Peace in the Valley

I'm going to focus on peaceful things. Of course, for me, living out here Just Off the One-Lane Road…it’s mostly a PIECE of cake! But not always. Just because the environment makes it easy, doesn’t mean my mind doesn’t roil with the white noise of conflict that permeates and eclipses just about everything living and breathing in today’s turbulent world.


Last night, for example, MM and I found ourselves watching a PBS program on World War II. I guess we were both tired and weren’t particularly discriminating. It was –in a word-- horrific. Mercifully, we turned it off after about 20 minutes and read until four eye-lids closed and we hit the sack. But such mayhem is simply beyond words. Truly I can’t imagine the death and destruction of war.


So, I decided that beginning April 1—and this is no joke!—I’m going to seek out topics for thought and deed that are as peaceful as I can find. And, I promise myself never to watch another war program of any kind.


And here’s a start: on PBS on April 7th, there’s going to be a (highly advertised) program on Buddha, revealing his (peaceful) life after he renounced his wealth and family connections. That ought to be a good start for me.


I also ordered a video I was fortunate to see last week entitled, “Bhutan: Taking the Middle Path to Happiness.” It’s about a society that has, so far, been able for the most part, to formally reject consumerism and live close to the earth, realizing that protecting it is vital. They are not interested in the conventional way of measuring “progress” but rather focus on what they call their “gross national happiness.” The Bhutanese strive to govern with the goal of doing the best they can to ensure their peoples’ happiness and satisfaction with their lives. Can you imagine what that would be like?! For more information on this concept go to Gross National Happiness

This morning, I looked out the bedroom window in time to see the full moon about to set in the West, so I grabbed my camera and tripod and flew out the door, even before a single cup of coffee! The birds were chirping furiously, the sun was just creeping over the Eastern horizon, and there in all its glory was the moon in the West. And, it was so peaceful.


Today has dawned with full sun and not a cloud to be seen! We’re spending the entire day outside with that endless list of projects—pruning the rest of the grapes before the sap ascends; cleaning out the bird house so the purple martins will rent from us; raking sticks from the yard—such a lot of them came down in the winds of winter; cutting down the dried remains of the Fountain Grass. It’s going to be a WONDERFUL DAY!


And all throughout the length of this day-gift….I am going to forget about the gnashing of teeth, and the roaring voices and concentrate on peaceful, gentle living, out here JOTOLR. Peace.