Midweek Meditation: Ricardo the Goose

Ricardo the Goose drinks water from a red bucket.

Braiding Builds Muscles

Hands down the best hairdo for sorting and working cows on a windy day!

Ladies, thanks so much for sharing your morning moments with me last week on this post.  So lovely to see the similarities and the differences….

Anyone got any wild or wonderful braiding techniques?  Do share!

What I did above:
1) part hair in center
2) french braid down each side, braiding as far down to the tips as possible; secure with hairband.
3) take one braided tail and curve it up from your neck along the inside of the french braid of the other side.  Spiral around- this depends on length of braids.
4) tuck the ends under and pin down on your head.
5) do the same in reverse with the other braid.

Essentially, the braid tails from the french braids are crossed in an X at the neck and spiraled around in opposite directions.
Hope this is clear! I just kind of invented it while fiddling.

And it’s a good arm workout, doing this to your own head!

The Horses: No.1

Houdini IS horse No.1; Boss, king, head honcho ~ it pulses from his very being.  This is the horse who, the first time I rode him, tried to decapitate me by running under the low end of a power pole guy-wire and, once I was off balance from leaning sideways to avoid the wire, started bucking wildly until I flew off.  Then he peed on me.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Houdini is in his late 20’s, very old for a horse but strong and capable and he had always been Mike’s working horse.  Sunshine, Houdini’s younger brother, is an angel but not fit for working ~ he refuses to go anywhere unless he’s following another horse.

Last summer, Houdini went blind in one eye.  He spooked too much to ride after that, so Mike got another horse, Kota.  Kota was cheap because nobody wanted him; he was young, green, and castrated late so he looks and acts very much like a stallion.  Around that time, I was given a young mare, Flicka, by a neighbor who could no longer keep her. 

Ranger, Kota, and Flicka became a tight little horse gang while Sunshine and Houdini remained a clique of two.  But horses have a hierarchy within their herds, whatever the size, and Houdini, though the toughest, was the oldest and the most disadvantaged and he was beat up, pushed to the edge, and starved out as Kota, Flicka, and Ranger kept him from the hay.

Within weeks, Houdini was skin and bones.  He was despondent and often stood alone, away from the others.  I took it upon myself to get him back.

I moved him over with Daisy and Sir Baby where he could get special treatment and plenty of food.  Horses have a natural air of superiority over cattle and Houdini immediately began bossing around Sir Baby, and nipping at him to keep him away from his food; Sir Baby idolized him in return.  This did wonders for Houdini’s ego and general morale, and he regained his status as King of the corrals and looks better than he has in years.  He has learned how to work with his blindness and is as comfortable when I’m on his blind side as the other.

Over in the other pasture, Sunshine became the one to be ostracised by The Younger Three.  So, I brought him over to join the corral bunch as well ~ he and Houdini have spent their lives together, and deserve to remain together.  They have the bulls to boss around and the best living conditions.  Ranger, Flicka, and Kota run in the other pasture….. more about them, later.

Pockets of Blue

Morning Star

Steadfast, I’ll Stand In The World
With Certainty, I’ll Tread The Path Of Life
Love, I’ll Cherish Throughout My Being
Hope Shall Be In All My Deeds
Confidence, I’ll Impress Into My Thinking
~Rudolph Steiner

My days start with this star.  Not every day…. but when it gets pushed to the wayside it’s never an issue of time, for the star itself takes perhaps five minutes to walk three times.  It is the matter of settling into the intention that can sometimes seem daunting; putting aside the distractions and generalnesses of life for a handful of minutes to completely feel, be in, become, the star.

It is a movement meditation. I stand at the top point of the star, with the legs of the star in front of me.  As I walk the star, I am always facing the same direction, forward.  I walk forward {Steadfast}, to the first leg of the star, and while I do I say the first line above.  I stop at the point.  I walk diagonally backwards {With Certainty} to the arm while speaking the second line.  I walk across the heart of the star {Love}, to the other arm, while speaking the third line.  I walk forward on the diagonal {Hope}, to the point of the other leg, during the fourth line.  I walk backwards {Confidence} to the head of star, where I began, while speaking the fifth line.  Then I walk a circle around the star I have made, closing all the points.  {There are hand movements as well but those I know I cannot describe in words}

On the mornings I do this, I have better days.

I am imbued with conviction ~ and with that conviction, a power, a calmness ~ that this life is not about what others think of us, but what we think about ourselves.

……. … .. .. . .  .  .   .   . .     .    .      .        .            .

ps: I did not grow up with Waldorf education; my best friend is a trained eurythmist and I have learned from her and picked up bits here and there.  My directions in words are probably confusing to read.  If there is an eurythmist out there who has filmed themselves doing the star and wishes to share it, I’ll post the link here!

pps: This photo dates back to when I was in college, back when I shot film and only film and spent ages in the darkroom. This was one of my closest friends from school (hi P!), shot at the Hotel Chelsea in NYC.

edited to add: While I was milking Daisy this morning, I wondered what your morning rituals are.  Would love to hear if you feel like sharing in the comment section….