WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 2020 HORIZONS. Ok, by now you’ve read the December Horizons already but in case you didn’t, the December issue is now online and here are the horoscopes.  The big news in my life (I mean besides having the west woods I’ve known for 37 years completely removed in June for new construction — gahh! ) is the new neighbor moved in and is pleasant and nice. We wave and say hi when I’m gardening in the west yard and he steps onto his porch to let the dog run out for a few minutes. If you’re on my Facebook, you read about all the antics. We talked about the vines in the trees along the property line, he said if I’d cut them, he’d pull them down once they dry out. That made me notice the vines definitely hinder natural tree leafage, so they’ll be glad to be free.  He’s got a big fish tank AND has city water, but my well water is excellent. I let him fill his tank from my hose. Since he’s got city water, when power goes out after storms, he still has water, so now so will we hehe 

“You enjoy doing this?” ! was asked about the vegetable gardening and yard work. I do enjoy it, it brings me a lot of contentment. I love working my body when the weather is nice, getting exhausted and sweated out then cleaning up, resting and doing it again in a few more hours.

Vegetable gardening is teaching me to see with new eyes

I find myself saving anything in the kitchen that could be composted: radish, onion and carrot tops, eggplant skins, banana and orange peels. It teaches me to not toss branches out to the street to be picked up anymore but to place them under bushes and trees to decompose and become mulch. The City waits that long to pick it up anyway hehe

Thanks to them ignoring my stack of branches for months, I finally raked them flat along the easement and kept them watered and stomped on. Six months later, I’ve got a fine bed of mulch to line the hedges.

Gardening teaches me I have more renewable resources right here in front of me than I EVER NOTICED BEFORE, OR IMAGINED

Since they also cleared the lot across the street from me, that included many very tall Australian pines. For the first time since 1984, I get to see the sky in that area as the sun rises. It’s pretty spectacular. I’ve learned to embrace the changes.

I used to really love being hidden behind all the woods and all the trees I’ve planted to surround my property the last 37 years, but the last few years I’ve wanted to see more of what’s out there. I thinned the hedge at the street so I could still be hidden, yet see the cars and walkers and bikers on their daily routes.

Once I was no longer glued to keyboard and phone working 18 hours a day and had time, I found joy in watching my little world unfold around me, I wanted to be more involved with it.

Pretty cool how that works out since by the time the quarantine came along, I’d already created a Paradise I was ready to live in

In my 20’s and 30’s in Miami, FL, I lived in apartments and condos and was glad to have no yard duties. I wasn’t into it then, I was definitely an in-the-city girl. But now I see the beauty of having a yard and discovering vegetable gardening is a distinct thrill.

I’ve begun to see my gardening as a daily spiritual practice

Besides relieving stress, gardening, growing things makes me be laser focused with attention to detail. It teaches me to accept and even embrace change. It allows me to see patterns and cycles that help me make plans for the future.

Having a yard that lets me continually change the landscape as I please gives me a feeling of managing something big in my life, and doing it in accord with Mother Nature.

It helps me feel connected to the Earth and the natural rhythms of the Universe: the seasons, the moon phases, the planetary aspects, all constantly changing. It helps me feel connected to Whoever or Whatever is out there, and the more connected I feel, the less of a name I need to give it.

As I learn to be flexible and work harmoniously in the garden, I know I am really not in complete control but that I can learn to surf and dance in the midst of whatever Mother Nature throws at me. This helps me see the corelation with personal situations and relationships as well. It helps me see what areas I’ve left parched and what needs weeding. It teaches me the value of planning for the long term.

It teaches me cause and effect, and that seeds scattered carelessly now will grow nonetheless, so be sure I plant seeds only with purpose. It teaches me I can rebuild after total devastation. It teaches me that tender new growth can appear in the most unlikely places, at the most unlikely times. It teaches me to expect change and be delighted about it.

It teaches me to love it all, at every stage, because it will continually be changing.

Enjoy our offering this month.
Hari Om.