Earth, teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth, teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth, teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth, teach me courage
as the tree which stands all alone.
Earth, teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth, teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth, teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth, teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth, teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep with rain.
-----adapted from a Ute Prayer

Obviously I am not at the ocean or at the Field. I am home, embracing the self care of someone who came down with the ear/sinus/throat/craptastic no energy, aching thing. Oh well. I had fun going up to Sultan yesterday to collect a new to me suit from my very generous sister-in-law, playing ball with Squishy in snow-mist draped mountain-bordered meadows, visiting a genuine Feed and Seed and being welcomed by the store cat, Lily, buying this spring's abundance of organic compost and being given a poultry calendar of my very own, walking in downtown Sultan while Mary was at her doctor's appointment, and enjoying the visiting in the car on the circuitous route home before traffic got really bad.

Then it was Sistahs' night...with one boy. He will not remember these times. And they are precious to us. Watched a movie called "The Jerk". It was funny. And it made me long for those kinds of dresses that Bernadette Peters was wearing...and that I used to wear. Wouldn't go back though. One sister has written more songs and shared with us. Brought us home to Heart. Together. We received an email from a brother who I think would like to be a Sistah--we shared that, too. Good vegan food. Good tea. Good talk. Honest talk. It is emeshed. Life-giving. Life-sustaining. I chose well before I got here this time round.

Had a long walk with Cedar. Have spent the day reading and napping. Off to do more of that again. Guess it is what is needed.