No Place, But Here

"You don't have to wait for happiness, because there's no time but now to be happy. You don't have to go somewhere else, because there's no place but here to find it. You don't have to do something else, because there's nothing more to it. You don't have to get something else, because everything you already have is enough. You just have to be happy." - Karen Maezen Miller

Tomorrow afternoon my husband is picking up my favorite traveling monk, Karen Maezen Miller (aka Mae aka Momma Zen) at the airport.

I met Mae (virtually) when Satch was a smidge over a year old. I had posted this photo on my blog of his favorite pastime...here, dumping books off the shelf and putting them back.

Mae was blog surfing when she spotted mine and in particular, the tiny gem of a book amidst the rubble. She sent me a copy of her book with a note that read, "I thought you could use a little more zen companionship". I loved her book! I loved it publicly here.

A year later I had some questions for her and she kindly answered them in a Mom to Mom interview on my blog, here. The following year she had a few questions of her own for me here.

Fast forward three years plus a whole lot of pixels and you can probably imagine my excitement to discover that Maezen would be teaching a mindful parenting workshop here at the Lil Omm Center in DC. I bought a ticket right away.

A day or so later I received an email from Mae - she was looking for a place to stay. I replied, " You can stay here, it's my pleasure to serve you".

For the last five years I have been seeing the "Enso" from the cover of Mae's book everywhere.

I see it here, in coffee rings that trace my pre-dawn steps to the studio.


I see it here, in the fallen birds nests that we pick up and carry home to our mantel because they are too pretty to leave to the elements.

And I see it here in this moment - coming full circle, face to face with my zen companion.

Edges of Knowing

Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving - Mary Oliver

There was the community egg hunt in the muddy meadow...

and a bouncy house

and so much blooming...

and the birthday party with much magic

and the witch socks that I donned for his merriment
and the Easter brunch with friends

and a table for two

















and two buds dying eggs

and three boys playing tops

and that magical bunny who made my boy so happy...

and a sweet little wind up chick that tickled his heart...


and all those colorful felty eggs stuffed with treats and hidden about the house.

"Mama", he said, "Easter is all about the egg and the egg is all about birth".





And my heart melted in perfect time with the chocolate on my tongue.

Music of My Heart

"If I was the song that entered your heart
then I was the music of your heart,
that you wanted and needed..." - Mary Oliver


















On a recent trip to Michaels to suss out some new materials for my upcoming art camp, I saw some newspaper mache birds in the dollar bin and nearly fainted. I waited for a rainy day, then set Satch up with some paint. He decided to paint a robin for the paper bag nest that he made last spring. It is the centerpiece for our table and I love it so.

Yesterday was a bit rainy and all the delightful sprites came over to play. Upon entering, Miss H said, "this is the funnest house on the block" and at that moment, my heart did a celebratory samba. They made Mother's Day gifts for their mamas and then they wanted to paint. I set them up in the dining room because I wanted to take advantage of that moment to do a bit of photo editing in my studio (I don't have a laptop...yet).

Artistically sated, they ran down to the basement to play a game that they made up called, Sandy Beaches. It's a variation of Roxaboxen wherein they construct a village out of cardboard boxes.

There are MUCH makings and doings here at our nest. I was asked to post our tie-dyed napkin project from earlier in the season so here it goes:


















1. Gather up a gaggle of eager kidlets.
2. Toss them a bag of rubber bands and a 12 pack of cotton cloth napkins.






















3. Find an old bucket, add hot water and dye according to package (we used Rit denim/indigo) 4. Toss in your napkins.






















5. Run on rinse cycle in washer. 6. Heat-set them in your dryer.





















7. Gather up those kidlets again to remove all the rubber bands. Oooh and aaaah!

 

Remember So

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so (forgetting seem) - e.e. cummings

(or why this space was silent) There was a visit from beloved faraway family, a perfectly timed jaunt to the theater to see Rio, and thunderstorms that produced a tornado watch, a Mighty-Mini-Retreat in the making discussed on a rainy day in a cozy cafe over a buttered croissant and hot coffee, a telephone call from a friendly paleontologist, some Mother's Day makings and birthday party planning...
















































a spontaneous picnic near the newly bloomed lilacs so fragrant in the setting sun. 










































and celebratory chalkings on our outdoor blackboard made by little hands in honor of Spring

 And savoring the moment with lilac infused sugar that will be ready on Mother's Day and gorgeous Pink Sipper made by her hands, sipped slowly with intention in this cup to the delight of me and my boy.

 

 

and unexpected magic in our living room

 "Where do dreams come from?
Out of pages turned they rise like the scent of peonies
and infect the brain with their promise.
I want, I will, says the girl and already
she is halfway out the door..."- Marge Piercy (The Hunger Moon)

The Power in Me & the Power in You

You found the perfect twig and spent a good part of the afternoon sanding and waxing. Then we had a dedication...



To heal the Earth,
to channel my power,
to harm none,
to find truth...

Inexplicable Beauty

And I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable
beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes,
and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.

~ Mary Oliver

Scratch art by Satch 2011