Comments on: The First Garden Day http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/ Sharon Astyk's Ruminations on an Ambiguous Future Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:26:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: knit2dye4 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4317 knit2dye4 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:29:29 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4317 Lucky you! I still have a while before I can garden. Here in Alaska, we are going through this frozen icy wasteland alternating with muddy boggy bootsucking mess. It will still be a while before we want to touch our dirt. (unless you count my 4 year old, who considers standing in mud up to the top of his breakup boots a real treat). Lori Lucky you! I still have a while before I can garden. Here in Alaska, we are going through this frozen icy wasteland alternating with muddy boggy bootsucking mess. It will still be a while before we want to touch our dirt. (unless you count my 4 year old, who considers standing in mud up to the top of his breakup boots a real treat).

Lori

]]> By: Ani http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4312 Ani Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:04:32 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4312 well......I can only dream still..... we are weeks away from even seeing the ground up here- still many feet of snow to melt(sigh)- I did however get to hang some clothes on the line this weekend- had to fold them over the line as the snow depth was too high for all but undies and socks to hang correctly but still- it was nice....... well……I can only dream still….. we are weeks away from even seeing the ground up here- still many feet of snow to melt(sigh)- I did however get to hang some clothes on the line this weekend- had to fold them over the line as the snow depth was too high for all but undies and socks to hang correctly but still- it was nice…….

]]> By: K1 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4293 K1 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:47:59 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4293 Thanks for the lovely post - it really struck a chord with me, and made me aware of how little time I've actually spent in the garden this summer (down here in NZ, we're heading into winter, of course) because my head has been too full with work and my to-do list too long. My favourite activity in the garden is weeding - I can sit there for ages, just weeding and, sometimes, thinking. Fortunately I can continue this in winter, we have no snow where I am, just rain.... and I'm largely waterproof! Thanks for the lovely post - it really struck a chord with me, and made me aware of how little time I’ve actually spent in the garden this summer (down here in NZ, we’re heading into winter, of course) because my head has been too full with work and my to-do list too long. My favourite activity in the garden is weeding - I can sit there for ages, just weeding and, sometimes, thinking.

Fortunately I can continue this in winter, we have no snow where I am, just rain…. and I’m largely waterproof!

]]> By: Martha1955 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4292 Martha1955 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:35:45 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4292 I mean Bittman's blog Bitten. I mean Bittman’s blog Bitten.

]]> By: Martha1955 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4291 Martha1955 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:35:18 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4291 Hi Sharon, thank you for reminding me of the feeling of early spring gardening. Did you notice that you got a mention in the comments of Mark Bitten's blog today? It was nice, in reference to the Paul Krugman column about grain prices. Hi Sharon, thank you for reminding me of the feeling of early spring gardening. Did you notice that you got a mention in the comments of Mark Bitten’s blog today? It was nice, in reference to the Paul Krugman column about grain prices.

]]> By: tk http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4287 tk Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:45:23 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4287 thank you. will you post your schechechayanu? thank you.

will you post your schechechayanu?

]]> By: nicole http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4286 nicole Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:59:41 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4286 Thank you for this lovely meditation Sharon. It's just how I feel when I'm in the garden - peace and stillness and that beautiful intensity of sensations that can finally get through the clutter. And thank you Ven. in Australia for your beautiful meditation. nicole Thank you for this lovely meditation Sharon. It’s just how I feel when I’m in the garden - peace and stillness and that beautiful intensity of sensations that can finally get through the clutter.

And thank you Ven. in Australia for your beautiful meditation.

nicole

]]> By: Ven. Wuling http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4281 Ven. Wuling Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:25:05 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4281 The Buddha taught 84,000 (i.e., innumerable) methods. One of them might well have been 'Absorption in Gardening.' I know many people who practice it. :-) What you did reminds me of a simple meditation, (doable when gardening ;-). First we take in happiness for ourselves. But we keep that happiness for the briefest of moments, and then we turn around and give it to all beings. So the happiness we create, we immediately share with everyone. The in-breath creates some tension as our diaphragm pulls air into our lungs on our thought of personal happiness. The out-breath releases the tension as we release the happiness with the thought that it will benefit all beings. Sorry if I'm off subject, but it's a beautiful autumn morning here and my one lone poetic gene must have bubbled to the surface. Ven. in Australia The Buddha taught 84,000 (i.e., innumerable) methods. One of them might well have been ‘Absorption in Gardening.’ I know many people who practice it. :-)

What you did reminds me of a simple meditation, (doable when gardening ;-). First we take in happiness for ourselves. But we keep that happiness for the briefest of moments, and then we turn around and give it to all beings. So the happiness we create, we immediately share with everyone. The in-breath creates some tension as our diaphragm pulls air into our lungs on our thought of personal happiness. The out-breath releases the tension as we release the happiness with the thought that it will benefit all beings.

Sorry if I’m off subject, but it’s a beautiful autumn morning here and my one lone poetic gene must have bubbled to the surface.

Ven. in Australia

]]> By: homebrewlibrarian http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4277 homebrewlibrarian Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:55:45 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4277 Thanks for a contemplative post. My sister with her brood of four lives multitasking every moment of every day so I understand where your head can be. While not nearly so mentally taxed, I have found that being in touch with dirt and plants brings about a mindfulness that I didn't know could exist. Hours can go by and I hardly notice them. Something about the act of encouraging plants to grow gets me all misty eyed. In a small way, I got a bit of that yesterday when I finally some seeds started. Only four each of 12 different things and standing in my kitchen with a bag of (locally produced!) potting mix and a tarp on the floor. I can't believe how much I miss dirt under my nails! Winter isn't over here in Alaska yet - we had five inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday - and I'm itching to get out and start working on building raised beds. But I plan to get more seeds started this week! I needed centering again. Thanks! Kerri in AK Thanks for a contemplative post. My sister with her brood of four lives multitasking every moment of every day so I understand where your head can be.

While not nearly so mentally taxed, I have found that being in touch with dirt and plants brings about a mindfulness that I didn’t know could exist. Hours can go by and I hardly notice them. Something about the act of encouraging plants to grow gets me all misty eyed.

In a small way, I got a bit of that yesterday when I finally some seeds started. Only four each of 12 different things and standing in my kitchen with a bag of (locally produced!) potting mix and a tarp on the floor. I can’t believe how much I miss dirt under my nails! Winter isn’t over here in Alaska yet - we had five inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday - and I’m itching to get out and start working on building raised beds. But I plan to get more seeds started this week!

I needed centering again. Thanks!

Kerri in AK

]]> By: Tina Ughrin http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4276 Tina Ughrin Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:54:24 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/07/the-first-garden-day/#comment-4276 The weather this spring has been crazy (even by Ohio standards), but today with a wicked cold and too many things on my To Do list, I simply hung laundry in the warm loving sun. It was glorious and calm. Breathing deep in Ohio, Tina The weather this spring has been crazy (even by Ohio standards), but today with a wicked cold and too many things on my To Do list, I simply hung laundry in the warm loving sun. It was glorious and calm.

Breathing deep in Ohio,

Tina

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