pandemic

The Respite – Day 536

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
A Sign – Photo: L. Weikel

The Respite

For once in a very long time I have essentially no idea what’s gone on in the outside world today. Not only did I refrain from reading anything on my phone, I also avoided watching any of my usual fare that keeps me up to date on the latest facts and figures of how our world and nation is coping with this unprecedented transformation. The respite was unintended but probably essential.

Yes, I know. There are many people who eschew the media and distrust it and the hyperbole with which much of what’s going on ‘out there’ gets discussed. But I’ve come to find some sources that do not so much inflame as explain. And I find doing my best to understand what’s going on so I can make reasoned and well-informed decisions for myself to be at least somewhat comforting.

I like knowing the truth, even if it’s not easy to hear it. The thought of being fed a bunch of lies just so I will supposedly feel good makes me want to rip my hair out. That’s because I detest lies. Lies rob us of first-hand experience of what is. And what else is there to life but first hand experience of what is?

Lies would have us believe that what we’re experiencing isn’t what’s right before our eyes. That’s maddening. That makes the part of our brain that makes sense of things constantly whir in the background, stuck in a whirling rainbow of a processing loop as it tries to make sense of something incapable of logical resolution.

Alternative Programming

Instead of paying attention to the current state of affairs, instead of feeling helpless as I watch people ignore science and instead choose to believe happy talk that’s calculated to have them act against their own best interests (yet again), Karl and I chose to watch two vastly different programs.

The first show we watched was the first episode of Mrs. America, which can be seen on Hulu. It has a pretty amazing cast – but I’d resisted watching it when I first heard about it because it is about Phyllis Schlafly.

I was tempted to just binge watch right into the second episode, but being reminded of the dumbfounding sexism that’s been part of our society for so long was demoralizing. The events depicted in that first episode were from when I was around 13 years old and the Equal Rights Amendment was in the process of being ratified by the states. I remember feeling that it was a no-brainer. I couldn’t imagine it not being ratified.

And thus it began. The backlash we’ve been living with ever since that time when women got this close to being recognized as equal to men. And therein lies one of the utterly maddening truths of my lifetime.

A Bit Better Feeling

There’s no question we’re hooked on the limited run program, Mrs. America. But we decided we needed to drop back to one of our absolute favorite programs that helps us reclaim faith in humanity, Call the Midwife, on Netflix.

If any of you haven’t yet started watching this treasure, I urge you to do so post haste! There’s never been a better time to give yourself the gift of watching this warm and wonderful program.

First of all, I believe there are eight or nine seasons. So you have a deep reservoir to dive into as this pandemic wears on. Plenty of time to get to know the characters, revel in their triumphs, and lament their frailties, all the while knowing (as you will, once you start watching) that somehow or another, even if things don’t turn out the way you hope for a particular character, something redeeming can be discovered in the ashes.

Call the Midwife lets us hang on to the thread of hope. Hope for humanity and hope for ourselves.

Just tonight, the two episodes we watched were set in 1962. The Cuban missile crisis was in full swing and it was fascinating to see the reaction of the English. I was only three when that occurred, so I have no memory of any of the anxiety that swept the world. But the parallels to how life-changing it would have been had nuclear weapons been unleashed to the devastation the entire world is watching unfold now was eerie.

Transformation

We’re most definitely in the midst of major transformation on many different levels, not only in our many societies across the world, but also in our own selves.

In some ways, I feel like I can’t escape the messages, even when I actively opt to escape for an evening. That tells me that the time for hiding our heads in the sand are done. Over.

The respite I had today demands to be repeated. The respite feels as important to the transformation as the bigger, deeper, more obvious ‘work.’ It must be respected as essential as any activism or awareness.

I wonder what May will bring to us.

**Remember to do your Perelandra EoP Biodiversity Project sometime tomorrow (the 1st day of the month), if you’re joining me, and many around the world, in that brief but powerful effort.

(T-575)

Checking In – Day 523

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
One of my many vices – Photo: L. Weikel

Checking In

Rain is pattering down outside and I’m sitting here listening to it. This Friday night is cold, wet, and can be pretty fairly characterized as miserable. So I’m checking in, wondering how you’re all managing to negotiate the temptations of too much…well, too much of anything.

You name it. If you’re like me, you can over-indulge in any number of vices. Netflix, chocolate, roasted peanuts. You name it.

Yeah, I just ticked off my latest ‘big three.’

Oh my goodness. What is it with these peanuts? All of a sudden, I am absolutely held hostage by the irresistible urge to eat them mindlessly, one after another, seemingly powerless to stop. Time after time, I promise myself that this is the last handful I’m going to take from the bag – the bag I bought to feed my blue jays and fish crows, if I’m honest.

As Bad As Sheila

I’m not the only one succumbing to temptation and indulgence in this household.

Sheila has been particularly egregious in her flaunting of the social norms established in our household over the past 15 years.

No eating cat poop. That’s a pretty hard and fast rule. Well, poop of any kind, but cat poop is usually the most frequently encountered fecal fast food in Sheila and Spartacus’s pantry.

I don’t know what has gotten into Sheila lately, but she’s been veritably defiant. Honestly, I think it’s her blindness. If she can’t see us, she thinks we can’t see her? Or is it her deafness. I screetched when I caught her foursquare in the cat box this morning – and she didn’t even flinch.

Ugh. I was so angry. She knows better.

And yet she just snuffled in my general direction when I picked her up and did not exude the least bit of remorse. And she used to feel bad about being a bad girl! (Then again, so did I.)

Exiting the snack bar, oblivious to being discovered – Photo: L. Weikel

Stress Eating

All of which brings me back round again to the topic of stress eating. Man, I am struggling with this. I think the key for me is not having it around. And I wouldn’t, but for the fact that, because of this coronavirus pandemic, I do not have the luxury of running out to the store to buy stuff only when I need it.

Case in point: the peanuts I give to my blue jays, fish crows, and – albeit begrudgingly – the squirrels. Because I find myself buying a couple bags of peanuts when I go to the store, I have access to them. I can’t just fill all the feeder/dispensers. No. There’s always some left over; a bag half empty. And if I make the mistake of cracking open just one beautiful nut perfectly along its seam, exposing the precious insides, encased in their natural tissue paper wrapping, I inevitably find I am helpless to resist. I pop the delicious morsels into my mouth and am compelled to reach for the next perfect crack-and-reveal. And then the next…

Even Though I Know I Shouldn’t

So I find myself feeling some compassion for Sheila. She’s old. She can still navigate her way to the cat box and snuffle out the occasional treat. She’s been sneaking them for years – and is simply less adept at snagging them undetected anymore. Given that we close the door to the bathroom (most of the way – not entirely; the cats can’t open the door on their own) in order to deter the old coot, the mere fact that she can blindly negotiate her way into the bathroom at all is a coup that merits the reward.

I don’t know that I exhibit talent even remotely on the same par as Sheila in tracking down my peanuts. But I do know they’re probably as (not) good for me as the crusted snacks she snags for herself.

Judging from her expression, though, I’d say she clearly feels they’re worth my displeasure. Or at the very least, she feels zero remorse. UGH.

Cat litter snout – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-588)

What Day Is It – Day 522

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Tigger, annoyed by my question – Photo: L. Weikel

What Day Is It

I know I’m not alone. I know I’m not the only one who asks, “What day is it?” to whomever is nearest me – usually Spartacus or Tigger, but occasionally Karl – far more often than I should.

Sheila has two paws into the next world lately, so she’s definitely not a reliable source to ask. She usually just looks up at me with her rheumy eyes and says, “Seriously? Don’t ask me that. If you’re not going to open a can of food, just cover me with a blanket and let me go back to sleep.”

Fair enough. I can relate.

A New Rhythm

I’m finding it frustrating that I’ve yet to establish a new rhythm for myself.

If you had told me a month ago that the one reliable part of my day would be listening to Governor Cuomo’s daily briefing, I guarantee I would’ve scoffed. He’s not even governor of my state, for heaven’s sake.

But that’s my truth. Listening to him give us the facts, lead with logic, and support all of us (not just New Yorkers) with compassion and heart, has been a reliable centering post for me. I happen to be one of those people who believe that government can be, and is, when properly staffed and maintained, a force for good. So it’s a comfort to me to listen to him respect his constituents enough to tell them the truth– and then expect them to handle it.

As I go about trying to find my new rhythm I’m realizing that, at least lately, I’ve been having more trouble concentrating. Intellectually, I know this is probably a natural consequence of dealing with the stress of all the unknowns that have suddenly become part of our lives. But it feels a little lame.

A Bracing Slap

I don’t need to tell you guys how important walking is to my quality of life. If nothing else, my walks more often than not yield the photos around which I write many of my posts – which is reason enough to get me out the door.

Well, today’s walk was a startling experience. Just as we were heading out the door, my phone bleeped an alert that cautioned we should expect rain to begin in 20 minutes. It was tempting. Should we stay or should we go? We decided to initially ‘just do a stop sign,’ which effectively ruled out our longer four mile trek, but hey – it got us out of the house.

Imagine our surprise when it started snowing little spitballs at us as we rounded our first corner. Brrr! The entire walk ended up feeling like a bracing slap by Mother Earth – telling us to buck up and snap out of our somnambulism. At least, that’s what I felt like I was being told. I guess I shouldn’t speak for Karl.

Ultimately, I think it will serve me best to stop asking, “What day is it?” and just get on with living whatever damn day it is. If it takes a couple more days or weeks or whatever to fully acclimate to the transformation that’s taking place across the globe and within our lives, so be it. There is a balance to all of this if we just give ourselves the chance to find it.

Again, that’s where that patience and acceptance comes in. It’s not a lesson to be glibly ‘learned’ one day and forgotten the next. No. I’m pretty sure that’s part of that new rhythm I seek.

Oh – and you’re probably reading this on Friday. (wink)

“Really? Open a can of food and we’ll talk” – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-589)

Themes and Msgs (Part 2) – Day 505

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: feeder watch.org

Themes and Messages – Part 2

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve received the coolest gift from Spirit on my last two birthdays: the unmistakable appearance of a bird that I felt was bringing me a message about a potential theme in my life for the coming year. Themes and messages, they’re all around us.

Before last year’s appearance of a pileated woodpecker right outside my bedroom window on the morning of my 60th birthday last year, I don’t recall ever having a bird (or any other emissary of the natural world) make a point of showing up in my life on my birthday. And the manner in which the woodpecker showed up last year – hammering me awake, hauling me from the dreamtime – made the bird’s message seem all that more compelling.

I Lost Track

I’ll admit it; while I didn’t forget that the pileated woodpecker had dramatically appeared on the morning of my birthday, I did neglect to check in on whether there was any applicability of the bird’s message as my year unfolded. I hate to admit it, but I lost track of the pileated theme.

Last night, when I reread my post from last year, I immediately noticed the use – twice – of the word ‘wary’ in the quote I included from Animal-Wise*. That, in and of itself, should have been a concept I highlighted in my own consciousness as a watchword for my year.

I don’t know. If I’d exercised vigilance in revisiting the pileated’s message would I have made other choices or picked up on the motives or actions of others before getting blindsided? Would I have allowed myself to become so sidetracked by the needs and desires of a few others that I set aside my own sense of the rhythms and ways in my life? I don’t know.

But I do know I could’ve – and probably should’ve – been more wary.

A Second Chance

Imagine my delight when I awoke yesterday morning to the squawking and incessant voice of a blue jay – again – just outside my bedroom window. Truly, I was delighted. I confess that when I went to sleep the night before I wondered if the pileated would show up again as magically and unmistakably as it had last year. (I have heard it – or them – hammering relentlessly in the small stand of woods on the edge of our property.)

But Blue Jay’s birthday morning wake up call was such a confirmation! I’ve found at least a dozen Blue Jay feathers over the past couple of weeks, probably since the beginning of March. And it’s not as if some poor bird got nailed by a car (or an owl) leaving a pile of feathers. No, it was a couple here and a couple there. Several singlets. And all along at various points along our two and four mile walking routes. Blue Jay has been present.

I feel this is a second chance for me to notice and continue to pay attention to this theme being set for my year.

Joining Heaven and Earth

I’ve looked up the meaning of Blue Jay many times over the years, but I must confess, I only retain a cursory recollection of what many birds and animals represent. Since I’m working with them for others so often, I try not focus on specific characteristics because I don’t want to have any pre-conceived notions when I journey to find power animals for others.

The last time I’d probably looked up Blue Jay for my own edification was when two pairs of blue jays nested above both of the doorways to our home. That was about 15 years ago at least, possibly 20. And all I remembered was that the feathers of blue jays signify the sky (blue) joining heaven (white) and earth (black). Beyond that, I just generally enjoy their somewhat pugnacious attitudes, even if they can be a bit annoying.

Audubon.org

A Different Perspective

So when I looked up Blue Jay again last night, I felt a bit of a chill ripple through me. The message feels like it is much more specific than just some random application of the three colors of its feathers.

This is from Animal Speak* by Ted Andrews:

“KEYNOTE: The Proper Use of Power        CYCLE OF POWER: Year Round

(…) For those to whom the jay comes as a totem, it can reflect lessons in using your own power properly. It can also reflect lessons in not allowing yourself to be placed in a position in which power is misused against you.

(…) It has the ability to link the heavens and earth, to access each for greater power.

The black and white markings found on its blue wings also reflect this same ability. The sky (blue) separates the Heavens (white) and the earth (black). This is a totem that can move between both and tap the primal energies at either level. The jay is aware of this innate ability, and this is reflected in its blue crest – higher knowledge that can be used.

The bright blue crest of the jay should always be a reminder that to wear the crown of true mastership requires dedication, responsibility, and committed development in all things in the physical and the spiritual. The blue jay is a reminder to follow through on all things – to not start something and then leave it dangling.

The blue jay reflects that a time of greater resourcefulness and adaptability is about to unfold. You are going to have ample opportunities to develop and use your abilities. The jay does not usually migrate, staying around all winter, so look for there to be ample time to develop and use your energies to access new levels. It will stay around and work with you as long as you need it.

The blue jay is actually a member of the crow family, and most crows have no fear. Crows and jays alike will gang up to harass and drive off owls and hawks. The jay is fearless, and it is because of this that it can help you to connect with the deepest mysteries of the earth and the greatest of the heavens.

(…)

(…) If the jay has flown into your life, it indicates that you are moving into a time where you can begin to develop the innate royalty that is within you, or simple be a pretender to the throne. It all depends upon you. The jay has no qualms. It will teach you either direction.”

Gauntlet Thrown

Obviously, I’ve excerpted here (and it was still a long post!). And if experience is any lesson, undoubtedly the parts I’ve left out will be the ones that end up having the most significance.

But all in all, I tried to include here the paragraphs that hit me hardest when I read them. In other words, “Yeah, I need to commit. I need to be courageous. I need to do the work.”

I’d say the gauntlet has been thrown. Blue Jay has come knocking and is ready, willing, and able to kick my ass if I don’t develop and use my abilities, apparently in a new or different way than I have so far.

And quite frankly, I feel this relates in particular to developing or offering who I am  in service to others in the face of this utterly unique challenge our entire world is facing.

Finally, it’s not lost on me that blue jays are corvids. I’ve known that blue jays, crows, ravens are all corvids, and every time I’ve written about the pandemic I’ve had to stop and make sure I was writing COVID-19 – not corvid. Somehow or another, that feels relevant. Or at least noteworthy.

So Blue Jay’s been showing up in my life for weeks. Insisting on gaining my attention. Now I know it’s going to be pushing me – as a theme and a messenger – all year. I better buckle down.

abcbirds.org

*affiliate link

**Pretty cool: today’s post is #505, leaving 606 remaining to be written!

(T-606)

Go Gently – Day 500

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Deer on Municipal – Photo: L. Weikel

Go Gently

I think it’s safe to say we’re entering uncharted territory. The next few days are going to herald unprecedented numbers of horrific circumstances that no one believed could or would happen here in the U.S. (We need to go gently.)

Weeks ago, we heard the stories and read the articles and twitter posts by people in Italy, and even though we comprehended the dire warnings intellectually, I think there was a deeply buried adamant belief that it will not happen here. Indeed, I think we’re still telling ourselves that. (We need to go gently.)

Only now, it’s cities, counties, and states across the nation that are telling themselves, “What’s happening in New York is unique to New York. It won’t happen to us.” (We need to go gently.)

A lot of us are realizing that the warnings and alarms about the depth of this crisis were not and are not overstated. We are right to be honoring our governors’ “stay-at-home” orders, exercising wisdom and compassion by isolating ourselves from anyone and everyone, including those we love the most – especially if we don’t live with them or they are in a high risk group. (We need to go gently.)

What’s the Message?

On Monday, Karl, Sheila, Spartacus, and I were trudging up the steep hill that eventually meanders through a horse farm, when I happened to glance into the woods to my right. Standing right there, looking right into my eyes, was a doe. She stood stock still, her eyes looking right into mine.

She did not move. Quite honestly, she did not give off any semblance of anxiety or stress upon knowing for sure she’d been seen. Mind you – this sanquine attitude was conveyed in spite of the fact that we were walking with two dogs.

“Hey Baby! What’s your message?” I cooed to her as I handed Sheila’s leash to Karl and fished my iPhone out of my pocket. “May I take your photo?”

She quietly obliged, even permitting me to take a couple shots from other angles as we continued to slowly climb up the hill, stopping every couple of steps to gain a different perspective and slant on the sun behind her.

“Go gently,” she said. “Risks are everywhere – for you and for me. In the end, the way you walk through these challenges will be the message you send. Remember: all that’s important is love.”

All that’s important is love – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-611)

Tough Decision – Day 499

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Tough Decision

I made a tough decision last night after I posted my missive for the evening and climbed into bed, threading my legs around and between the two dogs and Karl, propping my head and back up on pillows, and petting Tigger, who always hops right up into my face every evening for his “alone-time with Mommy, pet and chin scratch while she reads” ritual.

This post’s peevishness is not linked to the considerable gyrations I go through each night in order to claim even a quarter of the acreage in our queen-sized bed. Those actually make me feel surrounded by love and affection.

No, it stems from the book I’ve been reading: Fall* by Neal Stephenson.

I feel like I’ve been reading this book since Christmas. And while I am a slow reader, I’m also not a person who easily gives up on a book. I wanted to like it; I appreciated that it must’ve taken quite an effort to write. And there were parts that caught my interest. But then the other narrative would kick in and I would feel almost mind-numbingly bored. Ugh. I’d endure those parts, hoping against hope that they’d undoubtedly lead to something worthwhile. I thought I could hang in for the pay dirt.

But last night I made the tough decision. I was putting this book down. (And as I reread that last sentence, I realize it can almost be read as if I decided to take it to the vet.) It just was not serving my needs which, to be completely honest, have particularly shifted in recent weeks.

I need a distraction. I yearn to escape from reality, and revel in another story line than the one we’re living in, which is only going to become more and more like a disaster movie in the days ahead.

Delightful Discovery

I made that fateful decision last night as I put Fall* down on the floor beside my bed. “Done,” I said out loud. “I’m done with you.”

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when I walked past our bookcase (mind you, I have a stack of about five books beside my bed, so why was my glance wandering onto the bookshelf?) when my eyes immediately lit upon a title that just clicked into place: The Book of Dust*.

I pulled it out. It’s by Philip Pullman. I love the earlier series he wrote: His Dark Materials, which starts with The Golden Compass*.

I’m so excited! What a delightful discovery in this time of dystopic reality.

And before you judge me for not completing Fall, I have to tell you: I’ve read 483 pages of this sucker and I’m still not feeling compelled by it. 483 pages! And there are exactly 400 more pages in this tome. So…I feel I’ve given it more than honorable shot at winning me over.

But you know what? I – just – can’t.

We’re literally in the midst of a horrific pandemic. I’m not going to waste one more night reading a book that doesn’t have me captivated. Life’s too short.

 

*affiliate link

(T-612)

New Moon in Aries – Day 498

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Signs of Spring – Photo: L. Weikel

New Moon in Aries

In just a couple of hours the moon will be dark, obscured from our sight because it won’t be reflecting any of the light of the sun. Technically, we’ll be experiencing a new moon in Aries.

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, the new moon is a particularly fertile time to plant the seeds of ideas, intentions, or commitments we want to set into motion in our lives. One way of looking at it is to think of the dark moon as representing rich, dark, fertile soil that’s a perfect medium for nurturing life and growth. So it is a perfect time to plant those aspirations we hold for the coming days, weeks, and quite possibly beyond.

It’s interesting to read how interpretations of the particular alignment of the planets and moon reflect the challenges we’re being called to face in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Because this is a new moon, the sun and moon are ‘conjunct,’ or sitting at the same degree in the same sign. Thus, as you probably realize, the sun is also in Aries, having entered that sign at the equinox, which took place on March 19th this year.) Chani gives a thought-provoking description of the aspects influencing this particular new moon, and how these influences speak directly to our current experiences here.

Introspection and Hard Questions

As I’ve mentioned a number of times lately, this self-isolation we’re being urged to do (or in more and more cases, ordered to engage in via so-called ‘stay-at-home’ orders) is an unprecedented opportunity to take a deep dive into figuring out who we are and what we value at our core. It’s a chance for us to reflect on the choices we’ve made in our lives. And it quite possibly is a time in which we contemplate making new choices.

It occurs to me as I write this that we are seeing the stark truth of this reflection on what we truly value play out right in front of us on the national stage. Will we choose to continue to self-isolate if we think we may have been exposed to the virus (or simply to avoid the possibility of exposure or being exposed)? Will we choose to withdraw from social interaction and physical contact in order to protect each other and ourselves? Or will we decide that ‘getting back to work’ is more important than the very real possibility of saving lives?

As many are pointing out, a ‘dead’ economy can be revived. A dead person cannot.

Choosing Our Values

In signaling today that we may be urged to ‘return to work’ next week if we have no symptoms (the ostensible end of the 15 days of social distancing begrudgingly advocated by the federal government), we are being given a clear indication on the macro level of just what is of most value to our so-called ‘leaders.’ Indeed, I saw a clip just this evening of the Lt. Governor of Texas saying that grandparents would be happy to give their lives to provide a healthy economy to their grandchildren.

That’s an utterly absurd and appalling ‘choice’ for our government to be suggesting we make. And it’s not even true. (Surprise.) Choosing to knowingly risk even greater spread of this virus would only serve to kill more people and crash our economy even further. It would be the height of cratered and craven values.

But Here We Are

What seeds do you want to plant today? Where do your deepest values reside? What is most precious to you and how do you intend to express your devotion to it/them?

This is where we find ourselves. Our current way of living is unsustainable – on so many levels.

But we can do this. We can make the choices that will enable love, caring, and compassion to flourish. If that’s what really matters to each of us.

Crocus – Photo: L. Weikel

 

(T-613)

Feeding the Birds – Day 496

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Feeding the Birds – Photo: L. Weikel

Feeding the Birds

Some of you may remember my semi-flip out back in September when suddenly all the birds not only went silent but actually left the premises. It was a long 20 days or so before they finally started returning, much to my huge relief. It’s possible, I suppose, that they all just suddenly discovered plentiful seeds and other treats somewhere else. But the abruptness and totality of their departure – and the similar abruptness of their return – just seemed kind of weird.

I do intend to pay attention this fall, to see if they make it into an annual habit.

Looking For Normal

This past week felt like I was trapped in a time warp. Every day I had to make a concerted effort to steady and ground myself – almost as if I’d awakened in the midst of an ocean and had to regain my sea legs before I could walk into the next room. But it wasn’t a physical wavering. It was a psychological one – or perhaps even deeper; perhaps an existential one.

So many assumptions and fundamental beliefs I’ve held about our country and our ability to respond to any challenge – no matter how grave, how daunting, or how threatening – have been shattered this week. And the worst part about that? The worst part is knowing that it was completely avoidable. The worst part is knowing that our lack of preparation and ability to respond (responsibility) was facilitated by the deliberate obfuscation of those at the highest levels of our government.

And people are starting to get sick and die in numbers that grow exponentially, daily, as a result.

So? Having no real power to effect meaningful change until Election Day, I need to look for normal amidst the chaos. Looking for normal yesterday afternoon meant feeding my birds.

Everyday Joy

The temperature outside climbed to 78 degrees yesterday. Needing to ground myself and reconnect to what’s real and sustainable, I found myself sitting on my porch in the sunshine, reveling in birdsong. For a precious few minutes, I was able to wrap myself in a cocoon of delight as I listened to the robins and the fish crows trill and grok, respectively. I watched both two red shouldered woodpeckers and a downy cling to my front feeder and push around a chickadee, then heard but could not see-to-save-my-life the producer of the unmistakable, heavy-billed <<thwacking>> of a pileated just beyond the garage.

I watched goldfinches, house finches, sparrows and wrens flit and flutter amongst the shelter of the carcass of our Christmas tree, which we prop against one of the maples in our yard each year to give them additional cover from the sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks that patrol the area. Nuthatches marched upside down on the maples and I even glimpsed either a blue bird or an indigo bunting before it disappeared into the thicket along our driveway.

My effort to reclaim normal consisted of the measured, meditative act of filling our birdfeeders and feeding the birds.

Pandemic Partners

I hope I’ll be able to keep my feeders filled over the coming months. The joy and sense of connection with All Life that birds give me is abundantly healing and centering. I recently came across this great article with excellent tips on how to make our yards welcoming, safe, and enticing to these wonderful creatures. It affirmed why Karl and I are so lucky to have so many feathered friends sharing this land we call home.

So many of the suggestions in this article are sound common sense, but they’re also little ways of changing our relationship with birds and Mother Earth that help bring us into balance with Her.

And ultimately, as we make our way through the devastation of this pandemic, coming back into balance with Mother Earth will be key. Celebrating and appreciating our birds can remind us of that.

Goldfinch – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-615)

Pandemic Panacea – Day 488

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 4 Comments
Pandemic Panacea – Photo: L. Weikel

Pandemic Panacea

I’m not quite sure why, but it felt, today, like the country finally hit a tipping point. All of a sudden people seem to have awakened to the fact that this pandemic is real and it’s going to start impacting all of us now. Yup. Even Americans.

It wasn’t the President finally declaring a national emergency, either. I say that because when I ventured out today, hours before the declaration was made (and “no responsibility at all” was taken), I most definitely detected a dramatic shift in attitude all around me. People were more than edgy. It wasn’t quite panic yet; but the anxiety level was dramatically more palpable today than it was at the start of the week. And the parking lots of all the grocery stores were packed.

Cleaned Out

I was especially astonished when I went into our local Giant supermarket and discovered a ‘pathway to checkout’ had been created, guiding shoppers to their designated cashier in a chute not unlike cattle going to…

Yeah, you get the picture.

But upon chatting with the cashier who was lucky enough to encounter me and my dozen bars of cheddar cheese to ring out (don’t judge; we all have our comfort foods), I discovered that the real craziness had started yesterday, when people were apparently so backed up into lines waiting to check out that other shoppers couldn’t get down aisles or even enter the produce department. Hence the rope line today.

Glad I missed that.

I have to admit, I didn’t even go down the paper goods or hand sanitizer aisles. I did, however, think I might pick up an extra bag or two of frozen spinach – but as you can see from the photo below was quickly disabused of that notion.

Frozen Vegetables Decimated at Giant – Photo: L. Weikel

What’s Really Important

I’ve come to the conclusion that this unprecedented societal experience we’re all having is causing us to run up against some pretty profound choices and realizations.

Some of these might superficially seem mundane. But I actually think they may give us more insight into ourselves than we realize. I sort of think that’s at least partially behind the run on toilet paper. I’m not judging it one way or the other; I’m just saying…it says something about us if the thing we don’t want to get caught without for several days is toilet paper. Perhaps something different if it’s cheese. The hand sanitizer is in a league of its own. We are dealing with a rampant damn virus after all.

Pandemic Panacea

Which brings me to the light bulb moment I had earlier this week.

When I started thinking about what I might want to ‘stock up on’ just in case things get really dicey out there, I made a shocking/not shocking discovery of what’s most important to me: coffee and chocolate. Two substances that have the power to either perk me up or take the edge off…just enough to help me find my center and maintain my balance.

That’s why, earlier this week, while other people were plotting their runs on bathroom tissue (poor choice of words?) and before hand sanitizer flew off the shelves in droves, I made sure I had enough of my precious panacea to tide me over for a potential long haul.

According to dictionary.com, panacea is defined as:

1. A remedy for all disease or ills; cure-all.

2. An answer or solution for all problems or difficulties.

It’s my considered opinion that we all need to find our own unique Pandemic Panacea. Given my earlier admission about cheese, I supposed you could add that to my PP list. And yeah, there might be a couple other eclectic additions as well.

What’s interesting to me is that I have a feeling this is just the first of a number of discoveries I’m going to make about myself as I bear witness to something I can barely imagine unfold before my very eyes.

Coronowl Pondering Chocolate – Photo: L. Weikel

Confession? I might have to retreat into my shell occasionally. Hint: the chocolate pictured above may not be the only kind I’ve squirreled away.

(T-623)

Trust – Day 487

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Look Up! – Photo: L. Weikel

Trust

I’ll admit it; I’ve been following the unfolding drama of the Coronavirus pandemic as it has blossomed and spread across the world since late December/early January. I’ve listened to the reporters and epidemiologists explain what we’ve been seeing and tell us what we could expect when the infection inevitably reached our shores. And sadly, based on what I’ve observed, and read, and come to understand, I believe we’ve reached the point where we need to wake up, open our eyes, and trust.

No, not some outside force. Notice I said “sadly.” That’s because it would be reassuring and at least a tad bit comforting if we could let down our collective guard enough to trust our leaders, our elected officials, to tell us the best information on how to handle this crisis of infection.

That’s what most of us have believed in, I think. No matter how cynical we might be about politics, most of us have held fast to the belief, deep down, that when we – and by ‘we’ I mean Americans – need to face a crisis as a nation, we stick together, step up to the challenge, and overcome it.

That’s what we do.

That’s who we are.

Crisis of Faith

But that’s not how it’s working out at the moment. Right now, we are being forced to reckon with the fact that we have people at the helm of our government who are actively attempting to manipulate our perception of reality to such an extent that we don’t even accept or follow simple, common sense advice anymore.

Common sense advice like being extra vigilant about washing our hands, since physical contact with the virus, especially via our hands, is the strongest vector of contracting the illness, Covid-19.

Common sense advice like, even if we feel fine, staying away from large groups of people, whether at stores, or at theaters, or at major sporting events, since wherever lots of people gather, there are lots more opportunities to have the virus spread from person to person to person.

Common sense advice like staying at home if we feel sick. Knowing that we shouldn’t go to work if we feel like something that cat dragged in; recognizing that we really should go shopping if we have a fever and a cough.

We’re having a crisis of faith. It’s a crisis of faith in who we can trust.

A Huge Test

The way this crisis is unfolding in our country is a huge test. It’s a test of us as a nation and it’s a test of each of us on an individual basis. And yes, it is a crisis. My use of that word is not hyperbole. It’s reality.

If you’ve been paying attention, the calmest and smartest among us have been sounding the alarm, quietly but assertively. They knew that things would reach a tipping point that would change everything. All of a sudden, all of the reassurances of those who mocked science would come crashing down. Because this stuff grows exponentially.

And now it’s time to turn within. For each one of us to get quiet and sense within ourselves, “How do I want to react to this situation?”

“How can I best take care of myself and those I love?

My suggestion, respectfully, is to trust your heart. Trust your inner knowing.

Stop running. Breathe deeply. Go within your own self and find your calm center. Trust that most of all.

Dew Jewels – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-624)