What's been and What's coming!
Hello,
I’ve been holed up, or wholed in : ) this summer, and a bit delayed, or more likely stalled on my missives.
And I’ve missed you (smiling as I say that). It’s true though. Writing is a solitary pursuit done at least by me, not only because I can’t stop myself, also to feel a sense of connection to you.
---This is a titch long, I hope you'll find your way to the end!
And—
Pens and many notebooks have found their way into all sorts of sweet tender outside shady, close to shimmery watery sun spots this summer.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet, but you have seen photos— My partner bought a 5 acre tree-d, grassy, tiered, riverside—precious spot, on the Siletz river last Fall.
We have been ambling back and forth from Bend staying longer and longer t/here.
Falling in love with a place that rings familiar (from my growing up years)—big maple trees, humid air, green, green, verdant greens and rain-y.
And new— An undammed indigo dappled light spotted, fish jumping, muskrat living river running through.
A breeze from the big ol pacific ocean ten miles as the crow flies away, that is so darn delicious on my skin, it’s like the feel of butterfly kisses from a sweet two year old’s eyelashed innocent face, daily!
And to space out and/or deeply dive into the relationship between breezy wind and these big trees, each, honest to goodness, having a particularly different way of intra-acting togetherness.
To become an inhabitant of the seasonality of place; the timing of migratory cedar waxwings, bees and butterflies and moths, flowers blossoming and fading, thimble, black, and huckleberries popping, river slowing, ah…
I feel grateful, humbled, overjoyed, quieted, and curious.
It’s also been a relationship challenge as my partner and I have never really lived together before! Ack. Lots of edgy learning and growing closeness.
We are feeling our way into fresh ways of sharing and tending and listening, and contributing into a new community of more than human and humans.
And—
As I feel and see the quality of light moving closer to September I am also wanting to tend the community I am already engaged with. You!!
I mentioned in my last email Casey and I would be meeting to see what’s next for Wonder Uprising.
For the foreseeable future—in October that is, I will be offering an online zoomie.
With The Listening Course I created.
Bringing it to live-ness with whoever wants to join me and dip fingers and toes in this amazingly beautiful and evocative quality (shhhhhh) that is getting a lot more attention these days.
We’ll do— 5 weeks, 5 questions with prompts and presence and some love and laughter!
Details soooonnn…
And just a reminder The Listening Course–that is the already created emailed online stroll of 9 weeks is available anytime and at a tiered (pay from the heart) pricing model. It’s really important to us that our work is available to as many folks as possible. So reach out if the price point is beyond you!
If you haven’t checked it out here it it! THE LISTENING COURSE
Here are a few testimonials from folks who have done the online version!:
“The Listening Course is worth its weight in gold. I had one aha moment after the other in reflecting on my listening habits. I was blown away by the idea and reality of how much I’ve been shaped by listening.
At first it was a little challenging for me to really stay present each week to one question and once I settled into the rhythm I found it a great way to connect with myself. Just that was a win for me.
I’m going to do the whole course with my kids next. Thank you! "–Ann.D. Bend, Oregon
“Through the course I learned/realized how often I do not feel listened to. Then, Aha!, that I exhibit these same behaviors!!
How we/I often receive advice, dismissiveness, a quick fix, and/or talking over what the speaker is saying. We/I feel a need to interject our opinions, thoughts .. a knee jerk reactive approach vs a true listening.
-The course opened my ears….” –Diane, NY
“The Listening Course” is filled with gems! I came to this joyful understanding: Listening is like breathing. It is right here with me! Yes!
It is always available, and leads me to a soft, kind way of life. I love that! Every day now, my life is enriched. How simple, direct and wonderful is that!!? I am so grateful for Carol’s offerings.
–J.B. Redmond, OR.
“This was such an interesting ride. Very unique as far as courses I’ve taken go. The invitation to consider a question deeply and daily, with small moments of checking in, was super helpful for my busy life. Reflecting on who I listen to and have listened to over my lifetime with a birds eye view, i.e. educational systems, political systems, media, etc. was a huge eye opener for me.” Highly recommend this.–C.E. Seattle, WA
And lastly—consider reading:
Wild Souls by Emma Marris (she lives in Klamath Falls, Oregon).
I love the serendipity of finding her.
I had read an article by her from an April 2020 National Geo magazine that I found very provocative a month ago.
And a few weeks later was perusing the Siletz Library and there, front and center, was her book!
Chapter two titled, Our Animal Kin, was, well, so, so, so good!
I shared out loud excerpts to any human in my vicinity while I had the book in my hands during the past few weeks.
I ended up reading the whole chapter aloud to my partner on a picnic bench in a small grove of Sacred Redwoods near Brookings this past week.
I found myself choking up at the beginnings of many paragraphs. So touched and grief/joy/mystery so alive in me.
Have you had a moment when you read something, or listen to someone, and they express something you’ve known not from data or facts but some deeper more mysterious place in you?
---And in hearing it you feel so grateful for the person, in this case because they speak it so clearly, so kindly, laid out with a kind of unspeakable but of course spoken wisdom that rises off the pages.
And you want to weep, or shout or write or call the author and thank them.
Well that’s how I feel reading that chapter.
The rest of the book— She digs into some very deep questions on ethics and animals and well—lots to ponder and consider and learn with. Widening the conversation.
That’s it for now. There will be a more regular slurry of shorter emails in the coming weeks.
Big hugs and love to y’all,
Carol