yin/yang, the equinox

In Chinese medicine yin is associated with dark and grounding into the earth, while yang is associated with light and the skies. But it is important to balance the two. That is my lesson from today's qigong class, where I was fortunate to have a private session with my instructor due to lack of other participants. Today being the last day of summer for 2017 we can feel the pull towards winter as tomorrow marks the equinox. And while I enjoy the seasonal change, and find it quieting and reflective, I also find it it sad. The garden has lost it's summer brilliance, and yet there needs to be a time for quiet and renewal. Hopefully the fall will bring the rain again and cleanse the leaves that remain evergreen. The shortening days will bring us inside earlier, but living in the California bay area we are spoiled by the lack of extremes in our seasons, something I celebrate rather than long for.
I do look forward to wearing all of the products from my knitting needles, and crab season, more soups and quiches for dinner.

reflections on life

The temperature has finally cooled and I retreated to my special corner for a few minutes this morning. After a period of social insanity and heat, 15 minutes of knitting were comforting. One of the reasons I enjoy knitting is that it gives you time to think as you endlessly circle the stitches of a sweater sleeve. I was thinking of my father who never wanted to go anywhere other than Camp Taylor (Samuel P Taylor State Park). I often think that perhaps he had the right idea, he had found a special place and didn't have the means, time, or desire to seek out other locations. I consider myself lucky, that I have a special place I only need to walk out the back door to enjoy.