1. A slight turning towards Fall. Some people don’t want to hear it, but it’s getting light later in the morning and earlier in the evening, some of the grasses are turning from green to red and gold, some flowers are dying off and others are getting ready to bloom, we had to trim some of our sunflowers that were heavy and leaning out over the sidewalk, our tomatoes are getting ripe and pumpkins turning orange.
2. The pool. I’m so glad that even though I don’t have access to a lot of things I used to do regularly for my body, I still can get in the pool, (and no, I don’t wear my mask in the pool).
3. New friends for Ringo. Our first two dogs, Obi and Dexter, had a girlfriend named Brea. They absolutely adored her. Obi and Dexter went first, and Brea made it until a few months ago, was 16 years old. Her family just got a new puppy, Juni, and since Ringo is now our only dog, we had to make sure they met each other. I also got Ringo some new babies to murder.
4. Morning walks. We saw a deer and Ringo really really really wanted to go say “hi.”
5. My tiny family. I was saying to a friend recently that I feel so lucky that during this chaotic, stressful season, I get to spend time with beings I really like to be around. Ringo is not making things easy: after a lingering wonky belly and possibly acid reflux and then a sprained ankle, there was an incident at the park where he may or may not have swallowed a bone (turns out he didn’t). We are taking him in on Monday to check in with his vet, just to be sure we haven’t missed anything. After you unexpectedly lose your other dog, you don’t really have the bandwidth for anything to be wrong with the one that’s left.
Bonus joy: a new lounge chair, hanging out with Kerri and Juni, writing and hanging out with Mikalina, all the things that are supporting my state of mind right now, good books, good podcasts, good TV, good movies, good music, texting with Chloe’ and my mom and brother, peaches, cheddar cayenne biscuits, bran muffins with dried raspberries, cucumbers from the garden, a/c, pay day, resting in a dark room in the afternoon, watching Forensic Files with Eric, naps, how green the backyard grass stayed this summer, rain, Obama’s eulogy for John Lewis, the internet, all those who continue to work and put themselves at risk so we can have the products and services we need, good neighbors, baby animals, comedy, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.
2. Dharma Vote, “a political volunteer group comprised of mindfulness and meditation practitioners” whose mission it is to “provide meditation practitioners a supportive and accountable environment to work on GOTV initiatives for the 2020 election and beyond.”
4. Lessons of Covid-19 on Lion’s Roar. “Recovering from Covid-19 has felt like a losing game of Chutes and Ladders, says hospital chaplain Kristina Pearson. She shares the lessons of impermanence, acceptance, and wise hope she’s learned along the way.”
5. Pulling Down Our Monuments. “The Sierra Club is a 128-year-old organization with a complex history, some of which has caused significant and immeasurable harm. As defenders of Black life pull down Confederate monuments across the country, we must also take this moment to reexamine our past and our substantial role in perpetuating white supremacy.”
6. Window Swap. “Window Swap is here to fill that deep void in our wanderlust hearts by allowing us to look through someone else’s window, somewhere in the world, for a while.”
7. So You Want to Write? “When it comes to making it as a writer, there’s no magical shortcut to success: You just have to show up and keep doing the work. But there are some things that might be helpful to know and bits of wisdom to encourage you to keep going. Below, nine writers share what they wish they’d known and the advice they would give fledgling writers.”
11. People of the World by Andre Henry and Little Kruta. “This song tells the story of ordinary, organized, outraged people fighting totalitarian regimes and winning.”
12. We Interrupt This Gloom to Offer … Hope by Nicholas Kristof on The New York Times. “History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. And when I reached out through the gloom to consult experts, I was struck by how much hope I heard.”
17. Chair Yoga with Amber Karnes. “15 video classes built just for folks like you who are ready to get started with yoga in a gentle, affirming way. Plus audio recordings to help you relax and reduce stress…Once you join, the videos are yours to keep forever!” $39
23. Tomato Galette recipe. Fruit galettes are one of my favorite things. This year we will most likely have enough tomatoes to try this savory version.
24. Donald Trump Is a Broken Man. “In another time, in a different circumstance, there would perhaps be room to pity such a person.” I’d say even now, under these conditions, we can pity him. I mean, imagine how awful it would be to BE him?!
2. The pool. I’m so glad that even though I don’t have access to a lot of things I used to do regularly for my body, I still can get in the pool, (and no, I don’t wear my mask in the pool).
3. New friends for Ringo. Our first two dogs, Obi and Dexter, had a girlfriend named Brea. They absolutely adored her. Obi and Dexter went first, and Brea made it until a few months ago, was 16 years old. Her family just got a new puppy, Juni, and since Ringo is now our only dog, we had to make sure they met each other. I also got Ringo some new babies to murder.
5. My tiny family. I was saying to a friend recently that I feel so lucky that during this chaotic, stressful season, I get to spend time with beings I really like to be around. Ringo is not making things easy: after a lingering wonky belly and possibly acid reflux and then a sprained ankle, there was an incident at the park where he may or may not have swallowed a bone (turns out he didn’t). We are taking him in on Monday to check in with his vet, just to be sure we haven’t missed anything. After you unexpectedly lose your other dog, you don’t really have the bandwidth for anything to be wrong with the one that’s left.
Bonus joy: a new lounge chair, hanging out with Kerri and Juni, writing and hanging out with Mikalina, all the things that are supporting my state of mind right now, good books, good podcasts, good TV, good movies, good music, texting with Chloe’ and my mom and brother, peaches, cheddar cayenne biscuits, bran muffins with dried raspberries, cucumbers from the garden, a/c, pay day, resting in a dark room in the afternoon, watching Forensic Files with Eric, naps, how green the backyard grass stayed this summer, rain, Obama’s eulogy for John Lewis, the internet, all those who continue to work and put themselves at risk so we can have the products and services we need, good neighbors, baby animals, comedy, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 