present

204 pm. The day I arrive at Deer Park Monastery. Friday January 9.

The last of my food is cooling. I finished all correspondence.

As a result, I don't have a lot to write. A bit is in grandma's birthday letter. I came up to the monastery yesterday with Julie and her two kids (the monastery is open for visitors most Thursdays and Sundays). I held a baby (one year old) for a long time (never have done this that I remember) during walking meditation and dharma discussion. How much she could be moved/rearranged and still sleep, or even how to pick her up, I wasn't sure at first. I saw a five- or six-year-old practice mindfulness and awareness and peacefulness at the sound of a bell (which a monk helped him 'invite to ring' at one point). Kai would shut his eyes, 'little prince' eyelashes, and I'm not sure how to describe his expression. The rest of the time he often runs around wanting you to climb trees, play tag, answer questions (he also sleeps sometimes). He was quiet some of the car ride up. He also shared how he liked to focus on the sound of the bell and to hear the birds during the dharma discussion.

and he ate mostly in silence during the first 20 minutes of our mindful meal, while his sister (Kaia) wobbled around making baby noises, and a monk went to encourage Julie to come back in with Kaia after Julie took her outside--they want to include the children and let them be children.

There were also 6 or 7 students from High Tech High. I liked being with them in the dharma discussion, as a contrast to being with highschoolers on the challenge course. They shared about what happened for them during a mindful minute we had at the beginning of the discussion, and, later, what they already knew or thought about meditation. The adults, except for their teachers, were mostly in another circle.

There have been some other events too-- maybe I'll just copy in parts of an email I wrote to Don.

----

Don,
I'm about to begin a new adventure: two weeks at Deerparkmonastery.org (?) near Escondido. Not sure whether I'll continue working on becoming a sailor, though I do have all the documents needed now (the free training school I was thinking of getting into has a 6mo wait list).

Maybe after these next two weeks I'll have new ideas of where I'm headed.

I liked hearing about your winter adventures, though I'm sorry about your dog. I'm impressed you had vegetables to harvest in your winter--probably in your greenhouse and also root crops and brassicas. . .

I'll be camping out for two weeks at the monastery probably. It is cheaper than staying indoors and also challenged me to get various things ready for colder and rainier weather than in the summer Sierras. I also finished sewing some ultralight pants, since they want long pants and sleeves at the monastery.

unfortunately I just got a ticket this morning for having a fire and trespassing on a local openspace preserve near the monastery. I came up a day early. I was lazy and foolish (drying a sleeping bag on a bush: look at me! Visible from a trail on which a truck could drive + they happened to be coming to that spot to close off an illegal trail), practically asking to be caught--had lost my fear (unfortunately or not). Not sure how much that will set me back. Have to show up at a court by March 9. Maybe there will be alternatives to paying with money (jail, community service). The fire, a misdemeanor (more serious), the trespassing, an infraction. They refrained from giving me another misdemeanor (for camping) and another infraction (for leaving the trail). 200 yards further, I could have been off the preserve. Well. I've got some of my fear back and have now hid away from a road while waiting for the hour for arrival at the monastery. . .

The main goal now for me is to do more things in community--which this monastery emphasizes. We'll see where this leads.

let me know if you head this way again!

I did make it into TJ for a dental checkup--that was another adventure.

----- (end of email excerpt)

Also: Wednesday I got more done in a day than I usually do in a month, or at least a week. All the sewing, then I set off in the dark to buy a foam pad (-$10) and to wash clothes at a laundry mat. Uploaded photos, called mom, arranged trip up with Julie, and that is most of it.

----

There will be lessons--

mindful eating I will focus on. . . Chewing thirty times?

And in paying the state too. Would love to not be this separated person with illegal tendencies, and instead be a legal part of a legal community with legal and even widely respected practices.

peace & creative love and time to head on down there, maybe I'll jump 30 min?

Appreciating,