A Very Welcome Visitor

Included in what is not shown: the tomatoes I ate before I brought the camera outside and the herbs I used to flavor the salads I made for dinner.
At the Yoga for Gardeners Workshop, I will be ordering the workshop into (1) yoga to prepare for a session in the garden; (2) yoga pauses to do intermittently while gardening; and (3) yoga post-gardening. I’m off to enjoy the bright sunny day, to volunteer at The Lantern, and to take care of a neighbor’s cat, but I’m really enjoying getting ready for the workshop.
Feel free to send me question, as a comment to this post, and I will do my best to incorporate what you want to know into the workshop and/or the blog.
Please remember that I will be giving a portion of my profits to support the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. Even if you cannot come next Saturday, do please consider supporting one of your local, teaching gardens.
Have too many cucumbers? Perhaps some of them have grown to enormous, beyond salad-eating proportions? It’s time for cucumber soup.
Per person proportions for a generous serving (multiply accordingly):
1 cup peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine (more or less depending on taste or omit for a non-spicy soup)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, nut milk, organic milk, water, or chilled vegetable broth
small clove of crushed fresh garlic (optional)
salt to taste
Greek style yoghurt, chopped scallions or chives, and minced cilantro or parley for garnish
In blender or food processor, puree cucumber, avocado, liquid, jalapeno, and crushed garlic until pureed. Chill for 1/2 to 1 hour. Pour into bowls. Put spoonful of yoghurt or sour cream or non-dairy sour cream in center of soup. Sprinkle scallions and herbs. I only added the jalapeno because in addition to a superabundance of cucumbers, I had a number of not particularly spicy jalapenos from the garden.
This morning I stayed in bed after the alarm sounded and listened to the rain. It was peaceful and pleasant, but it was not meditation.
Listening to the rain made me extra glad to have spent so much of the weekend in the garden. The new plants are drinking up the fresh water and will almost soar when the warm sun returns at the end of the week.
Thinking about how the garden will flourish because I laid the ground to enable it to get the best of the rain and the sun inspired me to get up and take my meditation seat, even though I was late. It is practicing consistently that lays the ground for us to be ready to have the fullest, most joyous, and most optimal experience of ourselves, the world, and our spirit whatever comes and whenever it comes.