Tag Archives: austin

A Little Bit of Joy!

17 Aug

It’s a quiet morning in Austin Texas. I am still here tending the fires of my long term house sit and being the steady caretaker for the bevy of plants, trees flowers and grasses all urgently needing my attention in this Texas heat and drought. 

I began my day with the regular cast of characters – my daily Reiki practice, a morning meditation with one of my favorites, Lee Harris, and a healthy morning smoothie filled with goodies like organic wild blueberries, kale, banana, hemp and spirulina.

I just read the astrological guidance for the day from beloved astrologer, Maria Shaw. It’s Wednesday and she assures that today is a day to let your imagination see what life could be like and to let the worry and any decisions that need to be made wait for another day. I can do that!

As usual, I’ve been having fun with food trying new healthy options and possibilities. It’s truly fun for me to care for my health with nurturing food, supplements and other natural remedies that resonate for me. It’s a childlike joy to be inspired and try new ideas feeling like somewhere between Julia Child and a Mad Scientist.

Over the weekend I headed out to the Buda farmer’s market. Buda is a small community just outside of Austin. I haven’t spent much time there but appreciate the old rustic Texas vibe with a fresh dose of new and modern entering the scene.

Buda Farmers Market
Inside the Market
Zoi Market Main Street Buda

The regular farmer’s market is celebrated each Sunday at the Buda City Park underneath their giant pavilion. It’s a great market filled with music and healthy goodies and options. Lately one of the downsides to this market and all the markets in the Austin area is not much and sometimes no produce.  With the record number of days over 100 degrees and the weeks and weeks without rain, it’s been super challenging for the farmers to grow anything.

When I was at the Buda market there were a few suspect clouds lingering in the sky. I paid them no mind as I have been fooled by them before in recent weeks. But then suddenly a hearty burst of rain came plummeting from the sky. We were all protected and dry at the market underneath the pavilion. A heartfelt applause arose from the crowd. It has been a long time since we’ve seen any rain.

I was chatting with some local growers of microgreens, Munchie Micros, at the time. I learned that a small box of sunflower microgreens has as much protein as an egg. We talked about some great ways to use them including blended in smoothies, on salads and sandwiches, even in sauces (but don’t heat it for more than a minute or two or it loses its nutrients). Plus another great idea of theirs is to use it in pesto.

They had me sold as I am excited and interested in having more whole plant based protein in my world. They freshly snipped some of the greens and tucked them overflowing into a box. I was happy and good to go.

Today for lunch I whipped those microgreens into a vegan pesto. I did a variation on a simple recipe that I have used before. Here’s what it looks like. I plan to serve it with a little bit of salmon, some roasted Brussels Sprouts plus greens and avocado.

♡ 1 cup sunflower microgreens and 1 cup kale

♡ 1/3 cup of loosely packed fresh basil

♡ 1/2 cup olive oil and a squeeze of lemon

♡ 1/4 tsp of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

♡ 1/3 cup of raw green pumpkin seeds (or walnuts)

What about you?  Any other lovers of whole plant protein out there?  If so what are your favorite goto recipes and ways to add it to your world?

Wishing you a happy healthy Wednesday filled with a dose of the things that you love whatever that might be – nourishing food, time in nature, time with friends. And if you like, join me in a little bit of imagination and possibility of the good things in life now and how things could be different in a way that feels good, fun and interesting.

I’ll end things with a quote from one of my favorites contemporary intuitives, Lee Harris. This is a message from his guides talking about joy.

“Often people think that joy is hysterical excitement, and it truly isn’t. Sometimes it can be, and it can be fun to be hysterically excited at a party or dancing around your own living room, but actually, joy comes from the root of the energy of peace. Joy can feel like peace, calm, and contentment. Joy and peace are on the same energy scale. So if you are struggling to feel joy because you haven’t felt it for a long time, go a little lower down the scale as you experiment over the next three to six months and find activities, people, and places that bring you contentment, peace, a gentle lift in your mood, your experience, and keep experimenting and seeing what you can do to bring in more things that bring you joy.”

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Enough

30 May

I have been at my latest housesit for a little over a month right now. And as the time has passed I am noticing a theme emerge… it is…enough.

When I was in the midwest visiting with my mom, I was keeping my eye out for the next thing. A few things came and went that didn’t seem like quite the right fit. When the opportunity came to come to Austin for this long-term sit, I was excited by the possibility but wasn’t 100% sure if it would be a great fit for me. I checked in with my long-time mentor and Reiki teacher, Elizabeth Pellegrin. She has been a great guide for connecting me with and trusting my own intuition as well as providing rich insights of her own. So when she checked in intuitively, the advice she gave me about this new opportunity was that it wasn’t “perfect” or even “ideal” but that it would be enough.

Enough seemed good enough for me and so I happily accepted the offer and made my way down to Austin. In the first few days of being here I ran into a few unexpected things in the house that I just didn’t like. In earnest I felt that possibly they were unworkable. And I thought “this is enough?” because in that moment, it sure didn’t seem like enough to me! I wrestled with myself, with the situation, felt frustrated and angry. But I also looked for solutions to the problem at hand, received a few helpful tips from Elizabeth, and tried a few things of my own.

I kept going with it in part because there were so many things I liked about this housesit and were really very workable! Now here I am a few weeks later and for now the obstacle, the unwanted circumstance is much improved. And resolved in a way that I am okay with. In retrospect I think, wow, I sure am glad I didn’t give up and worked through that obstacle because now I get to enjoy all of the reasons I came and the things I liked about the sit to begin with. And I thought, it really is enough! And yes I did have to overcome an obstacle to get here, but it was worth it!

And so now I am on the threshold of another little new beginning and once again that question was asked of me, is it enough? And I have considered… there seems to be a theme here.

I had a bit of a breakthrough as I was washing my hair, as sometimes happens, that all of this not enoughness, all of this moving into new life circustmances that are good in many ways but fallable in some ways, is not just my rich lesson in what is enough… it is also my rich lesson that… I am enough.

In many ways these past few years during quarantine I think I was in a long incubation phase…being with, experiencing, being alarmed at times and alchemizing so much of my inner world and now I am just beginning to emerge out. In recent years I think I have grown in experiencing and sharing the shiny things in my world and my life – the things I delight in and want all to see. But what lingered was… the other stuff. The parts that felt broken, unlovable, embarassing and all. And I didn’t yet know how to emerge forward in the midst of all of that… the good and the … ya know, less mentionable stuff.

And I think this moving through enoughness is a great step on this wobbly road I am on, that is not always “perfect” or in the way I wish or want. It breaks me open so that things can crumble, so that all can be exposed and I can work with what remains.

What remains for me is… enough… and beginning to explore working with the circumstances in my life, warts and all, moving through and being with the challenging and also appreciating the unmistakable good and benefits. In doing this, ultimately I am creating a similar space for myself to move forward in life…being enough. Not perfect. Not ideal. Some real unexpected challenges and things I’d rather not deal with… but still… enough.

And so that’s where I am for today as I prepare to take a new little step on this quiet Memorial Day. Basking in the nervousness, the brokenness and the allness of being in the wake, in the dust of… I am not perfect but I am…enough.

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Hello Austin

26 Apr

After a long winter hibernation in my mom’s home in the midwest, I have freshly arrived at my latest housesit in Austin, TX.  In my recent years of house and pet sitting, Austin has become a bit of a second base, a hub of sorts. And though it’s been a little while since I have been here, it’s nice to return.

Presently I am nestled in the heart of Austin a little south of the river and downtown.  I lived in Austin for a few years back in 2005 after the floods from the levee breach of Hurricane Katrina sent me and the whole city packing. I am freshly reminded how much Austin has boomed and continues to boom since my residence there some years ago. My current neighborhood has largely given way to new sleek modern homes with a few dots and blocks of funky old Austin bungalows remaining. As I drive around to reacquaint myself with the city, much of it can feel foreign to me with glimpses of remembrance of old funky Austin.

My housesits in the Austin area in recent years have mostly been in the outskirts and surrounding burbs and towns. While I am not one lately to be drawn to the hustle and bustle in the center of things, I still appreciate my latest abode with it’s old Austin charm tucked in a funky tree-lined neighborhood safely nestled in the heart of the city. The neighborhood has a simple, earthy feel to it and the quiet streets are frequented by neighbors leisurely walking by with their dogs, friends, children.

And so begins the latest chapter of my extended escapade. I made the gentle three-day trek arriving almost a week ago. I took my time on the way down from the Kansas City area stopping near Tulsa, Oklahoma, my old stomping grounds from college which is becoming more and more long ago. I was happy to take a little time to connect for lunch with a college friend in Tulsa who settled in the area.

Next, I took a stop in Wichita Falls Texas to tend to a few things including connecting with my appreciated Texas mail handler, Texas Home Base. I also stopped by a friend’s house for a quick visit.  As strange coincidences would go, a Korean friend I worked with at English Village in South Korea now resides in Texas! So it was great and out of the ordinary to have an opportunity to connect in Texas!

Technically, I did not stay in Wichita Falls, but about 20 minutes out of town in Electra, Texas.  I stayed in a simple but sweet and workable airbnb tiny cabin.  I had a few minutes to connect with the owner, Anthony, who went out of his way to be of service while I was there. If you’re traveling through North Texas, it’s a great spot for a little affordable and comfortable respite along the way! 

I am sporting a new vehicle. After selling my beloved 1998 Honda CRV before departing for Hawaii, I am oh so grateful to have another CRV. This one is a bit of a newer model, a 2012.  Also silver. Sort of a Gypsywoman 2.0 mobile. My new CRV is officially a “Texas Girl” now and while adjustments are always necessary with the latest change, we are both happy to be here.

It’s a quiet, not too hot day in Austin. I can feel the city’s funky vibe at my doorstep and appreciate hearing the sounds of the water fountain in the backyard.  It’s been raining since yesterday, but this afternoon has given way to some sun and satisfying but not too hot gentle heat.

So long for now from the beginning of this next step. Taking my time to be and allowing myself to settle a bit, tune in and relax into the latest rhythm of my journey.

Photo: A quick visit to Austin’s well-loved Barton Springs

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Safe at Bear Creek

28 Sep

Greetings from Texas! A few weeks ago as my rural Texas sit came to a close, I did my best to ride the current of some unexpected rearranging and landed at one of my favorite spots on the outskirts of Austin, TX.  I was fortunate to return for a bit to the location of last winter’s long-term sit set on beautiful stretches of land along a sparkling creek. Here I am hunkered down with two of my favorite kitties doing the “kittie shuffle” – you know the one… open the door, let the cat out… open the door, let the cat in… and enjoying some time and space in a peaceful and familiar setting.

Like many, these are uncertain times for me. They are heightened due to our current world and national circumstances.  But even before this all hit, I waded through years of uncertain living.  Honestly, it’s something I never fully got used to. While I might have a little more practice with the ebb and flow, when things come down to the wire it’s been a challenge for me to keep my peace and negotiate the uncertainty.

That’s why, now more than ever, it seems like a good time to practice some of the spiritual notions that have been knocking at my door this past decade and… improve in my attention to and use of them. It’s a good time to clean up some of the debris in my “inner world.” Here are a few considerations at the forefront of my traveling house sitter/pet sitter coronavirus Jedi training.

1.  Mastering My Mind. I have to admit, as much as anyone… maybe more than others… I have a very fertile and active mind.  At times this is fun and useful, but when uncertainty peaks it is at best a distraction at worst anxiety provoking!  So as my life and the world “turns up the volume” I am making an effort to pay attention to my thoughts, to indulge  “less” in mental pathways that bear no fruit, and to simple be an observer of my thoughts and my reactions to people and circumstances rather than go along for the ride!

2.  Set My Intention for the Best. While I am watching my thoughts, I am also ramping up my practice of turning my intention towards the best. When a situation comes to mind that has potential for upset, I am practicing being conscious in seeing things work out for the best and sending warm, loving thoughts to the situation. Minimally, this practice reduces my anxiety and at best sets a framework in the fertile ground of potential.

3.  Practicing Being Present. So many teachers out there remind us that presence is where it’s at!  Fearful thoughts of the past or future simply do me no good and also can limit my access to potentiality and options available. So when the uncertainty boat goes a-rockin’ in my world, I do my best to toss that aside and reconnect here in the present moment.

4.  Being Open to My Intuition. I will never forget when I was first introduced to the world of intuition and psychic ability living in New Orleans, LA. I met an interesting… yet possibly shady character at a local coffee shop who gave me a reading that blew my socks off.  Since then life hasn’t really been the same. Before then, I had never been plugged in at all to the idea that we have access to knowledge beyond our typical senses. And while my intuition and I have had our challenges along the journey, as I continue to get quieter and connect within I am making a little extra space to notice the quiet voice within.

5.  Practicing Refraining from Judgement. This topic has flirted with me many times over the years. And I would practice it from time to time. But now more so I seem to realize that judgment of others and myself really cuts me off from all the good, the flow, and limits me.  I’ve come to imagine it like I am floating down a stream and judgment is like grabbing for the branches along the way. It just blocks me and stops things up. So for my own freedom and peace of mind, I am making an effort to practice being mindful of my judgments.

6.  Spending More Time Connected to Spirit.  In addition to my favorite spiritual practices, lately I am simply taking more time to get quiet and connect with my heart and the Divine.  As so much rattles in the world around me and the uncertainty of my own life, more and more access to the infinite seems to be where it’s at. It’s the place it “makes sense to me” to park my car, reroute my address, build my home.

And of course, I call all of this practice… because that’s what it is!  I am simply just paying a bit more attention to these things daily and reaping the small waves of gentle benefit that come my way in restored ease and peace.

Where in the world are you and how is your Jedi training going?  I’d love to hear from you!

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