Ensoul Arts

dandy mandala

Happy Earth Day!

blooming

Spring Break is coming to a close for us, and we are ready to slip back into our usual rhythms tomorrow. Dear friends from Minnesota were in town for a wonderful visit, which helped us to feel that we "got away" while staying right here and keeping things simple. All the touristy fun of downtown Seattle and island beaches felt new to us as again as we showed our guests around these parts. What a treat it's been to re-connect, get some sun, and have a break.

Can you feel summer on the horizon? Goodness, I cannot believe it, but I certainly do. I'm thinking ahead to enriching camps for the boys and family travel while seeking to be present with what's here in our lives right now as we move through each day. The fragrant blossoms and sunshine are absolutely intoxicating, and we're just getting started with this long awaited breathing out. 

Happy changes!

pink!

Whether skies be grey or blue, I am grateful for this color right now. 

happy spring!

ephemeral dusting

What we opened our eyes to this morning...

 

february woods

Full Moon Drift

“We are all wanderers on this earth.

Our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams.” 

― Roma Saying

February Beach

Being Human

 

 

Martin Luther King Day inspires thoughts in me about what it means to be human. I'm continually inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and so was Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King referred to Thich Nhat Hanh as "an apostle of peace and nonviolence."  It has been a little dream of mine for several years for my boys and I to do a walking meditation with him while he still graces this world. I have a lot of details to hold and tasks to move through in the coming days. Today, I'm being gentle with myself as Thich Nhat Hanh encourages me to do. I'm enjoying the freedom of happiness in a cup of tea, listening to favorite folk songs about peace and social justice, and reading good poetry about the human experience. I always come back to this poem by John Soos, from Earth Prayers...so I edited this little photo of a lavender blossom. It greets me on my doorstep, even in the chill of January, and it seemed to want to be a star offering good words for life today. Cheers to keeping peace alive.

snowman in the freezer

Winter was a very different experience for us last year at this time.

 

We usually ferry over into Seattle on Sundays, but not today. Snow is sticking much more on that side of the water than it is out here on the island. I'm currenty getting text messages from a friend in the passenger seat of a car making it's way back to Seattle from the mountains. She and her little family thought they would drive out of Seattle to the snow for a fun winter week-end. Little did they know they would be driving back to snow through snow for half of today! She describes Seattle roads as a series of parking lots at the moment. So glad I decided to keep us snug on our island today. 

The first time we we lived in Seattle, after a lifetime of Minnesota, I was working as administrator at a small private Waldorf school. It was my job to determine whether or not we would close our little school due to snow! Most of our students commuted at least 20 miles to school from various parts of the East side. What a hilarious lesson this was for a true Minnesotan. In Minnesota, kids will sometimes stand on 6 foot tall snowbanks in below zero weather making bets to see if a school bus will make it on time. There's rarely a question about whether or not it will arrive at all. Minnesotans know just what to do with snow, and move through it. If there was ever a time we couldn't get out of our driveway back home, even after the worst of blizzards, there was almost always a helpful neighbor with a newer snow blower ready to lend a hand. Here in Seattle, the threat of a light dusting nearly shuts down the city. At first, I laughed. Then, I tried driving down a steep hill from Bellevue to Redmond in a mild drizzle. I discovered it's really no laughing matter. Seattle is not equipped with sand and salt trucks, so it is just an entirely different scene.

Last January in Minneaoplis, we were getting hit with back to back blizzards, so I can't say I've really missed snow yet. A certain ten year old, however, had a lot of enthusiasm this morning about getting out there. Most of it has melted already, but one well preserved miniature snowman sits next to the frozen fruit in our freezer as I type, waiting to be proof that it really did finally snow on Bainbridge Island.