Daily Dao – LuceStellare

The Old Notion to Fly Away

The July sun starts to descend in the sky creating a dappling appearance as light reaches through the leaves touching the earth. Waves on the lake take on a shimmer reflecting the annual solar migration into midsummer. A breeze is welcome on hot afternoons. Crickets chirp in the fields. Rose of Sharon and milkweed are in bloom. All signs are stirring up the ancient notion that it is nearly time to go.

A thought about the cycle of seasons came to awareness after a day out at sea on a whale watch. These magnificent beasts respond to many indicators that it’s time to swim on. Water temperature, sunlight and the movement of their food source tells them to be ready for change. As the birds start to flock together, the notion becomes more forceful internally.

Without a basis in science, more a reaction to nature, it seems for years upon years, humans evolved around a migration cycle. Although it’s common now to be fixed, there’s still the memory of movement, not as a result of war or famine, natural disaster or plague, but to simply follow the sun. Should the sensation come along of restlessness, wonder if it’s not instinct asserting itself over domestication. Always the transition to fall is marked by a disturbance in the body manifested as migraine and mal de mar. It’s gotten milder over time. Still, the discomfort starts to appear in a sudden difficulty in sleeping. Little fluctuations start the desire to go.

The whereof it is the great unknown.

Finally, the Rain Arrives

So long, too long. The sky has not wept for days and days. The yang sun has dried up the soil. The grass is brittle and broken. The peaches are teeny. Now, now the blessed rain showers give out the nourishment of water. The lilac bush tosses in the breeze. Strawberries leaves reach up, tall and brave again. We can grow! We can give fruit!

The starlings peck though the field. The tall tall weedy grasses were cut down the other day. The wildness of it! Now, seeds and bugs have no where to hide. Everything’s gotta eat. The summer squash will grow. The mosquito will emerge seeking blood.

Rest, the rain brought an afternoon of rest. The chores just about got done when the mist arrived with lunchtime. Oh! I’ll miss the garden today. Without the rain, I wouldn’t rest, wouldn’t write and wouldn’t be so well. So rested now. The cats are restless. Stella is meowing at the outrage of being indoors so early. Why must I watch out the window! Why can I not be outside! How she loves her yard. A domani Stellina. A domani.

Gratitude to the goddess of gentle showers today. She brought us the yin of coolness. We needed the sky to give us a cry. As above so below. Sometimes, after a lot of exposure, it’s good to let the tears flow. The gentle release, relief of washing the eyes. The sunlight burns them a bit. The rain is a friend much missed.

Hail and welcome to the rain!

Monday at Home

The big yellow machine that clears sidewalks in town after a snow storm just finished plowing on Cross Street. Stellina hopped into my lap. Her eyes are vivid gold/green in her grey face. Her ears are soft and feel cold. A big oil tanker moved quickly down the road. It must be empty to move so fast. A man just whizzed by on a bicycle! It’s around 20 F under a brilliant blue cloudless sky. Lunch is over and we settle in to write.

I am thankful for the day off. 12:12 p.m. Normally, I’d be getting back to my desk after a little yoga on the lunch hour. Escape, the escape would be over and back to the grind I would be. When I was a teenager, I understood that office work was not for me. The idea of being trapped inside with a bunch of people all day sounded terrible. I had to take an office job when I was in my late 30’s. Why? Pay rent, pay bills, why else?

I’ve managed to stay quite friendly with a few colleagues from that job in Sturbridge. Regular work folks are fine. Brushes with the C suite happened. They were the ones to duck and dodge. Why? It wasn’t clear back then. Many years and several moves around showed me the other side. Yes, best to duck and dodge, nuf said!

It’s hard for quiet people to be who they are. All my life, I enjoyed most the quiet days with no other person around. I love to cook, love to walk and listen to music. Nobody else, except the cats of course. Cats are still around. Stellina gave a big kitty sigh and is trying to snuggle in for the rest of the all day nap.

All I need to be settled is a good book, warm slippers and a cup of tea. All I need to be happy is hearing the creak of the radiator as the heat comes on. All is well to feed the birds everyday. A walk outside when it’s above 30 I’ll do, but I am getting too old for less than. I could have done a burn today. The brush pile is huge. I have the permit but a stiff occasional wind and the cold keep me inside. It can wait.

The papers are coming together. By next week, I ought to have what I need to find a lawyer. It’s about time I made a will. I know what I want to do, just need to get the task ready. Three days of chores, errands and quiet. Three days to do and do not as Yoda would say. A deep sleep in Saturday. All the recycled stuff out. A big tomato soup cooked. Yoga to do in an hour. I liked it yesterday. I felt good! Tomorrow, we’ll have a swim late in the afternoon. Gotta keep moving.

I miss this blog. I miss having stories to write and playing around with the posting. A day to be quiet means everything. Already, I feel the gathering tensions of having to get up, get ready and tolerate, simply tolerate the day until it’s over. See, I work to live. I am worn out thinking it’ll work out. They’re empty. They don’t care. It’s mostly a big fake show of getting along. No matter how big or small the work place, I was right, the office shenanigans ain’t for me.

Never mind. Enjoy the day, tidy up the closet. There goes that guy again in the other direction, whizzing along on his bike! Wow he’s getting his exercise in. This what I see out my front window. There goes the Sherman Oil truck, two! A second one is headed out. Lunch hour must be over and heat’s gotta work today.

To be continued…