Bricks and Bones: May 2005

Mushroom Poem

I am kind of a sap for Mary Oliver poems, and I am fungofile, so I would like to share a poem by Mary Oliver called Mushrooms:

Mushrooms

Rain, and then
the cool pursed
lips of the wind
draw them
out of the ground --
red and yellow skulls
pummeling upward
through leaves,
through grasses,
through sand; astonishing
in their suddenness,
their quietude,
their wetness, they appear
on fall mornings, some
balancing in the earth
on one hoof
packed with poison,
others billowing
chunkily, and delicious --
those who know
walk out to gather, choosing
the benign from flocks
of glitterers, sorcerers,
russulas,
panther caps,
shark-white death angels
in their torn veils
looking innocent as sugar
but full of paralysis:
to eat
is to stagger down
fast as mushrooms themselves
when they are done being perfect
and overnight
slide back under the shining
fields of rain.

A Rainy Day Post

It has been an unusually rainy day here in Boulder. It changes the mood. I was glad to stay inside today and get things done. We have many little details to take care of for the wedding, and then there are a million other things to do that didn't get done during school. I don't mind though. It feels great to be getting my life organized.

I have started exercising again. That more than anything seems to be helping my back heal and grow strong again. I have also been doing a lot of yard work, which I really enjoy because it gets me outside and connected with nature. Tomorrow I hope to start gardening, weather permitting.

Katie had surgery to remove a non-cancerous lump from her breast on Monday. It went well and she is recovering quickly. Thanks to everyone who called, brought food, sent things, etc. She felt very loved and supported.

One of the dogs that I grew up with died this week. His name was Duffy and he was 14-and-a-half years old. I chose him from a litter of puppies when I was eleven. He was a sweet and lovely dog. I am sad that he died, but I haven't lived at home for so long that I don't see him very often. I am sure I will feel his absence next time I am home though. I wonder how the other three dogs will adjust to his absence.

With this rain I can feel another bout of mushroom obsession coming on! Hopefully we will get some good shrooms poping up in the next few days. Last year I suddenly became obsessed with mushrooms, and bought something like 10 books on them. They are amazing creatures that can be used for healing, reclaiming chemically polluted land, good eating, and they have a huge impact on any ecosystem that they are part of. I am hoping to go to the Telluride Mushroom Festival in August. For more info on how amazing mushrooms are go to www.fungiperfecti.com.

Happy Hour at The Med - Semester End Celebration

The semester is finally over, and I think it was the hardest one yet; I got sick three times and my back went out during finals week. Not surprising really, given that I stopped exercising about three months ago. And here I am in front of the computer again. Oy ve!

I can finally feel my body beginning to unwind from all the stress. I've found that the best remedy is yardwork, house cleaning, and hanging out w/friends. Blogging is fun too, but I've had enough computer time to last me a good while.

It is gearing up to be a busy summer, with (no joke) four weddings and a funeral. One wedding is mine, one is my dad's, one is my cousins, and one is my friend Fabian's. The funeral is my grandfather's. The summer will also include a honeymoon, a surgery (to remove a non-malignant lump from Katie's right breast), an EMDR training, and the completion of my thesis proposal. Is that enough?
For at least three summers?

I need about a month of doing nothing, but it turns out I may not have more than a few days. At least it will be a rich summer.

Above are pictures from the second-year (soon to be third-year) Somatic Psych students celebrating the end of the semester at The Med. Great food, fun people, and no more 12-page papers. To see all 64 pictures, follow this link.