Pickin' in the Pines

 I can still remember it so vividly.....my favorite weekend of the summer.  How is it possible that this was my favorite?  With all the traveling, and family, and scenery, and music, and festivating....as I've said, the entire summer was so lovely.  I feel like we squeezed all the life and love and beauty and magic that we could out of this summer.  And yet...

This simple, unplanned, last-minute, rainy weekend was my very favorite.

And what made it so?

• beautiful, interesting, free-spirited children
• good friends
• like-minded parents
• unhurried, open ended conversations
• long, chilly mornings spent snuggled in the Scamp reading
• more mandolin playing in one weekend than I've quite possibly every partaken in
• more confidence and shedding-of-hang-ups about my mandolin playing than I've ever experienced
• a wide open meadow with plenty of space for our babies to run and play without our constant hovering
• late night campfires
• the best starry night of the summer
• hot tea and cold beers, at all the right times
• simple meals....just enough to keep us satisfied
• the feeling that I had all I needed or wanted right there in that peaceful meadow, that I didn't want it to end, and that I wanted to do it all over again the minute I got home.

 

A Peaceful Place

Within a year of moving into our current home, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a true gem in my community, the Sanctuary Center.  I was out driving the back roads in our area, as I like to do when getting to know a new place, and saw a small stucco building that piqued my interest.  Imagine my sheer joy when I realized what this building was all about. 

The Sanctuary Center is a place dedicated to quiet reflection and self discovery.  It encompasses several acres with gardens, benches, and statues.  There's a nice gazebo with table and chairs, and the building itself is so lovely.  There's a lending library, artwork, a guest book, and a basket of gratitude stones.  The inner room is octagonal in shape, painted beautifully, and is a perfect place to sit quietly and reflect or listen or pray.  There aren't any staff members or caretakers at the facility; it's open to the public from dawn till dusk and operates on pure trust. 

A feature of the Santuary House that we've never visited is the labyrinth.  A few weeks ago, the three of us took the short drive and visited the labyrinth for the first time.  Sadie loved looking at all the treasures that were scattered around the rocks, buried in the sand, and hanging from the trees.  She somewhat got into the idea of walking quietly and thinking or singing as we walked the path toward the center.  We'll keep working on that....

I just feel so thankful that this wonderful place is right in my community and available for us to use and enjoy and I look forward to continuing to use it as a resource for my family in the years to come.  

 

 

 

Piece Together Peace December 2010

As I discussed in this post, I set an intention for myself for the month of November to make meditation a somewhat regular part of my life. I have never spent much time meditating or had any luck or success with it when I tried. I remember my dad (who has meditated most of his adult life) meditating after a long workday, or on a Sunday morning when I was a kid. I really had no idea what he was doing, or why, I just knew that we weren't supposed to make too much noise! Over the past year or so, as I've struggled with finding balance and peace in my life as a busy working mama, my dad and others have recommended meditation to me as a tool I might want to consider. So, November was my month to give it a try.

I decided that guided meditation would be best for me at first. My mind is so busy all day every day (and many insomniatic nights, too) that I didn't feel like I'd have the self control to quiet my mind on my own. I picked up a copy of Guided Meditations for Busy People at the library and put it on my ipod.

Although I didn't find as much time to meditate as I was originally hoping for (3-4 mornings a week? right!), I did take 15 minutes or so to meditate on the mornings that I could drag myself out of bed a little early. There were times that I just couldn't get into a rhythm...my mind was still zipping all over the place, and I didn't feel like I got anything out of it. Then there were times that I actually did feel my breathing slow, my mind settle, and my body relax. And what a beautiful thing that was for me! And even the times that I didn't feel like I quite got to the relaxed state I was aiming for, I was still taking some time to be quiet and still, which I don't really do that often, so those were still valuable sessions.

I believe in the power this practice can have for me. I truly hope to continue to use meditation as a way to keep me grounded, calm, peaceful, and present.

My December intention for my own personal Piece Together Peace project is a simple one. The holidays are oh so busy for me, and more so this year with my lofty goals of handcrafting many of my christmas and chanukah gifts (why is it that keeping the holidays "simple" ends up being more work? hmmm?? anyway, I'll talk more about that later...). Needless to say, we're a busy bunch of Petersons right now. But I LOVE this time of year and have found myself really getting into the holiday spirit. So, my intention is to ENJOY! I want to really enjoy this season of family, friends, food, music, crafting, and magic. I want to soak up the wonder of it all and try to see things through Sadie's eyes. I want to show and teach my daughter that this season is NOT about commercial, consumer, crap! And how will I do this? I'll breathe, smile, stay present, be grateful, and not put unrealistic expectations on myself. And I'm looking forward to it.....

Piece Together Peace

Inspired by the women over at Threading Light, I've decided to partake in my own version of their Piece Together Peace project. Their suggestion, that "the most significant work we can do for the benefit of our planet is the work that we do on ourselves" is really resonating with me right now. I believe that if I am more peaceful, my family is more peaceful, and in turn my community is more peaceful.

I've been doing some pretty serious reflection and introspection lately about who I am as a mother, wife, and coworker. And even though I'd like to be, I often find that I am NOT the most peaceful person in the room.

I often feel completely overwhelmed by all the changes I want to make in myself. This project makes it seem a bit more manageable with the monthly challenge to "make a commitment to change some aspect of your life that will bring more peace to you and the beings around you". Each month I will be making one small change in my life, lifestyle, attitude, or habits that I believe will bring more peace into my life.

For the month of November, I'm planning to start meditating at least a few mornings a week. The quietest, most private part of my day is first thing in the morning when I am the only one awake in my house. I'm looking forward to waking up just a little bit earlier to spend some quiet moments meditating before starting each busy day.