On Stewardship and Catching Up

Stewardship has become a theme of the Alaska contemplations and since. I’ve been on an extended retreat since then, taking in and processing so much, including and after that astonishing voyage.

Stewards of the Earth being a preferred term for tree-huggers and their allies, we can all be good stewards not just of the earth’s treasures, but of those intrinsic qualities and gifts we all posses in common, and some that are uniquely our own.

(Except where I'm in them or where noted, the pics at my blog are all taken by me. You're welcome to share them, if only you would kindly credit me. Thanks.)

With several notions of stewardship in mind, we’ve more recently retreated at a beach bungalow that is 18 steps from the ocean (I counted) in Newport Beach, CA.

Along the water, shore, and sky there we encountered dolphins swimming free, a mischievous harbor seal teasing me, brown and gray pelicans, cormorants fishing, more varieties of wading shorebirds than I can name, flourishing tide pools, land formations that seem otherworldly...

 ...as well as one of several Laguna homes Lisa’s grandfather built. It’s a beautiful 1949-er with a guest house in back, not a half block and a deep stairway down to a beach....

...to a beach that is unknown except to locals. There the water is still so clear you can actually see the sand below the waves. That's out of this world amazing for the waters off Southern California.

Then we headed north of Santa Barbara to see Joan Baez in concert. I could write 'till the cows come home about that (and probably will). We’re planning another trip up the coast along Santa Cruz for next week, then further south where we'll stay and explore along the shores from Dana Point to La Jolla, charting some of the places where Lisa’s grand-mum painted seascapes. It’s all been part of our exploration, trying different towns, to see where we want to settle, up and down this coast and others where the water kisses the shore.

 

Through it all I’ve been writing and have devised a very productive method for getting meaningful creative work done. I’ll be sharing it here in due time as a Creativity post. 

Beyond all that, we’re having our floors redone. It’s quite a thing, moving out of the different rooms of your home, so to speak, without really leaving. That will be the subject of the next post, and how the process ties in with Stewardship.

Speaking of which, and by way of posting something I’m working on now, here's a poem I drafted yesterday. As you may know, I lost my dog a few months ago, had to put her down. Lucy had an enlarged heart--and what a huge heart she had. We got her as a retirement pal for Patricia, before the Cancer diagnosis. When Pat took ill, and after she died, Lucy and I took care, that is to say, we were stewards of each other. Anyone who has been through any great loss with a fur-friend for a companion will understand: I still feel I owe that dog so much. Here’s a poem I drafted yesterday about Pat, about all of us really, critter-folk and our companions.

Pictures Before the Sun Fades

by

D.M. Solis

It’s a pity we don’t have

the pictures others see of us

when we’re walking our dogs.

I come to this park to write

in the golden hour

before the sun fades.

I watch them after work

arriving from their showers

in fresh T-shirts and shorts.

The little lady on her cell

with her big old labrador

strolling along beside her,

the big guy drinking a large soda

with his little beagle trotting ahead

and side-to-side
sniffing the ground
all around.

The breeze is soft

and the shadows long

here at the park

where I wrote my notes

while she walked our pup

in the golden hour

before the sun fades.

Thanks for stopping by so we could catch up a bit.  See you again soon.  With great love,

Diane

P.S. If you haven't seen THE COVE yet, you really must. If you wish to view a trailer and more, scroll to my "Helpful Blogs and Websites" and click on the link for The Cove.  Peace.