See You At the Ashokan Center Online Bluegrass and Southern Week Programs Aug 2020!
If you want to follow my lead from the headline, see ashokancenter.org now or after you check out this post and others...and thanks for sharing it on social media!
I woke up wanting to celebrate that my Mom was born 98 years ago this time of year...mid-August. She believed her birthday was 8/12 but I found that her birth certificate read something different.
Actually with the modern world issues we likely would all benefit from having code names and even 'fake birthdays' (which many recommend putting on general forms unless it's really necessary...) I know some towns that would print up a calendar of everyone's birthdays... a lovely sentiment but 'TMI' for these modern times.
Maybe they could have a list and send a card from the town to each person accordingly, or make a phone call...for those who'd like that. I started my day out in my garden of colorful flowers and handsome mullein and milkweed plants and other sundry wild weeds and asparagus now 6 feet tall swaying with dew on its feathery stems.
Golden petals of brown-eye Susans, bright pink zinnias that started from 1 inch seedlings from a relative and colorful basils, oregano, bee balm, and a wild sunflower all add to the ambience of my circular turtle garden, long swale garden along the edge of the woods and rainbow arch garden that create a lovely 'bookend' on the far end of the rolling green lawn. We get a lot more sun since a few trees were taken down last spring.
That was a project and a half and cost a couple of people their good back strength from sitting too long at the splitter. So let's all remember to pace ourselves..and those folks are fine again up to a variety of work, including a lot of desk work, which also needs to be paced.
On the way back in from wrestling weeds beyond the official gardens where someone generously leveled land and gave me hope we could win back some of the wild west of our yard, I saw a dash of bright yellow, a goldfinch I'm guessing perched up on strong weed touching our old brick house.
To me that was a reminder of my Mom's bright energy and the invitiation to 'dew drop in' and have a cuppa...a cup of coffee or Roma (a non-caffeine drink made of barley but echoes the coffee flavor. ) Maybe I'll work that into my breakfast since I've had my warm cup of water with lemon that's good for digestion (my friend who studied Ayurvedic suggested it and said it's like soaking dirty dishes in warm water to clean them more easily...)
Okay so after my friendly bird sighting, I was feeling ready to make this time special. Turning on my laptop, an email from last night popped up from the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge NY, a place where Jay Ungar and Molly Mason offer many programs with others joining in.
I signed up for the inviting Southern Week that starts Aug 16th then saw there's Bluegrass starting today, so added that. I'll listen for a half hour a day hopefully or more...and the registration comes with access to archives for a year, so a great deal for any amount over a buck.
Maybe sign a friend up too and share the music and the info on FB. These grassroots efforts can brighten many a heart and day...and That's Good Medicine!
Also a great way to Celebrate the Moms, Dads, People Big and Small, here and above and yet to come into our lives... pretty much a win-win. Happy Birthdays to One and All and to those in heaven...and again those hatching out in the future. Good health and healing on all levels for Everybuddy too.
Let's keep this party called Life Going Strong with Love and Care for the one and the many and the good earth too, with appreciation for the blessings from on high and from generations from way back when, HugEnergy and Let's Make Some Music or Join in As we can! See Ali Storm's info online too about Project One, a great endeavor to help in this time of 2020 and promote peaceful growth with respect for all life and the help from higher places too.
