Somewhat off subject, yet maybe not. These past few weeks
I have worked hard, but enjoyed, cultivating a new part of
our large back garden. We had some old sheds torn down,
leaving some pretty raw ground that we leveled, seeded,
watered, and eventually watched the grass grow. It's pretty
much green now, and my little dog initiated it by rolling
happily in the new grass. Also the birds and the butterflies
have discovered this new lovely patch.
Spiritually I have enjoyed working the earth for a good number
of years, building Japanese natural gardens when I lived back
East and now here out West I have a far more expansive
and diverse sort of garden--i.e., tropical flowers, succulents,
and Mediterranean types of trees such as palms, cyprus, and
junipers. Importantly, they blend into the greater environment
all around.
I have little doubt that this working of the earth, allowing for
all sorts of plant growth, is about *creativity.* And albeit
hard work, seeing the results of my labor affords me great
pleasure. For me, too, this work is about aesthetics, in that
I somehow have connected all these outdoor gardens around
with the inside of our house.
Our house is a near-century old Craftsman, aka Greene &
Greene. It is a friend of Nature, with wide open windows
that peer out onto the gardens, letting the natural breeze
from the ocean drift through the house. And long before
"Green," the Craftsman is energy-efficient.
Beyond the above kudos, the Craftsman design features
the good earth, ours made of redwood, embellished with
river stone, it's truly neat.
Anyway, a shift away from the deep subjects I usually get
into--but my working the earth, my gardens, the birds
and butterflies, our Craftsman bungalow, all feed my
spirit.
