The Rhythm of the Day

I love it that people are responding to the shortest posting here – What’s the most important thing? A good lesson for a blogger: short is sweet.

My time here in Medanales is almost up…tomorrow I hit the road again.

And just when I was starting to find my rhythm here in each day. That’s been one of the tougher parts about sabbatical time… dealing with lack of structure.

Other freelancers I know tipped me off to finding a rhythm and ritual to each day as a way to deal with this. Mine now goes something like this –
• wake up with the sun
• meditate for about half an hour
• go to the front yard and turn on the water for the plants (and usually get an enthusiastic greeting from Lola the dog)
• come back in and feed the cats (Seti and Maggie)
• make breakfast (often oatmeal with yogurt and flaxseed oil)
• turn on the computer and check news and email
• start on one of my projects… chaplaincy coordination for Upaya Zen Center, or editing for Center for Contemplative Mind
• mid way through the day, lunch
• afternoon sometimes gets peppered with a walk out at Ghost Ranch or Plaza Blanca… amazing rock formations in both places
• pulling weeds in the garden
• making dinner (tonight it's tilapia broiled in ginger, butter, and lemon; lettuce from the garden; and rice)
• chocolate (always a good way to end the day)

and there’s a whole lot of email checkin’ going on in between all those times. Me and my information addiction.

Anyway, that’s the way I like to think it goes. The reality is sometimes I just stare off into space and think, ‘this is summer! I can just be lazy!’

So tomorrow: Plane to Burbank, then Thursday train to San Luis Obispo, then car to Monterey/Santa Cruz. I don’t know how long I will be in California, but I do plan to be back in New Mexico in early August.

More soon… and happy travels to all of you.