Monarch Hanging Out in the Garden

While pulling dead morning glories off the garden fence, i happened to see a monarch butterfly resting on a vine. I tiptoed away to the compost pile, laden with dead vines, but did not return to that area to do any more pulling and yanking.

When a beautiful mind state happens to arise, it's good to first of all notice it. Despite the tossing and turning of the mind, suddenly the mind is calm or peaceful or infused with love.

We sit with that beauty as long as we can pay attention.

And then it flutters away.

Zucchini: While It's Still Small

I picked my first zucchinis this morning. I caught them while they are still less than 8 inches long. Whew!

We try to catch our bad habits while they are still small, still just a thought in the mind. We pay close attention to that thought, just as we (hopefully) pay close attention to that baby zucchini.

Sink into that thought, whether it's irritation, impatience, desire, or what have you. Label it. Label it out loud, so that you can hear yourself being mindful. Label it out loud, so that you can hear mindfulness above the inner din.

I'll be eating zucchini for dinner this evening.