Rescuing Fallen Clouds

Rescuing Fallen Clouds

Today, I deleted my Dropbox account since I no longer use it, and it was there that I found a copy of this card, and a whoosh of wonderful memories enveloped me. And that’s how we landed here tonight with a few thoughts and short poems.

Geoff Butler artist

My friend Patsy, now deceased,  was on the East Coast over a decade ago and  while in Nova Scotia she sent me this card. I fell in love with this reproduction of a painting by artist Geoff Butler, originally from Fogo Island, Newfoundland and at that time living and working in Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia.

He calls the painting, “Rescue of Fallen Clouds” from his Angel series. As Patsy wrote in the card, “who else but a talented east coast artist would imagine a rescue at sea of a fallen cloud? Or an angel in a souwester?”

Like Patsy, I was delighted with the imagery and the sheer sweetness of the entire idea. In a world of overwhelming haste, it conjures up an entirely different image of compassion, generosity and tenderness. 

With gratitude to the artist, Geoff Butler, and to Thistle Dance Publishing for re-producing the card, and to Patsy, these many years later for sending it to me. Sadly, I can no longer find any trace of either the artist or the publisher.

Aldous Huxley wrote the novel “Brave New World.” Toward the end of his life an interviewer asked, “Dr. Huxley, perhaps more than anyone else alive, you have studied the great spiritual and religious traditions of the world. What have you learned?” And Huxley answered, “I think we could just be a bit kinder.”

Too Lazy to be Ambitious

Too lazy to be ambitious,
I let the world take care of itself.
Ten days’ worth of rice in my bag;
A bundle of twigs by the fireplace.
Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?
Listening to the night rain on my roof,
I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.

The Zen monk Ryokan who was known for doing nothing that was considered productive by the rest of the world. He wrote poetry, played with the village children and did zazen in his little cottage. He was also considered to be fairly “enlightened.” Not being enlightened myself I still love the sentiments contained in this little poem. Thank you Ryokan. You are long gone but you are a favourite of mine.

Short Ideas

1. “When you’re younger, it’s easy to underestimate how fleeting the days can be. Each choice matters. Each day matters.

     When you’re older, it’s easy to underestimate how much opportunity you still have. Don’t talk yourself out of it. It’s never too late to start.”James Clear, author of Atomic Habits

2. “One can waste years this way, systematically postponing precisely the things one cares about the most.” — Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks

3. Arriving someplace more desirable at some future time is an illusion. This is it. Jon Kabat Zinn.

          4.  Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” Winnie the Pooh

Three Gates

The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words

have managed to pass through three gates.

At the first gate, we ask ourselves,

“Are these words true?”

If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.

At the second gate, we ask, “Are they necessary?”

At the last gate, we ask, “Are they kind?”

Eknath Easwaran

I have always found this little piece of advice helpful, and like all simple wisdoms, much harder to apply on a consistent basis.

The Best Season of Your Life

Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life. Wu-Men (1183-1260)

Ancient Chinese Proverb

Grant yourself a moment of peace,
and you will understand
how foolishly you have scurried about.

Learn to be silent,
and you will notice that
you have talked too much.

Be kind,
and you will realize that
your judgment of others was too severe.

JOY

Let a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands
And take it when it runs by…
Joy always,
Joy everywhere-
Let joy kill you!
Keep away from little deaths.

by Carl Sandburg

NOTES

1:) Tonight, I hope for cooling breezes for anyone suffering from the heat wave. My elementary school lesson about thinking cool when we were hot no longer works. 

2:) Yesterday was Canada Day, and although we are not a nationalistic country, the celebrants were out in full force this year- a sea of red and white and gratefulness spilling over. My son and daughter-in-law celebrated by bird watching and photographing poppies – the white ones you see in this post.  I love these papery, delicate flowers – thank you.

3:) I will say more next week about this invitation I was given to participate in an African safari in Kenya. (Safari now means photography) In the meantime, I will give you a link to the website of Kathleen Karius, who lives in Switzerland where you can learn more about it. For anyone interested in this kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience, it sounds quite wondrous. Her website is Functional Nutrition and Wellbeing

4:) Tomorrow night, I get to attend a free concert at the National Art Centre, here in Ottawa. The New Brunswick Youth Orchestra will be performing. I have an extra ticket if any local readers would like to have it. Just email me. 

5:) I thank you for kindly reading my blog. And I hope that those of you who are currently dealing with health issues will have the heart and the strength and the best treatment to help see you through.  With gratitude, Trudy