Earth Day 2019

 Mother Earth, this day

may all that dwell upon you

 

 

venerate your name. 

~delayne.

Happy Earth Day!

The folks at Punchbowl (who provide my blog widget) tell us that today is Earth Day. Here in Minne-snow-tah -- where just last week, it seems, there was more snow here than we knew what to do with -- we natives are celebrating what finally feels like spring. We can come up with no END of things to do to celebrate this fabulous day! But if you're at a loss, hopefully these suggestions off the top of my head will get you started:

•  Grab that pail of sidewalk chalk and draw a big, smileyface Earth at the end of your driveway. Add a verse or just a word balloon that says "Happy Earth Day!" Live in a condo or apartment? Draw something cheery on an empty parking space or shared sidewalk. Someone will appreciate it when they return home tonight. :)
• Roll up your sleeves, catch some UVs, take a stroll around the block and smile and wave at everyone you meet.
• Kneel down and look (really LOOK) at those teensy green bits that are already reaching out for the sun. Pull back a handful of matted leaves and notice that all sorts of living, crawling things are busy celebrating today, too.
• Sun tea. You don't need anything fancy; just a jar and some tea bags. Fill the jar with water, lower a bunch of tea bags into it, screw on the lid, and set it in the sun. Don't like tea? Grab a coffee filter, add some ground coffee, tie the filter closed, and follow the above directions.
• Hammock up, if you've got one. Pull it into the sun, relax, and watch clouds. No hammock? Throw a quilt on the ground, pull up a lawn chair, or claim a park bench. No clouds? Check out the heavens. You'll be surprised once your eye adjusts to the distance. There are eagles soaring around way up there!
• Salute the sun IN the sun. Go slow. Hold each yoga pose. Feel worshipful.
• Dedicate a little gardeny bit to the fairies. Pour them a tiny dish of cream, serve them a strawberry or a chocolate chip, share something sparkly. Write them a note! Here at Tumbledown, they sometimes even write back.
• Make some noise. Everything is made of music and all will respond to your vibration. Want to get started? Take something simple, like a tune from childhood, and just change the words. Voila! Now even though it sounds like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' it's really a song prayer. A hymn.
• Open that bottle of dandelion wine from last year. Toast the earth. Share your glassful by pouring a bit of it on the ground. Yum! The earth gave you weeds and you give her wine. The eternal return.
• And the usual drill: Hug a tree, visit a nature center, get your fingernails dirty, feed the ducks, wish on a star, plant a seed, wear something green, fill-in-the-blank. And check out the Earth Day site (www.earthday.org) for more info.

Now you got it!

But you don't need ME for ideas, do you?, you creative kindred spirit, you. SO:

"Enjoy your wonder-filled day
Your own special way,
And then tell me all about it, 'k?"

(Shutting up now. Promise!)

:)
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Happy Earth Day!

Today, take a moment to happydance the Earth well.

Serenade her with song and laughter and joyful noise.

Make her smile with your shenanigans.

Read to her a story about flowers. (Or -- even better! -- write her one.)

Touch her beautiful young/old face with your bare hands. (Minnesotans, take those mittens off!)

Give her a gift of honey and wine and wellwishes and water. And words.

Write her a love song. (Sing it at sunset!) Or a love letter. (Tie it to a tree!)

Share your bread with the birds so they tickle her ribs with nibbles. Share your kitchen scraps with the worms so they calm her with caresses.

Bow your head and kiss her on the cheek.

And then thank her. For everything.
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