nature connection

Nurturing Inside and Out. My Soon to Be Raised Bed Garden.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Kind words are the gardens, kind words are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits, take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, kind words, and kind deeds. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Nurturing seems to be a topic on my mind lately. From my post on Sunday sharing about my nurturing Gidget’s memorial marker where she lays resting outside Joyful Pause Cottage to now thinking about it in terms of gardening.

I also just finished recording an excerpt from each chapter of my memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am, and I’ll be releasing one a day beginning on May 11th – the two-year mark since Gidget has been gone. As I write this post my YouTube channel is busy at work uploading all the chapter excerpts. It was quite the task, but I felt strongly called to do this creative project in honor of Gidget. Another way in which I continue to nurture her many gifts to me and sharing them with others in the hope they will be beneficial for the healing journey of others. 

Gidget was my mirror to listen to the little girl within me that had been in pain for many, many years, but stuffed it down for fear of not being heard, understood, or believed. But as I’d come to realize it was the now-adult version of me that had to listen. From that listening, I learned how to nurture that small child within me. To hold her, soothe her, and let her know it was all going to be okay.

Yesterday I recorded an excerpt from the chapter titled No Place Like Home. This chapter is when I realize all the inner work I’d done as I healed the pain from a childhood trauma was now reflecting in my home. John and I were remodeling the kitchen and living room. We took out a partial wall from between the kitchen and living room, painted the walls a light gray, and changed to soft tones of beige, blue and green colors for the living room furniture from the dark teal, green and maroon they were.

When we take care of our inner world the outside world of our existence takes care of itself.

Sunday as I perused a home decor magazine which is one of my favorite things to do, I came across the quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

In between my project of recording the book excerpts I’ve been planning for a raised bed garden — a first for me. Years and years ago we had a garden plot in our yard dug by rototiller, but then it fell to the wayside — as the busyness of life can sometimes steal right from under you.

But this new way of gardening with raised beds really appealed to me. If I start small, I thought, I can manage it more easily and add more the following year if I wish. Scouring the internet I found this 4 x 4 raised bed plan I fell in love with. I especially love the bench on each side. Nice for sitting to plant seeds, weed, and pick the crops when ready, while appealing to the eye. But I’m also envisioning it as a lovely place to just sit and relax sometimes.

I purchased organic seeds from Everwilde Farms and after receiving them realized I’d forgotten to order spinach and swiss chard. In the back of my mind, I worried I wouldn’t have enough room for everything I want to plant thinking I’d just have to plant some things in containers.

It was a few hours later when John mentioned that we should perhaps make the garden 4 x 8 instead. He had calculated out the cost for additional cedar and it didn’t add too much more to the total. I had my confirmation that the plans I had for the additional seeds I needed to get were a go-ahead!

Today as I dream more about this new experience of having a raised bed garden the thought of nurturing trickled through my mind again. As I continue to nurture my relationship with Gidget even though she is no longer here physically, I’m reminded of her potent teaching to continue to nurture my inner world.

As I plant vegetable seeds I nurture my connection to the earth and nature. As I harvest the crops I help to nurture the insides of our bodies with good food, which helps nurture our minds and spirit. This brings me full circle back to the quote above — and how when we take care of our inner world, the outside world by default reflects this back in the most beautiful way.

XO,

Barb

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Journey into the Woods Alone

Posted by Barbara Techel

For the past few weeks I’ve had this inner nudge telling me to walk in the woods alone—a small wooded area only five minutes from my driveway.

Now that I did, it sounds silly to say that I had fear about doing so. But it’s the truth. When I shared this with John last night he smiled and asked, “Why?” 

His smile helped to lessen my fear a bit. It’s not like I’ve never walked in those woods before. Though each time I have it’s been with at least one of my dogs. And it’s not like it’s a huge, dense forest. And did I mention I live in the village, so there is an athletic field next to the woods, plus you can see homes along the woods edges in certain places?

But John’s smile was the extra push I needed, along with listening to some speakers recently talking about the Native American and Indigenous cultures of which I find myself leaning more and more into, that I knew I needed to take more time to connect with nature.

The small woods near my house have areas of wooden steps along the path that Boy Scout troops took the time to put in place years ago and continue to maintain. We live in a glacial area, so the wooded area has some steep inclines.

Listening to author, Tamarack Song yesterday who shared on Heartbeat of Mother Earth summit, that being in nature is vital to our well-being, was the final nudge I needed. So much does he believe this, living in Northern Wisconsin in the woods, that he does not even have indoor plumbing. That’s right…he does his business outside. Okay, that’s a bit much for me.

So around noon today, after working on an essay that I’ll be offering as a free gift soon (stay tuned), I needed a break. I bundled up in my winter coat, mittens, and boots.

And out the door I went, leaving the dogs behind and my cell phone. Even though I had the urge to turn back and get my phone for the camera in case I wanted to take a photo. Or what if I fell and needed help? And guilt wanted to walk with me for leaving the dogs behind — but neither able to navigate the snow and ice well, being one with IVDD and one with arthritis, and both seniors.

Just go! I scolded myself.

The wind bit my face, but I remembered what Tamarack said. We can’t control the weather, but we can accept it and welcome it. And so I changed my thought to ahhhhh, I’m breathing in fresh air.

Once I got to the woods entrance, it was crunchy snow, about 3 inches, covered in many places with ice. I worried I’d fall as it is a steep hill.

But no, I said I was going to do this. Keep going! I told myself. I used the trees as my anchors, holding onto a branch here, a trunk there, and slowly down the first incline I went.

I thought about how walking years ago was a hurried thing, a work out, a way to stay in shape, lose weight, stay firm, pressure to stay thin, etc. And I realized during all those years it really wasn’t fun or relaxing. Most times I couldn’t wait for it to be done and it was stressful.

Now was another chance to put that to rest. Today, right now. To connect with myself and nature. No goals. No other reason. Just be.

And so I walked in an open-minded way to whatever would unfold. I heard the rustling of leaves blowing in the wind – leaves that had turned brown and crunchy, but still held on. I saw a nuthatch bouncing along a large tree limb. I could watch them all day – such funny, energetic, little creatures.

As I climbed a small hill, the next part of the path would be another steep incline down, though wooden steps and wood railing in place to make the trek down a bit easier. But yet I could see it was covered in much ice.

Just then I glanced down and saw the perfect stick to make my walking stick – to hold in my right hand as I held onto the railing with my left. And slowly I began my decent and with each step I took I did so mindfully and as if a meditation- grateful to have my feet upon the earth.

On the final push up the last hill, the sun glistening on the snow I relished in hearing the sound of the walking stick hit the crispy snow as I took each step to the top of the hill.

Coming out of the woods I thought about discarding the stick. Would it be silly of me to walk back through my neighborhood with this stick? I wondered. But yet, I didn’t want to leave it behind. It had become my friend.

And so it made the final trek home with me. As we walked, I thought about what I’ve been learning about indigenous ways of being, and how it resonates not only as healing for ourselves, but for this planet by being more in connection with Mother Earth. And in honoring and being respectful of her.

When I got home I set my walking stick right outside my writing cottage door – to serve as a reminder that taking a break and connecting with nature is not only vital to my well-being – but to all beings.

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