Beneath My Feet

  Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, near Santa Fe New Mexico, October 2019 Back and forth, back and forth... the gentle sway of a hammock instantly relaxes me. Our backyard hammock was well used, and I'm one to gravitate toward a vacant one while on vacation. Since time immemorial, parents rock their babies to quiet and coax them to sleep. We associate the motion with that felt in the womb. And, not surprisingly the new findings suggest "the same is true in adults; our brains are evolutionarily programmed to respond to rocking."* I love that rocking to sleep may also have significant health benefits such as faster time to sleep, better mood, better quality of sleep and even improved long-term memory! "A night of rocking improved recall threefold."  *Studies show that our long-term memory storage is a nocturnal process of the brain and that slow rhythmic movements, like the swing of a hammock, can synchronize with brain oscillations during sleep. Stimulating the s...

Hands purple from the juice of the Saskatoon berries. Bethune, SK. July 2021 The sun beat down incredibly that day, but the dry breeze provided some relief from the heat and kept bugs at bay . I must have been a gatherer in a past life, as when the raspberry or saskatoon berries are at their prime, I can't refuse. For me, berry picking is a truly mindful activity -- a moving meditation. Branches are laden with clusters of deep purple fruit, as the hand, eye and mind work in unison to tug and gently gather... attentive to the ripe or not... the plump, too small or withered. One not only gets lost in the tangle of branches, but in time, in thought, and usually no thought. Soon the bucket is full and heavy, yet there is one more perfect branch just over there, within reach. Addicting. 'Love is a fruit in season at all times, within reach of every hand." ~ Mother Teresa Picking with my niece and sister.

Perhaps primal instincts draw us to the flame... for not only warmth, light and food, but for stories told, songs sung, dances danced and smoky battles with mosquitos.  Campfire on a mountain, or down by the sea,    Campfire under leaves of the maple tree, Campfire on the flat of the grand prairie, It’s all about peace, love and family. Big thanks to friends Lew Phillips and Brenda Tenold for this photo and the verse above, which their granddaughter helped write. Enjoy your Canadian camping holiday! (Love the stocking feet Lew -- they look red hot!) P.S. Fire gives much, but also takes. Thoughts go to evacuees and the folks of Lytton, B.C. who lost everything to recent wildfires. Stay safe!

 Resting tired feet after walk around Prince Albert, SK Rotary Trail, July ,  2016 Five years ago on Canada Day, we walked the 22 km trail encompassing our city.  It took about 5 hours and over 35,000 steps (broke my Fitbit... just kidding).  We decided to experience it because our daughter was walking at least that far everyday as she trekked 800 km across the Camino in Spain. We wanted, in this way, to understand and feel what she was going through.  This Canada Day has also become a time of reflection, and walking in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbours -- to feel the collective grief for all the children who did not return home from residential schools. As we listen and learn from past mistakes, we can focus our intentions and future actions to send ripples of healing across this beautiful country.