nine

Amanda at Soulemama recommended The Tassajara Bread Book , and we've been enjoying the three-layer cornbread and the whole wheat muffins with raspberry jam. i've also moved on to another book by the same author called Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings: Recipes and Reflections. it mixes advice and stories about cooking with observation from the author's experience with Zen. quite nice. these lines have been on my mind for a few days. please pardon my addenda.

Some of my companions complained about missing meditation or lectures
in order to prepare meals or clean up after them.
they seemed to think that Zen [life] was happening somewhere else
and that the kitchen workers [mamas] were missing out.
i would remind myself what our teacher said,
that work [mothering] is also spiritual practice,
another opportunity to see into the nature of things.
i decided that i would prove it was true,
that i would work as though it was indeed spiritual work.
i didn't know any better.

p.s. i don't put those links to Amazon in these postings because i think you should buy the books. i just want to give you an idea of what it is i'm talking about. i certainly don't buy the books. go to the library! make interlibrary loan your friend!