Little Coffee Beans

{this moment}

Playing along with SouleMama - in her words {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, {extra}ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Happy Weekend!

new growth

We're celebrating many things around here these days. A new year and with it new beginnings, new aspirations and new life. As you can see, our first seedlings are up!

We have a seed planting ritual every winter solstice. Here in the Rockies, we like to get a good and early start on our seedlings so that when May rolls around our plants are big, hearty and ready for life outside.  We typically only start our chiles this early, as they take a few weeks to germinate (the tomatoes come next, in February), but as part of our solstice planting ritual we also usually plant our two favorite greens: chard and kale. 

How it plays out varies depending on the year, but we typically gather with loved ones for a merry solstice evening with wine, good food and candles. Steve prepares a tray with soil and we invite our guests to participate in the first official planting of the coming summer's garden. This is an auspicious time to set personal intentions for the new year as each seed is planted. One's intentions can be silently planted or shared out loud as the seeds are passed from hand to hand around the room.

The trays are placed in our basement nursery, complete with heated sprouting mats and grow lights. These flats of kale and chard will soon find their home  in the cold frame in the backyard, which means our first taste of spring is just a few weeks away.

I love this ritual and it's so very affirming to see beautiful green spouts emerging from the dark, damp soil - as if each person's intention, wish, prayer, goal and very spirit is rising toward the sun.

Zinnia loves it too. She's been talking about seeds for days now. She goes through the steps as she tells me what she's been doing wtih Dada in the basement. "Eeeeddss, wawa" (seeds, water) she'll say as she pokes her fingers into imaginary dirt while telling me her story. "Gow BIG" (grow big) she continues, pointing up high. Her face fills with such wonder as she describes the process of seeds becoming plants.

I can't help but wonder what she wished for as she planted her seeds.

Happy twenty twelve everyone! May all of your intentions for the coming year sprout and bring forth a bounty of goodness.

remembering :: peace

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. ~ Dalai Lama

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~ Mother Teresa

Do not return evil for evil. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give way to wrath; for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  ~ Romans 12:17-21

What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being. To feed the hungry. To help the afflicted. To lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful. To remove the wrongs of the injured. That person is the most beloved of God who does most good to God's creatures. ~ The Prophet Muhammad

 

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Summer Solstice :: Planting Peace in the Backyard

Steve and I have wanted a Peace Pole for our garden for years. We were generously gifted money towards one for our wedding three years ago and we thought it would be a great way to celebrate our nuptials. We kept meaning to order it and it kept getting put off for one reason or another. Then we thought we'd commemorate Zinnia's birth with one, but the busy life of new parenthood put it on the back burner. Then we thought, okay we'll do it for her first birthday, but nope it didn't happen then either. 

Two months ago we finally got around to ordering our Peace Pole.  It was a Monday in May and when we woke up that morning we learned that the world had changed in a consequential way. People around the U.S. were celebrating the death of "an enemy" in ways that neither Steve nor I could understand, or quite frankly stomach. I wasn't able to articulate it, but I felt sick and sad and disgusted and nervous and quiet and angry and disconnected. I turned off the computer.

Steve and I took a walk and talked about the news and how we were each processing it. Neither of us could shake the feeling of, well... dread.

A few hours later Steve came out of his office and said, "Baby, today's the day. Order the Peace Pole."

Within minutes I was online and it was ordered. Estimated shipping time: 6-8 weeks. Just in time for the Solstice, I thought. Perfect. 

So here we gather, on this first official day of summer with friends and loved ones for the planting of Peace.

May it grow and blossom.

 

May Peace Prevail on Earth  - in English for our roots, German for our family, American Sign Language for our extended community and Spanish for our growth.

Michael Franti says it better than I ever could:

Please tell me the reason 
behind the colors that you fly 
love just one nation 
and the whole world we divide 
you say you’re “sorry” 
say, “there is no other choice” 
but god bless the people them 
who cannot raise their voice

We can chase down all our enemies
Bring them to their knees
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb it into peace

Violence brings one thing 
more more of the same 
military madness 
the smell of flesh and burning pain 
so I sing out to the masses 
stand up if you’re still sane! 
To all of us gone crazy 
I sing this one refrain 

And I sing power to the peaceful 
love to the people y’all 
power to the peaceful 
love to the people y’all

Bless these beautiful children. The future, it's in their hands.