"The Good News" Plus Short Meditation

 Thich Nhat Hann, the immortal Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist,  poet, teacher, and founder of the Plum Village Tradition reminds us to notice "the good news."  There is a good news story behind this picture from Prospect Gardens. 

While  working in the Gardens, I noticed a woman taking a picture of this bright flower (a sunflower?), which until that moment, I did not notice. The flower is a pleasant surprise  because nobody planted it. Perhaps a bird, an animal, or the wind carried the seeds from some unknown location. The busy bee by itself is "good news" for all of us. 

The woman turned toward me and after introductions, I learned she was from China. She had a warm and open smile. We had a pleasant chat which included her praise for the Gardens and Madison in general. She and her husband are in Madison for several months while her daughter attends the UW.  She took several other pictures before leaving and after I returned to the task at hand. 

I have had similar short pleasant interaction with so many other passersby while tending Prospect Gardens. The site is like a crossroads and the interactions are a reminder that we are all interconnected; one of Thich Nhat Hann's many important teachings.

Before sharing two newsy events, here's what Thich Nhat Hann says about paying attention to the "good news."  An opportunity for further reflection. 

Purple Aster: Prospect Gardens

The Good News

They don’t publish
the good news.
The good news is published
by us.
We have a special edition every moment,
and we need you to read it.
The good news is that you are alive,
and the linden tree is still there,
standing firm in the harsh Winter.
The good news is that you have wonderful eyes
to touch the blue sky.
The good news is that your child is there before you,
and your arms are available:
hugging is possible.
They only print what is wrong.
Look at each of our special editions.
We always offer the things that are not wrong.
We want you to benefit from them
and help protect them.
The dandelion is there by the sidewalk,
smiling its wondrous smile,
singing the song of eternity.
Listen! You have ears that can hear it.
Bow your head.
Listen to it.
Leave behind the world of sorrow
and preoccupation
and get free.
The latest good news
is that you can do it.

August 27th was a "good news day" as this crew spent the morning tending Prospect Gardens. Seated on the first step are Frosya, (on the left) and Olivia, who are West High School Leo Club members. On the second step, starting on the left, are Joyce, Laura, an Rebecca. This was Rebecca's first time volunteering. Please come again. 

Rounding out the crew are me and Percy with her trusty hand tool.  Ann B., my wife, took the picture. Ann, as usual provided treats, ensured that we took a break, and did her fair share of weeding and hauling the remains up the ramp to a pile that the city picks up . 

Thank you all for your good work. Leo Club members have been consistent volunteers throughout this season. A heartfelt thank you to Leo Club members. 

Here's Olivia and Frosya pausing from removing Bishops Weed in preparation for a major eradication effort on my part.  My intense focus - some would call it an obsession - on Bishops Weed involved removal of plants, covering the area with pieces of tarp, mulching, and replanting some of the affected area. The project is completed.

Here's Percy who helped remove Bishops Weed and then assisted in cutting and laying the tarp. Percy is a certified Master Gardener and dedicated volunteer who tends several sites. Percy gently reminded me that my efforts to rid the Gardens of Bishops Weed, should be considered an "experiment", with results known next spring. 

Thank you Percy for providing the tarp, your hard work, your skills, and for the reality check about the tenacity of Bishops Weed.  I await the results of our experiment. 

Meanwhile, if you are in Madison, come visit the Gardens. The Gardens now are a sea of yellow intermingled with fading pink phlox, faded Joe Pye blooms, fading Purple Cones and an assortment of other blooming plants. The scarlet red blooms of the Cardinal plants have turned into seeds, waiting for another season. Asters are beginning to bloom in shades of purple and pink, announcing the onset of autumn. 

While Percy, Frosya, Olivia, Rebecca, and I did the Bishops Weed project on the Fox side of the Gardens, Joyce and Laura weeded the Regent side of the Gardens, near the steps. Here's Joyce. Thank you Joyce for being part of a "good news day" and for your long term volunteering.

A report of "good news" would be incomplete without mentioning another long term volunteer, Laura. She dislikes pictures of herself. Laura tolerates my intrusion. 

Here's Laura with a ninja like poss. Laura is a warrior when it comes to weeding. Thank you, Laura. 

A blue sky enveloped  us while we worked. Another reminder from Thich Nhat Hanh's poem : "The good news is that you have wonderful eyes to touch the blue sky."  May you continue touching the blue skies as we move into autumn. 

September 3rd was another day to celebrate "good news". About a year earlier, under the auspices of  the Dudgeon Monroe Neighborhood Association's WATER Team, 1600 square feet of rain gardens were installed at the Dudgeon (Wingra) school park. Twenty-seven volunteers, totaling 63 person hours, planted 1200 native prairie plants. Sandy Stark and I co-chaired the WATER Team responsible for planning and conducting neighborhood level storm water related educational activities. The rain gardens were one of several activities we planned and conducted. The  plants were paid from funds under a UW Arboretum sub grant we received. Our sub grant was one of  five covered by an Arboretum agreement funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.  

 

Sandy and I planned a celebration of the rain gardens to be held at the site. We tried for several dates and finally settled on September 3rd. Plans changed because of heavy rain, thunder and lightening;  quite a contrast from the August 27th Prospect Gardens work session. Undaunted, we started the celebration at Sandy's nearby home rather than at the site. Fourteen individuals from four different neighborhoods gathered in Sandy's living room. Seated in a circle we introduced ourselves and talked while enjoying pastries and beverages. One of Sandy's two cats made a short visit.

About mid-morning, the storm ended and we made our way to the rain gardens. We celebrated how during this first season after being planted the rain gardens were thriving. The red cardinal blooms are especially stunning and the grasses are tall and lush. The special engineered soil that includes sand and organic material contributes to these healthy plants. 

 

The rain gardens with their deep rooted native plants retain water on site while filtering out pollutants. The result is considerably less polluted storm water runoff from the school's playground reaches nearby Lake Wingra. "Good news" for Lake Wingra and for  all of us.

Madison's City Division of Engineering has a goal of encouraging residents to install rain gardens as a way to manage and reduce harmful storm water from reaching our precious lakes.  The targeted goal is 1000 rain gardens. For more information about rain gardens see https://www.ripple-effects.com/Rain-Gardens

The rain gardens are "good news" for the threatened monarch butterflies. They are a feeding station for the migrating monarchs.  Here's a monarch that I saw on a sunny day a few weeks ago. Watching monarchs always gives me great pleasure. Helping them survive extinction makes these rain gardens special places. This one is feeding on a Meadow Blazing Star. The monarchs and other pollinators feed on several other native plants that are in the rain gardens.  

 If possible, during these waning days of summer, with autumn on the horizon, consider visiting the rain gardens. The Monarchs have most likely left on their way west, with some going to Mexico. The site is a public park located between Gilmore and Western Avenue, on the near West side, just off of Monroe Street. Wingra school owns the building and under an  agreement with the city is responsible for maintaining the grounds, including now the the rain gardens, with over 1200 native plants. 

That's the "good news" for now.  I end with a short guided meditation in the Thich Nhat Hann tradition. I don't know the author and this was one of the first meditations that I did. Try it, if the spirit moves you. Sit comfortably in a relaxed way, yet alert and slowly say each phrase while paying gentle attention to your breath. Enjoy.

Mindful Sitting

Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. 

Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

Breathing in, I notice that my in-breath is deep.

Breathing out, I notice that my out-breath goes slowly.

Breathing in, I calm my whole body.

Breathing out, I feel ease.

Breathing in, I smile (at everything — including my worries!)

Breathing out, I release (everything including all tension)

Breathing in, I am aware that I am dwelling in the present moment.

Breathing out, I know this is a moment of happiness, a wonderful moment.

Breathing in, I see myself as a flower.

Breathing out, I feel fresh.

Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain.

Breathing out, I feel solid.

Breathing in, I see myself as still water.

Breathing out, I reflect things as they truly are.

Breathing in, I see myself as space.

Breathing out, I feel free.