This morning I stumbled across an article from USA Today about the women's garden. It is a garden for women only in Kabul, eight acres of freedom and community. This garden was closed during the Taliban rule and turned into a dump. After 7 months of reconstruction, it opened again this past November.
The women's garden is a creative and beautiful space women can go unescorted by men. Five thousand pink rose bushes , thirty five hundred trees, grass, shops, fitness center, job training, a restaurant called "Always spring" and a little slice of freedom.
The shops and training are run by women, the gardening is done by women, even the police are women. This garden is a place where the women of Kabul can visit and re-discover their joy.
If you are interested in more: USA today has 15 pictures of the garden along with an article by Sara D. Davis. It was originally aired on 1-2-11 and reprinted 1-3-11. Today, is 2-11-11. Check it out! The article doesn't explain why all the roses are pink but I'll bet they are beautiful!!
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy space.
Denise
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A mini vacation to the laundry mat
The secret to happy cleaning is to look at it like an adventure. Act as if you are a writer on assignment, your job: Explaining how to love life's alternate routes and mundane tasks.
In an older home things happen. This week it is our septic tank. Apparently, something is amiss. We are on strict water restrictions until we get back flowing once again. Water restrictions means a trip to the laundry mat. I had never thought of laundry mats as a mini vacation but I was wrong, they are
The laundry mat brings back so many memories of my grandma. After she retired from the farm she went to work for a local laundry mat. Growing up I would often go to work with her. Until today, I hadn't thought of that in years. But this morning it all came flooding back. The easy pace, the relaxed atmosphere. There is a rhythm to laundry mats, clothes tossing in dryers, water swishing in the washers. Little carts rolling around loading and unloading clothes. Doors opening, the sent of tide and fabric softener fill the room. Just a little slice of life. There was no rush, everyone is calm, patiently waiting for their machines to stop.
I had 4 loads going. It cost about $6.75 per load, 30 minutes to wash, 30-40 minutes to dry. I didn't keep track of how long it took me to fold. I brought writing and reading material, water and snacks. It was the best little mini vacation. It was incredibly relaxing. The sun coming in through the big southern windows, shining on my back, there was plenty of room for all my stuff. It as great!
Of course I totally realize, I might be the only one in North America who would consider going to the laundry mat as a mini vacation. But that's only because I'm a little quirky and love new adventures, even if it is just a trip to wash clothes, but still it was nice. As for the adventure in repairing a malfunctioning septic system- the jury is still out. I may have to "dig deep" for the fun of this one:)
Happy home care,
Denise
In an older home things happen. This week it is our septic tank. Apparently, something is amiss. We are on strict water restrictions until we get back flowing once again. Water restrictions means a trip to the laundry mat. I had never thought of laundry mats as a mini vacation but I was wrong, they are
The laundry mat brings back so many memories of my grandma. After she retired from the farm she went to work for a local laundry mat. Growing up I would often go to work with her. Until today, I hadn't thought of that in years. But this morning it all came flooding back. The easy pace, the relaxed atmosphere. There is a rhythm to laundry mats, clothes tossing in dryers, water swishing in the washers. Little carts rolling around loading and unloading clothes. Doors opening, the sent of tide and fabric softener fill the room. Just a little slice of life. There was no rush, everyone is calm, patiently waiting for their machines to stop.
I had 4 loads going. It cost about $6.75 per load, 30 minutes to wash, 30-40 minutes to dry. I didn't keep track of how long it took me to fold. I brought writing and reading material, water and snacks. It was the best little mini vacation. It was incredibly relaxing. The sun coming in through the big southern windows, shining on my back, there was plenty of room for all my stuff. It as great!
Of course I totally realize, I might be the only one in North America who would consider going to the laundry mat as a mini vacation. But that's only because I'm a little quirky and love new adventures, even if it is just a trip to wash clothes, but still it was nice. As for the adventure in repairing a malfunctioning septic system- the jury is still out. I may have to "dig deep" for the fun of this one:)
Happy home care,
Denise
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Vacuuming as meditation, have I lost my mind?
Daily chore time is the most fertile time for creating and mindfulness. Think about it, these chores are usually repeated, solitary, thoughtless, times of movement. Isn't that a little like meditation? It occurred to me years ago, my grandmothers used their daily chore time as their meditation time, exercise time, quiet time, pondering time and who knows what else time. My grandmas both raised their families while living on dairy farms. Dashing off for yoga, to the gym for exercise or for meditation would have been laughable.
In our busy lives and tight schedules, cleaning and daily chores are usually more like mad dashes. This morning before coming into the office, I vacuumed. By the way, vacuuming done correctly, is one of the most beneficial cleaning tasks for the health and longevity of your home. When I vacuum, I vacuum slowly, breathing in and out with each stroke. I keep my shoulders relaxed and I move from foot to foot not twisting but more like a Tai Chi move. I listen, listening for dirt going up the hose, all the while keeping my posture healthy and athletic. I take slow strokes back and forth until I don't hear any more dirt. When completed my home looks better feels better, I feel better. It is a grounding and calming chore.
This calm practice beats, frantically twisting, pulling to remove surface soils. All the while the deep dirt that causes wear on your carpet and dust in your air and is still where it was when you started vacuuming. Not to mention, the stress on your body and tension filling your mind, while you rush to complete so you can dart off to your next task.
The benefits of mindful vacuuming are:
Improved indoor air quality
Increasing the life of your carpet
Making your carpet look better
Minimize damage to your body from the twisting of vacuuming
Deepining your breath
Improving your posture
Improving your ablility to focus- if you hold focus through the whole job
Improving your creativity by relaxing- letting your brain have a little vacation
It almost sounds like something you would pay to go do!
Wishing you a happy and healthy life,
Densie
In our busy lives and tight schedules, cleaning and daily chores are usually more like mad dashes. This morning before coming into the office, I vacuumed. By the way, vacuuming done correctly, is one of the most beneficial cleaning tasks for the health and longevity of your home. When I vacuum, I vacuum slowly, breathing in and out with each stroke. I keep my shoulders relaxed and I move from foot to foot not twisting but more like a Tai Chi move. I listen, listening for dirt going up the hose, all the while keeping my posture healthy and athletic. I take slow strokes back and forth until I don't hear any more dirt. When completed my home looks better feels better, I feel better. It is a grounding and calming chore.
This calm practice beats, frantically twisting, pulling to remove surface soils. All the while the deep dirt that causes wear on your carpet and dust in your air and is still where it was when you started vacuuming. Not to mention, the stress on your body and tension filling your mind, while you rush to complete so you can dart off to your next task.
The benefits of mindful vacuuming are:
Improved indoor air quality
Increasing the life of your carpet
Making your carpet look better
Minimize damage to your body from the twisting of vacuuming
Deepining your breath
Improving your posture
Improving your ablility to focus- if you hold focus through the whole job
Improving your creativity by relaxing- letting your brain have a little vacation
It almost sounds like something you would pay to go do!
Wishing you a happy and healthy life,
Densie
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