Prep Work

I reckon I come from a long line of proud homemakers and gracious guest hosts. I reckon I’m the recipient of genes, skillsets, and qualities that run far back from a plethora of creative women and industrious men. Homage to my ancestors. To all those who have gifted me with the calling and ability to bring people together. I take great pleasure in hosting guests and organizing events. Preparing for friends & family to come and stay with us here at EM and preparing for organized events is something I wholeheartedly enjoy putting love and care into. 

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been in preparation mode for both hosting a day of mindfulness (DOM) coming up on June 15 and also having two friends soon coming to visit and stay with us for a week or so. Well timed too, as Mike just got finished with the main parts of the guest hut build, which will provide a lovely indoor place for one of our two friends to stay when they’re here. There are still a few things to tend to on the guest hut, including the siding on the back part of the hut, milling and then installing the interior wall cladding and flooring, and installing the two small triangle windows above the door & window, as well as trim and other finish work, but we’ve got it set up well enough for folks to stay in in the meantime.

Also well timed was the open call from my friend Terri who was giving away a number of their belongings. So we wonderfully picked up a few things from Terri that aided us in outfitting the new guest hut, including: a full bed with frame; a camp stove; a tea kettle; towels; bedding; and a few storage baskets. Thank you Terri!

As we have limited infrastructure here at EM, getting ready for the DOM consists of setting up the outdoor spot up in what we call Morning Sun Meadow, where we will gather after we take folks on a short walking meditation through the woods. We string up a sun sail for shade using three trees and put down a large enough area of ground cover for people to sit on with the cushions or chairs they are asked to bring along, using a combination of carpet rolls, blankets, and tapestries. We also do some other site prep like clearing larger debris from the main walking paths, weed whacking, and making sure all of our water stations are at the ready for both the purposes of drinking and hand-washing. Since we live off-grid and also without running water, the prep work entails a few unique elements when we’re getting ready to host folks to stay overnight or visit for the day.

Preparing for DOM’s also often involves me putting together a short practice talk to offer as part of our program, and crafting something small for folks to take with them. Here’s a sampling of what I created for folks to take with them for our upcoming DOM:

I plan on recording the talk I will be giving and posting it within a few days after the DOM. If you’d like to listen, please click here.

I am often inspired to make a few new practice signs when hosting DOM’s here at EM. And I also enjoy making an alter area for each of our DOM’s.

Okay, so now that we’re ready, having tended to a number of practical logistics with a splash of a little poetry of living, and now that we’re set: Let’s go! The practice wonderfully continues. Onward ho.