.....doing something

Yogis,
When I am at my parent’s house, I help in the yard. Picking up sticks blown down by wind in winter. In spring my dad and I head to the nursery to pick out new plants which I get settled in the ground before leaving. Weeding the herb garden in summer. But probably most importantly, removing ivy from trees.

This is my annual public service announcement.

Their house is surrounded by big old oaks, pines and maples, all there much longer than the 44 years my family has lived among them. Towering over the house providing shade, cleaner air and beauty. Ivy, though, has managed to snake up many of the trunks, threatening to bring them down.

Last weekend we tackled two more trees. Stately pines in the side yard.

Removing ivy from a tree is not nearly as hard as it might seem. With clippers for small vines and a hand saw for roots thickened with age, a tree’s life can be saved in less than an hour.

Ivy should be cut close to the ground and then again about knee height, with only that section removed. Everything above will quickly begin to die back.

I heard yesterday that federal funding for tree planting across our country has been dramatically reduced (if not eliminated). That makes saving our current trees even more critical.

In a world where everything feels overwhelming, there is always something we can do to make a difference. Saving a tree is a perfect example. With only a little effort, the tree will appear to stand taller and thank you. Every time you pass you will know you did something good.

This is the time of year to tackle the job. With bare trees ivy is easy to see and the brush hasn’t thickened yet. And no poison ivy!

Start with your yard, but you can do this for trees along streets or in your parks. Unfortunately, there is no magic ivy fairy. If everyone who reads this saves even one tree, that would be a couple hundred!

Heading out to do something for the Sycamore at the bottom of my street,
SARAH

....signs of spring

Yogis,
He saunters up the middle of the street in broad daylight. Not a care in the world. Rounding the bend, he glances side to side and trots down my driveway, vanishing into the woods. The kits must be born or imminent. Fox sightings become more abundant as hunting picks up with more mouths to feed. A sure sign of spring!

There are the typical signs we expect this time of year. Daffodil greens pushing their heads up through hard winter ground. The return of the robins, the pink tinge on tips of tree branches and the noticeable gift of more daylight. Yet there are also those more subtle signals of the new season.

While taking my walks, the pungent smell of freshly laid mulch almost knocks me over.  An aroma distinctly tied to this time of year. Landscapers rushing through yards pushing wheelbarrows and wielding rakes. Spring cleaning for the outer world.

When you walk into any grocery store now you can expect asparagus to be the star of the show.  Abundant and relatively cheap for the short window in which it is in season. Strawberries deep red once more and nothing says spring like seeing artichokes for sale! A spring tradition, which began when I was a child, is eating whole artichokes for dinner one night….. dipping the leaves in melted butter and scraping them between my front teeth.

While sitting in my parent’s sunroom I noticed a bird flying in and out of the bush against the back window. Hhmmmm…. A nest must be in progress. I search and spot a mourning dove hunkered down in the branches. The cardinals must be doing the same back at home. Will have to watch when I return.

A rabbit nibbles the grass as I go by.

I have the urge to pick up sticks around the yard. Electric and gas bills drop dramatically (thank goodness). I slide the sunroof open for the first time and my thinner socks get pulled from the dark recesses of my drawer. Spring is in the air!

What makes you feel her approach?

Noticing,
SARAH

...nana's house

Yogis,
Someone asked what my grandchildren like to do when they come over. Immediately I had an image of each one and exactly where they head as they come through the front door and kick off their shoes.

Today we had everyone over and I got to watch it in action.

 Nana Jackson

I can remember going to my grandparents. At Nana Jackson’s I loved to play with the old Barbie dolls (including a Ken with only one leg) that my aunt had left behind. I can picture the case that held them and various garments. At Nana Cardoni’s I was in love with her quilts. Stacked in a wardrobe I would climb in to feel and smell them. They defined safety for me.

I even have memories of my great grandma Pilosi's home. Tall, mullioned glass kitchen cabinets that I mimicked in each of our kitchens. And, of course, the etched glass candy dish from which I was always offered hard candy.

 Nana Cardoni

As a grandmother my hope has been to instill those same feelings of familiarity, comfort and safety in my grandkids. Things they will remember when they are my age.

My oldest grandson heads right for the camera and binoculars that I keep on the window ledges along the back. He has become quite good with the camera and loves to discuss birds. Today a Pileated Woodpecker visited.

My oldest granddaughter runs to my reiki room to get the Animal Spirit oracle cards. She and I sit together to pick cards and discuss their messages. Today was the first time she was able to read them to me on her own.

My youngest grandson is the worker. He can always find our heavy metal shovel no matter how buried it has gotten in the garage and immediately begins to dig. In the yard. In the woods. In the driveway. It doesn’t leave his hand often.

And my youngest granddaughter inherited my love of baby dolls. She pulls me to the toy closet to get the babies, one of which is Sally, my doll as a child. She likes us to make them beds and feed them.

It warms my heart. Do you have memories of a Nana’s house?

Om,
SARAH