Weekend Retreat Ideas for Fox Hill Farm: paint and draw, garden to table, outdoor cooking class with meal served on a long wood table with flowers and lantern lights, photography: self portraits, cobb house workshop, c'mon...what else. what else. camping in the woods. did i mention that the big house renovations have officially started?? my uncle has given $80,000 toward the renovations. new windows have been ordered. bidding is out for installation. next on the list is a new coat of paint and the big house will officially be sealed and much better preserved. Myriam, can you tell us more about your weekend retreats? didn't you just put one on where people met all day, both days but had to sleep elsewhere?

Gorillas running amuck and drinking Manhattans

So this gorilla walks into a bar and orders a Manhattan... The bartender brings the drink and the gorilla sips until he finishes. The bartender brings the gorilla his check for $17 The gorilla pays the bill and gets up. As the gorilla is leaving, the bartender says "Say, we don't usually get a lot of gorillas in here ordering Manhattans" The gorilla replies "At $17 a pop, I'm not surprised." We're back in action ladies, we're back in action! Oh la la.

Kite Song- Rosie Thomas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUR1ah83wPY

Kindness

xo-myriam

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and
purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you every where
like a shadow or a friend.

Naomi Shihab Nye

Orange Sky-Alexi Murdoch

Well I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
Yes I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my brother standing by
With my brother standing by
I said brother, you know you know
It's a long road we've been walking on
Brother you know it is, you know it is
Such a long road we've been walking on

And I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my sister standing by
With my sister standing by
I said sister, here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, in your love, in your love

But sister you know I'm so weary
And you know sister
My hearts been broken
Sometimes, sometimes
My mind is too strong to carry on
Too strong to carry on

When I am alone
When I've thrown off the weight of this crazy stone
When I've lost all care for the things I own
That's when I miss you, that's when I miss you, that's when I miss you
You who are my home
You who are my home
And here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, my salvation lies
In your love, in your love, in your love

Well I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
Yes I had a dream
I stood beneath an orange sky
With my brother and my sister standing by
With my brother and my sister standing by
With my brother and my sister standing by

a beautiful weekend

Leo's tree.

We buried part of Leo's ashes yesterday. It was so pure and natural and perfect. We sunk our hands into the bag, collected some ashes with our fingers and gently sprinkled them into the soil that would nourish the tree.

We created him. We held him. And now we've returned his ashes to the earth.



It was so perfect.

waiting for that day...

i is married now, i is married now...

i keep thinking about that scene from the color purple

today for the first time i used the word "husband" in a sentence

today is also our week anniversary

we are happy and loving and kind and joyous and enjoying one another

our home is candlelit and smells welcoming

we awoke on the 12th in big sur having slept in separate cabins

i was giddy with excitement,

i kept clapping my hands and rubbing my palms together as though i had a special secret

i do have a secret

the secret i will share with you...

it is the revelation that of all the moments, and the travels and the people and the places

and the pot smoking, drinking, partying, worrying, crying, anger, frustration, throwing up

working too much, weight gain, weight loss, bad singing voice, bad black hair care, insults, masturbaters, racist fuckers, no show dates, missing in action men, abortions, junkie, co-dependent, experimentators, white, black, purple, orange, red, brown, fat, tall, intelligent, coniving, disappointming, indecisive, coco butter loving, pornography, abusive, two timing, herpe carrying, insecure, overcompensating, unreliable, low expectation having, of all the moments and travels, and people and the places, kerry and i found one another, we found each other.

we found one another and in that we found ourselves.

the morning of our wedding, i went for a walk in the woods with sheri-lu and my mom. i walked behind them and alerted them to oncoming cars. there i was protecting them and there they were giving to me, coming to share in my life on this day and i had this sweet opportunity to shield them and keep them close to me.

after the walk, we all headed to breakfast together in carmel. i had the courage to speak up and say that although the little swiis cafe might have the best waffles in town, i would prefer to go somewhere else where i migh n=honor my body and my intentions to be loving to myself that day- another secret.

as we entered the outdoor cafe, my phone rang, my sister called to express her excitment and in her voice i hear the joy of all of my friends and family wishing us such a grand day. she wanted to know every detail of what was happening. i took it in and promised to call back later.

i ordered a salad, a glass of champagne and grilled polenta. just then i received a text message from another friend who wrote me to remind me that this day was happening becuase i daired to say yes. because i dared to say yes, the universe conspired with my heart and over time, i believed that i am worthy.

so here i stand in this amazing place big sur and i feel the whole world under my feet. my silver shoes carry me towards my beloved as my mother holds my hand. she clenches it tight as i reach for kerry and in her eyes i see that she had in fact opened the door for me to step through a long time ago, it was only i that waited to step through. with her gentle touch she pressed me forward and there i stood in front of kerry.

loreen spoke of love and chopsticks and friendship and fears and go to girls and core group and such. she cried and blessed us as she read the words we had together decided to say to one another. then she turned the floor over to me, to me whom had requested a moment to share some words from my heart with kerry. my heart skipped a beat and suddenly i forgot, forgot the words i had planned to sing to him. i had planned for months to sing a song, i had labored for weeks and hours, trying to learn and remember and find the right notes to sing and there i stood with all that jelly and no bread. i took a deep breathe and kerry said, take your time baby, having no idea of what i intended.

"you're the apple of my eye, you're cherry pie,

you're cake and ice cream,

you're sugar and spice and everything nice,

you're the man of my, my my dreams

if you wanted to leave me and roam

when you got back,

i'd just say welcome home

cause nothing will ever change

this love i have for you"

i kept wanting to kiss him and he kept saying

we have to wait, wait, wait

funny i thought, i've been waiting for him

for so long...

then i planted one on him.

to be continued...