Friday, July 22, 2011

Gardening, healing, and summer love



Gardening in New York City is like reclaiming the character of the land of the island. To celebrate the diversity of this land I have plants indigenous to South America, Africa, England, the Native Americas, to name a few.

My brief leave from blogging is due to my newfound passion and my recent move. Moving has brought so much excitement to my life and the gardening has put me in the path of many passers by in the neighborhood. I have received gifts of plants from other gardeners and have given away some plants that grew as early as February indoors with the Northern Light of my former apartment. For instance Oxalis regnelli, Iron Cross, and Triangularis are now in soil adjacent to a playground. They are also at Video Cafe with some Scottish Moss. Moss is such a wonderful sign of life.


Now as summer hits a strong rhythm I appreciate the longevity of the various gardens both big and small.

One summer night after a very special acting class, I walked with a very inspiring and talented actress to the Hudson River along 20th Street. The Golden Sun was making his way and beaming as we made our way to Chelsea Piers. There, a truly wild landscape, that felt very private emerged. Imagine that! There were youth dance groups rehearsing and drilling their routines, dog walkers, cool skateboarders, gorgeous golden retrievers, and the sweet smell of the river. It was such a magical summer night. I really appreciated the open and honest dialogue that my colleague and I shared.

The heart governs the summer season bringing a perfect time for healing . As I unpack boxes , at an adagio musing pace, in other words a pace that defies gravity , I am making my way through saved articles for harvesting. Allow me to share two.

For actors and independent video makers, you may want to read an article from a recent Backstage feature entitled "Do It Yourself." This features practical info from actors getting their work out there. It is a down to earth business savvy interview .

The other article I downloaded from Middleway Press from a book entitled "On Being Human". Which reminds me that the second copy I bought of this book I promised to a woman in New Orleans. Another note in my to do list. Must get my assistant to get this out. This book has a refreshing style of its own.

Three very worldly men are having a discussion on how to master the art of living and question the true nature of health. The three men improvise a brilliant discussion on stress as the spice of life. The excerpt I was reading speaks of a Dr. Selye's contribution to this idea. They speak of stress as the fuel of life, a transformational perspective indeed.

How are you dealing with the heat of summer? Sweating can demand a recovery. After a good sweat from walking in the city to and from afternoon appointments, I applied the wisdom given to me by an acupuncturist. She shared a natural way to reinvigorate electrolytes into the body. She said to eat a kiwi fruit whole with a little sea salt.

Heat Waves are so extreme!