Found Mandala


The moon was incredibly full and bright in a clear sky tonight. When I was walking home from work, I saw a tourist taking pictures of the Capitol. “You’ll want to photograph the moon,” I said, after having just taken a few pictures myself. “Yes, I did,” he replied with a big grin.
As bright as was the moon, the street lights would not have needed to be on so fully as when the moon is just a sliver of a crescent. As I gazed in awe at the luminous beauty of the moon, I thought also about the wondrousness of electric street lights. How is it that we so often take for granted electricity, but marvel at the moon? Is not light in all its forms a source of wonder when we stop to remember? Why resent the street lights for dimming the beauty of the moon when we can instead see their own beauty?
Part of the reason “around town” is within several blocks of my house since the pandemic began is the limits on being able to find a safe bathroom. I prefer that to dehydrating prior to going out. I’m lucky to have the choice.

One sign reads: “Our lives begin to end the day we are silent about the things that matter.” The other sign reads: “Biden/ Harris/ text “UNITED to 30330”
In recent months, I have listened to the stories of a number of close friends and co-workers as they navigate the difficult process of saying their good-byes to the tangible, physical embodiment of a loved one and participating in the loved one’s own good-bye.
I find myself filled with memories of those I still love though the loved one is no longer embodied in the physical form in which I met them. For me and for those with whom I share my memories, they live on as such and. in greater and lesser amounts, in how I think, respond, and act to this day and beyond.
It was wonderful to get some rain yesterday, but our area really has been way too dry, suffering from storms going to the north and west or to the south and east of us. Here are a few ways for those of us staying on the grid to reduce water consumption:
1. Short showers (under three minutes)
2. Longer showers or baths only an occasional treat.
3. If you have space (I don’t; though I keep thinking about how to work it) get a rain barrel or two for your garden.
4. Re-use water when you can. For example, when changing a pet’s water dish, water plants instead of pouring out dish. Soak pots without soap (needs longer soaking) and use soaking water for house plants. Same for water from your hot water bottle (to stay warm while keeping the heat down).
5. Practice the old drought adage all the time (“if it’s yellow, let it mellow”).
6. When it is time to replace a toilet or faucet, use a water efficient model.
7. Turn off the water while brushing teeth, shaving, or lathering.
8. For container plants in the garden, use “Soil Moist” or a similar product.
9. Drink tap water (it takes about 60 ounces of water to bring you a 20 ounce bottle of water). If you don’t like the taste, filter it.
10. Forget about washing your car (if you have one) except for keeping the windows clean enough so you can see out.
11. Replace lawns and annual flowers with hardy, native perennials.
Please share your tips. I’m always looking to learn.