Birds having a moment

August thoughts

Time is catching up to me, want to write before this month passes by. Birthday month for me. I am accepting of this blessed life, and accepting, dealing with some difficulties with our housing. Turtle in above photo is a random spot in our yard of collected and found objects.

I have been doing some food preservation. Picked and dried many plums. Just made a bunch of pear butter apple sauce.

I went to the Ferry building yesterday, very crowded farmer’s market. Today I am heading to the Temescal farmer’s market. I am doing some research for my mom on ovens at farmer’s markets. There is great one at the Temescal that they make pizza’s with.

Sun out of

I was feeding and walking Picasso, Annie’s dog over the weekend. So many dog kisses on the face! I am starting to get used to it. I think we made a change in our relationship from I am just there to feed him to the fact of him being elderly and not as active, I gave him a sunny afternoon in the sun gentle massage. At first his body felt cold in places and then with the massage a little later he felt as if he was glowing and one with his body.

I also did some real summer escape type reading, I read a whole little book that Annie lent me, “The Secret Life of Bees”. I think it would be more a girl type book.

Alligator on the driveway

Next week I am starting my shift at Sarana. I train one more night. Time to get the word out.

I painted  water waves on a driveway yesterday. Annie’s project on her property. I am a little worried that because I chose a water soluble paint, that it may wash off or peel off. Here is our alligator driveway for Annie’s property. We still have more painting to do.

Been Loving the Summer to Read

I have some great books I am reading these days. I also have some major books to read too. No wonder I am reverting to my summer escape mood of forgetting too much I have to do, just not in that mood of always doing things.

On the East Coast it would get sweltering hot in the summer and chilling out was a healthy thing to want and do. Getting out of the city and to the water was even a better idea if you could. I was a cook and did work on the line as they say, in a few kitchens in the Boston area and it was a slow motion haze to work sometimes. Those cheffy uniforms were a shield against the heat of the fire and an airy tent to the sweat and steam.

So chilly chilled out in the Bay area, I am still thinking summer even if it isn’t the same. This is the first summer I even felt like summer. I have lived here since 1985, so what is up to get all sentimental about summer and wanting a vacation to read books and be in a forever mood? I am slipping it in for sure. Berkeley is a college town so summer has some slight change, a kind of absent feeling of people missing.

Books I am hung up on:

“The Lost Language of Plants”, by Stephen Buhner

“Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist”, by Miriam Lee (One of the first and brave acupuncturists in California. Before acupuncture became a profession as it is today, her patients stood up for her when she was arrested for practicing without a license. She passed to spirit world about 2 weeks ago.)

“The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, by Anne Fadiman

I will need to renew a few of these books again later, just return them now, they are stunning. There is too much of summer and transition to my new schedule now.

How many gigs do I have now? Just 4 now. There is a freedom to all the part-timey gigs I have. Also I am reaching for something and it is working so far. I am in a good place with Sarana Community Acupuncture. Imagine finding a place you love to be a part of and you have the chance to make it into something. Now is the beginning part and that takes more of my time in a different way, kind of like summer, time for change and growth.