And Now for Something...

The up-side to Hurricane Sandy.

 Last week, I was supposed to be at sesshin - had planned to be there since August - but it was not to be.  Motherly duties called so I gave up my spot in the zendo.  It felt a little extra hard to let go because I had to give up another retreat this summer because of needing to be with my children at an important time.  The teen years do bring more free time for me but less than it might seem.  Their needs are still large and single parenthood sometimes feels so very....single.

Missing sesshin was sad but there were several nice aspects to the sudden release of the week to other activities.  For one, I was able to attend a performance of Pina Bausch's dance company at BAM - it is possibly among the last times one will be able to see them as their future is uncertain (as far as I have heard).



As part of the whole reason for missing sesshin, we all went up to New Hampshire for a long weekend.  Finn spent time at the camp where he was over the summer and Lucy and I camped out at a friend's house nearby.

As detours go, it wasn't so bad.  

The Way Back Machine

Click to embiggen.

Cake or Death

Once, in a public forum that was recorded and posted on the internets, I said that I would gladly die for my children.  And I meant it.

Yesterday, when Lucy asked to make waffles for her birthday, at first I said no way.

Sometimes non-electric really sucks.

You see, in one of my many we-must-reduce-our-environmental-footprint moments, I purchased this non-electric waffle iron.  It causes me great pain, and not just the burn marks it inflicts from needing to flip it to cook each side and the fact that it sometimes falls apart mid-flip.  No, there is psychic pain too.  Waffles served with a side of cursing.  Cursing baked right in!  And then, of course, the guilt afterwards.

I have tended to shy away from my non-electric waffle iron in recent months.  

But Lucy asked for waffles on her birthday.  And I had a flashback to sitting in front of my teacher, in front of my sangha, with a microphone to my mouth and saying to all gathered, "I would gladly die for my children."

So, waffles it was!  And I even made peace with my waffle iron.  So, cheers, you little cast iron motherf****r!  It's all BFF from here on in.

Not A Moment Passes

Although from the beginning 

I knew

the world is impermanent,

not a moment passes

when my sleeves are dry. 

Ryokan (1758 − 1831)

Coming Soon...

...to an art space near you! 

 ("near you" as long as you live in New Haven, CT)
This trailer is a Sodia Like Production.

Tonight's the Night

Could it be Barack and Mitt?

Title page from the book, Men All Around the World,
by Joyce Holland and illustrated by June Talarczyk.
(Yes, the self-same June Talarczyk who illustrated the incomparable, Jimmy's Happy Day.)