Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer · 6 Comments

Top of the World

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We needed to shift our world view.

The timing seemed auspicious. A full, “Harvest” moon. International Day of Peace. Autumnal Equinox.

Juice was in the air and the Bohemian and I were going to go immerse ourselves in it. Cloud juice that is, in the highest altitude on our island.

We walked through forest realms, looking closely at its infinite world of minutiae. We took our time, nibbling on purple lilikoi along the way.

lilikoi
lilikoi
lichen on the forest floor
lichen on the forest floor
peeling bark on guava tree
peeling bark on guava tree
fern - uluhe (Hawaiian)
fern – uluhe (Hawaiian)

Then, at the end, as we wove through a path of grass waving tall above our heads, the stalks parted like curtains to a stage. We stepped out, suddenly to find ourselves standing at the edge of everything.

photo courtesy of the Bohemian
photo courtesy of the Bohemian
Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

Sunday Afternoon

We are a cliché, the Bohemian and I, as we sigh at the end of Sunday saying, “The weekend is over already?!”

We are laughing at ourselves living out such a dreadful stereotype, but it’s no joke. Our ‘off’ days seem to go by too quickly.

We savor the haven of down time we do have, seeking out nooks of reprieve where we can.

The end of our weekend was spent with two nine-year old boys, sweaty and giggling, and spilling over with much more energy than what matched our mellow Sunday simmer. We steered them toward the bike path with their skateboards, then found ourselves a little pocket of paradise in the shade.

They practiced skate tricks while we reclined beneath the Ironwoods. Me, I took the ‘mom nap’, sort of resting, but keeping one eye open to the nearby concrete that was repeatedly bombarded with rolling wheels, skidding board tails, and random exclamations like, “Awesome! That was boss!”

That was Sunday…

Now it’s Monday morning.

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2013-09-16_glass jar ocean

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2013-09-16_Jeb skate

Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

Reality Check

It’s the kind of overcast morning that makes a person want to stay in bed. Even Moodah the dog won’t get out of the car when we pull up to our regular spot at the beach. I let him curl up in the front seat, crack all the windows, and move myself down to the sand. It may be muddy and gray, but I’ve got to let some wind blow through my brain.

Isn’t it interesting, all the distractions?

How islanders can work three jobs and let months go by without a day by the sea? How I have to schedule it like an appointment, these 40 minutes with nature in the morning.

And on this particular morning, there is a beast in my brain that is far from tamed. I am helpless, but for noticing, of this monkey mind in all of its reckless abandon. Incessant thoughts that topple, one over the other, pulling me from the paradise where I stand.

Yes, I’ll humbly admit that while grabbing my short commune with nature, the surrounding beauty was shadowed by the insignificant chatter of my mind. It’s a parade of starlets, these thoughts. How they enter stage left, take front and center spotlight like prima donnas, then exit stage right, only to be followed by the next leading lady.

Got to find Jeb’s spelling list. There’s that test tomorrow. Ugh, we haven’t studied.

Are there enough lentils that we can just have leftovers for dinner tonight?

If that check is not in the mail today, I think I’ll just make the deposit without it.

Moodah’s toenails are getting so long…

Cliffs draped in lush green succulents set the stage for me, small human that I am, to walk along its edges with these diva-esque contemplations running amok. I am bordered by an infinite sea, housing worlds I cannot fathom, but this morning, inside of me, it’s just a laundry list of petty.

Up ahead, clear springs seep from mossy rocks in a cascading shower of clarity. I advance in its direction for relief.

I get all the way in. Cold water spills, fresh, over my head, in my eyes, down my back and over my heart. I am immersed in the cooling liquid of pristine simplicity. My mind melted. Momentarily saved.

Thank god.

Reality check.

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