Month: September 2019

09/11/19: someday, birthday, friends, puppets, poems

Our chalkboard poem for today …

We enjoyed a marvelous 8th birthday celebration for Louie on Sunday, held at an apple orchard in Easthampton, and featuring a magical performance by the world famous Bread and Circus Puppeteers. Louie had a group of his buddies present, and before the puppet show, they dashed and crashed around together, playing games, throwing balls at each other, and generally enjoying good 8-year-old mayhem. The parents, including Annie and Gabe, had as good a time as the kids, laughing and chatting with each other and enjoying the boys’ peaceful wildness.

Continue reading “09/11/19: someday, birthday, friends, puppets, poems”

09/06/19: coolness and rain…the music of life…a busy gardener…and busy bees

Today the coolness of autumn seemed to sweep in on us in a silent, surprising way. One day it was muggy and made for air-conditioning, and now today is a day for sweaters and seeing your breath. (Well, not quite.) I did feel a little chilled most of the day. In fact, for the first time this season I donned a sweater, and even thought of a coming-soon fire in our fireplace. Ah, the mysterious and always shifting ways of nature …

Our front yard chalkboard poem for today …

Busy bees and gardener …

  • a haiku poem

    silent and patient …
    the gardener loves her work …
    her garden loves her     …


9/05/19 … dawn, a season of shining, a stately tree, perfect flowers, a butterfly, Francis, a happy goldfinch

  • dawn from the sunroom as we meditate at 5:30 a.m…
  • …and another view
  • our front yard poem for today
  • a lovely tree on our walk this morning
  • a haiku

    flower of glory
    light shining in the center
    morning is right now
  • petunias in my mom’s memorial garden
  • a moment of magic
  • St. Francis among mom’s petunias
  • a goldfinch feasting

9/2/19: sixteen, peace hill, super-gardener, monarchs …

Yesterday, the family gathered at Jamie’s mid-forest home in the quiet corner of CT to celebrate the 16th birthday of another of the countless absolutely wonderful young people I have known – my grandson Noah Converse Salsich. I truly feel privileged to even know this guy, let alone be one of his grandparents! He has heaping loads of kindness and gentleness inside him, and his sincerity shines forth always. He’s now a junior in high school, and takes great and honest joy in being the vice-president of the student government, but doesn’t brag about it. He wears humility as comfortably as his brand-new blue jean jacket.

We had a wonderful time celebrating this fellow’s fine young life — shooting casual hoops, bouncing on the tramp, feasting on birthday cake and cookies, and just carousing in friendship.

This morning we took another walk up and down the Peace Sanctuary road (or “peace hill”) in the early morning coolness – lucky us.

Such lovely flowers in September – and such a lovely gardener!

Our chalkboard poem for today …



A new poem for today …

dancing days

all the days are dancers
like princes who take a chance and cancel all work
and announce it’s time to dance and take a stance in favor of playfulness
yes there are fences in our days but they can be danced on and over
if we rise out of our self-induced trance and simply glance
at the opulence all around us that’s owned by no one and everyone and
each moment gives us guidance to the vast distances of peace and power
and each hour dances in a cadence of simplicity and significance and
each day is balanced with elegance as it dances along
and all days are in obedience to the unfenced ambiances of the universe
so let us rejoice in the sincerity and distance of dancing unceasing uncertainty