Friday, September 17, 2010

Creating My Day


As I was lying in bed this morning, considering the possibilities for the day, I recalled something from the film, "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" It's where Dr. Joe Dispenza talks about creating your day, actually imagining and forming your day, how you want to see and experience it. I was thinking about how much I have appreciated seeing all the wildlife that's passed through my yard this summer. Besides bunnies and birds, there were bears. Although I never actually laid eyes on the bear, or bears, which I've written about, there was evidence of their presence for a few weeks.

The deer which fed off the tender shoots of my fruit trees earlier in the summer have been through. I've often seen their hoof prints crossing my driveway. Many evenings there's been a small group, anywhere from four to seven adults, along with three fawns, in a nearby field. These little ones had spots until about three weeks ago, when I saw two of them nursing from their mother, quite near the road, as I drove by in the evening. She just kept an eye on me as they fed. They must have been late spring babies.

There was a red fox I startled when walking in my yard late one evening. It ran from near the old chicken coop, jumped over the corner of my perennial garden in back and bounded off into the trees beyond. I suppose he'd been keeping an eye on it and thought, "New landlord, maybe chickens."  Not yet, maybe next year. It did give me something to mull over. I had chickens in Ansel and something eventually did find it's way inside the coop, killing the hens. I was heartsick. I know the possible dangers and want to be very sure that, if I do get chickens, I'm more than adequately prepared for predators. Learning to live with nature isn't always easy and takes preparation, in some cases.

Yesterday, as I was leaving the vegetable garden, I heard a familiar noise, but couldn't quite place it. "Gobble, gobble," should have been a clue. As I turned towards the house, a small flock of wild turkeys was making its way across my lawn. I was torn between pausing to watch and getting closer for a better look. Neither option suited them. They were off and running. As I got closer, a straggler came around the house. Back came a rather imposing member of the flock, the kingpin of the group I suppose, and tried to hurry the straggler along. He sort of ran/flew, as much as a turkey can fly with so little runway, and set himself down next to it, bobbing his head as if to say, "Will you get your ass in gear. She's back and we don't know what to expect."

I got my camera and walked to the road to see if they were crossing it, but nothing. They must have hunkered down in the little spot of woods between my yard and the road. I decided not to stir them up, but let them take cover and feel safe.

Back to creating my day. As I was lying in bed, I thought how nice it would be to see deer actually in the yard again. It was a misty morning, barely dawn, when I decided to get up and get the coffee going. While it brewed, I sat down at the kitchen table, next to a window, and quietly watched the morning emerge. Within a few minutes, one by one, seven deer walked by the perennial garden, past the clothesline and down into the hollow. I got my camera and tried to quietly, from inside the house, see if I could take a photo worth sharing with you. It's not great, but it's what I could do in the circumstances:


Before I go about creating the rest of my day, I want to share a quote with you that has recently spoken to me. It's by Ayn Rand, from her novel, Atlas Shrugged.

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.








18 comments:

  1. That deer was posing for you! So cute! It must be fun to be out with all the critters....although bears...maybe not so much!

    Love the Rand poem. I find for me...gratitude for the "all" that surrounds me seems to bring even more into my life's creation.

    Hope you'll be joining in on the 10 Billion Beats tonight at 7pm

    http://www.10billionbeats.com/intro.html

    Peace To Earth...Goodwill To Humankind will be my intention.

    Thank you for stopping by the garden today and for your awesome comment. You get it. I love when that happens!
    Have a lovely weekend.

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  2. Hmm, I like the idea of being more intentional about my days. The tasks are pretty much in place, but the spirit is just kind of meandering.

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  3. MG: Thanks for the reminder of 10billionbeats. I have passed the link on to several friends, who might also want to participate. I Hope your weekend is lovely, too.

    Nancy: I feel, no matter what the tasks are, we can shape them into harmonious action with lots of room for additional "bliss." :) Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Some good words to remember by Ayn Rand.
    It's fantastic to hear about the place where you live, all the animals you see nearby. The turkey-sound is funny, I had a computer-game I played some years ago. One of the settings was in Mexico where Turkeys were running around in the landscape, and I had to shoot them to get food for the settlers. The turkey-gobble-gobble was so funny! Am I very childish???
    But I liked very much to hear about your day. I understand your feelings about the fox if you'll have some chickens next year - the polecat is also dangerous.
    Cheers
    Grethe ´)

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  5. Hi Grethe! It's good to be "childish." Why should they have all the fun! :) I haven't done much online gaming. I'm afraid I'd get caught up and it would, "gobble up" all my time ! Sorry, I couldn't resist! :)

    Yes, the polecat. I will have to be certain I'm ready for that enterprise. We shall see...

    Teresa

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  6. Teresa,
    A nice post with an autumn feel to it. Twin fauns were born in my rock garden a few weeks ago. I saw them wobbling on their spindly little legs and the next day they were already jumping hedges. It's quite a thrill to watch the wildlife, isn't it?
    Enjoy your Sunday.....

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  7. Hello Teresa! It was worse, I was not on-line. I don't like the competition in groups. I competed with myself!
    Have a nice Sunday!
    Grethe ´)

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  8. Hello Manzanita! I love watching them find their spindly little legs. How nice that you had them so near to see their progress

    I see the Minnesota Twins are having a good season. I would imagine you attended the games with Cal and that this time of year always had some hoopla involved, especially if they were having a good year.

    Have a nice Sunday, as well,
    Teresa

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  9. Grethe, The good part about competing with oneself is that it's sort of a win-win situation. :)

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  10. Second attempt since voodoo spirits have attacked my computer this morning. I love the reminder to "make my own day." I'll have to tell my grandkids this little gem when they arrive for our birthday dinner today (mine and my son's). It seems like a very good thing to teach them and hope that it inspires them somewhere along the way. Re. your comment on my High Bridge post today, if and when you come to the Cities, let me know and we can meet for coffee somewhere. I'd love to meet you.

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  11. Hi Kate, I will let you know, next time I'm down that way!

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  12. Thanks for sharing the beauty of your day with us.

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  13. LOL!! But I like tennis!
    Grethe `)

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  14. Thank you, SkitzoLeezra! I hope you're having a good Sunday.

    Grethe, I used to play tennis, but I fear I would collapse on the court now. :)

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  15. as we ponder, as we think; we make possible, we make real. and isn't that true? i am inspired right now.
    and yes, yes, yes--amen and thanks for the quote. as you know, teresa, i am taking the leap to play my inner song to the world/ to live from my deepest dream. i am grateful for your comments on my blog and your insights here. yourSouLfriend, michelle

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  16. Michelle! Your deepest dream - Yes! My best thoughts are with you, as it unfolds. I am so very grateful for your own expression of Good.

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  17. I do that, too...lie in be and contemplate the day. It's like stretching my mind first thing in the morning.

    I love reading about all of your wildlife. We don't have bears here (I don't think...I hope) or foxes (I'd love to see a fox!) but just last night as I was driving into our lane a deer bounded into the road just ahead of me. They are such pretty creatures.

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  18. The wildlife is a huge part of what I love about my place. It feels so good to be sharing the land with them.

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