Blog: Musings on the Earth, Mindful Living, and our Connections
How Do We Measure Success?
Working with people is the joy of our work here at In the Gardens, whether it is helping them discover a love of fresh food as they grow and harvest, or guiding them to greater balance in their actions with self and others through mindfulness practice. It is in our interactions with the people that we serve and employ, our volunteers, and our donors that we fulfill our mission. Here are…
Celebrating Women: International Women’s Day
Once a year we get to thank our moms not only for everything they do, but essentially, for our very lives. Without them, well… clearly we wouldn’t be here. Hopefully we acknowledge our moms often in addition to the second Sunday in May. Another such day recognizing women occurs this Wednesday: International Women’s Day. While it is not well known in the United States, this day is celebrated as a major …
Winter Sprouts
This past Sunday, as with many Sundays, my volunteer, Abe, came to help me with winter gardening detail: removing dried mint and dill from the stems to jar for tea and spice, respectively. We removed and bagged seeds from collards and arugula, and separated beans and peas from their shells, some for cooking and some for planting next season. But this Sunday was different. The sun was shining and it was 65 degrees—time to work outside.
I love…
Partnering For Good: Huddle
Since the Women’s March, I have felt compelled to continue to act for the betterment of our society and country. I am particularly concerned about inclusivity as it refers to issues of economics, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. I am concerned about climate change and the world that our children inherit. And of course, I am concerned about hunger and need. So I decided to participate in…
We know the heart of a stranger.
My family is one of immigrants. Three of my four grandparents were not born in this country. My maternal grandfather, being the exception, was born in the Lower East Side of New York, his family from Poland by way of Germany. My maternal grandmother was from Russia or Poland—“Minsk, Pinsk—they kept changing the boundaries,” she would say when asked where she was from, “sometimes we were in Russia, sometimes we were in Poland.” My paternal grandfather hailed from Russia, while his wife, my maternal grandmother, was born in England as her mother, a photographer, fled the…
Women’s March in Chicago 2017
I didn’t march in opposition. To anyone or anything. I didn’t march in rebellion. I didn’t march against this or that. I marched for.
I marched for unity. For a country that is “indivisible” as our Constitution says, a country “by the people and for the people.” I marched for those who have a voice, as well as those who don’t. I marched for equal pay for equal work. I marched for equal work opportunities for all, and equal education opportunities for all. I marched for our planet…
Martin Luther King, Jr: Compassion in Action
This past Sunday I had the privilege of being one of six faith leaders to speak at an interfaith service in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his legacy. The service was held at First United Methodist Church in Ames, Iowa, and was beautifully organized by Rev. Deb Hill-Davis of the Unity Church of Ames, Iowa. The theme was “Compassion in Action.”
In addition to a moving clip of Dr. King imploring us…
Growing Food Grows Us
Last week I had a wonderful and unexpected visit. An intern who worked with me in the summer of 2015 was in town visiting his family and took the time to get together with me. Lucas was a high school senior when we met at Chicago’s Good Food Festival – a celebration of gardeners, farmers, food justice groups and businesses concerned with providing healthy food for all. He and I were in a presentation together on urban farming, and we wound up in the same breakout group. Lucas was seeking summer work in an urban farm and I was seeking an intern. A match was…
Why Give Back?
As this year draws to a close, many contemplate resolutions and plans for the future. Yet in order to successfully move forward, we must first acknowledge where we are at present and what we have accomplished to date. This often cultivates a sense of appreciation in our lives – whether for family or friends, for abundance, for our love of nature, for something unexpectedly good that came our way this year… and this evokes a desire to give back.…
Bringing out the Light
This weekend two world religions will celebrate their holidays at exactly the same time. While Hanukkah is considered a minor festival in the Jewish calendar, and the confluence of its first night with Christmas Eve is unusual at best, the convergence of these two celebrations provides an opportunity included in the mission of both faiths that might be overlooked.
Each of these…
You Are Loved
On Friday I arrived to my part time congregation in Ames, Iowa, in the frigid cold to see chalk paintings on the walks leading up to the country-feeling congregational building. I thought to myself, How lovely. The religious schoolteachers must have brought the children outside to make chalk drawings. I remember that as a child, drawing peace signs was a common pastime.
The next day…
Listening to the Silence
I spent last week in silence. I was at the JMMTT—Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training—a 15-month program that began last May. It is an advanced step from the 18-month Clergy Leadership Program in mindfulness practices that I completed a year ago July.
As I posted on my Facebook page, I celebrated my birthday in silence. That was different. I also observed Election Day in silence. Our retreat guides were sensitive enough to the issues of our country to host an optional “election practice” evening in…