Thanksgiving

And here we are at Thanksgiving again! I'm anxious about hosting a huge meal, providing the right atmosphere, and remaining calm in the chaos of a multi-generational gathering. I want everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, not overworked or stressed - including myself.

How can I help to make it a great day for everyone and also retain my own contentment?

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath … no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in the moment.

Agenda:

1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance

2. Read "Perspective"

3. Cook the turkey

4. Acknowledge the Kalapuya

5. Give thanks

6. Compile a family wish list

Approaching Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is commonly associated with the Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together for a peaceful feast in 1621, which overlooks the darker aspects of history. The arrival of European settlers to Turtle Island resulted in the displacement, marginalization, and eradication of indigenous communities, and it's important to hold these truths in mind as we prepare to celebrate.

Agenda:

1. Plan an acknowledgement

2. Support Native Communities

3. Read "The Earth Keeper's Handbook"

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

5. Make pies

The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Play-doh pies 2022

The process of giving thanks is not always easy for me. I feel so awkward when I try to express my feelings.

Noticing my feelings is a good first step, though; when I notice how blessed I am, I become more optimistic and peaceful; my impatience decreases and I realize how satisfied and fulfilled I am.

In the book, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks," Diana Butler Bass says, "The universe is a gift. Life is a gift. Air, light, soil, and water are gifts. Friendship, love, sex, and family are gifts. We live on a gifted planet. Everything we need is here, with us. We freely respond to these gifts by choosing a life of mutual care. ... There is no one experience of gratitude; rather it is a complex and episodic thing, and one that is deeply emotional."

Noticing my feelings of gratitude helps to keep me humble. I depend on the love, kindness, and support of others at all times, and on the bounty and generosity of nature. All that I have comes from others, just as I contribute to the lives of others in many ways. The exchange is continuous.

Gratitude is a fundamental feeling. When I think about gratitude as an essential part of love it becomes easier to remember to express it.

Agenda:

1. Read  "Present Moment Awareness"

2. Daily Hours of prayer

3. Express my gratitude

4. Thanksgiving Tree

5. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

A Grace-filled Monday

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

Today I'm also making plans for fitting Grace into my days.

Agenda:

1. Grace notes

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"

3. Housework script

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Holiday mindset

6. Thank-You School plans

Holiday Frame of Mind

The holiday season is upon us. I'm making plans for Thanksgiving, preparing for advent, and thinking about gift-making for Christmas.

My top four 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.

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

 

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Renewal plan

3. Holiday mindset

4. Fall Cleaning and Home projects

5. Dinosaur School plans

The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks

Play-doh pies 2022

Giving thanks does not come naturally for me; I do have feelings of gratitude, but I just find it hard to express them without sounding awkward or insincere - even in my head.

Noticing my feelings is a good first step, though; when I notice how blessed I am, I become more optimistic and peaceful; my impatience decreases and I realize how satisfied and fulfilled I am.

In the book, "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks," Diana Butler Bass says, "The universe is a gift. Life is a gift. Air, light, soil, and water are gifts. Friendship, love, sex, and family are gifts. We live on a gifted planet. Everything we need is here, with us. We freely respond to these gifts by choosing a life of mutual care. ... There is no one experience of gratitude; rather it is a complex and episodic thing, and one that is deeply emotional."

Noticing my feelings of gratitude helps to keep me humble. I depend on the love, kindness, and support of others at all times, and on the bounty and generosity of nature. All that I have comes from others, just as I contribute to the lives of others in many ways. The exchange is continuous.

Gratitude is a fundamental feeling. When I think about gratitude as an essential part of love it becomes easier to remember to express it.

1. Read "Wake Up Grateful"

2. Daily Hours of prayer

3. Thanksgiving Tree

4. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Generous Love

Earlier this month I wrote about opening the door to love. I want to practice the habits that allow love to shine in my life: Compassion, respect, patience and equanimity, gratitude, forgiveness, generosity, kindness and care. At the start of the year, I set some goals for growth in this area of my life, and it's time to review them.

Also, I want to start a better set of practices that brings me to love and receptivity every month after the full moon, in the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon.

Agenda:

1. Love Journal
2. Review and add to love goals
3. Love meditation

4. Monthly receptivity practices

Farvardegan

Today is the start of Farvardegan, which means “days of remembering the Fravashis" (guardian angels). It's a ten day Zoroastrian festival that includes the five days of Hamaspathmaidyem, which begin on March 16, and concludes with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on March 21.

Hamaspathmaidyem is the sixth and last gahambar. This gahamber is the most significant to Zoroastrians, because it's devoted to remembering the fravashis or guardian angels. According to Zoroastrian religion, each of the 6 creations was created during one of the gahambars. Mankind was created on this last one.

Agenda this week:

1. Spring cleaning

2. Plant the sabzeh
3. Welcome the angels
4. Offer thanks
5. Recite prayers

Chinese New Year's Eve and the New Holiday Moon

Tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, New Year's evening is called Ch’u-yeh, the "evening of discarding", because we can finally be done with the old year, and with winter.

This last day of the year is busy for Chinese families, because it’s the last chance to complete preparations and be ready to start the year fresh. When the running around is done, the family spends the rest of the day at home together -- family connections are the big theme for this holiday.

Tonight is also the new moon. This first new moon of the Chinese year is called the Holiday Moon, because it's the start of a month-long holiday season in China. The new moon is 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

2. Choose a month theme

3. Set intentions

4. New moon altar and meditation

5. Thanksgiving ceremony

6. Welcoming ceremony

7. Have a family open house

Thanksgiving Day

I'm excited and anxious for Thanksgiving this year because it's my family's first big meal together indoors since the start of the pandemic. We are different people now, with two new members, and lots of water under the bridge.

I'm anxious about hosting a huge meal, providing the right atmosphere, and remaining calm in the chaos of a multi-generational gathering. I want everyone to feel comfortable and relaxed, not overworked or stressed - including myself. 

How can I help to make it a great day for everyone and also retain my own contentment?

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath … no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in the moment.

Agenda:

1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance

2. Cook the turkey

3. Honor my pilgrim ancestors and the Wampanoag people

4. Honor the Day of Mourning
5. Give thanks

Unity with Autumn Leaves

Last year I designed a Unity Art practice that opens the doors of creative healing, to heal our connection to the earth and Creation. 

We are all a part of nature, but some of us have built walls to keep nature separate; we've been taught that we are more important than other parts of nature, and that's a hard lesson to unlearn. And when we begin to care more about nature it's easy to become overwhelmed, and then we need more walls to protect ourselves from feelings of anger and guilt.

My practice includes the intentional steps of collecting, observing, preparing, creating, sharing and giving thanks. What I'm finding is that it's easy to find ways to connect to the earth, and  - with intention - any simple task becomes a path to healing.

Agenda:

1. Set leafy intentions

2. Collect leaves as a sacred activity

3. Observe leaves

4. Create leaf mold to cultivate abundance

5. Leaf mold thanksgiving

Chinese New Year's Eve and New Holiday Moon

Tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, New Year's evening is called Ch’u-yeh, the "evening of discarding", because we can finally be done with the old year, and with winter.

This last day of the year is busy for Chinese families, because it’s the last chance to complete preparations and be ready to start the year fresh. When the running around is done, the family spends the rest of the day at home together -- family connections are the big theme for this holiday.

Tonight is also the new moon. This first new moon of the Chinese year is called the Holiday Moon, because it's the start of a month-long holiday season in China. The new moon is 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

2. Choose a month theme

3. Set intentions

4. New moon altar and meditation

5. Thanksgiving ceremony

6. Welcoming ceremony

7. Have a family open house

Thanksgiving Day of Retreat

It's Thanksgiving Day, and normally I would be up early to cook a turkey, and finish preparing a feast, but the last few years of quarantine have caused a shift for my family. A combination of work schedule, cold weather, ambivalence towards a mythical Pilgrim narrative, and just plain exhaustion have created an opening for something new this year.

I've made pies to share, and sent out my Thanksgiving cards. Today will NOT be all about family togetherness, but a quiet day for me be grounded and thankful, and do some introspective writing.

Agenda:

1. Write about my pilgrim ancestors

2. Write about the Wampanoag people
3. Honor the Day of Mourning
4. Read from "Grateful"

Medicine Art for Autumn Leaves

I'm designing a Medicine Art practice that I can teach and share, that will open the doors of creative healing to anyone, any age, any ability. The goal for my practice is to heal our connection to the earth and Creation.

We are all (de facto) connected because we are a part of nature, but we have built walls to keep nature separate, because our culture is human focused; we've been taught that we are more important than other parts of nature, and that's a hard lesson to unlearn. And when we begin to care more about nature it's easy to become overwhelmed, and then we need more walls to protect ourselves from feelings of anger and guilt.

Last week I shared some Medicine Art practices and projects for fall seeds that included the intentional steps of collecting, observing, preparing, creating, sharing and giving thanks. What I'm finding is that it's easy to find ways to connect to the earth, and  - with intention - any simple task (even a chore) becomes a path to healing.

Agenda:

1. Set leafy intentions

2. Collect leaves as a sacred activity

3. Observe leaves (with kids)

4. Observe leaves (with adults)

5. Create leaf mold to cultivate abundance

6. Leaf mold thanksgiving

Medicine Art for Fall Seeds

I'm designing a Medicine Art practice that I can teach and share, that will open the doors of creative healing to anyone, any age, any ability. The goal for my practice is to heal our connection to the earth and Creation. 

We are all (de facto) connected because we are a part of nature, but we have built walls to keep nature separate, because our culture is human focused; we've been taught that we are more important than other parts of nature, and that's a hard lesson to unlearn. And when we begin to care more about nature it's easy to become overwhelmed, and then we need more walls to protect ourselves from feelings of anger and guilt.

Each Medicine Art step is a normal action that we do all the time. For example, let's say today you plan to make vegetable soup: You run out to the store or your garden to collect veggies, you prepare them by washing and cutting, you create the soup, and you share it with your family, perhaps giving thanks. With a little extra effort, the soup-making can become an intentionally healing process. When we do each action as a meditation, a prayer, everything we do in life can be a way to heal.

Today I want to share some Medicine Art practices and projects with fall seeds.

Agenda:

1. Collect seeds as a sacred activity
2. Observe seeds (with kids)

3. Dry seeds with care

4. Make seed packets

5. Bird seed Thanksgiving

Farvardegan and Hamaspathmaidyem

This is the start of Farvardegan, which means “days of remembering the Fravashis". It's a ten day Zoroastrian festival, and it includes the five days of Hamaspathmaidyem, which begin on March 16, and concludes with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on March 21.

Hamaspathmaidyem is the sixth and last gahambar. This gahamber is the most significant to Zoroastrians, because it's devoted to remembering the fravashis or guardian angels. According to Zoroastrian religion, each of the 6 creations was created during one of the gahambars. Mankind was created on this last one.

Agenda this week:

1. Spring cleaning
2. Welcome the angels
3. Offer thanks
4. Recite prayers

Chinese New Year's Eve and New Holiday Moon

Tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve. In China, New Year's evening is called Ch’u-yeh, the "evening of discarding", because we can finally be done with the old year, and with winter.

This last day of the year is busy for Chinese families, because it’s the last chance to complete preparations and be ready to start the year fresh. When the running around is done, the family spends the rest of the day at home together -- family connections are the big theme for this holiday.

Agenda:

1. Thanksgiving ceremony

2. Welcoming ceremony

3. Have a family feast

Thanksgiving Day

Today is Thanksgiving. It's not hard to find things to be grateful for this year. I'm so blessed with grown-up children who live in town, with an energetic 1-year-old grandson who brings light to my every day, with a warm home, and a loving community.

Agenda:
1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace & Abundance
2. Community zoom worship
3. Finish the food
5. Give thanks

Thanksgiving Preparations and Waning Gibbous Moon

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I'm trying to be positive. Our plans shift each day. We are trying to err on the side of caution, because of our unvaccinated one-year-old. 

I realized that what I missed most last year with our isolated quarantine Thanksgiving, was the collaboration - sharing the work of making the meal - so we are each making extra of something to share! I'm making extra pie and extra sweet potatoes, and we will meet up to exchange food tomorrow.

We are also going to meet on zoom sometime tomorrow to drink champagne and make a toast to everything we are thankful for.

And now the moon is waning - getting smaller - until it is new again. During the waning moon, the moon's energy changes, and we move gradually into the yin phase - slow down, go within, and focus on inner work. I back off a bit on actively pursuing my goals, and allow the ease of being a loving, thoughtful person to carry me towards my dreams. 

With perfect timing, the waning gibbous moon is when to practice opening to receive blessings, feeling and expressing gratitude, and generosity with giving (towards others AND with myself). 

Agenda today:

1. Journal queries

2. Gratitude garland

3. Generosity practices

4. Make pies

Stir Up Sunday (Prepare for Advent)

Today is Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. This is the traditional day in Britain to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside for Christmas Day so the flavors have a month to develop.

At least, it used to be the traditional day; apparently most families buy a pudding in a tin now. What a shame! Being partly of British descent (and also being fond of brandy) I think it's worth the effort. And the flaming pudding is an exciting end to Christmas dinner!

This is a day of preparation: I prepare for advent and also for Thanksgiving. Because we have an unvaccinated one-year-old in our family, we will not be physically together again this year for Thanksgiving, but we are going to share food and then eat together on zoom!

I plan to use this day to center myself for a holiday that will be untraditional: I want to stir up my feelings about tradition, expectation, love, and family, and come to terms with a low key quarantine holiday season, which will still be deep and satisfying. Advent is a time of expectant waiting - for grace, and the joy of the returning Light - and this week I will actively prepare to wait.

Agenda for today:
1- Journal queries

2- Prayer
3- Start the Christmas Pudding

4- Collect greens