Month: August 2019

Shout Out to Clover (Again) – Day 282

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Lawn Up Close – Photo: L. Weikel

Day 282

Shout Out to Clover – Again                      

Back in June, I wrote a post about the appearance of a lovely tiny white blossom of nature spreading through our lawn.

These tiny white puffs caught my eye from the porch, as they’d seemingly appeared overnight. But their true beauty was revealed when I took the time to approach them with care, scootch down so I could see them up close, and focus my attention solely upon them.

That’s when I realized what a lovely addition clover is to my ‘lawn,’ and even took the time to publicly extoll its virtues. Ever since, I’ve made a point to acknowledge the patch, including the fact that it always seems to be sporting a few honeybees (yea!).

I enjoyed, then, seeing this little article online a few days ago.

And then my friend Ann posted this meme on FB, which I’m including in this post because the sentiment bears repeating! Certainly not a bad goal to aim toward.

And the most serendipitous occurrence today was that Ann’s meme appeared after I’d already walked behind our barn and encountered the stunning abundance of flowers, grasses, and trees that seemed to have exploded into a wild disarray while I was in North Carolina. The humidity and rain very obviously called to the wild living energy in to burst forth all over the place. The photo below doesn’t do justice to the fertility and abundance currently on display in our back yard.

Backyard beauty – Photo: L. Weikel

I’m nevertheless feeling an abundance of gratitude as I once again breathe in the sweetness of the air that the little white butterflies are prancing upon, bouncing from one clump of grasses and wildflowers to another.

More and more of our property is returning to the wild. It’s lovely.

Although…there always has to be enough lawn available for an impromptu game of Jarts!

(T-829)

 

Fruits of My Courage and Trust – Day 281

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First Owl – Photo: L.Weikel

Fruits of My Courage and Trust   

The other night I entitled my blog post “Phoning It In.” At the time I wrote it, I was beyond tired, and it felt like anything I might write would be rote and vapid.

But as soon as I started writing, I knew the post wouldn’t be boring or average. (Short, yes. But that’s because it was after 4:00 a.m. when I started writing it.) I’ll admit it: I was giddy.

I was buzzing – literally – from giving myself permission to try something new and just diving right in. As I described in that post, I was sorta kinda pressured into trusting my friend Luz. She swore up and down that I could create a painting I’d be excited about – and she could show me how, if I would only trust her. If I would show a little courage and just immerse myself in the experience.

Immersion Theory

If I really think about it, it was this immersion in the experience that really juiced me. And what’s also intriguing is the connection between what I’ve taught Luz and what she taught me: I do believe that the skills I’ve honed in learning how to journey, as well as the further practice of cultivating the ability to take notes during my process of straddling the worlds, have cultivated my ability to immerse myself in a task.

The process of journeying takes a great deal of focus and attention – especially when receiving a lot of specific information or guidance. And I’ve found through the years that if I doubt, if a significant enough portion of my consciousness stands outside of the work, observing with arms folded and skepticism (and doubt) coloring my experience, my perceptions and ability to receive and process information from other realms is seriously compromised.

As Above So Below

Or in other words, trusting myself and just surrendering to the experience almost assuredly makes any such experience itself exponentially richer. As a result, I figured, “What the heck?” I could feel it. I needed to either be ‘all in’ or not do it at all. That’s because I could very easily have allowed a huge part of myself to stand slightly aside as I painted, with arms folded and ego fully engaged, criticizing and worrying about every single stroke I made on the canvas. And I knew, I could feel, that would buckle my ability to create.

But Luz had asked me to trust her, to trust her process – a process she’s developed and practiced herself for several years. So it was only fair.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve asked Luz to trust me many times. To trust my description of the process of journeying and to trust her ability to see, receive, and perceive other realms.

So I went ‘all in.’ As she assured me over and over, “Lisa, you can always paint over it and start again. Don’t over-think it.”

“Just go for it.”

So I did.

Beginner’s Luck

My very first creation was “First Owl,” above. I could barely believe my eyes.

My second creation, below, I call BearWolf, perhaps for obvious reasons, depending upon your perspective, perhaps not. While I don’t feel it’s nearly as amazing as First Owl (which I still attribute a bit – OK, a lot –  to ‘Beginner’s Luck,’ much to Luz’s annoyance), it’s still a piece I will enthusiastically hang in my office.

Wider Application

I’m getting a feeling that there’s a lesson here, a wider application for this Immersion Theory. I need to ponder it.

In the meantime, I offer you the fruits of my courage and trust. Thank you, Luz. Worthy investments – and a ton of fun.

BearWolf – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-830)

Paying the Price Tonight  – Day 280

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Storm Tonight – Photo: L. Weikel

Paying the Price Tonight   

I ended up not having a lick of trouble falling asleep last night, despite my enthusiastic ingestion of cacao. But wow – the toll of only sleeping four hours or so has kicked in big time as I try to write an intelligible post. I’m sure my fatigue is exacerbated by my very late night (early morning) post written on Saturday night.

And I’ll confess, we binge-watched the last four episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale tonight.

It was worth it.

But as a result, I’m falling asleep here at the keyboard. Snoozing at the switch. Drifting into La-la-land.

It’s always great to sleep in your own bed, no matter how dreamy the ‘away game’ circumstances. Yet I’m obviously going to have to claw and shove my way under the covers tonight because, as soon as I got home, I was joyously received by all the beasts – and it’s almost as if they’re taking turns to make sure I don’t flee the premises again.

They really know how to make a girl feel loved.

Karl’s not bad at that either, I might add (wink).

And with that, I’m off to bed.

(T-831)

Cacao Night Owl! – Day 279

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Cacao Night Owl!

Heading to bed soon, although I have to wonder if I’m going to feel the effects of the fun and funky event we attended earlier this evening in West Ashville.

I want to give a quick and hearty shout out to Jillian and the AVL Dispensary, where we enjoyed the luscious benefits of cacao, with the added deliciousness of AVL’s particular iteration of Golden Mylk.

It was fun to go out and support this group of obviously caring and conscious people, especially Jillian, who not only is an essential part of AVL Dispensary, but also The NOHM Co., organizations dedicated to educating and helping the public “maintain health and wellness through educational self-care programming and affordable, high-quality nutrition through indigenous food and drinks” (from their website).

Jillian at AVL Dispensary, serving up some deliciousness! Photo – L.Weikel

It was great to sit and listen to the all-female band Cedar Wing, too.

I have to catch a plane at the crack of dawn tomorrow, and – as you may recall – I didn’t even start writing my post from yesterday until 4:00 a.m. (posting it just after 5:00!), so I need to go to sleep.

If anyone has the chance to go to an establishment like AVL Dispensary, or secure the services of The NOHM Co. for their event, I think you’ll be glad you did!

Good-hearted people. Consciousness-raising on lots of levels. An evening of reasons to feel good about the direction of the world.

Goodnight!

(T-832)

Phoning It In – Day 278

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Looks Like Art – but is real; Photo – L. Weikel

Phoning It In

Well, no. That’s not actually true.

I’m not phoning this in. It’s actually ridiculously early in the morning (4:10 a.m. or thereabouts) (shhhh – don’t tell Karl!) and I’m only just now getting to bed. But I am not phoning it in. Nope. I’m sitting here perched on the covers of my bed writing this and will not allow myself to fall asleep until I post something.

As it happens, I think I’ve been riding a creative high and we got carried away, watching a movie and then even some comedy by Robin Williams. (Damn, he was hilarious. The world really is a darker place without his light.)

I was already running a day late – meaning even though I’ve posted every night (on FB), I was hitting <<publish>> right around 1:00 a.m. and the post wasn’t going out via the email subscription until the next night. So some of you have been able to keep up by reading me on FB and others of you have simply been receiving posts a day late.

That trend is obviously continuing tonight. Or I should say this early, early morning.

Late For a Good Reason

My friend Luz has been cajoling me for days to indulge my inner artist and join her in painting in her garage here at Amadell. Mind you – I do not paint. I do not draw. I’ve harbored fantasies of playing with color, but I’ve always known my focus was best placed on the written word if I were to indulge my creativity.

I have to admit, her enthusiasm is nearly impossible to resist. And how could I deny her this one single thingshe was begging me to do? I couldn’t.

It also felt like a greater test: I ask her to trust me all the time when it comes to listening and journeying and all sorts of metaphysical pursuits. The least I could do is trust her and her undeniable insistence that she could show me how to create a painting I’d love.

Never a Better Teacher

First and foremost, Luz is an incredible artist. Her paintings, which hang on most of the walls throughout the buildings of Amadell, are captivating and heartwarming.

And wow. Let me tell you: this woman can teach. My goodness. I’m simply astonished, not only by the fun I had but even more so by the actual results I achieved. I couldn’t be more delighted or astounded.

Luz: I’m a believer. And I’m completely smitten by the fun we had tonight.

Thank you!

P.S.: I was planning on posting photos of the two – TWO! –  paintings I created this evening with Luz. But I am so over-the-moon delighted with the fact that I actually painted these paintings that I do not want to post a photo of either before I sign them. And that – believe it or not – is what’s actually the reason why I’m not going to share my creations with you until tomorrow night.

I’m that excited. I’m that tremendously delighted with my work that I do not want to post a photo of them without signing my name to both of them.

Let’s hope they survive the flight back to PA.

(T-833)

I Smelled a Bear – Day 277

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Where I Was When I Smelled a Bear – Photo: L. Weikel

I Smelled a Bear

I had an experience today that I can most assuredly state I was not expecting.

There’ve been a few conversations lately that I’ve witnessed (not participated in, as I did not have a frame of reference) that had to do with being in the vicinity of a bear, but not actually seeing it. Or not seeing it until after its presence was revealed by activation of a sense other than one’s eyes: the olfactory sense.

Scent of a Bear

At least a couple of times over the past week, I’ve either read about or people have mentioned the unmistakable stench of bears. I’d never heard this before, and did not know that our sense of smell could actually serve as an early warning system in this regard.

While I found the stories of my friends interesting, and found it mildly surprising that this fact showed up in something I read at a museum a few days ago, I nevertheless did not pay much attention to even the remote possibility that it would have any relevance to my life. Why? Because my sense of smell is not acute. It used to be. A long time ago. But for a good 20 years or so, my sense of smell has been abysmal.

And while it has improved somewhat over the past two years or so, it’s still probably the weakest of my five traditional senses. Consequently, the thought of sensing the presence of a bear via my nose was not even a consideration.

A Being I’ve acknowledged many times – Photo: L. Weikel

Sitting With the Beings

And so it was late this afternoon, after having participated in a concerted effort to establish communication with the Beings of the Land and then walking into the forest to just sit with the life that teems in this place, I found myself braced by a scent I’d never encountered before. Honestly, it was the last thing I expected.

As I picked my way carefully along a path, all of a sudden, I encountered a thickish waft of stink. It was not the scent of a skunk. I’ve experienced that up close and personal a couple of times (thank you, Sheila and Spartacus). It was not the scent of a septic system. (Nor was there one anywhere near me at the time.)

But it was a smell of stink. Sort of fecal-related, perhaps, but not human. Sharp. Pungent. Distinct.

Heads Up!

And then it hit me: I’d better heighten my senses. A bear was near, or perhaps had been walking in my vicinity recently.

Either way, I’m as sure of that as I’m sure I have my fingers on a keyboard. The scent was unmistakable and almost indescribable (as witness my meager attempts in this post).

While I did not see it; I’m sure it was there.

Either that, or…?

(T-834)

Critters and Such – Day 276

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Photo: L. Weikel

Critters and Such

“They grow ‘em big here at Amadell,” is something I guess you might hear if you listen closely.

This fly is not your normal housefly. While I didn’t “Google” it to see what makes this one so much more amazing than its woefully benign cousin, the common housefly, I’d wager at least part of its coolness comes from hanging out in a rainforest.

Take a close look at this amazing creature, though! From its white face to crimson, astonishingly bristle-haired abdomen, it is a sight to behold. And it was remarkably placid, at first landing on my foot to get my attention and then nonchalantly striking a few provocative poses as I snapped its photo from a couple of angles.

Photo: L. Weikel

Then there’s this lovely little fungus, his cap glistening as if he’d been dipped in lacquer upon sprouting. I found the utter newborn-ness of this mushroom’s appearance captivating.

No matter where I venture at Amadell, trees dominate the landscape. While there are always a myriad of flora and fauna to explore under my feet or on the ground along the cliffs and hillsides, it always pays off to try to remember to look up!

Photo: L. Weikel

Whenever I do, I almost always find my breath catching in my throat. The majesty of these great Beings is impossible to ignore. They are the Keepers of this Land, the sentinels, the Watchers. It feels distinctly unwise to pass through these forests without paying my respects both sincerely and often.

Respect. Gratitude. Appreciation for the life that abounds around me.

And how could I end another post from here without another Amadell sunset:

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-835)

Judaculla Rock – Day 275

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Judaculla Rock

My dear friend Luz and I took a road trip ‘off-mountain’ today.

One of the places we went was located fairly close to Sylva, North Carolina. Sort of amazingly, we tracked down a field in which a substantial soapstone boulder, known as Judaculla Rock,  can be found off an obscure dirt road guarded by half a dozen massive bovine protectors.

Photo – L. Weikel

The rock is covered with petroglyphs that are thought to be as many as 3,000 years old.

Photo – L. Weikel

They’re weird looking. Not your average ‘spear a mastodon’ type of petroglyph, nor the type that make it obvious what anyone our ancestors might have been trying to convey.

To me, the figures look decidedly otherworldly – or at least not much of anything that would be readily hanging around in a field surrounded by the Balsam Mountains 3,000 years ago.

See what you think:

Photo – L. Weikel

My mesa was pretty stoked to have a chance to sit on this stone and synchronize itself to this ancient being’s vibrations.

My mesa sitting beside the “hand print” of the fabled Judaculla; Photo – L. Weikel

There’s so much out there in our world that we simply cannot explain. This is one of those objects.

(T-836)

Karl’s Here – Day 274

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“Where’s Mom?” – Photo – L. Weikel

Karl’s Here!

Oh, how I wish I could hear those words again (pertaining to my Karl Daniel). You know – how we excitedly call out to alert the household when someone we’ve been waiting for finally pulls in the driveway or arrives at the door.

Given that it’s past midnight and thus technically August 13th, it’s officially Karl’s birthday.

Consequently, he’s been on my mind maybe a smidge more than usual? I don’t know. That’s hard to gauge.

This weekend, though, his presence was obvious. Both full days of the Listening Retreat (Saturday and Sunday), my Medicine Card ‘picks’ for the day had Raccoon underneath. And Raccoon, in our household, is associated with Karl. So I took that to mean that Karl was holding space for me, holding and supporting me, as I supported my “Listeners.”

I also had some encounters with him in two different journeys, too. I should probably mention here that this is extremely uncommon. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever met with him in journeys ever before…

So imagine my delight, as my lovely hosts and I settled in for the evening, when we discovered these absolutely bold but adorable bandits raiding the birdfeeders?!? The three little ones busily munching the birdseed on the ground, suddenly realizing Mom is nowhere to be found…

“There she is!” (oomph) – Photo – L. Weikel

But wait! What?!? She’s up the pole, guzzling hummingbird nectar, sloppily slurping her precious libations and hoarding them to herself.

Of course, I can’t help but know Karl is here.

“We want some!” Photo – L. Weikel

(T-837)

Sunset On An Amazing Weekend – Day 273

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Photo: L.Weikel

Sunset On An Amazing Weekend

Every retreat has its own unique personality. This one was no different. While I always have faith (and know deep in my heart) that the perfect people for the composition of the perfect group will come together, it’s always a thrill for it to unfold before my eyes.

And I’m pleased to report that yet another magical weekend is ‘in the can.’

I think what I’m most excited about this weekend is the level of guidance received by everyone in their journeys. Many of the participants had never journeyed before and a few ‘thought’ they ‘couldn’t.’

By the end of this weekend, everyone had discovered or received messages that were directly and in most cases succinctly and obviously applicable to their unique questions and lives.

YCMTSU

There’s an acronym that has reliably emanated from every retreat and extended program I’ve offered. That acronym is YCMTSU.

Let me be clear: I’m not taking credit for that by any means. It is a function of Spirit. It’s a function of the willingness of those who attend and participate to embrace the unknown.

And the coolest thing is, I know that if the Listeners I spent this past weekend with honor the messages they received and continue following through with their new skills, a whole new world stands ready to be explored.

Or maybe even more.

Kickin’ back – Photo: L. Kraujalis

(T-838)