Ten Truths No One Ever Tells You continued, and What I Did Today

Ten Things No One Ever Tells You

6. Between writing the first Five Things No One Ever Tells You and the second Five, you will totally forget the second Five. Rats. But luckily, I've just thought of something else!

7. Look! That's one thing I did today, a lot of looking. This past two weeks has been a time of spectacular skies over our high desert. Sun, no clouds, small white puffy clouds, giant thunderheads, great gulley washing storms, hail, it's all happening. And through it all our mountains continually change color, depth, sense of closeness, moving in and out of huge cloudbanks, it is a feast for the eyes. These are the Organ Mountains, on the east side of town, north are the Dona Ana mountains, northwest are the Robledos. Look. Look. And look again. Let where you are, whether you want to be there or not, talk to you through your eyes.

8. And listen! Listen. Today I listened to the vast variety of birds repopulating our new build area as our plantings grow the welcome them. I love to wake to the sound of the mourning doves, though they are not appreciated around here any more than pigeons are in cities. But all kinds of other songs burst through today, and peeps from nests, too. And the wind. And my teen-aged neighbor's joy with his big, unmufflered motorbike. Hey, he doesn't do it at 3am, so enjoy! And the voice of the one I love.

9. Taste and smell the air and what you will. Today I inhaled the scents of the desert which are stronger after the rain. Iodine, flowers, trees, pines, a heady mix. Then go inside and slow down and taste what you are eating. If it isn't good enough to want to taste, go get something fresh instead. An apple, a piece of real cheese, some raw veggies will do you more good than that frozen cardboard thing you were about to put in the microwave. Practice tasting.

10. Touch. Oh, yea, dangerous one here, we do have lots of limits on what we're allowed to touch in our culture. But today I touched so many fabrics as I cut them to move on with three different quilt projects. And the skin of one I love. And my fresh-washed hair. And hot stones that have been in the sun. And my sore arm where I fell.

Whatever you do, please don't go through another day of life without noticing everything you can. More on this tomorrow...