February | 2021 | Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray)

1. Morning walks. Just like most of the country, we had extra cold temperatures and more snow, so Ringo spent most of the week either not walking (Monday morning was -11 degrees!) or running with Eric, but there was one day where it was 21 degrees and less than an inch of new snow had fallen, so I got to go with.

2. Making something that doesn’t have to be anything. I’ve enlisted my dear friend Mikalina to help me get back in touch with my intuition, my creative wisdom, that thing that inspires everything else. I’ve lost touch with it, (thanks burnout, thanks COVID-19, thanks capitalism), and to do the work I want to do, live the life I want, I need to get that connection back. Mikalina is giving me creative homework each week and it’s softening and unlocking something I’ve missed SO MUCH.

3. Practice. This week I remembered that practice isn’t about making or doing something good or correct but rather showing up, making space for what might arise. It’s not about getting it right, but about seeing where it goes.

4. Comfort. Naps in a dark room cuddled under a down blanket. Hot coffee with tiny marshmallows in one of my favorite mugs. That corner of the couch with the pillows and a blanket. Birds in the feeder. A warm shower and clean pjs. Clean laundry. Sitting in the sauna with Eric. The feel of Ringo’s soft fur and warm body. The sound of a dog sigh. Stretching. Clementines. Watching Antiques Roadshow with Eric. Taking the Facebook app off my phone and staying off altogether for three whole days. Reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

5. My tiny family. Sure, I’ve experienced some bad luck, disappointment, and other really bad stuff in my life, but my tiny family is my version of winning the lottery.

Bonus joy: Friday morning Wild Writing, the four dogs that live across the street, grocery pickup, sunshine, writing and hanging out with Mikalina, good books, podcasts, comedy, new sheets, Eric and Ringo napping together on the couch, “singing” with Ringo, that at least while he’s the only dog Ringo has all the toys all over, Girl Scout Thin Mints, soft chewy bread, toasted walnuts, texting with my mom and brother and Chloe’, fingernail clippers, scissors, stick glue, Zoom, birthdays, knowing your people are safe, dog rescue, electricity, clean water, snow tires, swimming pools.

1. Sustainable Activism for Introverts & HSPs. “Join activist Omkari Williams as you engage your senses and develop a master plan for turning your story, vision, and strengths into action…If you are a Highly Sensitive Person, an Introvert, or both, this class will help you find your sustainable way of activism.” I’m all in.

2. 6 Mindset Shifts for Introverts That Bolster Inner Peace. In related news, Why Being Lonely as an Introvert Looks Different.

3. Recipe I want to try: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew.

4. Closet Detox: 10 Steps to End Closet Chaos from Courtney Carver on Be More With Less. I’m tempted to go big and do this, but I’m worried that doing it during a moment in time when all I wear is pjs might be bad timing.

5. How to make a zine.

6. Good stuff from Lion’s Roar: Too Much Criticism (“Someone in your life who’s too critical or confrontational can undermine your self-worth and enjoyment of life. Psychologist Lynn Monteiro suggests four ways you can take care of yourself”), and Confessions of a Hungry Ghost (“Sensei Alex Kakuyo knows what it’s like to live as a hungry ghost, constantly striving toward one more thing. He shares how Buddhist practice has helped him accept this endless hunger and find refuge in the present moment”), and Are We In a Global Rite of Passage? (“Can we thrive in the midst of this pandemic? Last year as the Covid-19 era began, Roshi Joan Halifax asked attendees of Lion’s Roar’s ‘Re-Awaken’ summit to consider whether the pandemic — despite its horrors — might offer us new possibilities, new horizons, and more meaningful connections with each other”), and Life is Tough. Here Are Six Ways to Deal With It (“An ancient set of Buddhist slogans offers us six powerful techniques to transform life’s difficulties into awakening and benefit. Zen teacher Norman Fischer guides us through them”).

7. Rachel Ricketts: Unplugging from the Matrix of White Supremacy. (podcast) “Tami Simon speaks with Rachel about the intersection of spirituality and activism, racial justice work as a form of healing across time and space, actively participating in work that challenges systems of oppression and the status quo, the connection between racial justice work and personal shadow work, becoming a ‘genuine ally,’ and much more.”

8. Wisdom from Andre Henry: “I hate hearing people speak with resignation about the course of history. They talk about future oppression and social decay as though they’re inevitable! As though we’re merely bystanders and victims of the rich and powerful.The foundation of our movements for social progress is the belief that the future is undecided and we get a vote. We must believe that, or else we forfeit the future unnecessarily. A new world is possible. It doesn’t have to be this way.” I really really really needed to hear that today.

9. Black History Month: 4 Ways to Virtually Participate and Learn This February and Beyond.

10. It’s Not Just You. A Lot Of Us Are Hitting A Pandemic Wall Right Now.

11. ‘I get better sleep’: the people who quit social media. “Soo Youn is considering giving up the apps. She speaks to those who have already taken the plunge – with liberating results.”

12. Rashida Jones On Becoming A Mom, Losing Her Mom, And The ‘Big Chapters’ Of Life.

13. Art and Activism Collide Throughout Montréal in Playful Street Interventions by Roadsworth.

14. People Are Hilariously Roasting ‘Target’ Fashion Designers By Taking These Pics Wearing Their Dresses.

15. sharkk heartt, “work fires.”

16. Pockets of Landscapes and Still Lifes Adorn Subjects in Lavish Portraits by Aniela Sobieski.