Why Do I Blog?

Lavignac_-_Les_Gaietés_du_Conservatoire_-_p._099-1 — Photo Credit: Wikimedia

My journey with blogging actually began when my son Sreejit started his blog, The Seeker’s Dungeon, in September of 2012. I was so impressed by his poetry and his other posts. He had written Of Mind or Matter by then, so I knew he could write well, but the breath of his knowledge was far greater than I realized. I loved reading the supportive comments he received from the Word Press community of bloggers and I could see his confidence growing exponentially.

In August of 2013, Sreejit started Dungeon Prompts. Every Thursday he would send out a prompt encouraging bloggers to “explore the recesses of your mind and get back with a poem, story, essay or creative offering.” I enjoyed reading the posts the other bloggers submitted. He also encouraged those who didn’t have blogs to include their responses to the prompt in the comments section. From time to time, I also participated in that way.

Later in the fall, Sreejit started encouraging me to start my own blog. At first I said “No”, and then later changed it to “Someday.” Soon I had to admit to myself that I was getting interested in the idea.

Towards the end of February of 2013, I had an exciting idea. I would start my blog without telling Sreejit I was going to do it. He would find out when I responded to his Dungeon Prompt for the week. The topic that week was Gratitude. What a perfect subject for me to address in my first post!

(A few minutes ago, I looked at my Living in Gratitude post and discovered that the first three comments were from Sreejit (The Seekers Dungeon), Oliana (Traces of the Soul) and Justin (Eclecticoddsnsods). Those are the same three bloggers with whom I have the most contact with now!)

My intention in starting my blog was to have a way to participate in the Dungeon Prompts. I didn’t have a clue how much I would end up loving it. Blogging has become a major part of my life. So why do I blog?

Because we have blogging in common, I feel so much more connected to my son. Our relationship has strengthened and deepened and we “talk” through email or “What’s App” several times a week.

When I taught at the University of Washington I published lots of professional articles. After I became a psychotherapist, I wrote numerous personal growth articles. During my first decade with Amma, I wrote three books about my journey with her. At that point I felt finished with writing. In fact, there were times when I thought I had no more to say. Thanks to my blog I am writing again. And I find I have plenty to say!

I have learned so much since I started blogging. I have delved deep inside myself and my own past and as a result have grown significantly. I have taken Word Press Blogging 101 and 102, Writing 101 and 102, and Photography 101 courses. And I have learned from reading posts written by other bloggers.

I’ve had numerous readers tell me that they appreciate having the opportunity to learn from reading my blog. So through my blog I teach others.

I have always been a creative person, primarily in crafting. Blogging has given me an opportunity to be creative in so many different ways; in my writing, through photography, and even by writing a bit of poetry.

When Sreejit started blogging, I was impressed by the community of people that he became involved with. The same has happened for me. I have blogging friends from all over the world. I have even met one of them in person!

So I blog as a way of connecting with my son and because it is an opportunity to write, learn, teach and be creative. It has also given me a chance to create a larger community for myself.. But most of all, I blog because I love blogging! Rarely has an activity given me so much pleasure. Thank you for introducing me to the world of blogging Sreejit.

Written for Dungeon Prompts: Why Do You Blog?

The Glory of Nature

Of all the flowers in my garden, the ones I love the most are the purple asters. When I arrived home yesterday, I noticed that that plant was brimming with small bees. I pulled out my camera and started snapping photos. I was amazed when I looked at them later. Such incredible beauty.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected Through Our Love of Sanskrit

Last month, I attended a three day Sanskrit immersion family camp being held at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. The camp was sponsored by Samskrita Bharati (संस्कृतभारती), an international organization that is “devoted to the mission of popularizing Sanskrit as a spoken language, and, thereby, engendering a cultural renaissance through rejuvenation of this language which holds the key to the unfoldment of India’s rich cultural heritage and knowledge.”

This was the fourth year I had attended their summer workshop. I loved being with the faculty and students I had met in previous years, as well having the opportunity to meet the new students. I felt very connected to everyone; connected through our love of Sanskrit.

A few days ago, I found a photo of the students and faculty who attended this year’s camp on the Seattle Samskrita Bharati Facebook page. I don’t think you will have any trouble spotting me! 🙂

Written for Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected

Practicing Retirement

Not long ago, I was talking with someone who commented that being retired would be so boring. I was startled because I think the opposite. There are so many things I’d like to do. It seems to me that when I’m retired, I will have time to do more of them. I decided to practice being retired!

Ideally, I would be able to devote three or four days a week to that experiment, but that won’t happen often. Yesterday, unexpectedly, ended up being a free day so I decided to make it a “Practicing Retirement” day!”

I planned to do some canning that day, so on Wednesday I purchased blueberries and peaches at the farmers’ market. I was ready for the big day.

The first thing in the morning I checked my email and blog and then reblogged a post from @contentedness.net. Next I ate breakfast, showered and dressed.

The first project on my list was to gather tomatoes from the garden and make some roasted tomatoes.

Sliced tomatoes from garden

Add oregano and garlic cloves

Mix with olive oil and put on a baking sheet

After 30 minutes of roasting at 300 degrees

After 2 hours of roasting

Keep what I need for soup and put the rest in a jar to freeze

Then I baked a sweet potato that I will use later in the week for making Immune Booster Orange Smoothies!

Cut in half, rub with olive oil, bake on tin foil

Finished!

On to making crock-pot soup for tonight. The garden isn’t producing much now, and the vegetables tend to be small, but there is still enough to make soup.

Garden Vegetables

Add roasted tomatoes

Next, time to make blueberry freezer jam. I needed to get some supplies at the store to be able to do that. I started feeling strange when I was there and realized I had been so eager to start my “Practice Retirement” day that I had forgotten to take my blood pressure medicine in the morning. Not good. I carry extra pills in my wallet for occasions like that though, so took one right away. I will need to make sure I don’t get too engrossed in activities when I’m retired.

The medication wasn’t working yet so I decided to use the regular checkout line rather than the self checkout. That seemed reasonable for a retiree to do! When the bagger asked if I wanted him to put my bag in a cart I said “No, I can carry it.” I soon realized that it was heavy and that my blood pressure was up, and besides I’m retired, so I changed my mind. I could have even asked him to take it to the car for me, but I didn’t go that far.

Back home, it was time to make the freezer jam!

Blueberries from farmers’ market

Mash blueberries

Add juice, lemon and pectin

Add honey

Put the jam in jars, refrigerate over night, and then place them in the freezer

Time to rest and have some lunch. I shouldn’t be busy all of the time!

From time to time throughout the day, I worked with the graphic artist on September’s Pacific Northwest GreenFriends newsletter. By late afternoon, it was finished and I started sending it out to Amma groups in the region. I plan to continue working on the newsletter when I’m retired so it definitely fit into my practice day.

http://greenfriendsna.org/Downloads/04_Newsletter_50-September2015_v2.pdf

Time to can four quarts of peaches.

I have at least 6 more quarts of peaches to process, but that was enough canning for one day. I was tired.

After some rest, I was ready for dinner and my “Practice Retirement” day’s big finale.

This was the last of the preseason games and we won. If the Seahawks are playing this well without our starters, I wonder what the regular season is going to be like. I look forward to finding out! I also look forward to discovering which rookies make it onto the team. (I can’t believe I’m talking like this! I NEVER thought football would become an important part of my life.)

I loved my “Practicing Retirement” day. I know I won’t be able to do this much in one day when I actually retire; in fact I couldn’t keep up this pace even at the age I am now. When I retire, I will make sure I spend time being quiet and still, perhaps even having picnics with friends and looking at beautiful scenery like in the picture at the top of this post. Even when my body isn’t able to do the things I want to do, with my family and friends support, I believe I will live a fulfilling life. I do not think I will be bored when I retire.

Empathic apes

I was profoundly moved by Hariod’s recent post and found both the style and the content of the video that followed fascinating and instructive. I hope the post and video are as meaningful to you as they were to me.

contentedness.net

Orangutan mother and kids. By Patrick Bouquet, Chantilly

The year is 1955, and far from the nearest village, somewhere within the Northwestern jungle region of Thailand, a 48 year-old Englishman and ordainee to the Buddhist monkhood sits quietly in studious attention. A few feet away, a female ape sits, arms carefully wrapped around some precious possession. The monk first chanced upon her the previous day, and due to the curiosity roused in observing her melancholic countenance, has remained respectfully nearby to her. A trust has developed, the ape sensing the monk’s gentle disposition and harmlessness. He really ought to be making his way to the village for alms, yet somehow senses that he should stay. A silent, palpable communication has developed between the two, and slowly, carefully and deliberately, the ape, her sadness still etched upon her face, finally unfolds her arms and offers a first sight of what she…

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Playing with Filters

I love the true beauty of nature so much that I almost never think of using the filters. Today I decided to take one of my favorite photos from this season and see what it would look like if I applied filters to it.

That was fun! And a good reminder to use the filters from time to time. Which filtered pictures do you like best?

Wordless Wednesday

A Note to the Dungeon Dwellers

Wednesday morning has become one of my favorite times of the week. That is because Wednesday is the day of the week that Sreejit at The Seeker’s Dungeon publishes the newest chapter of his novella, Blur.

Owning My Priorities

Embed from Getty Images

Yesterday morning a post caught my eye. It was How to Pretend You Care about Football. The post was funny and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but reading it also caused me to reflect on my own relationship to football. For most of my life, I had no interest in football; and I didn’t made any effort to pretend that I cared about it. In fact, I believe I actively conveyed my disinterest, and at times, my disapproval. The only exception I can remember was when I lived in Oakland and developed some allegiance to the Oakland Raiders.

My attitude towards football changed in the fall of 2012. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I started watching the Seahawks games very early in the season; and I continued watching them throughout the season. When I say “watched,” I use the word loosely. The reality is I was doing so many other things at the same time that I became known for missing most of the important plays. As we came closer to the playoffs, I focused on the games more and by the Super Bowl I was watching them intently.

That year, the city of Seattle came alive in its support of the Seahawks; or it may be more accurate to say it went crazy. Everywhere there were people in Seahawks shirts, Seahawks signs in the windows, Seahawks tattoos, Seahawks nail polish, and Seahawks flags flying. The city had become one big community. After the team won the Super Bowl there was a victory parade. 700,000 people from around the region stood for hours in 20 degree weather to participate. And I was one of them!

Last year, I was much more attentive when I watched the games and was elated when we made it to the Super Bowl again. I felt disappointed when we lost, but I had enjoyed the season so much that it didn’t spoil my overall experience in the slightest. The Seahawk fans were a community during the wins and we stayed a community during the loss.

As I reflected on all of this yesterday, another memory came to my mind. It was a story I heard in the early 90’s, on one of my first trips to Amma’s ashram in Kerala, India. At that time, one of the brahmacharis (male monks) shared a story from the early days of the ashram. In those days, the spiritual aspirants were expected to abstain from chai (tea). This young man had ignored that instruction however and would daily sneak out of the ashram and go to a local chai shop for tea. Invariably when he returned to the ashram, Amma would be standing by the gate talking to someone. She never said anything to him, but he knew she knew what he had been doing. One day, when returning from his chai break, he saw Amma standing near the gate so he turned around and went to another ashram entrance. He was shocked to find Amma standing there as well! As he reflected on the event, he concluded this was occurring because he was being sneaky. The next time he went for chai, he announced, out loud, to the universe, “I’m going for chai.” Never again did he find Amma standing by the gate when he returned.

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So in the spirit of owning my priorities, I have the following to say. The Seahawks have played their first three preseason games for this year and there is one more to go. Then the main season begins. So far I have seen all of the games and I intend to see the rest of them as well. During the six weeks I’m in India, I will follow them on my Android as much as possible. So if I don’t show up at an event I would normally attend, and there is a Seahawks game that day, you can safely assume I am somewhere watching the game. I am a Seahawks fan and I am proud of it!