The little path is steep and my feet are dirty.
The sun is slowly hiding behind the mountains,
so I can climb to the yurt, where the air is comfortable now.
 

The garden hose on a bamboo stand,
makes a nice temporary shower,
so I can wash bits of the garden from under my fingernails.

Today I’ve stacked rocks, pulled out weeds and watered trees.
When I think of all that we are planning to build, I feel like I’ve done nothing,
though I know this is what needs doing and I’m giving it my best.

Slowly I’m learning to trust the pace of this life,
To let go of expectations and fears,
and to enjoy the dance.
 

This summer has thought me how much chaos hides in nature,
how incredible friends and community are,
and how important it is to celebrate little successes.

Celebrating life
 

When you’ve left behind
the popular idea of success:
a house with a fence and a tree,
a career and a shiny car.
What is left to celebrate?
What is there to achieve?

Is succes finishing what you had planned?
Earning money with what you imagined?

Or is it behind this all?

Can true success be the ability
to enjoy every little step?

Isn’t wisdom the ability to appreciated things,
while you have them?

And isn’t it truly worth to celebrate,
those moments that you find yourself surfing on the waves of life,
able to see the beauty in every movement,
going up and down,
and on and on.

Around our valley
 

In august the villages surrounding our valley fill up with people. From Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and even from abroad, Portuguese families return to the villages of their (grand)parents. We spend a few days at the summer parties in Pai das Donas, our closest mountain town, and we absolutely loved it! We learned that so called ‘fishes from the garden’ are fried green beans, we learned a little bit about how to sing the Fado of the mountains and we understand better the families, organization and history of this place. Next year we will help to organize the annual parties, for which we will probably have to go to Lisbon for a meeting.