Goodnight friends! Warming up, a cool greyish morning but by early afternoon clouds were well on their way to simmering off, leaving hot dry air with only thin dappled streaks and contrail ribbons. Powder-blue bellflowers spring up beneath the dark, cool shadows of oak trees and lacy ferns uncurl in the shadowy lees of stone walls, while pink cotoneater buds begin to open and thickets of golden grass whisper and sizzle.
Humid, stuffy sports hall a bit of a trial for judo, though not so bad as the last heatwave – or the next one that’s starting up, probably. We drilled a few slightly more advanced jiu-jitsu submissions, always a lot of new detail to absorb now I’m past our class’ beginner bracket. I usually feel myself really inadequate in live drills, but this time I was paired with a younger, heavier and much more athletic beginning white belt. It brought some of my progress into focus. In a contest of strength or speed I’d have stood no chance, but handling him in technical grappling was fairly easy and relaxed, I could feel his power giving me openings as he applied it.
May we hold ourselves and each other accountable and accept, and grant each other opportunities to gow with firmness, clarity and compassion today!
Image ID: Photo of drooping twigs of a linden tree, hard, fuzzy round seeds hanging from their tips, each cluster with a curved, slender pale green bract ready to whirligig them away from the canopy in contrast to the broad, heart-shaped dark green leaves.
