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Jennifer Vanderslice's avatar

I have a fig tree I grew from a cutting from the one I bought my Italian father. (His parents had a fig tree on their small property in Rahway, NJ.) I gave my daughter some cuttings and she has several trees now. I hope my granddaughters grow trees from their mother's trees.

J. Paul Moore's avatar

I feel this in so many ways. I try as best I can, but often fail, not to be around negatively and things that aren't life-giving and supporting. I find myself spending more time alone or in nature. My garden is a little wooly, too. I had some help this week taming some of the wild edges. I've been particularly enjoying my hummingbirds, especially with some additional feeders.

Leah Nichols's avatar

Sending hugs! As usual, identifying with so much you write.

Rodger Heckman's avatar

I feel your pain. The New Age of Aquarius is supose to be about love and peace reigning over our conscioussness. Yet every day, it appears as if the Piscean Age of control and fear is getting stronger instead of going away

It's like an abusive relationship desperately increasing it's terror as it's target is slipping away.

The harmony we expect out of Aquarius,

is the bliss after the struggle. But just like out journey in facing our Selves, there is a lot ofnpain and tears, when we look into the mirror of our souls and discover, that image of who we thought we were, is not who we are.

We have to keep moving along upon our own little spiral of life. Doing what we can, however how grand or miniscule, Each part of us that makes a difference, affects some other and encourages them to join into the evolution from what was, to what is, to what will be.

How long that journey takes,

What will it look like when it arrives,

What comes after it,

Is nice to wonder about.

The important part is,

Excuse the cliche,

Be the change,

Even when darkness surrounds,

When there is no Light to be seen,

When hope turns to despair,

When joy turns to sadness.

That's when,

The lighthouse,

At the depths of our being,

Sends out a beacon,

And we see,

What is to come,

If only for a moment,

And at other times

Much longer.

Then we remember

The reason we first stepped

upon the path.

The meaning of the reason,

Is different for one and all,

But the goal is the same,

As we hear the song of John,

Knowing it's all in the mind,

Echoing in the farthest

reaches of our Selves,

As we dream and Imagine,

All the people.....

Tracy Herz's avatar

Yep to all. I'm just surprised that I somehow miss the people who were never really my friends at all, and how tangled up they became in my identity. And Lewis Lapham died and I have found that inutterably depressing.

Abeja C.'s avatar

dear maria, i've read that hanging a large , lightly crumpled paper bag near a hornet's nest works to "exterminate" an active colony. i've never tried it. there's no scientific proof that this works. i wonder if you've tried it, know it doesn't work, and therefore have to find another way?

yaaay! about sending the last of your "babies" into the work to do well for themselves.

yaaay! about the vibrant activity you've "bred" in your yard.

and, yaaay! about vilsak's visit!

as for politics... you "promised" she would win... so i'm holding onto that 😉😘 until then, i'm going to try and remember that everything else is just noise.

Maria Rodale's avatar

I’m going to try the bag trick!

Jean Margolis's avatar

I am so where you are at now. Letting mother nature clothe my ground with her plants except for the blackberry bushes galore. Coping with the extremes of weather and using copious yards of shade cloth to try to keep the garden going. Tired of the political scene and the faux republican party. The sad part of it is that the people who support it now are the ones with the most to lose if it prevails. The only Christ I can see in this is the anti-Christ. I do not like to be negative but it is becoming increasingly hard to bite ones lip all the time. Just the same I find solace in the garden, my family, my friends, postings like yours and music, art and animals. More wildlife in the yard. Seeing, deer, possum, skunk, crows, and fox is very rewarding to me. The deer keep the fallen fruit tidied up and help keep the ground clear. We am presently feeding two stray cats who keep us amused. These are what restore sanity and purpose. Thank you for your writings enjoyed your book. Have a copy of my own.

Susan Wigley's avatar

I’m sorry, but there “ain’t no cure for the summertime blues!” Ok, couldn’t resist.

My favorite remedies include finding a pond, stream or river to immerse myself in. Heading to higher elevations for a week here or there, so I can hike in the forest in cooler, fresher air. Cold watermelon in the fridge. And every 4 years we get to watch the Olympics. That’s all I got.

Maria Rodale's avatar

Just had some cold watermelon! Thanks!