The Next Moment

Today was a day of thanks.  I made sticky sesame cauliflower in honor of that thanks.  That was my big hit.  The banana bread was not a huge hit but it will be part of my breakfast and snacks for the coming days.  This thanks was made in part by Peacehaven Community Farm for giving the opportunity for folks to show up with their dishes.  There was lots of turkey and ham.  There was dressing and cranberry relish, one might say.  There was salad and green bean casserole.  There was amazing mac and cheese.  I had some.  For this meal I extended my diet to include animal products such as eggs, cheese and milk.  There were chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie. 

The living room was filled with tables bedecked with table cloths and little ornaments such as tiny little pumpkin like miniatures and some vases filled with sparkly things.  All the normal furniture was in the hallway- the couch, the TV, the table.  Around those tables sat about forty people.  We gathered in silence, albeit a very brief silence, and then dug in.  We chatted and laughed.  We met and found things out.  I found out that Peacehaven has an amazing extended family.  I also found out that blueberries and oranges make incredibly strong water!  It packs quite a punch!!  Though not quite like a fruit punch might more like a strong cocktail without the alcohol.  

After we finished our dining and talking we gathered up the tables and chairs, said our goodbyes, finished our stories and left.  

It is like our presence here on Earth.  We come, we laugh, we play, we cry, and we learn, we extend ourselves to the outer reaches of our being, as best we can.  We do.  We must.  Less we fall backwards into the past.  

I love the past.  It warms my heart.  And I say thank you.  I carry with me that which will help me move forward.  I carry, I absorb, I learn that which I have learned and apply it to the present, as best I can.  I do.  I will.  I must.  

We come into this Earth-plane and we create.  So many things.  Then we finish our story, say our goodbyes and we leave.  It is bitter-sweet.  When we cross over there will be a celebration.  There will be a choice to come back and keep on.  To finish what we started.  Until then, here I am in the present, enjoying it with all my being.

Thank you Peacehaven Community Farm for the opportunity to work with you.  So far, so great!  Thank you mother for helping me with the recipes.  Thanks everyone for showing up!

In the Native American Lakota tradition there is a saying that means we are all related.  This saying portrays the sacredness of each individuals' path and the sacredness of all life.  The saying is Mitakuye Oyasin.    

In our current tradition and culture saying thank you and being and giving thanks for all we have is practiced.  I said in the beginning of the story that Peacehaven was in part part of this giving thanks.  The other part is me.  Thank you me for releasing and being.  Thank you me for coming out tonight to my go-to coffee shop and doing what I love which, I am learning, is writing.  

Here is a poem to commemorate the next moment.

More Delicious Than The Last
There are many loves
in my life
Sometimes I cannot feel them or see them
and everything feels closed in
So I reach out and ask for help 
And go and do
In due time
In time
Time 
floats like the sizzling cymbal
and then fades
To await the next dinner
the next bite
more delicious than the last  

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