Vancouver 10 am. 17 degrees. Cloudy with showers into the evening. POP 70%. Rain 3mm
I stretched out in bed going over my daily gratitude ritual; a list of 10 things I’m grateful for before I get up. Today is Saturday, my day off and I’ve planned nothing to do but enjoy this rainy day. I roll over to check the time. It’s 10:45am and suddenly I remember I made an appointment to get my eyebrows threaded in exactly 30 minutes! Jump out of bed, brush my teeth, throw on a sweatshirt and leggings and am in my car in minutes. It’s been a while since it’s rained and the pitter patter on my windshield as I pulled out of the underground seems foreign as it fogs over and I turn the heater on for the first time in months.
After my appointment I stopped at the grocery store. Although I had no plan for dinner I was sure once there inspiration would hit. I got more bananas for another banana loaf. We really enjoyed a slice in the morning with our coffee this week. I’ll add chocolate chips this time around. The shop was busy, Saturday morning, raining and as I walk past the potatoes the vision of Sheppard’s Pie comes to mind for dinner with garlic-y broccolini as a side. Doesn’t rain go perfectly with root veggies and gravy?
Back at home I lit the soy candles I bought at the PNE this week; One Vanilla the other Lavender and closed the windows. The usual view of the city and tree line to the south hidden behind a misty veil. The cats know how to enjoy a rainy day, napping lazily between pillows on the couch. I spent a couple of hours cleaning the house and playing with soft lighting for the home. Lamps are great at creating ambiance. A darkened corner near the bar suddenly feels warm and inviting.
Room by room I went changing bedding, dusting surfaces and meeting Buddha in his different forms; seated Buddha perched on my dresser in the closet, laughing Buddha on the balcony, Vitarka Mudra, the Teaching buddha on the coffee table and young Buddha in the kitchen and painting in our bedroom. They reminded me of a story I hadn’t thought of in a while about Buddha’s teaching on giving feelings, thoughts and emotions time to settle. I will share it here as it is one of my favourite stories.
Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers.. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.” The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!” So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same. After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back. The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear with pure water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha. Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water. Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.
With a clean house and laundry folded and put away, the rest of the day will be for relaxing. Supper by 6pm and a family movie night. Me, Seth, the kitties and the rain that hasn’t stopped falling. Peacefully and steady.
Until next time.
Love,
Jennifer