BIG (scary) PROJECT

This is what the front flower bed at Prairie Pond Woods 

looked like in early spring

This is what is looked like this morning.

In the 3 days that Goodseed Farm has been here at Prairie Pond Woods working on hardscaping the front flowerbed, I've learned something about myself.  I love change...change of plans, change in interior decorating, change of venue, etc...but I HATE when the landscape I've become used to changes...I don't even like it when trees fall or grow bigger.  So today I feel a bit off-balance because the front porch no longer has that same hidden, claustrophobic feel to it now that the spruce tree has been "spruced up" by cutting off dead lower branches so the crew can work freely.  Suddenly I'm a little shaky wondering what the new lines of sight will be, and feeling a bit anxious trying to conceptualize new landscape plantings that aren't like the old ones. 

But it had to be done.  The railroad ties, housing all sorts of suspicious insects (termites or flying ants?), were just about ready to crumble and burst forth.  The invasive crown vetch had won both the battles and the wars over the years.  And the soil was WAY over-populated with millipedes, which didn't like the wet weather of 2011 and the dry weather of 2012 and came seeking (in biblical proportions) the cool, moist shelter of our garage and sometimes the basement. So we signed an agreement, which stated that Goodseed would haul most of the soil away and make it pretty and we would pay them a large sum of money.

As anyone knows who has ever done any kind of project, from building a home to changing a light bulb, nothing is ever easy.  On the second day of removing dirt, the backhoe hit a huge block of solid cement.
Why it was there was anybody's guess.  The prognosis looked grim; lose a
day's work acquiring a jackhammer, add more labor costs, experience
shock & awe at what we might find underneath.  Fortunately, these were resourceful fellows and the chunk
was broken up and gingerly coaxed out by a skilled bobcat
operator using a small bucket, a forklift and a loader...in only an hour
and a half! 

 

They finally got the behemoth on his forklift
and the brave man drove backwards down the steep road 

to deposit in an open area to be dealt with later. 
Whew!

STAY TUNED!

They'll be here all week folks!

A DAY OF QUESTIONING

In the
New Testament it is recorded that Jesus
asked over 170 questions to those he came in contact with.  Conversely, it is documented that Jesus was asked 183 questions…only 3 of
which he answered directly!  An interesting observation, especially in this day of bombastic religious leaders telling their flocks what to believe from top to bottom.  Many questions Jesus “answered” with another question. 
Obviously, he knew what it has taken therapists and spiritual
directors centuries to learn – that asking questions is more effective at getting
to the real answers than merely telling someone what to think or do. 

 One of
my favorite quotes is from Blaise Pascall, a 17^th Century
mathematician, philosopher and physicist:

All (wo)men's miseries derive

from not being able to sit

in a quiet room alone. 

 

So that's what a small group of souljourneying women did this past weekend...asked and answered some of those same questions Jesus put forth to those he encountered.  Questions like, "What are you thinking in your hearts?" and "Did not the Maker of the outside also make the inside?" - dealing with our tendency to care more about the externals rather than live as integrated, whole people.

One of my greatest joys, and my calling, is to provide that kind of solitude for women. My prayer is that through the stillness, the Spirit will bring healing, God will confirm the desires of their hearts and they will claim their true callings in order to transform the world.



As they sat down (in the quiet outdoors) with 5 questions, they took the time needed to peel back the layers of our
minds and hearts. Below are a few suggestions I gave them to
help begin and follow through with the questions.  It is a powerful exercise to sit with a list of meaningful questions...and hold them in your heart until answers come.

1. Before answering each question, begin by reciting to God the centering prayer you created for a few minutes. Try keeping your eyes open…


2. Sit in at least two different places as you answer the five questions to give yourself a change of perspective.


3. Start the process for each question by doing 5 minutes of free-writing. Write whatever comes to your mind, without regard for spelling, grammar and topic and without stopping or taking pen off paper.


4. As thoughts come to you, continue to ask yourself more questions. Use the old Who, What, When, Where and Why prompts to expand the thoughts you have.

BIRTHDAY GETAWAY

For my birthday in late September, I attended The Arc of Appalachia Preserve’s semi-annual Women’s Retreat. 
Even a retreat owner needs a change of venue at times and I was
interested both in surrounding myself with beautiful scenery, as well as seeing
how another organization conducts their women’s retreats.





 

 

The scenery did not disappoint and was, in fact, surprisingly
colorful.  On the last weekend in September,
the foliage appeared to be at peak brilliance, at least in that part of
Hillsboro.  We hiked through their “accidental
prairie” (prairie seed purchased by a supporter after someone accidentally sprayed
the field with herbicide), with Canada goldenrod, New England and New York
Asters in full bloom.  We then entered
the woods, eventually walking along the dolomite cliffs above the Rocky Fork River. 

The gathering was advertised as a “retreat designed to give
an expansive time for rest and self-nurture,” so there was no programming per
se.  There were offerings of morning yoga,
a daily hike and massages throughout the 3-day retreat (for a reduced fee).  So while there wasn’t an opportunity to see
how they facilitate a directed retreat, I did pick up a few ideas that might be worth
trying.

One of those ideas is their shared meal – not just in the
partaking of it – but also in the preparing of it.  Three recipes – an entrée and two side dishes
– were assigned to three groups who prepared them from a bag filled with
ingredients, pans, knives and directions. 
It was very efficient and fun to do. 
Our group worked on the Fruity Coleslaw Salad, which was wonderful,
except it needed a bit of salt. :-)

The other idea, which we would consider if we remodel or
build at Prairie Pond Woods in the future, was their composting
toilet.  It was completely odorless, and
fit nicely in the large 12-person, restored hunting lodge from the early 1900’s.  It goes to show that technology and design
will come together to make more and more sustainable products in the future,
especially if folks are willing to pay a bit more to buy or use them.

My goal for this retreat was to continue to read through TheArtist’s Rule and do the suggested exercises of poetry writing, prayer and
art-play. The other goal was to walk down the road to find an open spot for viewing the Full Harvest (Birthday) Moon, which a few of us did on Saturday night.  And while sitting on the porch
swing I did managed to write a poem…the first birthday poem I
have ever written.

September 29

Today is my 56^th
birthday;

a cold-cloth-on-a-forehead kind of day

where there is nothing to do but

breathe deeply and happily dream.

I was born at 3:27 in the afternoon.

A week later, as the story goes, Don

Larson pitched a perfect game for the Yankees,

while my dad held me and my mother slept.

Is this why I married a
baseball fanatic?

Is this why I slowly come alive in the afternoon?

Is this why autumn often moves me to tears?

Perhaps while lying on my
father’s lap, his

anticipation transferring to me, I looked out

the window to see a hundred red, gold and

orange mobiles, and fell in love with life.

HOLY GROUND

We struck a bargain this past spring, or rather,
I struck a bargain with you, when you left the
newly-planted mountain laurel gnarly and leafless

and stripped small oaks of their budding futures. 

You will eat the dirty, orange persimmons
that fell from the lichen-covered tree on the hill. 

Though we gathered only four all season to
taste of their pungent flesh, we did not mind.

You will eat the bruised and misshapen apples from

further up the hill, too full of  blackberry canes to

make the climb worth it. If you can glean them from
the abundant thicket, we are happy to share.

You will walk the mowed paths through the prairie,

and bed down at the edge under the spreading pines.

You will drink undisturbed from the pond, lick the salt

and lay hidden in the big bluestem under the evening sun.

Then, after the fall equinox and first full moon, the terms.

We will stand over your strong body and graceful eyes,

give thanks to you and the Sustainer, knowing the ground

we stand on, blood-soaked and bargained for, is holy.

Cindy Steffen
November 2011

24/24/24

 They say that when you sit at a computer for a long time, you should practice the Rule of 20...every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  Sound advice to save our eyes from fatigue...and perhaps even our sanity at times.  I was reminded of that health tip today after texting with a friend who SO wanted to stop the work she was doing, because as she put it, she was "feeling drawn to pen some words."  I encouraged her, as I did everyone on Day Three of my blog, to take just 15 minutes and write what she saw out her window. I was hoping that this might energize her, letting her brain break the cycle of planning and prepping she was engaged in, to finish her day's work with a fresh, maybe more creative perspective.  

This got me thinking about that little helpful phrase...20 minutes, 20 feet, 20 seconds. If our eyes need that kind of redirection and rest, what about our spirits?  Is the pause that sleep gives us enough, especially when most of us don't get our body's required need through the week anyway?  Is watching TV the best distraction from a stressful mind?  I will admit that sometimes it is, but as a consistent solution, I think we all know by now this is not a healthy practice in dealing with life's daily stress points.  So what about a small solution, a simple piece of the puzzle to keep us creative, and on-track to be our best mental and spiritual selves?



How about every 24 hours, spend 24 minutes, writing at least 24 words?  Words that perhaps carry some meaning for you on that particular day or for your life in general. Words in a journal or on a scrap of paper to be tossed once you're minutes are up. Words that are affirmations.  Words that come from a sacred text.  Words that review your mission or calling in life.  Words that are prayers. Words that bless, express gratitude or words that may come from a dry, burdened heart.  Above all, truthful words...

Last year I heard a quote from someone that said, "The act of stopping...literally stopping what you are doing...is a form of repentance."  Repentance in its literal meaning "to turn around and go in the other direction."  Religious and non-religious people throughout history, albeit too few, practiced this art of stopping to once again acknowledge their God, their purpose or who they really are...mystics, monks, Muslims, recoverers, etc.  And occasionally an average Joe or Joetta, like you and me, learn the art of human rebooting. 



Twenty-four minutes every twenty-four hours. Now some days this just can't be done, I get that. But this is less than 3 hours a week devoted to self-care and creativity, so it's worth trying. Are you worth 2.8 hours of your own time?  Of course you are!  Can it be done?  If you're willing...you tell me.



Mini-Retreat Suggestion:  You know the drill...:-)

 

OLD BONES / OLD SOULS - Day Three

Lots of crunching and
cracking

interrupts this quiet
fall morning,

the kind of perfect
day I wish 

could enter every cell
of my body.

But it's not just my old
bones I hear,
it's the twig snap of a
white-tailed deer

running scared when the path turns.

It's the squirrels
making provisions,
their chins looking
charred from
gleaning black,
cracked walnuts

It's the blue jay,
high in the canopy
hammering hickory nuts
and letting
the pieces splatter to the dry ground.

It's hundreds of
grackles and blackbirds,

chattering as they
mass migrate from one
tree top to another,
that comfort me.

Their chorus, which is
for me not them,
(they know how to
navigate this world),
says, "It is time
now...

...get ready
...wind down
...make soup
...plan to have some
folks over
...choose something to
learn
on those too soon
nights
when the wind
threatens harm
just outside the
frosted window.
"Study
blackbirds," they say.

This is what those old
souls are clacking.

They're reminding me
there are reasons 

for the seasons.


Mini-Retreat Suggestion:
Take 15 minutes to look outside your favorite window in your house.  Write a short poem about what you see.  What elements of fall call you to "wind down?"  Post your thoughts under Comments.