Mindful

Some of us have taken to the trees, while some of us are displaying a careful nonchalance over this drastic change in life style. :) I'm somewhere in between at the moment as it is beginning to be all too real. We have had to cull our beloved books, Jack has been hit the hardest. We decided to give them to the local museum (Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art) to sell in their "Book Nook" but they took one look at the 31 books of art that Jack has collected over the years and claimed them for the museum's archives. In this we were not overlooked. 

Already we are experiencing the positive vibes from friends, relatives and other sailors, everyone cheering us on and wishing us the very best. Thanks to Kristina for storing Jack's paintings in her attic and Gene and Shane at Mar-Marina for all they do for us.

 Four more sleeps and we'll be on our way.

But this is how I want to live

Mindful

By Mary Oliver

Every day

   I see or hear

      something

         that more or less

kills me

   with delight,

      that leaves me

         like a needle

in the haystack

   of light.

      It was what I was born for—

         to look, to listen,

to lose myself

   inside this soft world—

      to instruct myself

         over and over

in joy,

   and acclamation.

      Nor am I talking

         about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,

   the very extravagant—

      but of the ordinary,

         the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.

   Oh, good scholar,

      I say to myself,

         how can you help

but grow wise

   with such teachings

      as these—

         the untrimmable light

of the world,

   the ocean’s shine,

      the prayers that are made

         out of grass?