Green Tribe of Belonging

 This is the time of year, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, that makes us dig deep. As my acupuncturist says, we need to hold steady from the root. Even though our planet is warming in general, and it is not at all a good thing for our future, some of us are feeling that this winter has been especially cold and hard. It may be because there is so much dread and uncertainty in our lives since our new president has taken power and is making decisions that threaten our future in so many ways. It is harder than usual to feel hope.  For many years, in late winter I've begun planting in January. Here at Prairie Hill I cover my front stoop with 25-30 planted flats of prairie seeds. These seeds need to be "stratified" before they can germinate (be out in the cold for a couple months). They'll begin to break the ground in April. I'm hoping to get this first planting done this weekend. Those of us on the Native Prairie Subcircle at Prairie Hill collected...

 As Iowa has been shivering under sub-zero temperatures, I've been mostly staying inside. All my big houseplants are spending the winter inside too and filling my space with greenery. As I sit in my cozy recliner, it's as if I'm surrounded by lush tropical forest, but with all the conveniences of modern life. A heated foot massager is at my feet, healthy snacks at my side, my phone on the stand beside me, and a clear view of the big screen that brings the world into my living room. And on this device, as I wrap myself in a soft blanket, I've been watching all 8 episodes of an amazing series called Life on Our Planet. Steven Spielberg is the producer and Morgan Freeman the narrator of this ambitious collection of films, and it has been masterfully done. The series starts with the beginning of our planet, focusing on the extreme energies that brought this collection of elements together in the solar system, ending with a huge round ball that gradually hardened into a plan...

 It's been too long since I wrote a post for this blog. Part of that is because my schedule was totally full of meetings when I got back from Asheville a week ago. And part of it is that I've had a hard time not feeling angry and depressed by what is happening in our country, at least politically. I read Heather Cox Richardson's posts every day, but I'm almost deciding to take a break for awhile since the news is so very terrible. I know there are still good things in the world, and I'm starting to actively look for them and let them inspire me. Last evening, walking back from a meeting in the common house to my front porch (a 20 second walk), I looked up and saw the moon, and it filled me with something big: gratitude, perspective, awe. When I got home, I wrote this cinquaine: Full moon. High in the sky. What a reminder that Some things in our world are still here, Touch point. Just looking up to something way out of my worried everyday life was such a gift. Some t...