Halloween

Halloween is the modern name of the ancient Irish and Scottish holiday of Samhain (pronounced SOW-win), a Celtic-Gaelic word meaning “summers-end”. It begins at dusk on October 31, and marks the doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year, the opening of a new cycle.

In the 7th-century CE the Pope established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following century it was moved to November 1. The evening before All Saints’ Day became a holy, or hallowed, eve and thus Samhain became Halloween.

The Reformation put an end to the religious holiday among Protestants, although in Britain Halloween continued to be celebrated as a secular holiday. The celebration of Halloween was mostly forbidden among the early American colonists, until the 1800s.

Agenda:

1. Make paper bats

2. Make a costume

3. Trick or Treats

Self-caring

Self-care is a boring topic. I find it easy to ignore. 

Which is why self-care needs to be a discipline: It takes discipline to do the things that are good for me instead of what feels good in the moment, or just what "needs to get done". Self-care needs doing every day, every week, month in and month out - it’s taking care of myself as a daily practice, so I don't get stressed out, over-committed, over-weight, and over-tired.

Self-care requires tough-mindedness, a deep understanding of my priorities, and respect for myself and the other people in my life. It involves setting boundaries, communicating my needs, and showing up authentically. It involves doing battle with my inner demons — my traumas and addictions.

Of course, with disciplined self care I am able to be a better caregiver and activist for everyone else; I have the energy, health, and focus I need to create transformation in my world.

Agenda:

1. Self-Care Journal

2. My renewal practices

3. Read "Anticancer Living"

4. Stress reduction practice

5. Stop blurting

Preparing for a Simple Halloween

This last couple of weeks we've been preparing for Halloween, with decorations, reading spooky books, and finding pumpkins. 

Our oldest grandson loves Halloween and our younger grandson is just learning all the iconic images and words of the season - pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, spiders, and bats. His spooky  "o-o-o-o-o-o-o" cracks us all up!

The build up to Halloween is all about shifting to a darker phase of the year; darkness isn't bad, but it can be frightening, and having fun with fear is part of the process, something even a toddler can appreciate.

Agenda

1. Decorate inside and out

2. Carve jack-o-lanterns

3. Read "The Power of Less"

4. The Simple Project List

5. Fall cleaning and gardening

Third Quarter Moon of Late October

Today is the Third Quarter Moon: This waning 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 and self-care.

On this late October morning, when the air is cold and our future is uncertain, my focus turns to discipline and equanimity.

Agenda:

1. Read "Comfortable with Uncertainty"

2. How to meditate in ten minutes

3. Renewal plan

4. Evaluation House

5. Monthly journal brainstorm

6. 

Surrender, rest, recuperate

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 "Comfort with Uncertainty"

2. Generosity

3. The procedure

4. After-care

5. Caregiver roles

The October Garden

October is often wet here in our valley, and finally the weather is starting to cool off, so I face the challenge of the lure of hibernation: I'd rather not garden in the rain!

But if I can be strong, get on my rain gear, and take a daily tour of my garden, I find many simple things to do, without getting too muddy. The best tip I've read in any permaculture blog Is this: Be consistent with 15-minutes a day, year round.

I try to take a 15-minute walk through my garden each day, and I alternate the front and back gardens so I don't feel rushed. The consistency of the 15-minute daily visit keeps me connected to my garden even when I don't accomplish much. I notice the changes of the season, and how many bees I still have. As Amy from 10-Acre Farm says, "It helps me to enjoy 'being' in the garden, rather than always focusing on the 'doing'."

Agenda:

1. October harvest

2. Save seeds

3. October garden care and bedding down

4. Fall planting

5. Raspberry pruning and thinning