11.20.13 Disturbing The Beast- Communitas canis

Spotted today in an elusive portion of a 

local Pine Forest was a Communitas canis,

 found lounging in the crisp November 

waters of Amethyst Brook.

 Reportedly wary of disturbing the beast, 

the onlooker snapped a photo and fled.

10.16.13 Scandalously Red Leaves on a Quiet October Day

In the midst of a dark foggy sleep, K quietly wakes me and the old dog into the day. I rouse her, and , reticent, she stiffly gets up and climbs off the bed, shambling over to her water, as the 6 month old baby enormo pup stands beyond the gate, leaping vertically, his mouth filled with a stuffed squeaking turtle. The old dog, almost 16, is for the most part deaf and blind, but I can see her catch a whiff of the bouncing one, and bracing herself for the day.

 Dogs out; dogs in, dogs fed, and we all tumble into the car to drive K to work, Dante taking the opportunity to wash and nibble K as he climbs into the driver's seat, pulled back by me, laughing.

Myself, I'm on a leave of absence, so my job is to rest. Rest rest rest.  Take walks. And clean up a little. And draw and write, take photographs a little. And then rest again.. What a funny job. Doesn't pay well. But lots of unusual benefits. Like slowly getting better.  I'm blessed; most people can't manage this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                



And you and I both know that so many people in the world need this. In order to get stronger so they can go on out and working again.

We drop K at the University, and I enjoy gazing at the architecture, both new and old. There are things I must write up, so the dogs have been told that this is not a fun running around morning. 

But on the way home, as I cross the highway from field to field, I catch sight of  the mist shrouded mountain range before us, exploding with such an array of color in this mid October season.

The farmers have almost completed the harvesting of corn for livestock, the tobacco has been cut and dried for months now, and brought off to market.  Roadside stands are full of glorious huge cabbage, gourds, pumpkins, squash of all shapes and types, and of course, Chrysanthemums and Asters, all of these decorating most homes you drive by, the ever present celebration of seasons, despite commercial interruption, in continuity.

  

The beautiful velvety soybean fields remain, swaying and undulating patterns as their stalks elongate  with each successive week of growth, their seedpods glistening even in this foggy morning light.

On  impulse, I hang it right before the University horse farm and the Kestrel bird sanctuary, down an untaken road that warns of a bridge out, and a dead end.

There are a couple of McMansions on the left, with several older local homes nestled into the hills, sequestered, on the right.

I turn a quiet corner between shorn fields, and come upon the two DEAD END signs, with a lump of dirt bulldozed up, behind the signs, covered with the wilde colors of the season. Evidently there was no anticipation of finding funds to repair this bridge.

There is a small home on this very end of street, relishing the quiet and privacy, Acorn and Butternut Squash piled upon their front porch, cars missing and probably off at some job.

There are footpaths both from the road in front of me to the edge of where the bridge once began, telling of a frequency of visits by humans, to peer over the edge down to the clear, beautiful stream waters below.

Another footpath is visible from this height, from the house to stream, that moves down the side of the stream, beneath the cover of trees. Someone loves the visiting and the being in this hidden quiet place.

Birds overhead call out to each other, as I, also, step to the edge of the dirt mound to drink in the colors and swirling waters and imaginings of wildlife beneath and around this place.

I return to the car, poor patient dogs waiting.

On the short way home, we pass by farmers spraying cut cornstalks into following trucks, moving slowly across the fields. One farmer is digging deep burgundy Chrysanthemums from their field, and potting them. I stop by the flea market, and wander down the paved path to take a photo of the  range, covered with fog, like a hat, sitting quietly with no wind, the air damp and heavy.

Over by the horse-farm, Yearlings canter about while someone tends to an adult horse. At another neighbor's, the beautiful golden brown horse has a male friend this season, the two of them amiable, standing close to each other, day after night.

People pull into the small car repair shop, as the Creamy IceCream stand persists in opening, and will, until your nose is bright red and the nights early and darkened. A row of cars for sale stand guard, kept company by the older man and his large furry dog, slowly making his way along the selections with some interested neighbor in need of new wheels.

The spice company has its lights out for Halloween, always the bravest, brightest, blinking-est of all in this small quiet town, while the CSA down the road is frequented by those picking up their armfuls of bright green Kale, gourds, squashes, lines of onions, and picking the last of the sunflowers and cosmos.

We head up the road, entering the woods and leaving the high fields behind, up up the small mountain range, as trucks pass along the small country road, carrying their loads to their own markets,

 a small wind now scattering the golden and brightest orange and scandalously red leaves over our heads in a shower, sweeping this way and that,

coming to rest upon our small vehicle as we turn into our own color strewn home land here, all of us tumbling out and , after a small walkabout, heading for dog breakfasts and slumber at my feet, as I sit on this beautiful day in your life and my life, and write these ramblings.

11.14.13 A Question of Balance - Some of My Favorite Things.....For Your Health

-If it's cold outside, cover your neck, front and back, and your chest with your coat and scarf.

That way, your body's fuel and your immune system won't have to use themselves up sending heat to those places, and instead, that they can go off and make your immune system strong

and eat up cancer cells and viruses and good things like that.

-Keep your feet warm. Wear warm socks.

Then your body and your immune system won't have to spend extra energy keeping them warm enough, and they can go off and do the other important things I just mentioned.

Health. Feeling good. Longevity. Not being vulnerable to cardiovascular problems and cancers and many other things.

-Many that you didn't even think about until maybe someday you or someone else gets them. And then you say to yourself, "oh crap. It's true."

-In cold climates, whenever you don't keep warm, your body will make an effort to keep warm.
Not dressing warmly enough isn't a measure of your strength or virility or vitality. Contrary to how many of us were taught, it does not make you healthier and tougher. It simply meant that the toughest survived- and the other got worn out ... And didn't .
-Try to think carefully about this. It doesn't make your body stronger. Just makes it work harder.
- kind of like having your heat on while you leave your windows wide open all the time. It's a silly use of resources.

Go find your favorite locally owned store that has a good array of skinny warm socks. Wear them. Keep your savings account (your feet) warm.  

Keep those places warm and wrapped up. Your health will thank you for it.

11.13.13 Humidifiers- How Important For Your Winter Health?

Clients have been asking me how important it really is. And which one to get. And what I've noticed over the years in terms of frequency of illness, and vulnerability in terms of respiratory illness.
SUMMARY- cool mist Humidifiers, not ultrasonic, cleaned well once a week, run 24/7 make a significant difference boosting the health and illness- resisting capacity of your lungs, sinuses, and bronchioles.

Cool mist humidifiers that are not ultrasonic. They produce the least amount of harmful microbes, because the water remains cold. Ultrasonic breaks pieces of dust into tiny pieces, which are even more harmful than regular dust, so avoid those.
Please use your common sense, and both change your humidifier filter every few weeks, and don't fall for those humidifiers advertised as not needing filters.

Obviously, the filters are filtering particles from the air that should not be spewing out in the moisture.
Any humidifier is fine. If you filter the water, it will last longer.
You really really need to scrub it with soap and water or vinegar water every 4 to 5 days to a week. After an illness, the filter has more microbes sucked from the air, so clean or replace the filter.
When you clean it, find all the gooey little places that are growing microbes, and clean them out. Only takes a few minutes.

And no, myself, I wouldn't add essential oils. Not all the time. Use them when they're specifically needed.

Put your humidifier somewhere where it's convenient to wash well, and if you leave it running 24-7, it will gradually increase the moisture levels of your whole house.

Using a humidifier in a bedroom that is a sickroom can be a godsend. Just make sure, with the construction of the walls, but you don't notice the walls becoming slick so that it's all too much.

Rooms that have wallboard made of fake looking wood have a high content of from aldehyde. Humidifiers encourage the formaldehyde to come out in fumes into the room. So be careful.

The same is true of relatively new houses, with walls made of particle board, which also has a good amount of both construction adhesives and from aldehyde that are actively offgassing for several years. Materials like that Ofgas more rapidly in conditions that are warm and humid.


Air that's heated in the winter has all of its moisture cooked out of it. We are then breathing air that is dry and difficult for our bodies, air that is unlike most outdoor air.

Humidified air has a nice content of moisture and it protects the mucous membranes of the lungs and bronchioles, throat and sinuses. It's like they're getting a drink of water all the time.

Once nosebleeds begin, it's hard to shield the injured tissue. So, better to start right off with a humidifier in use the entire time your heat is turned on.

Gwen 'a Magic Oil is antimicrobial in small gentle ways , safe for daily use. Placing a little bit of that, good quality olive oil, or an herbal salve on your finger, and running it inside each nostril, will moisten and heal the tissue, protecting it from further injury. When the injured tissues have healed,it then becomes safe once again to blow your nose, and there will be no more nosebleeds.

Try to remember that Petroleum Jelly is made of that - petroleum!!! so that is actually what you are putting into your body.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids are helpful and a safe way of both boosting immune function, and healing tissues of the body, so those tissues injured by over dried air that then begin to experience nosebleeds.

Putting the humidifier in your bathroom, and sitting for a while reading, can be like a steam bath, and very rejuvenating for sensitive or chronically challenged respiratory tissue, a flu or cold.

And then of course, the old-fashioned way is remarkable. Boiling hopefully filtered water, and then leaning over it with a towel over your head, inhaling.

When my oldest was a kid, and had a respiratory illness, I would go out into the woods and gather Pineneedles, cut off the stems, boil water, and let the Pineneedles simmer for a bit, and then have him lean over with a towel over his head.

Pine forests foster the froth of so many anti microbial factors that walking in Pine Forests is beneficial for chronic respiratory illness.

Later, whenever I got sick or had a cough, even as a kid, he would go running out and gather pine needles for me, preparing for me the same remedy.

Humidifier use needs to be right up there with storm windows, gloves, hats, and warm coats. Oh, and Tea, stews, toasty warm feet , and wonderful walks, all bundled up, out-of-doors!

11.14.13 The Value of Difference......With Gratitude to CM, for inspiration

The question we each ask ourselves every day is

 " How can I appreciate with a peaceful heart and mind....

the kind of person I am not....and the kind of person I am? ". 

Why should an ancient Oak waste time lamenting their inability to fly like a bird or swim like a fish ,

 instead, grasping the wonder of their enormous grounded roots and remarkable towering presence ? 

That is my wish for each of us.

Acknowledging challenge and delighting in the wonder of our individual gifts. 

Our differences.

In years to come, difference is going to be paramount- perceiving it, accepting it, utilizing it, appreciating it.

Our survival will depend upon an approach to difference that is in direct opposition to so many aspects of the behavior of many species, including ours, of the past. Oh, and the present.

And its’ tough. Crows hardly allow different crows to survive.

So many species rely on similarity to be able to count on the other to be what they have grown to anticipate from their species.

There is a great deal of common sense to evaluating safety or danger by observing how an unknown person behaves.

But human bodies and minds are changing, and quickly.

In response to environment?

Or evolving?

Or both?

No matter, we are. And the capacity to BE adaptive and responsive has ensured survival over and above suspicion of difference.

The capacity to learn to wait and not judge, observe and not pigeonhole, ascertain safety and then open ourselves to supporting others…who may look or  move or speak or think in ways very different than the average behaviors we have become accustomed to, will be vital to our own happiness, and our own adaptability. Our own sense of comfort and belonging. Our responsibility to share that with others who are…different.

And hope we will be granted the same for the ways that we ourselves are….different.

Whether it be the way that each one of us struggles mightily with our real or imagined excesses and inadequacies,

Or the way in which we are capable of being at peace with our own abilities and disabilities, and other’s,

Or the way in which humans seem to cleave to themselves as an odd, invisible poor excuse of a hobby ,  a secret self depreciating consort, of feeling badly about themselves, neither will feel or function especially well.

But learning to look and listen and trust our common sense, and be open to difference in ourselves and others just might create the kind of world we would choose to live in.

10.22.13 "What Stays With You? " The Gift of Dori Ostermiller

I took a few writing workshop series with Dori Ostermiller, (novelist and founder of Writers In Progress,Florence, MA.) , which simply fertilized and watered and shone sunlight down upon me, with her gift to always ask "What Stays With You?" 

Long after I've taken a leave of absence from work for health necessity, and writing workshop support, and been handed the quiet life of resting and walks and isolation, together with the gift of time and taking photographs and drawing and writing things, those words stay with me...

in the woods, doing dishes,mixing up herbal formulas , as words come to mind,relishing a quiet moment outside with my beloved as the season whirls by and the cool wind creeps in. 

Somehow the sentiment brings me swiftly to the present moment, to the awake and awareness of what is before me. And at the same time, it somehow fosters the retaining of what was the essence of this, and this, and this moment...and that, I have discovered, is what stays with me.

" What Stays With You? " has an unquestioning depth, and quiet, and welcome to it. 

And has become one of my favorite things, in gratitude.

10.13.13 Be kind to yourself. Now have a nice sleep and a good morning.

Fall means visiting the river today, and all this growth in this warmer-days photograph has been cut for the winter, the riverside shorn. 

The wind is gentle, but whips itself up as gatherings of mallards line the sides, feeding, preparing for sleep. People and dogs meander both sides, on their evening strolls, ever taken by the view of the earth from this small spot, the sun always being turned away from right at that place by the trees, as we all sink down into night; into fall, approaching the time of relative rest.

Let's see if its possible , in your own days and nights, despite the striving for survival, for food and a roof or kids or stability, to slow things a bit as the cold approaches, and give yourself a chance to head to bed a bit earlier, and then drink something warm and neutral in the morning to welcome your gut to the day.

Give yourself a little foot massage, digging in a bit here and there, because you will be unwinding all kinds of things, whether you know what they are or not, and healing and settling others. Don't be ruthless, but when you find a bumpy or sore or crunchy place, it is something real. If i was with you, or someone else whose work correlates these things, I would show the same little stuck crunchy thing as evidence on your face and on your back and limbs and then on the actual organ. It's real. Hang out and rub all over. If you have Gwen's Magic Oil, use a bit of that. I know, it's expensive now that organic olive oil is pricey. But use a dab, and smear it over each foot; then rub into places. You can do no harm. You can only help things a little bit. Inch by inch; row by row, eh?

See if you can take a bath now and then, and toss in some Epsom Salts and Sea Salt and Baking Soda and Borax (not the cleanser, just the plain Borax) to suck up the chlorine and chemicals, if you have non-well water, and suck crap out of your skin. Your skin will slowly smoothe with repeated use, become more free of garbage and more full of health and vitality. And your body will send all kinds of garbage out out into the water, out of your body's organs and systems. Really. Cool, huh?

See if you can spend some time, just a little bit, before you go to bed, not looking at....a machine.

Can you manage it? Notice how hard that is. Your brain notices. Give you eyes and brain a break and look at a book.

Or a book with no words!!! 

Or a view out a window or of a cat sleeping or of your kid breathing. Or the wind out the back door, before you pad back inside and slip into your sanctuary of sleep. 

Be kind to yourself. Now have a nice sleep and a good morning.