Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray)

1. Flowers in the bathroom. Eric got me some lily’s for my birthday and I’ve been amazed by them all week — are we absolutely certain that lilies are flowers and not aliens?!

2. Vacation. It’s so weird how I’m not working, but Eric being on a break from his work feels like I’m on a break. I have no pictures of the morning walks this week because Eric has been running with Ringo and taking him to a bunch of different places they don’t usually get to go during the week, while I sleep in a bit and have a leisurely morning. It’s been nice, but I’m also looking forward to getting back to our normal schedule next week.

Look closely — that’s NOT a stick

So proud of himself

3. Good food and the best person to share it with. Because our family all live in Oregon and we only go visit in the summer (except this year, when we had to cancel because of COVID-19), spending the winter holiday season on our own is something we’re used to. In years past we’ve gathered here with friends, but sometimes we haven’t so having a quiet day with our tiny family is familiar, and I’m grateful for that because there were a lot of people not used to being alone, who are experiencing sad days. For some reason, this year all the things we made, which were the things we usually make, turned out extra good. The apple pie Eric made is one of the best things I’ve EVER eaten, and now we get to relax and eat the leftovers for a couple of days.4. Eric got me a bird feeder. My new favorite pastime is standing at our front window watching the birds, looking up the ones I don’t recognize, being able to name them: chickadees, finch, nuthatches, blue jays. 5. My tiny family. I’m so so so lucky we like spending so much time together, get along so well. I can’t imagine doing this — a global pandemic, life in general — with anyone else. Bonus joy: Texting with my mom and brother and Chloe’, hanging out and writing with Mikalina, late birthday presents that mean I get to see a good friend in person even if I couldn’t hug her, the pool (they dropped the cap on aqua aerobic classes to only eight people in the pool and we’ve been wearing our masks even in the water), sitting in the sauna with Eric (wearing masks there too), watching Guy’s Grocery Games with Eric (we finally watched all the Forensic Files episodes and with the election results we are open to thinking about things that are more fun), podcasts, movies, cooking with Eric, laughing with Eric, getting on Zoom with friends we haven’t seen in too long, grocery pickup, online shopping (this year I’m going to try and do all online and ship direct so I keep out of the stores and the post office), getting all the laundry done and put away, my HappyLight, napping, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

1. Mabel Magazine No. 5 – Living in the Now, “writing and art and musings from this time we’re all living in, this time outside of anything we’ve ever known before—and the stories and artwork that speak to this are, well, quite extraordinarily true and real. We’re taking pre-orders through 11/30, pre-ordering will get you a copy of Mabel plus a few lovely surprises.” This issue is LOADED with so much good stuff. Added bonus: I have a piece in it.

2. ‘Slow Down,’ ‘Don’t Quit’: Advice From 7 Women Who Overcame Their Pandemic Struggles.

3. Steampunk Busts Sculpted from Resin and Repurposed Objects Evoke Futuristic Relics.

4. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Sends Chess Set Sales Soaring on The New York Times. “The Netflix show about a chess prodigy has reignited interest in the game and fueled demand for sets, accessories and timers.”

5. Artist Helps Soothe Anxious Minds With Adorably Supportive Cat Comics.

6. New (to me) music: Gracie and Rachel – Sidelines (Official Video). I listened to their whole new album, Hello Weakness, You Make Me Strong, this morning and LOVED it.

7. Here’s how the U.S. government plans to distribute the first Covid-19 vaccines on The New York Times. In related news, Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint on The New York Times, and The Vaccines Will Probably Work. Making Them Fast Will Be the Hard Part on The New York Times, and Rachel Maddow urges people to “recalibrate” their lives after revealing her partner’s COVID-19 diagnosis.

8. Is This Where We Are, America? by Roxane Gay on The New York Times. “Some people oppose student loan forgiveness because they want others to suffer, too.”

9. 15 Signs Your Partner Is Gaslighting You, According to a Relationship Expert. “Gaslighting is a form of manipulation meant to leave you feeling insecure and questioning your sanity. Here’s how to spot it.” Pro Tip: watching the outgoing administration for the past four years has been a masterclass on gaslighting.

10. Ten Thousand Books, a nonprofit organization. “We value diversity in our schools and in our community. Ten Thousand Books aims to add diverse experiences and voices to school classrooms in Minnesota and beyond. Books are powerful tools we can use to teach lessons of empathy and identity. We want students to read about as many different types of people with as many unique voices as possible. As well, we want ALL students to see themselves represented in books in their schools.”

11. Blinking hell: how to keep tired eyes healthy during a pandemic.

12. It’s Not “Just” Anxiety. When you live with an anxiety disorder — it’s not “just” anxiety.

13. The Best of Brevity: A Roundtable Discussion on Flash Nonfiction. “In celebration of this release, I brought together three of my fellow Best of Brevity essayists…for a conversation. We talked about the glories and limits of the flash form, and about our experiences working with editors who don’t share our backgrounds.”

14. Joy Harjo will serve a rare third term as U.S. poet laureate.

15. Be the Priority of Your Own Life (starting now) from Courtney Carver on Be More With Less.

16. Calm in the Midst of Chaos on Lion’s Roar. “Sharon Salzberg on the power of equanimity.”

17. The Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture. I’ve shared this before, but it’s worth a revisit.

18. Wisdom from George Saunders: “So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.”

19. Wisdom from Pema Chödrön: “Whatever you are doing, take the attitude of wanting it directly or indirectly to benefit others. Take the attitude of wanting it to increase your experience of kinship with your fellow beings.”

20. Meditation: Be Kind to Yourself on Lion’s Roar. “A three-step contemplation to give yourself the compassion you need (and deserve).”

21. The comedy of survival from Austin Kleon.

22. A year-long observation reveals the secret life of a tree and its animal visitors.