Archive for December, 2012

A week at “The Oasis”. “A Very Merry Christmas”. TX

Monday, December 24th, 2012

“Paragraphs of Daily thoughts, a bit of mental therapy, this and that, published weekly or so…”

What If?

A Poem by Ganga White

What if our religion was each other?
If our practice was our life?
If prayer was our words?
What if the Temple was the Earth?
If forests were our church?
If holy water—the rivers, lakes and oceans?
What if meditation was our relationships?
If the Teacher was life?
If wisdom was self-knowledge?
If love was the center of our being

sunsets-11 xxx

It has been intense. I very briefly skimmed the news while here at "The Oasis". I am aware of the sensationalism such "News" seek. History did repeat itself. Didn’t it? Irrational, delirious and demented. The feeling is "numb". It does not matter what I feel, it matters what the Families, Friends, acquaintances and more of those that have so senselessly lost their lives days ago. Somehow the images, abstract and real, are not going away. It could be because of this Desert and it’s contradiction between the present stage and "that stage". I know we will go on as we have to, yet we will not forget, priorities again will be rearranged as the fragility of our lives surfaces one more time. 

sunsets-10 xxx

It has been a few days, my mind has been as crippled from the events but this Desert we are in at the present time is of a healing one. There is no interferences between my thoughts and this recent past reality, only the "feel" for those, miles away wishing I could just give them a hug, a word, something to console their own present moments. I feel inarticulate, incoherent, mute and voiceless as all this has taken a step beyond what us "Humans" should be as. 

sunsets-6 xxx

I know we have to, as in the past, move on physically if nothing else. Four walls as invisible as they are must be torn down and gone through and try to regain some conscientiousness with our surroundings. Plans to go here or there however have not materialized. The momentum broke down as the shadows of the Holidays also are creeping up taking me back to my own past realities. We had a quick uneventful ride to El Paso and back, all in one day. Errands. Another quick run to Alpine, more errands and more time under the helmet for some positive meditation.

The skies, riding and cooking.


We are fine here at "The Oasis". As fine as we are going to be. Sometimes I feel as the present does escape me as pulling the rug from under the well being this space gives us. It is the old cliché of not quite living the moment. The Sunrises, the Sunsets, the cooking, reading, the roads, writing and clowning around with Spirit. He has no idea what is going on or maybe he does and he is the smart one so in tune with the "now" which is always here. If only I could be as such.
 

-Crusty--3 xxx

-Crusty--2 xxx

I am tasting "The Oasis" this week like never before. Words was sent to us for a few "End of the World" parties. Crowd. Noise. I don’t seem to be able to leave this silenced zone only broken down by "Crusty" and "Old Faithful" running around these endless miles surrounding us. Our neighbors and Friends gave us a small Christmas Tree. A “Chili Pepper Tree”. I like it. I can look at it and play back the presence of the past ones when taller and brighter surrounded with Heartfelt Souls and minds alike, much Love and Hugs. It really is a "Chili Pepper" tree. How fitting.

sunsets-16 xxx

From Chicken to taco xxx

It is a weather Show here this week. One instant freezing and the next only one T shirt time. I find it abosrbing. Bands of clouds coming and going, winds howling and then taking on a breather. Even today a few snow flakes. Just a couple. An amazing show I witness day in and day out. Sleeping late awaiting the Sun’s rays. That is about all what this week’s Life has been about. The maps await as new spaces are circled in red. Today’s map are those 10 acres we are so fortunate to have been given for such winter times. 

Solar Oven xxx

Solar Oven-3 xxx

The Solar Oven at work for our Christmas Eve Dish. Rice with dates, raisins, cranberries, colorful peppers, Hot Mango sauce, pecans, more dried fruit… A simple “One~Pan” Dish.

Christmas Eve has now arrived. The grays have made room for the blues, "blue skies" that is as I feel I am myself snapping out of it throughout this Holiday Season. It is so mentally which means also physically tiring and exhausting to infringe on this veil of darker colors following me while flowing in the winds of times. We are even going to a Christmas Eve get together tonight and need to cook something good. I had a good Friend call a couple evenings ago. We both wear the same shoes, we have both lost our Child and have so much supported each other throughout these years. Words written are in black and white, words spoken penetrate through their vibrancies the deeper Soul we carry. As he said “no one needs to understand”. I was thankful. I am thankful. He said to me “Go spend Christmas Eve with your Family”. My Family up the road. We are.

Christmas Eve Music


The winds change as they did tonight surrounded by Music, thoughts, conversations and a lot of food. Someone even said that I sounded “happy”. The Journey is of a long one with many stops on the way. They are all uplifting, they are each a lesson of our Life as the doors a bit well oiled now do not squeak as they use to. It was a nice comment. I have worked hard at it and yet I have to “Thank” all my Friends for their support and will take this occasion to wish them all truly a “Very Merry Christmas and Holidays” with a “New Year”, 2013, putting them on a wished path we all deserve.

Smugmug Photo Galleries

Since it looks like we are going to make through another year, 2 “2013” Calendars of the Best Photos taken these past 6 Years are available. One is of “Nature”, mostly “Sunrises” and Sunsets”, one is of course “Mr. Spirit and Old Faithful”. Below is a collage of some of the Calendars Photos

Both available from Lulu    LuLu Journal

Calendar Nature

Spirit Calendar

Be well… Ara and Spirit