1. Socially distanced meetings with friends. I got to see two people this week, in person, who I love dearly. I couldn’t hug them or even sit close, but it was SO much better than nothing. I’m not sure if it’s the smart thing, an entirely safe choice, but in light of the reality of how long we might have to keep our distance, I’ve been revisiting what I’m willing to risk and what for. I could realistically not see people I love or go to the pool or get a massage for six months, maybe even a full year, but since there is no way of knowing how long we’ll be living this carefully, I’ve reconsidered some things.
I’ve determined that, at least in this current moment, there are four conditions under which I’ll risk exposure: 1. Walking dogs, or rather for now, the dog. 2. Seeing people I love and trust to be careful, outside, socially distanced, preferably wearing masks. 3. Something necessary that can’t easily be accomplished any other way, like plants from the nursery. 4. Things that are lower risk which support my overall wellness, like getting an occasional massage or getting in the pool. This came in handy this week when deciding whether to risk aqua aerobics (which as far as I could tell only had two people signed up) or sign up for two lanes another time when we might be the only ones there. Eric and I determined if getting in the pool was the goal and I don’t care about seeing the people at aqua aerobics, that reserving two lanes was better, and we had the whole pool to ourselves, and the hot tub was open.
2. Our garden. Lilies, delphiniums, coneflowers, and daisies are blooming. We’ve got a baby cucumber, lots of green tomatoes, lettuce, and more kale than we can eat. So far the only life we’ve seen interested in the birdbath are the yellow jackets, but I’m okay with that as long as they leave our honey bees alone. We added a solar powered fountain to try and entice some birds. There are also more dragonflies, butterflies, grasshoppers, and moths than I’ve seen in a long time.
3. Practice. I’ve said it before and it continues to be true: this saves me, over and over.
4. Morning walks. We snuck in another walk close to the river this week. There really were too many mosquitoes and we won’t do it again until they are gone, but I love it there so much that it was a good thing even with the irritation.
Beaver! Image by Eric
Kitchen counter love note
5. My tiny family. Having Eric’s support and companionship keeps me alive. Laughing with him is probably my favorite thing in the world. There’s no one I’d rather be with when things get hard. Speaking of hard, Ringo has had a wonky belly this week. When you just lost a dog, it’s especially difficult when the only one left doesn’t feel good. He’s pretty happy though because his bland diet is rice and boiled hamburger. He’s on the mend and it wasn’t anything bad, so I’m grateful for that.
Bonus joy: Strawberry rhubarb yogurt with granola and berries, Rainer cherries, Dot’s pretzels, a big salad, the swallowtail butterflies in my backyard, our Golden Raintrees getting ready to bloom, texting with Chloe’ and Barb while watching Maria Bamford, hanging out with Mikalina talking about ALL the things, naps, yard time, texting with my mom and brother, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep, stories about people who’ve had COVID-19 and recovered, my friend Liz reminding me of something I said and how that led to something I’d written and how that brought a clarity to something I’m working on and felt like a sign from the Universe, the people who load my car with groceries at the store and the ones who shopped for those groceries and the ones who stocked the shelf with those groceries and the drivers who delivered them and the people who cooked and cleaned and packaged the food and especially those who grew and harvested the food.
1. Signs of Justice, “Visual Displays of Solidarity.” This is where our yard sign came from, and they offer lots of great yard signs, clothing, bumper stickers, and prints. Added bonus: the co-owner is a Black woman.
2. Rawness of Remembering with Esmé Weijun Wang, “Use the power of restorative journaling to survive, heal, and grow through difficult times.”
3. Marketing Without Social Media, free class led by Alexandra Franzen, “If you’re self-employed (freelancer, consultant, entrepreneur) and you want to use social media waaaa-aaaay less (or maybe not at all), you’ll gain a lot from this class. I’m excited to share some refreshing ideas with you. Less digital noise. Less scrolling. Less stress. More simplicity and calm.” Also from Alexandra, Do you need that?, which seems to be a really good question to be asking ourselves right now, as we enter a new normal or if it’s the end of the world.
…when used in contexts of oppression “agree to disagree” is often a tool of oppression that gives power to the privileged, and makes those they are oppressing seem unreasonable.
When it comes to equality, oppression, and human rights, when someone in an unaffected group suggests that we need to “agree to disagree,” what they are actually doing is asking oppressed people to agree to continued oppression and also stop talking about it. Fuck that.
Many of us want a simple solution to the systemic racism we’ve allowed to happen — but there isn’t one. When we don’t have a simple solution, our first reaction is to get discouraged and frustrated and give up.
But we can’t just give up. We have to let ourselves stay in the place of not knowing. We have to stay with the questions, and explore with curiosity.
We have to listen. Listen to those who are most impacted, listen to their stories, listen to their anger and exhaustion and pain. Listen as if we don’t know anything, because we really don’t.
7. Dynamic Chair Yoga Practice: Using a Chair as a Yoga Prop (video) with Dianne Bondy. “Chair yoga doesn’t have to mean gentle or easy poses! Today we are using a chair to enhance a more vigorous seated practice. In today’s challenging chair yoga practice, we will move through seated and standing poses, using our chair as a yoga prop as we go. Get ready to move through seated prayer twists, downward dog, camel pose, high lunge and half moon.”
8. Good stuff from Lion’s Roar:A Conversation on Love and Rage: Lama Rod Owens and Kate Johnson, (“In this conversation featured in Lama Rod Owens’ new book Love and Rage, he and Buddhist teacher Kate Johnson discuss how the dharma can help us hold our anger and work with our rage”), and Toward a Worldwide Culture of Love by bell hooks, (“The practice of love, says bell hooks, is the most powerful antidote to the politics of domination. She traces her thirty-year meditation on love, power, and Buddhism, and concludes it is only love that transforms our personal relationships and heals the wounds of oppression”).
This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations. Culture is powerful precisely because it is so present and at the same time so very difficult to name or identify. The characteristics listed below are damaging because they are used as norms and standards without being pro-actively named or chosen by the group. They are damaging because they promote white supremacy thinking. Because we all live in a white supremacy culture, these characteristics show up in the attitudes and behaviors of all of us –people of color and white people. Therefore, these attitudes and behaviors can show up in any group or organization, whether it is white-led or predominantly white orpeople of color-led or predominantly people of color.
10. White urgency to end racism: why now? “How can whites work against racism while also ensuring that we don’t re-center white supremacy in the process?”
12. Wisdom from Rachel Naomi Remen: “Helping, fixing, and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. when you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.”
14. All good things must begin from Austin Kleon. “I always take comfort in the fact that even the great writers needed to pump themselves up to get to work…Even if you don’t believe it or feel it 100%, it can be of great help to write down the things you want to be true about your life and work. (If you believe otherwise, why write?).”
25. Street art: Jim Bachor’s pothole mosaics. “Chicago artist Jim Bachor is on a mission: patching up his city’s broken pavement by filling potholes with colorful works of art — mosaics that turn eyesores and traffic hazards into things of beauty. And with his mosaics now being laid in other cities, Bachor is taking his artwork on the road.”
36. It’s a Wonderful Time to Be Leslie Jordan on The New York Times. “The sitcom actor, known for roles in ‘Will & Grace’ and ‘Murphy Brown,’ wanted attention his whole life. Naturally, he discovered Instagram.”
39. 9 dog breeds at higher risk of heatstroke, “Plus, here’s what you can do to cool your pup down.” 80+ degrees is too hot for most dogs to exercise and the pavement is too hot to walk on. Please go out early or leave them home.
45. What Makes Some People More Resilient Than Others on The New York Times. “The very earliest days of our lives, and our closest relationships, can offer clues about how we cope with adversity.”
46. The Radical Quilting of Rosie Lee Tompkins on The New York Times. “A triumphal retrospective at the Berkeley Art Museum confirms her standing as one of the great American artists — transcending craft, challenging painting and reshaping the canon.”
48. March, March, a new song from The Chicks, (video). “‘If your voice held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence you.’ – unknown. Use your VOICE. Use your VOTE.”
1. Socially distanced meetings with friends. I got to see two people this week, in person, who I love dearly. I couldn’t hug them or even sit close, but it was SO much better than nothing. I’m not sure if it’s the smart thing, an entirely safe choice, but in light of the reality of how long we might have to keep our distance, I’ve been revisiting what I’m willing to risk and what for. I could realistically not see people I love or go to the pool or get a massage for six months, maybe even a full year, but since there is no way of knowing how long we’ll be living this carefully, I’ve reconsidered some things.
3. Practice. I’ve said it before and it continues to be true: this saves me, over and over.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 