e.i.b: Eating Curry

and witnessing expanding peonies.

In the span of about 3 hours, Nathan (human husband), Ernest (dog companion), and I connected with almost all of the neighbors we know. We realized it after returning home with our food truck take-out dinner.

It felt like an ‘experiments in belonging’ achievement.

It’s not a written out goal of mine but I do intentionally seek to nurture the neighborhood in which I live and to have the neighborhood nurture me in return.

As we were driving out of the neighborhood earlier, we waved over to a neighbor while he was gardening. This neighbor has gifted me not only most of the plant starts for my container garden but also lots of gardening experience, knowledge and wisdom.

We stopped at another neighbor’s home to return a knife that Nathan had just sharpened for them. We chatted for a bit, letting the dogs run around while admiring their chickens. She gave us freshly made paneer curry to go.

Upon returning home, Nathan saw another neighbor walking down our driveway. He had wanted to deliver something to us but since we weren’t home, gave the gift to our landladies.

With a smile, he said he’d be right back with more.

I enjoy garden surprises, and we’ve received several from him, but usually they’re later in the summer season. I wondered what it was.

He came back, Ernest barking at the door. A beautiful bouquet of pink and white peonies! Oh my. Absolutely stunning. A rain storm was on its way which called for them all to be cut.

All these gifts—plants, knowledge, curry, flowers, and more from these neighbors and several others—in a way a lot of them could be deemed mere “excess.”

The flowers needed to be cut to not be ruined. The plant starts needed to be planted and there was no more room in his garden. The curry needed to be eaten.

But they’re not considered excess because they have all been shared. They’re in the realm of abundance.

It’s this realm of abundance that experiments in belonging (e.i.b.) attempts to tap into. This approach to belonging with one another, with ourselves, with our surroundings with and through abundance.

How does abundance reveal itself in how you experience your neighborhood?

Til tomorrow,

Cassandra