1. Morning walks. We were at peak darkness this week, so we’d be almost home before turning off our headlamps.
2. Rest. Whether it’s a nap, sleeping in, or simply sitting on the couch doing nothing but cuddling and looking at the twinkle lights — tis the season.
3. Comfort food. This week was a mix of old standards and new recipes.
4. Celebrating the season with friends. Training with Shelby and the gang, trading gifts and sharing stories with Dana, practicing yoga at Red Sage (and challenging ourselves to rename every pose something holiday themed, making each other laugh and falling over), playing games and eating snacks with the D&D crowd, sharing memes and reels with Carrie and Shellie, writing with my wildish sangha, and daily check-ins with Chloe’.
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. There’s no place I’d rather be, no one I’d rather be with.
My collapsible wagon came in handy getting my Christmas packages shipped
Bonus joy: the garlic cheddar biscuits Eric made that are so good I keep asking him to make more, chickadees at the bird feeder, all the packages I sent arriving (mostly) intact, plans for a quiet few days, the chance to start over, Andrea Gibson, Jeff Oaks and his dog Andy (rest in peace, together forever), good books, Christmas movies and music, other people’s dogs and kids, “uninstall app,” audiobooks, listening to podcasts, lowering the bar even more, Percy’s bark, fresh eggs from Chloe’s chickens, that the cookies I sent for Lia’s birthday barely lasted 24 hours because they were so good, peanut butter (I may have a problem…), good neighbors, Christmas lights on other people’s houses, twinkle lights and candles and fireplaces, snow, a big glass of clean cold water, being finished with the laundry, my Red Rebel “you are someone’s good medicine” hoodie, other people’s joy, other people’s grief, a warm shower and clean pjs, good socks, down blankets and pillows and jackets, comedy, science fiction, books from the library on my Kindle, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
2. Holiday Help Fund. “Each year, as the festive lights twinkle and the city buzzes with holiday spirit, we embark on a mission to make Christmas Eve special for families in need. Our goal this year is once again: to raise $10,000 for holiday meals and gifts.” As Frederick Joseph says, “If you are in a position to help, we are asking that people consider giving $3 (or more), as that amount with enough people will help us quickly reach goal.”
3. Family Switch, streaming on Netflix. I’m adding this one to my regular rotation of holiday movies. If you enjoy the “Freaky Friday” genre of film, this is a good Christmas flick with a great cast.
4. Find Your Food Voice, a podcast from Julie Duffy Dillon RDN. “Join in as we ditch cookie cutter approaches, expose the lies that society feeds us, and rewrite the rules around food, eating and our bodies.” If you, like me, have a history of disordered eating, the holidays might be triggering you too, so it can be nice to have a “voice in your ear” reminding you to take it slow, be gentle, stay sane and true to yourself.
6. Wisdom from Omkari Williams: “Take some time, remember why you care about what you care about, and let that knowing deepen your commitment to making the difference you can in your unique way.”
7. Crowd-Pleaser!Maria Bamford’s latest album is now available on various streaming services.
10. A word of the year practicefrom Karen Walrond on Chookooloonks. “How to name your north star.” I’m not gonna lie, sometimes when I choose a word for my year, rather than guiding me, it seems like I’ve cursed myself.
15. What is happening on the inside of us?from Patti Digh, who says, “healthcare should not rely on Google searches—we all know this. But it needs to be helped along by curiosity, by different kinds of relationships with doctors, and by a strong will to know and stay alive whenever possible.”
18. Holiday Practicefrom Austin Kleon. “Making time and space for your art this season.”
19. Finding the words and music for healing, in which Gretchen Schmelzer says, “some of the most powerful moments in healing are small, bite-sized moments. They are single steps: they are single steps repeated over and over. They are the daily journal entries, mindfulness meditation, and gratitude practices. They are the simple discussions of how you are feeling and giving the feeling a name. It’s time to find ways to make healing easier to begin, and easier to understand—while honoring the difficult and complex task that it is.”
26. “Their joy, that’s the gift to you.”(Instagram Reel) “Inspired by the ‘Secret Santa’ story from @stevehartmancbs’s ‘On the Road,’ Derek Brown’s students in Phoenix, Arizona, formed a club to raise thousands of dollars to spread holiday cheer to strangers.”
38. Finding Light in Winteron The New York Times. “Every day I remind myself that all over the world most people want peace. They want a safe place for their families, and they want to be good and do good. The world is filled with helpers. It is only the great darkness of this moment that can make it hard to see them.
No matter how dark the days, we can find light in our own hearts, and we can be one another’s light. We can beam light out to everyone we meet. We can let others know we are present for them, that we will try to understand. We cannot stop all the destruction, but we can light candles for one another.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 