend is warmer this week. I need to push to get the last summer crops planted.

Agenda:

1. May garden tasks

2. Planting

3. Squash bug watch

4. Wildlife garden plans

Say Yes

Friday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

On Fridays I take steps to maintain clarity of purpose, keep the end in mind, monitor my progress, and recommit. I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Agenda:

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. Clarity for Service

3. The end plan

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Creative Clarity

I'm on a clarity kick, trying to understand how I want to direct my energy in the next months of my life. My priorities are those activities, good deeds, responsibilities, people, disciplines, and whatever else seems most important and feels most meaningful to me, now.

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing, so today I'll take time to think about my path forward.

Agenda: 

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Creative visioning

3. Projects for the week

4. Functional creativity

Hump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Today I also need to do what I can to prepare for settling my beloved back in to home-life!

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"

3. Writing themes and passion plan

4. Create clarity

Tuesday

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons (and, mostly, get ready to be a nurse!)

Agenda:

1. Read "Discover Inner Peace"

2. Expressing Needs in the World

3. New narrative for Tenderness

4. Synergy and hope plans

Monday Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge. 

Agenda this week:

1. Read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

2. Order plans for the week

3. Self-care

Sabbath Flow

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in quiet contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

This Sabbath we might bring our beloved husband/father/grandpa home from the hospital and settle into a semblance of normal.

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Flow plans

3. Awareness of 

3. Harvesting practice

May First Quarter Moon

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. Now is the time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities.

I use this May quarter moon's energy to create strength. I will remember to exercise, eat well, rest, and get healthy, and also, keep up my mental strength for the things that matter. 

Agenda: 

1. Read "That Clear and Certain Sound":

2. Journal queries

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Writing themes and passion flow plan:

Prepare for Caregiving

Caregiving is not my forte. I'm not patient with weakness, and I am generally selfish with my time. Also, my Patient is not the best patient! He will be crabby and he will push my buttons. But we love each other and love will carry us through this.

Today, as I wait in the hospital, I'm gearing up for the stresses I will face in the days ahead.

Agenda:

1. Read "That Clear and Certain Sound"

2. Hospital Beingness

3. The procedure

4. After-care

5. Caregiver roles

Hump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Today I also need to do what I can to prepare for the unknown of a hospital stay.

 

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

3. Prepare for the unknown