Vacant and Full of Energy in Everyday Ramblings

This is the vacant lot next to my place a few days ago. I love the unruly nature of the weeds and the old old trees. At first there was talk about putting a multistory parking lot there for the gym (that is now sitting empty) and lately a multipurpose apartment commercial building. Every day the lot stays empty those of us who enjoy it celebrate a little. The outdoor cats love it and one can often see one in the grass.

The deep blue purple irises are up. I was talking to Kes on the phone and walking last night and practically gasped when I came around the corner and there they were. The orange rhododendrons against the old Carnegie library in the corner are open and the ones in the park area next to the track too, making the vista from under my rain hood gorgeous and lush.

There is this beat up old black truck parked in front of my place and today it is covered in wet pink blossoms as the trees leaf out.

So on Tuesday I only had one student for my Caregiver yoga class and she doesn't speak English and was wearing jeans. It was an extraordinary teaching experience for me because my Spanish is minimal. I realized all I didn't know, like, oh say the word for feet, and left, and right and up and down. Eek! I was worried about her neck because she was watching everything I was doing very carefully and craning to see. I had to modify everything.

We did find a way to communicate and in fact it was very intimate. She understood more English than she could speak and the same for my Spanish, I could understand some of what she said. She has 7 children, the oldest is 17, and it is her bright bilingual 11-year-old daughter with the cancer.

She was able to relax at the end of our time together so I think I at least gave her a respite. She told me she had lost a lot of weight over the last six months and was very happy about that.

Afterwards I discovered that the encounter was so interesting and kind of wonderful that I couldn't get to sleep. Much to think about here during this gorgeous wet burgeoning time of year.

I am so glad I bought those rain pants.