We will not be meeting this July and August, but that doesn’t mean reflections stop or memories end. Our dog is curled up by my feet as I write. It’s warm and she doesn’t want to exert herself unnecessarily. At the moment, there are no geese to chase or other dogs to play with right now. Each day, a neighbor brings her dog over, and she and Maya dash around madly. When done, she comes in panting and plops down. I’m less active than she, but I enjoy sitting outside with her and listening to the song of birds. I’m cultivating the art of being peace and doing nothing but taking in the beauty of our yard and the simple joy of using my senses to take in the greenery of our lawn and watch how the shadows of the trees change position as the day unfolds. It’s later in the afternoon now. The heat is not scorching and the mosquitoes are not out yet. I’ve been reading a lovely book that I recommend, A Flame by Pico Iyer. There is no plot or shootouts in this book, only sentences he wrote while on retreat and in silence at a hermitage in California. I find it inspiring and refreshing. It’s not an escape from the world but a description of opening to it and feeling the light that is here. David, my husband, just opened the door and came outside to sit with me. He likes walking in the yard, and Maya follows him and then runs off to sniff some creature or investigate some new smells. The vegetables we planted in our yard are growing, and a lone goose just walked along the edge of our small pond. It seems that each day I have something I plan to do—and time goes by—and unless important, it loses its immediacy. I brought my watercolors out today, but they still sit in their case. I am thinking of you and prefer to write instead, to encourage you to savor this moment and rest in awareness. May you enjoy the cultivation of non-doing and have many new wonders to discover.
Wishing you a wonder-filled summer,
Elana
Thursday, September 9, 2025, is our next meeting. See you then.