Magnolia

I thought you might like to see the Japanese magnolia that’s blooming in the courtyard outside my window. For most of the year, this tree looks pretty nondescript. But every spring it explodes into a cloud of big pink petals.

In the middle of the photo near the bottom, you can also see one of the big green buds on the horse chestnut tree. I love that tree because it shades my window and gives me some privacy from the apartments across the way. We don’t really own it - it’s growing just outside the wall of our backyard, so it belongs to the neighbors. I’m always afraid they’re going to cut it down.


I did go to the Zendo for a few hours of yesterday’s retreat, and I’m so glad I did. It was great to reconnect with my practice after a dry spell.

In the end, I have to remember that whatever doubts and hesitations I have about practice are just more thoughts - just transient flashes of brain noise. Not that they’re meaningless. But they’re not really all that important, either.

What’s important is showing up, being on the cushion, breathing, being. Paying attention to what’s real. I was glad to be reminded of how simple it is. I plan to go back this morning, and then I’ll be back on schedule.