Welcome to an exploration of an integral life. Frozen Truth is written by Apollo Lemmon and is focused on discovering what it means to live a life rooted in integral consciousness. Spirituality, art, community, technology, fitness and other aspects of a fully engaged life are explored here.
I’ve been back in Dean, my first home, since Saturday morning. My aunt has been hosting a Lemmon family reunion, so my time has been filled with spending time with my relatives. It’s been a good time, with washer toss, animal noises and other inventive games, conversation, food and fireworks filling the day. I woke up not long ago and decided to make a quick update before heading back to the festivities.
It’s been nice seeing my family again; most I hadn’t seen in 7 months and others not for nearly a year. I have some real characters in my family, so it’s always entertaining to spend time with them. I don’t think it’s possible to see them without having a good laugh, and they all tend to be quality people in general.
This was my first family gathering since I became a vegetarian, but everyone was surprisingly accepting and accomodating of my change. Some of my family even made sure to let me know what foods were especially suited for me. I’m very thankful for that ease of transition, truly.
Being back in the country holds one exciting difference that I never tire of or neglect to feel wonder for; the stars burst forth from the sky with such brilliance here. When I stare up at them for the longest of times I feel a deep sense of connection with the universe, from all I don’t know to those I love deeply. It’s humbling and exciting at once to know we’re all part of something so vast and beautiful. If we’ll all be bright flames in time, why doubt the beauty of what we are?
This evening I decided to put together a stir fry with all the fresh vegetables I could find. I enjoy experimenting when I cook, so I mixed an assortment of spices together for the base and added tomatoes, orange and red peppers, mushrooms, onions, Mexican style imitation ground beef and bean sprouts. I was very pleased with the results, perhaps more so than with any other stir fry experiment I’ve done.
Also on the topic of food, today I remarked that I would like some chicken wings while at work because there was a sign above where we were sitting that advertised a chicken wing night in the long closed bar. I immediately added that it would have to be immitation chicken. One of my co-workers asked why I wouldn’t just indulge and even after I explained my vegetarianism she still thought I should have real chicken. Is it so hard to believe I’m a devoted person?
I must note now that I very much enjoy Trident’s new Splash line. Vanilla-mint and strawberry-kiwi are delicious. I’ve been an avid gum chewer since well back into juniour high. My taste has changed slightly in that time, with my perennial favourite Max Air always having a place though my lemon, cherry and cinnamon trends and my new liking for Splash. I’m always interested in new flavours, so let me know what you’d recommend.
My friend Alisha (who I must finish a website layout for) recently pointed me toward Daily OM, a “daily source for nurturing your mind, body & spirit.” Some of the articles are a bit watered down, and all are quite brief, but there’s still some good to be found there. In my short look around I found “Goddess of Infinite Compassion,” “Messengers of Light,” and “Selected Relations” to be memorable.
I have a great deal of respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and that is only increased when I read more of his words. He is truly an extraordinary human being and one of the greatest leaders we are blessed with. I included one of my favourite quotes by him in a recent entry and now wish to share another I’m finding especially important at the moment.
“I would like to explain the meaning of compassion, which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine concern for his or her problem. This is genuine compassion. Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that last only a short time do so because of attachment – although it is generally present – but because there is also compassion. Marriages that last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue may cause one’s projections to change. As soon as our projections change, the attachment disappears – because that attachment was based solely on projection and expectation. It is possible to have compassion without attachment – and similarly, to have anger without hatred. Therefore we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts towards world peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a nonbeliever.”
I’ve been meditating on compassion lately and noticing my failings in cultivating it. It’s often hard to notice our selfish moments and to disarm those actions that are selfish, but it’s necessary to better ourselves and to truly be part of the healing of this world. I hope to build the strenght to engage myself more deeply in cultivating true compassion.
On the star I wished,
straight for your true contentment.
I’ve no means to aid.
For a while last night I slept under the stars. Under the first I had wished and under the multitude I reflected, swaying in the hammock. I haven’t taken a lot of time lately to do that because I’ve been under the sway of so much stimuli.
I’ve long been an observer; I find everything that can be witnessed has a value when applied to our growth. Some things are warnings and some gentle enticements, but there’s nothing in this world to be ignored. If we do not engage in learning from the slightest to the greatest of experiences, we are only embracing stagnation.
I’m listening to Matthew Sweet’s “Time Capsule” at the moment. I often let it slip from my mind that he’s a master of combining somber lyrics with pop perfection. This is good, though, because it’s a joy to rediscover his music each time. If you want a CD to gave you an introduction to his work, Time Capsule is a good place to start, though his albums are certainly best when listened to as a whole.
What has this cocooning soul been up to? Well, lets start with Friday.
At work we began the day with a walk through the hotel we will be working at and the hotel across the road (between the hotel my boss and I passed two old women who quietly remarked, “They must be Mormons!” I think it’s safe to say that I’m as far from being a Mormon as anyone.). In the afternoon we toured Alexander Keith’s Brewery; it was an entertaining time, with the highlight being the singing of the woman at Stag’s Head Tavern. Next we took a tour around the harbour on Theodore Tugboat, which is something I’d be happy to recommend to families wishing to see Halifax from a different perspective. We finished off our “work” day with some time in the Discovery Centre, a place I visited countless times as a kid.
Saturday I embarked upon an Enfield adventure. I headed out to that sprawling backwoods metropolis with Robert, Rebecca and Nathan in a car that required one of us to sit upon Rob’s surf board. I got that honour and I must say it wasn’t pleasant for my neck. The party was being held at the home of a fellow named Luke and was beside a lake.
At the party were mostly those Enfielders (past and present) that I saw at the party I was at last year. They’re amusing folks and I was able to have a better time this year, being a bit less of a wallflower (and despite the overwhelming presence of testosterone, of absense of estrogen, rather). Among the best moments of the two days spent in Enfield were drunken swimming, drunken singing, sober swimming, hat wearing, truck stop dining and the grand bacon dippers revelation (Nathan, remind me of the ones I have missed). Not a highlight was Rob’s genitalia photo.
I was not informed about the party being on a lake so I didn’t bring swimming trunks. I’m not someone who normally wears underwear (I wear “none-ders” as one druken partier named it), so I didn’t even have that option. Today I gave in and swam in my jeans. It’s not the best swimwear, but it served its purpose well enough and I had some fun in the lake. Between that and my previous days of being outdoors, I have acquired quite a burn (my sunscreen was lost on Thursday).
There’s plenty I could mention about the party, but much of it you’d have needed to be there to get. It was a good time, for sure. One thing I forgot is the poster of “Irish Poets and Playwrights,” which, of course, included Oscar Wilde. This reminded me of Susana since he is one of her favourite authors.
You can find photos from all three days in my photo album.
I looked over the bank near my house when i was coming home and saw a marvelous rainbow arcing across the sky. Rainbows are bridges between here and “somewhere else.” Of course the somewhere else is what we always try to bring into our realm of understanding. I feel very engaged in that journey at the moment and found it a wonderful symbol to reaffirm the evolution I’m undertaking.
This weekend I moved enough to buy tickets to a destination I’d like to visit into my new “Launch Apollo into the Sky” fund. It feels good to do something somewhat concrete to help satisfy my wanderlust. It’s been years since I last left this province, and longer still since I was out of the country, so I’m looking forward to setting forth into the world. I’ve never been on a plane and it’s time to see what is above me and beyond.
Today’s adventure in hotel-sponsored fun was, of course, a trip to the Annapolis Valley on a wine tour. Five of my co-workers and myself were sent on a tour with the marvelous Valley Wine Tours and had a grape time. Ok, that’s a terrible pun. Please excuse me. I won’t try that again, I promise.
We visited three wineries and vineyards during our journey and had commentary by our guide throughout the day, but we began our experience with a three-on-three challenge to discern the scents that are commonly found in wines. My team managed to get the win by guessing more scents. It was an amusing way to get into the feel of what we would be doing for the remainder of the day.
Our first stop was at Sainte Famille, a lovely and welcoming winery. Of the three we visited, this was by far the most personal and warm. The owner met us and showed us around the vineyard before serving us samples of various wines made on site. It was facinating to learn more about the differences in wine flavours and scents, which I knew of only through talk my parents shared about wine (they make their own) and the very few times I’ve had wine to drink. If you have a chance to visit any winery in Nova Scotia, I’d recommend this one for the casual atmosphere.
Next we went to Domaine de Grand Pré, the province’s best known and most stylish winery. We toured the beautiful grounds (see the courtyard panorama) and saw more grape vines (I enjoyed noticing the differences between the species) before going to the terrace dining area of Restaurant Le Caveau, the Pergola. There we had more wine and delicious, high class meals. I had the Swiss Cheese Quiche (served with fresh green salad) as it was the vegetarian meal of choice. I was floored by how good it was; that was definitely a highlight of the trip. After lunch we visited the shop for more wine tasting and a look around the very nice, though small, art gallery. I can’t recall the name of the man who was featured, but his work was excellent. Before leaving I made sure to purchase a bottle of L’Acadie Blanc, a distinctively Nova Scotian wine that I enjoyed tasting at each site we visited.
Our final stop was at Gaspereau Vineyards, a vineyard and boutique where we were served fantastic cheeses and once again given many wines to sample. My favourite wine of the day was a maple wine served at Gaspereau. Those who know me know of my love for maple (I shared a story with my co-workers about my affinity for piping hot maple syrup freshly filtered – it’s the best sugar rush you’ll ever experience), so that wine was an obvious match for my palette. The range of flavours as a whole was the best aspect of this site. There I bought a pair of wine glasses and a cork screw made with a grape vine as the handle (it’s quite nice and will likely end up as a present for one of my wine-drinking relatives or friends).
I’m sure I drank more wine in this one day than I have in all my life. The day was tremendously fun and I’ll have no problem enthusiastically recommending it to guests of the hotel. If you’re a wine enthusiast and plan to visit Halifax (or live here and want to make a day trip to the valley), Valley Wine Tours can provide you with a wonderful time.
31.07.05 
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Today’s adventure in hotel-sponsored fun was, of course, a trip to the Annapolis Valley on a wine tour. Five of my co-workers and myself were sent on a tour with the marvelous 
