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Laughter of Earth
This morning, an oleander flower fell to the ground, perfectly untouched. Emerson said “The earth laughs in flowers”. It’s true, even on the ground it still spread the laughter, lighting up my morning.
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Ease
In my evening stroll, spring is breathing in the yard. Honeysuckle has started blooming, the special scent mixed in the night air is like a lullaby for the nose. The Peonies have closed up for their night’s sleep. The Sweet Peas are thriving, climbing up so high and wide, making our little path narrower. A…
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Easter & Qing Ming
It is Easter Sunday, also the Qing Ming Festival in China. Both are celebrating for the deceased ones: one for Returning, one for Reunion. In Easter, we celebrate with egg hunts, the Easter Bunny, with hope and resurrection. In Qing Ming Festival, we sweep the grave-sites and show respect, so to be reunited with our…
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Every Sourdough Is Different
What a morning! I started my sourdough last night, getting a little smarter with experience and tried to mix in some whole wheat and dark rye. I got inspired by some experienced baker who just pours without any measurements, just wings it. So did I, and somehow I managed the dough into the bowl. This…
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Sunset Jogging
Normally I jog in the morning, but this evening the sunset is too beautiful to be missed, I decided to jog to a scenic point to appreciate it. It was cloudy earlier, so when the sun set, all the clouds became layers of colors, crimson being crushed into the sky, and scattered out; people’s houses…
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Peacocks
In my morning jog, I heard the peacock’s piercing scream, it’s long and stretched like a loud trumpet but with emotions, very distinctive. I recall hearing them last year this time, but in the densely populated residential area, how can they raise peacocks? I’ve seen peacocks many times in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas,…
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Include
Include is a powerful word. When I meditate, I tend to be drawn towards pleasant sounds, like birds chirping, the wind chime’s melodic ding, while screening out the unwanted sounds, like a noisy car zooming around the corner. I realized I was subconsciously labeling the sounds while listening. To purify my meditation, I should include…
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An Enchanting Moment
Love to sit in the yard at dusk, doing nothing, emptying the mind so I can have space to soak it in with all my senses. It’s the most tender time of the day, watching the sky slowly darken, like the stage curtain lowering before switching to next scene. Solar lights flicker on one by…
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Oak Tree
On my way home, a perfectly shaped Oak tree stands out, just starting to sprout new buds. With a gnarled trunk and huge canopy, like an ancient bonsai, it poses quite a contrast from those tiny tender fresh buds, like many tiny hands reaching out to life. Life doesn’t miss any corner, going through every inch,…
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Every Yard Is a Story
Every yard is a story. I can pick up their personalities: Some are tidy, clean cut bushes, well maintained grass, stepping stones specially designed into certain shape; some are naturalist, bushes thriving into a little jungle, yet you can see the layers and how they each manage to get the sunshine; some are free style,…