A New Earth

If the weather is good, I go to my local farmer's market on Saturday morning. I say hi to the local farmers and merchants, and buy some of my food for the week.

This week for 23.00 I got four meals, which included crab cakes, eggplant rollitini, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Not bad for two of us. That, supplemented by fresh salads, and perhaps a few other things I have, will keep us very happy and well fed for the week.

I sampled some Cassis, had a glass of fresh current juice, and chatted with my many friends and neighbors along the way.

It is a pleasant time, a time of community and good vibes.

With the energy crunch, I see this style of living becoming more of a reality and necessity. By supporting local farming and merchants, we save on the consumption of gas by trucking, we eat fresher produce, we add to the local economy, and we build a social network and develop relationships which are sadly missing in today's society.

For a few hours I went to Karen's for a swim, and sat outside, surround by the woods and a large pool of crystal clean water, and read my new book, Eckhart Tolle's A NEW EARTH. I am relishing it thus far, absorbing his commentary on ego/religion/spirituality.

I was struck- but NOT surprised at the fact that the human race has killed more people in war and conflicts than all the natural disasters that we have experienced thus far. We are killing one another, we are killing the earth. In order to change this we have to change ourselves, transcend ego, greed, and power.

It is a lot to absorb.

Tonight's photos were taken Wednesday at Ground Zero. I had not dared to go there since 2001. It is only in the past two years that I have even ventured back to the city.

It was shocking to see the altered landscape, and to see the fences around it covered up with plastic so you could not see in. Heavy machinery was running, probably the same way it has done every day for the past 7 years. I though about the theory that the U.S. may have had a hand in it, or why other countries would hate us so much to do such a thing. But then I look at what we have done to many countries ourselves, and I am not surprised. When can mankind learn how to play nice? ALL of mankind?

I strolled in and about Trinity Church, always awed by the beauty of the stained glass and the quietude of a dark and silent space. I prayed to the universal God for peace and healing, and hope that we can shift our spirituality to a new level, one of forgiveness, healing, and hope.

Patti o Peace