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Full Moon Day – Vollmond – Harvest Full Moon

This Monday seems to be full of smiles. On my late morning walk I harvest them like very ripe, beautiful pears. Multi-colored and fragrant smiles on a bright “blue sky and bay” day. I meet Gregg and his little dog Lucca, and get caught up on the neighborhood affairs and plumbing stories. From the recycling truck operator, to the landscapers carrying heavy flag stones, to the happy looking house owner, to the older man with big poodle, to the delivery guy in back of his truck, I look into faces that are ready to smile, or is it me who is smiling already, initiating a response? Probably both...

Earlier in the morning, the garden keeps me longer. Pruning, raking, sweeping, listening. I am “patrolling” the big grounds, gathering dry stuff. A quarter of an acre on the hill, for the most part I take care of it by myself. Relieved that I have been able to keep up with cleaning out – fire danger – but also making sure that the land keeps its own natural order. This time of year, massive amounts of dry leaves and twigs are falling from big Live Oaks and majestic Cork Oak. They are shedding earlier and earlier in our severe drought years. In the old days I let them be, but now added extreme heat acceleration is asking for more drastic adjustments.

One of my students, Laura, has been coming most Thursday mornings to help with this work, learning how to tame ivy, prune back wild plum sprouts, gathering and schlepping buckets of leaves etc. Big thanks to Laura! And Nicky is here, helping me with social media. We work on our computers out in patio. Or she helps with selective weeding or spreading mulch etc. She loves to work in the garden. After four years, she intimately knows how I approach the stewardship of this land. How I like things to look, not too clean and tidy :) and the finer details... Then we share our late lunch, the highlight! Laura’s delicious quiche – what a cook she is – I might offer bread, butter, tomatoes and pickles, and Nicky has brought some sumptuous muffins. And we talk about god and the world…. Much gratitude to both of them! May everyone be blessed with sharing food. 

…. relishing my quince compote I cooked just now….

Imagine me smiling like the full moon :) 

as I am reflecting – and harvesting happiness

May everyone be blessed with harvesting, smiling, and happiness.

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