Beneath My Feet

  Tiptoe through the tulips in the conservatory at Bellagio  Hotel, Las Vegas, April 2022 “Here are the tulips, budded and full-blown, their swoops and dips, their gloss, and poses, the satin of their darks.” ~ Margaret Atwood A breath of spring has arrived when you see bundles of cheery tulips in the grocery aisle or popping up in neighbourhood flowerbeds. My family knows they are my floral favourite  — a mini-splurge that brings joyful energy to any room.  Bursting with colour, blossoms open wide, they stretch long wavering necks in a graceful dance. Their glorious hello, not long-lived, welcomes the season.   Remember: Tulips + Tulips = Kiss! 💋

  Sandy beaches, palm trees, flowers, gorgeous weather, wonderful people and culture -- to many foreigners Mexico is a winter paradise. (good) But, like everywhere in the world there are things that you notice at your feet that aren't always pleasant. Instead they are disappointingly sad (bad) or disgusting (ugly). Let's do our part to keep the planet clean. Remember Earth Day is everyday !  Photos:  Banderas Bay, Mexico, 2022.  Lost/discarded face mask.  Small dead puffer fish. There were several other dead fish washed ashore that day, likely due to a red tide not typical in the bay. Red tides are natural but toxic algae over-blooms that are becoming more frequent due to human activities. 

  Two fun guys! (I couldn't resist the old joke.) I don't know if it is safe to eat these humble fellas, but I'm excited to share a few facts about fungi. Be sure to check out the magical and important Netflix documentary called Fantastic Fungi:The Magic Beneath Us .  Not a vegetable or animal; no seeds, only spores, fungi is its own fun kingdom with millions of species. There are thousands of extremely diverse types of mushrooms! We are beginning to understand why Eastern and Indigenous cultures have long used Fungi for their medicinal properties. Fungal organisms are an ally in helping sustain us as a species. They heal the planet because they are decomposers putting nutrients back into the cycle of life. Most fascinating, fungi mycelium root system is literally EVERYWHERE under our feet. Like microscopic threads of a massive underground network they allow plants and trees to communicate with each other! This fungal web sequesters carbon and cleanses the soil of to...

  "You can't push the river, it flows by itself. "  ~ Chinese Proverb What happens if we allow things to happen, rather than push our way through them? Let go of control and embrace our ability to adapt?  Let go of wanting to be right and others to be wrong? Just letting it be... easy... takes a gentle surrender that trades control for presence. I have to remind and allow myself to participate in an experience without orchestrating it. If we push ourselves through a process, we might "suck any fun out of it". Without over thinking things -- we can let them happen rather than forcing them. We find a more easeful way of being in flow in the world, one that channels our energy in creative ways and makes new discoveries, especially when things don't go as planned. Photo: Garden Park, Innovation Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. 2021