Musings from My Backyard and My Book Releases in Taiwan....

I've got lots of pots starting to percolate and bubble on the stove, and in the meantime a few earlier creations are now completely baked and ready to come out of the oven. Am I hungry or what?

I just got word that my book, Lessons from the Monk I Married, will be hitting bookstores in Taiwan on May 31st. It's very strange to see my book in Chinese characters. Here's what the cover looks like:

 I wonder what the response will be halfway around the world. I am seeing people reading it on subways and buses. I see a woman, dressed to the nines, on her lunch break, diving into it over a bowl of steamy noodle soup. Maybe it makes her question what she has been doing all this time? Maybe she will suddenly get an undeniable urge to hit the road?

After my book came out in Croatia, readers from this mysterious land began to contact me via email and blog comments. Suddenly I wanted to know every thing about this place and its people. I watched a Rick Steves's show on Croatia and started to get a bad case of wanderlust again.

But my backyard is really not that bad, to be honest.

Since I live here, I don't think too much about where I am. I'm currently reading Jack Keroauc's The Dhamma Bums. There's a reason for this. It's one of the pots on the stove at this very minute that's about to bubble over. I'll let you know the details soon in another post, perhaps.

So here's Ray in The Dhamma Bums, traveling here there and everywhere, and where should the finale, the final destination, the place of dreams, the much-sought-after holy land be?

My backyard.

My digs.

The place where I grew up.

The Great Pacific Northwest, but more precisely Washington State.

You don't think too much about where you live until it is glorified in some book. And then, where you live seems to take on a whole new look. It sure did for me.

Here's what Ray in The Dhamma Bums says about where I live:

"The Northwest was a great deal more than the little vision I had of it of Japhy in my mind. It was miles and miles of unbelievable mountains grooking on all horizons in the wild broken clouds, Mount Olympus and Mount Baker, a giant orange sash in the gloom over the Pacific-ward skies that led to the world."

And that's just the start of Kerouac's description of where I live. This suddenly made me take a good, hard look at my surroundings starting with my yard. Here are a few photos of my garden and street:

Rainbow on my street the other day and towering Evergreens

My front garden fence with Japanese maples

Purple Clematis we planted two years ago now climbing the fence

Irises blooming and my reading table in the background

Then, I began to explore my neighborhood. I had no idea that less than a mile from me was an old growth forest, a babbling creek and a place called Hidden Lake, so clean it made me want to swim with the little ducklings there.

Lupus and daisies with the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound

Little ducklings swimming on the crystal clear Hidden Lake

My husband in an old growth forest practically in our backyard

Living in the one of the most wonderful place in the world! This is right in Seattle.

I can't say I still don't have wanderlust, but I will admit that I am starting to fully recognize what a dream place I live in?

Do you like where you live? Do you ever take for granted the place you call home?

365 Inspirations—348: Live Music: Pepper Proud & Whitney Monge on the Virginia V

"There's something about good live music. It enters your heart and then it starts to slowly spread out from there. It moves its way out from your chest, down your legs and arms and out through your finger tips, toes and top of your head. And from there it keeps spreading, just like love."—Katherine Jenkins

Seattle is a place where things happen. Coffee, music, books, airplanes, computers happen here. My students once asked me why so many successful businesses and artists come from Seattle.

My theory is that for much of the year it's dark and rainy, so people start creating. They create companies, songs, gadgets, books, you name it. This place is fertile for creation.

Tonight I got to see two up and coming musicians play AMAZING music aboard the Virginia V steamer ship that was decked out in holiday lights and docked down on Lake Union.

I saw Whitney Monge and Pepper Proud.

 Mark my words, these two musicians are going to make history and I'll later be able to say I saw them with an intimate audience aboard a steamer ship.

There's something about good live music. It enters your heart and then it starts to slowly spread out from there. It moves its way out from your chest, down your legs and arms and out through your finger tips, toes and top of your head. And from there it keeps spreading, just like love.

That's what I felt tonight. I felt a lot of love and creativity. I felt the stuff dreams are made of. The part that many of us have lost in our day to day lives. Music, good music, can carry you back. Good books can do that too.

I'm so happy I went to this concert out on Lake Union. It made my night.

Whitney Monge

Pepper Proud

Have you been to a small live concert lately? Did you feel moved by what you heard?

365 Inspirations—257: Goodbye Peru

Last night, after a brief stop for dinner in a run-down town, we made it back to Cusco (a seven hour drive from Puno), checked into a hotel, took hot showers, repacked and then hit the hay.

We woke up this morning feeling refreshed and met two of our friends for breakfast which consisted of homemade bread, scrambled eggs, strong Peruvian coffee and juice.

We then met our friend and driver Isa at the chocolate museum and said our goodbyes to him after sipping chocolate tea.

Finally, we made our way down the cobblestone streets to the Temple of the Sun and wandered around. At 1pm, we enjoyed a three-course lunch and then planted ourselves on a bench in the main square with two of our friends and contemplated our amazing time in this country. We then said our goodbyes to them too as they will return to Seattle a day after us.

Now we are high up above the mountains in an airplane headed for Lima. We have a six-hour layover in Lima and then we board an all night flight to Los Angeles and then on to Seattle.

We won't arrive in Seattle until mid-day tomorrow.

I am now reflecting with Yoon on our time and I will not forget it.

Do you often feel excited to return home at the end of a trip, or do you wish you could stay longer?

365 Inspirations—200: A Spontaneous Trip

Our ferry approaching dock

"Courage and willingness to just go for it, whether it is a conversation or a spontaneous trip or trying new things that are scary - it is a really attractive quality."—Alanis Morissette

The weather has been so nice, so I invited a friend to come with Yoon and me on a spontaneous trip to our family lake house. It's nice to get away from the city. We got in late, so this post is going to be rather short.

After getting a bite to eat at Ivars on the pier, we boarded the ferry at 9:00pm. It was so beautiful because the sun had just set and the city view was picturesque.

View of Seattle from Puget Sound

More soon about our spontaneous trip to the lake.....

Good night friends!

Have you ever taken a spontaneous trip anywhere?

365 Inspirations—194: LONG Summer Days

Sailboat on Puget Sound today

“I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.”—John Keats

I am just now getting on the computer. The weather has been so nice in Seattle, I haven't wanted to be online. This weekend, Yoon and I have made it a point to be outside as much as possible.

It doesn't get dark out until almost 10PM here! I absolutely love it. Last night, we walked around Greenlake at 9PM and saw the sunset on the lake.

It was so peaceful. People were sitting on the lake's edge staring at the crescent moon.

Today I cleaned house in the morning and then when Yoon finished with his yoga classes, we headed to Carkeek Park on Puget Sound with our lawn chairs and books. We found a perfect spot in the sand and set ourselves up.

The water was sparkling and the temperature was perfect. Families mingled along the water's edge. Some waded out to their waists. Cruise ships heading to Alaska passed by. It was a day for boats and water toys. We saw paragliders, sailboats, canoes, rafts, motor boats, and other floatables.

When we got home, I cooked salmon, corn on the cob, green beans and garlic toast and we ate dinner out in the garden. It's now 9:22PM and the sky in pink still from the sunset.

I'm going to go and enjoy the rest of the evening while it's still light out.

How are you spending your long summer days?

365 Inspirations—191: Summer Weather

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."—John Lubbock 

 Summer is the best season in Washington State. It's not too hot and it's not too cold. For the last couple of weeks we've had very little rain and it's been between 70-80 degrees everyday. For Seattlelites, seeing that shiny, yellow thing in the sky for days on end is really a treat that we may now be taking for granted.

Washington State tends to have a lot of rain in other months, so we really need to make good use of our summers. Our state has beautiful mountains and hiking trails everywhere. We've got the Olympic Mountains on one side and the Cascade Mountains on the other. On a beautiful day, the view is spectacular.

I try and get a walk in or sit out in the sun a little bit everyday! Gardening is another great pastime in the summer.

Today I went to yoga class again. I'm trying to get in the habit of going regularly. But today, after I type this post, I'm going to get ready or class and sit in my garden and do some lesson planning. I teach ESL on Mondays and Wednesdays in the summer, so today is my Friday! I chose to only teach two days a week in the evenings in the summer because I want to enjoy the days and the weather outside!

How's the summer in your part of the world? Is it the best season where you live?

365 Inspirations—176: Seattle's Abundance of Nature

“Earth does not belong to us; we belong to earth.
Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.”—Chief Sealth (Seattle's namesake)

If you are looking for a city with an abundance of nature, Seattle's your place. Trees, ocean, beaches, rivers, lakes, streams, forests, trails, mountains—it's got it ALL.

I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I had to go far away to experience all this beauty. It's right there in my backyard!

Today, on a walk through Carkeek Park in Seattle, a 10-minute drive from our house, I witnessed nature in all her glory.

Being a Washingtonian native, I've learned to identify various plants, flowers and berries...yes, it's berry season in Washington and we have an abundance of wild berries growing right in our city parks.

Today I saw lots of ripe huckleberry and we devoured many.

I also found a field of thimble berries and many of them were ripe and ready to pick. They were delicious.

Salmon berries are just about at their peak, but we found some good ones too.

The wild roses along the path by the water smelled divine.

It was the trees that really seemed to speak on the path.....and we were listening....

Finally, we meandered down to the ocean. It was low, low tide. We took off our shoes and walked along the beach with our feet sinking into the sand.

 The smell of seaweed and salt permeated the air. We saw crabs, clams, kelp, barnacles, mussels and even this guy.....a crane!

I felt so rejuvenated walking in this park and the amazing thing is that Korean food is also just a 10 minute drive away and that's where we stopped in for lunch!

I'm realizing, after my solo trip to the country, that often the best place is right where you are. I feel lucky!

Do you like where you live? Is there an abundance of nature where you are?

365 Inspirations—152: Gardening and Beethoven

Irises in our front yard

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life."—Ludwig van Beethoven

I had hoped to take a crack at the 75 plus tests I have to grade over the weekend, but gardening and Beethoven took over.

After a long walk at Discovery Park in Seattle, I came home and mowed the lawn and Yoon put our new weed wacker together and got to work. We even weeded the circular flower bed in the front yard and then we were pooped. We have a small fenced yard in the front and a HUGE backyard that we never even got to today. It was very rewarding to spruce up the front yard, but it left me exhausted. I like gardening, but I don't do it often enough and can only do it if it is in small spurts and not for hours and hours.

After a couple hours of work on the front yard, we cleaned ourselves up and got ready for a concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Yoon bought tickets last night online, but one of his yoga students ended up comping him tickets right in the orchestra section because she plays in the symphony!

He gave the extra tickets to two friends for a good price!

The concert was excellent. We got to see a violin solo by Alina Ibragimova. She was fantastic.

Anyway, It's now 11:30pm and I'm going to hit the hay with the sound of Beethoven still ringing in my ears! Before the weekend started, I did not plan to do either of these things, but sometimes what we didn't expect to do turns out to be the weekend's highlights!

Did you do anything spontaneous this weekend?

365 Inspirations—90: Cherry Blossoms

"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."—Khalil Gibran

The cherry blossoms are in FULL BLOOM at the University of Washington. There's been so much sun in WA since we got back from Hawaii that it's almost overwhelming. Not a cloud in the sky at 4:05pm!

So, after a vigorous yoga class, we drove down to the University and had some Thai food and then walked over to the campus and saw the gorgeous cherry blossoms.

Everyone was out and about and enjoying the beautiful weather and flowers.

My husband has really bad allergies in spring. I think he's allergic to grass. He didn't have them until he came to the USA.

Even though he loved seeing the flowers, we couldn't stay too long due to the grass and other pollen that is out and about this time of year.

For some reason, he wasn't allergic to any flowers in Hawaii. He was allergy-free. It just may be the place we settle down someday.

For now, we are enjoying all the beauty in Washington and all this nice weather. Things truly transform when the sun comes out, don't you think?

Is it spring where you are? Have you had a chance to get outside and enjoy it?

365 Inspirations—89: Bright Sun and Low Tide Beach Walking

"The land was not the arctic waste commonly envisioned, but a fertile paradise; Puget Sound, said one rhapsodic report, was 'the Mediterranean of the Northwest'"— David Lavender 

Today we went down to Richmond Beach in Shoreline and the tide was so far out that we could walk on these amazing sandbars. Normally the walk is quite short on this beach due to high tide, but today it seemed like we could walk forever if we wanted to.

We saw barefoot prints in the sand and seagull prints too.

The Olympic Mountains seemed HUGE. It felt like we could reach out and touch them.

Today I felt like Hawaii had followed us to Seattle. It is on days like today that I reconsider my thoughts about moving.

There is absolutely no place like Seattle or Washington State when it is sunny. The air is so fresh and mixed with the smell of salt water and seaweed. The sights, sounds and smells were overwhelming today. We even saw an eagle take flight over our head.

I'm so happy we ventured out today and got to walk in the bright sun at low tide. It was a beautiful day for beach walking!

Have you gone beach walking lately?

365 Inspirations—33: One Family and the Love of a Maple Tree (Greenlake, Seattle)

“For me, it’s more than just saving a tree. It’s inspirational that a little boy saw  something that he didn’t like in the world and stood up for it. And it actually worked.”—Kim Butler

Seattle people LOVE trees! We are the Evergreen State and we are very proud of our towering trees. People fight to have trees remain in place and would rather have the trees over anything else. For months now, I've been walking around Greenlake Park in Seattle and have spotted a huge Maple tree trunk elaborately decorated with fresh flowers daily! Someone obviously loved this tree and was saddened by its loss from the park. I have wondered for months now who has been doing this.

For a few weeks now, there have only been the remains of dead flowers on the tree trunk. I felt saddened to see this and thought the person decorating the tree trunk must have given up.

However, today, while I walked around Greenlake with my husband, I was thrilled to see that the trunk was decorated once again with an array of bright flowers! It made me smile. Several people stopped to view the flowers and I also noticed happiness on their faces.

So I decided to Google "decorated tree trunk at Greenlake" and of course I found the news story from the Greenlake Komo News website and most of this information here is from that story.

It all started with one family, the Butlers, in 2002. Taylor, the boy, was only 5 when he spotted a sign that mentioned the tree would be cut down. The young boy was so sad that this tree would be removed that he posted signs on the tree urging people to save it. He left blank pieces of paper in order to gather signatures and support for the tree.

The family's passion for the tree extended the tree's life by 10 years, but eventually it was cut down because it had split and was a threat to the community.

To honor the tree, the Butlers have been placing fresh flowers on the trunk for many months, but they decided that they'd like a more permanent way to memorialize the tree.

The kids, Emma and Taylor, along with their mother, created a fundraiser to raise money for a park bench that will be placed near the tree trunk. Many people have supported this fundraiser and they have raised over $1,200 for the bench.

I never expected that a little boy and a love for a tree could spark such a crusade to save it. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how young or old you are, we can all make a difference.

Here's their Facebook page for their Maple Tree Bench Project

Have you ever stood up for a cause you believe in? Are you also a lover of trees?