Lots of blogs have a ‘books I’m reading’ section. They always make me feel a little guilty. I’m always and forever reading piles of paper books, but these days don’t finish too many of them.
The real books I’m reading are
The quality of soil that little plants like.
The quality of sunlight that they thrive in.
Where I find earthworms when I’m digging about in my yard and garden
and where I don’t.
And how the crabapple petals
which two days ago were a brilliant pink
almost fuchsia
are today paler pink
and floating to the courtyard
like geisha rain.
And how the the unfurled lilies of the valley look like perfect brilliant
chartreuse sushi rolls
or rolled tongues of a green fire monster.
And how my mind is totally lost
in the digging, weeding, watering, smiling.
And how the lilacs are deep purple hard buds and tomorrow…
well, tomorrow they will be ambrosia.
These books are not bestsellers, unfortunately.
But I’m reading them
As they read me.
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About Beth Patterson
The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.
With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 30 years in end of life care and child abuse intervention and advocacy.
Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.
I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.
Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.
Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.
Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB