I’ve cast my vote, my choice for Canada Reads is Icefields by Thomas Wharton. Tom writes the blog The Logogryph which has Buddhist content I’ve linked to in the past. I support both the book and the author.

As for the nomination mentioned a couple of days ago. It went to the late Michael of One Foot in Front of the Other. The poem Fatigue was recommended to me by a sangha friend.

Progress with the new Jademountains site is going ahead apace. It will however take me some time to learn how to ‘drive’ the new behind-the-scenes machinery. Nothing is hurting for Jade being off-line so there is no rush to open up the doors before all is ready.

Being away from the monastery and my usual daily schedule provides me with an opportunity to contemplate the direction I’d like to take in terms of my on-line activities. It’s likely I’ll continue to write chat-over-a-cup-of-tea style and perhaps there will be more overt Buddhist teaching as well.

Now traveling down through England on the east coast line. Somehow I’ve been seated in the First Class section of the train and nobody wants to move me. Tea madam? I’m asked. Yes, with milk please, I reply. How much will that be? Oh that’s complimentary, as is the Wifi connection to the Internet. Uh! here comes the tea trolley again.

Thinking about it the nomination of Movingmountains for an ‘award’, as mentioned yesterday, is complimentary in the other meaning of the word. Not something to get all worked up about of course however it is helpful to know the Buddhist blogger community thinks what is written here is worth looking at.

Well here is a bit of fun, Moving Mountains has been nominated in the following category for the 2008 Blogisattva Awards.

Best Achievement Blogging in the First Person [as a diarist; writing of events in one’s life; offering thoughts; or by venturing out into the world, gonzo style]; 5 nominees; [blog, blogger]:
Hardcore Zen; Brad Warner
Integral Options Cafe; William Harryman
Kathmandu for You; michael smith
Moving Mountains; Mugo
One foot in front of another; Michael

I only found out about this nomination by accident while I was poking about this evening trying to see if I could still login to Technorati and a couple of other sites I’m signed up with.

Here is how I describe Moving Mountains on Technorati for your interest: Spiritual encouragement to walk the every-day Way of the Buddha’s and Ancestors within Soto Zen as practiced within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. Offered by Mugo, a female priest in good standing within the OBC.

I’ll be on the train heading south tomorrow and may not be able to post until Thursday or Friday. In the mean time I think it is worth taking a look at the sites that have been nominated in other categories.

When I typed in a recent blog entry hose instead of host, bogging instead of blogging I knew my brain was close to the edge of optimal functioning. When I hear today that I’d mained (there I go again) a package of valuable items addressed with just a name and a neighbourhood I know for sure my brain is spent, but not completely. (I’ll be taking a break during March BTW.)

Thankfully the wonderful G.P.O., the Royal Mail, took up the challenge and delivered my package. Is that not a minor miracle of modern life? It proves that organizations can be intelligent and responsive in ways one might think have been lost in the rush. My package went into the slow lane and reached it’s destination non the less. Is there something to be learnt here?

Meditation may not be for you. It is boring, it is difficult, it is confronting. But it is also a few other things, things that I will leave up to you to experience.
Yes life is short, but it is deep.

Thanks Ed in Australia.