Tales from the Garden

There’s an old saying, “plain as the nose on your face”, that always reminds me how easy it is to be so busy looking ahead that I lose sight of what’s right in front of me. These days when so much about the weeks and months ahead is out of my control, focusing up close on what is right around me has brought me a lot of peace, and makes the rest of life look different too!       On August 23rd, I arrived in Arivaca after 2 months in the Pacific Northwest, and when I woke up the next morning, I decided to re-experience my garden by taking a sensory walk.     I knew the best time for doing this would be very early, before I started bustling around unpacking and doing chores, so I could experience it with all my senses before my mind woke up too much.   It was extra quiet at 5:30am when I walked slowly into my garden, trying to imagine that I was experiencing it for the very first time, or the way a wild creature would.     I began by focusing on sight, taking in the first things that