Perhaps it is no coincidence, but I am giving to birth to twins at the same time.
My first baby is a new/old area of my garden.
If you have been reading my blog, you know that I am a big fan of Feng shui. My old front lawn is now technically my back garden. For the past 12 years, it has been one huge grass/weed patch.
After many years of trying to grow grass and actually being successful at hosting a weed party, my gardener, Gabe Horrisberger and I are xeriscaping the entire area, which means we are putting in drought resistant perennials.
Much blood, sweat and tears have already been poured into the area.
I re-injured my right shoulder in March taking a pick axe to the old lawn in a futile effort to create the space for my new fabulous garden.
After admitting that the red Georgia clay had, in fact, licked me good, I set my pick axe aside, spent months healing my right shoulder and then taking up the project again this fall, this time with Gabe’s expert help.
Mostly Gabe with a little help from me carefully dug up the old lawn, tossed out the entire lot and created a path with red wire flags.
I went to ACE hardware and came home with 36 bags of cypress mulch for four new pathways that create interesting shapes.
Gabe went to Sol’s Nursery in Buckhead, which he says has the very best wholesale plants available, and came back with an assortment of fledgling spurts that already look so happy to become part of my landscape.
Slowly, over the past several weeks, this new project has taken shape.
It was a great triumph yesterday when I personally planted purple violas and a few sedums.
Meanwhile, about the same time the new garden area has been taking shape, I have been preparing for the Tom Bird writing workshop here in Atlanta. This is where I plan to write What Is Healing? Awaken Your Intuitive Power For Health And Happiness.
My friend Patrice Dickey, who passed away last month, had encouraged me to work with Tom.
“Catherine, this is right up your alley,” Patrice told me.
“This is intuitive writing.”
Unsure of myself, alternately insecure to the point that I have to tap my spleen regulator points to tamp down the worry, alternately ecstatic, hopeful, I am putting together my last preparations before leaving for the hotel retreat center where I am hoping to write my second book.
I talked this afternoon to Rama, Tom’s assistant, and told him how nervous I am.
“The more nervous you are, the more your book is dying to get out,” Rama reassured me.
As I was packing my comfy yoga clothes, shawls and sweaters and trying to remember what not to forget, I had the funny feeling that I was packing to go to the hospital.
Now if you saw me today the last place you would think I would be headed would be the hospital.
But I literally feel like I am about to give birth.
I even feel a little softer in the belly than usual.
I didn’t sleep but about two hours last night, even though I have been doing my tai chi, yoga and qi gong as well as meditating literally every day.
I half way think I am crazy, then I half way think that this is something that must have to be done, that is inevitable, unavoidable, part of my karma and also something like I have never done or said before.
My intention is to write completely from my heart.
I know how to teach yoga from my heart.
I know how to bead and knit from my heart.
I know how to love from my heart, how to heal from my heart, how to raise orchids from my heart.
Now I think I am ready to write from the very depths of my heart.
If you are reading my blog, please pray for me.
Even though I know I am divinely guided and protected, I am quite nervous as in the Tom Bird workshops you are literally expected to write 10 hours a day.
I never do anything for 10 hours. I am much more moderate and easy and gentle than that.
But my guidance tells me that I must go, and that it must be now.
I trust my guidance.
I listen, I follow what I am told, and all is well in the world.