Friday Morning ... Thoughts of Yesterday ... Ashland

What a treat to wake this morning and look at the outdoor thermometer:  59F.  I awaken with my three traveling partners snuggled up on the bed, all continuing to doze peacefully in the coolness of an Oregon morning.

Yesterday, Lincoln comes to me and appears to be saying, "Look Mom, I'll stick around if you'll just let me go outside."  So I do and he does - stick around, that is.  He ventures out several times during the day and does (sometimes) return when I call, "Lincoln, come."  It's a low-key day, talking with neighbors, reading, writing, house-keeping - very little of that.

I have a nice "dinner" in the mid-afternoon; is that "Linner" or "Dunch"?  I'm not sure which but I enjoy eating a dinner-type meal during the day 'cause I'm hungrier then.  I tend to cook in little batches and freezing or refrigerating leftovers for later.  When I prepare three or four main courses, I can vary them with veggies and such to enjoy on the days when it's inconvenient to cook, or when I just don't feel like it!

Later I prepare to go to the Library in town, about 4 miles from Glenyan, and arrive just in time for the beginning of C.C. Leigh's introduction to her workshop, called "The Art of Inseeing."  The Library is an attractive building that appears to be well-utilized by the community; I see on the schedule of meetings that there are 5 different groups meeting at the same time as our meeting; I'm not sure what any of the groups are because on the schedule they're identified by initials only.  Oh, yes, I do recogize Al-Anon.

So, C.C. starts the Introduction with a short description of what the Workshop will be about, defining terms like:  inseeing, waking down, mutuality, compassionate presence.  In short layman's terms:  this is a movement/ program to help one move into a state of presence and fulfillment in this life and this body.  It would certainly be called a 'spiritual movement,' but is not aligned with any Eastern or Western philosophy.  It's more like recognizing and healing inner negative 'voices' without fixing or forcing them; as written in the flyer:  "Its radically gentle approach is very supportive of divinely human awakening and embodiment."

Because I am so interested in World's religions and the effect their beliefs have on the evolution and ecology of the World, I like taking the opportunity to learn of concepts and beliefs other than my own.  I come back to Floribunda this evening with a couple more tools for understanding myself, and the World, a little better.

On another note, as I walk around Ashland I notice how many people LOOK HEALTHY.  Working with  Kaiser has given me the opportunity to work with large groups of people from varied ethnic, cultural and economic walks of life; I've seen, in California, a negative shift.  For instance, I am saddened by the obesity I see in children; very young toddlers being diagnosed with Diabetes II, which used to be called, "Adult Onset Diabetes."  As I look at the community here, I see neither obese children nor adults.  Maybe it's all this fresh produce grown here and all the bicycle lanes.  I see bikes everywhere and people wearing hiking boots - must be for a reason!