Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Little Gifts

On Monday Anthony and I went up to Petaluma for an appointment I had with my beloved reiki practitioner.
While waiting for my session to begin, I noticed that Pam was hosting a 14-hour one-day silent retreat with lots of yoga, meditation, good food and a solid hike.

As a birthday present to myself, I signed up. On a glorious second thought, I realized there is a dear friend with whom I've long wanted to share this type of experience and so I sent a text! Before you know it, this one day jaunt has become a weekend away in the North Bay, magic in the making!!

Going on a silent retreat is one of those things I've always wanted to do, but they're frequently too expensive, too far away and a big time commitment - someday, that would be perfect;
for a woman with a vibrant, multi-faceted business that's a lot to bite off.

One day sounds just right and if I find myself thirsty for more, I'll know with even more conviction that I need to do another, longer retreat before the babe comes.

Back here at the bungalow, the apple tree that was pillaged by the brindle squirrels in our backyard had one piece of fruit left, too precariously far out for the little buggers to get to it:
I've watched it for months, becoming bigger and bigger, more and more speckled with
ruby, until finally I asked Anthony to go pluck it for me.

I intend to slice it this evening and pair it with a sharp cheddar cheese and finish it off with some tea; today it is cold and raining off and on, perfect for sitting with legs tucked in and
a journal out.

Lastly, I am going to pack up this wise little book
(it's so seventies that the stories of childbirth refer to difficult moments as "heavy". I was born at the wrong time!)
for a ride on the Amtrak rails up to the Sierras and the arms of my in-loves.

Anthony and I will be back on the weekend and should anything find its way out of

it will be shipped on Tuesday
with love.

Have a great couple of days: I hope early autumn is
treating you well!

xoxo,
Sunny

6 comments:

Nialah said...

Dearest Allison,

Have a great time!!!
xoxoxoxo

M

UmberDove said...

Gifts upon gifts and SO much to look forward to!



(I'll kiss Jones for you too)

Cat said...

the silent treat sounds perfect for you A!
so good
love the midwifery book...lovely
another book you might enjoy during this season, purely for joyful reasons is "The Birth House" by Amy McKay
a spectacular read

have a lovely time away

love and light

jordan said...

oh, my heart skipped a beat when i saw the book...seriously, Ina May's writing is the best thing an expectant mother can read. you'll feel so empowered and ready to give birth - i read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and need to get my hands on a copy of Spiritual Midwifery. i'd love to hear more about your feelings on it...

silent retreat sounds amazing!
xox

ps - SO agree with Cat, the birth house is a fantastic read. i read that one early in my pregnancy and felt really uplifted by it as well.

Taddyporter said...

Love you girl! Have a splendid adventure but expect Jones to pout a little bit while you are gone....

A hug to you gorgeous mama,
M

Julia said...

This post made me giddy! I know we don't know each other, but the connection that appears between mothers just seems to naturally be there. I have such a passion for pregnancy and nursing and all that goes with it. It makes me so excited to see new mommies feel empowered! My most recent baby (my 3rd) was my first home birth...my 2nd water birth...3rd unmedicated birth. The home birth was absolutely magical! I adored my midwives and had the most amazing doula and I would never do it any other way. It was such a treasured experience as I was surrounded by most of my family, all crammed into my tiny bedroom. I just wanted you to know that if you ever have questions or just some positive reinforcement, I'm happy to be of service! :o)