Monday for New Habits

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 "How to Keep House While Drowning"

2. Giving Each Thing a Home

3. Self-care

Summer Solstice and First Quarter Moon

The season is turning. Today the sun exerts its maximum energy on our part of the earth; the powers of outward expression are at their greatest, and the powers of inner contemplation are at their lowest.

And of course, just as we reach the point of maximum yang energy, yin energy is reborn and begins to gain strength: The next days will each be a little shorter again, until the winter solstice in December.

Tonight is also 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 June quarter moon's energy to create patience: I will remember to pause and breathe often, to slow down my racing mind and enjoy the slower summer pace.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Intrinsic Hope"

2. Journal queries

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Make a New Solar Disk

5. Harvest herbs

6. Make Kanelbuller (Swedish Cinnamon buns)

7. Make flower crowns

8. Build a Solstice Fire

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