jillsalahub

1. Morning walks. It clearly is turning towards fall, although we’ve had so much rain recently that things are still really green. We saw the two mama whitetail deer again with their three babies, who are getting bigger but still have their spots, and one morning a raccoon, which is always extra exciting for Ringo.

2. Practice. Keeping me sane since the early 2000s. Two especially lovely ones this week were lying down on the futon in my practice room with my weighted blanket while listening to one of my favorite Insight Timer tracks, and practicing yoga with Red Sage. Eric also occasionally leaves a surprise bonus love note on my meditation shrine.

3. Good food. I’m looking forward to cooler weather so I can bake more often. Last night I made more smashburger tacos with Big Mac sauce along with some coleslaw and very mustardy potato salad. I don’t like the heat, but I do love BBQ season — the smoke, the mix of sweet and savory, and all the sides. Also, leftovers!

4. Time with friends. Barb and Chloe’ and I got together and “celebrated” what we had to celebrate this week, in particular Barb’s cancer recovery and birthday. And next week, I probably will get to see Carrie and Tony the Tiger dog.

5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I know it must seem dull, boring, repetitive, but I really do love it here, so much.

Gorgeous painting in the lobby at my acupuncturist’s office

Bonus joy: acupuncture, training with Shelby and the gang, thunderstorms, how soft the grass in the backyard is when it’s green and a little too long, the maple tree right outside my window, Rocky Mountain bee plants, curly hair, I think I’m almost over it but for now and still: plantain chips and spinach artichoke parmesan in greek yogurt dip, bubbly water, how soft Ringo’s belly hair is, napping on the couch, down pillows and blankets, fans, ice cream, trash service, peanut butter, spiders, water, trees, the sky being clear enough you can see the foothills, the big wildfire contained, how sweet Ringo is with Dr. Foster and vice versa, access to dental care (I lost the genetic lottery when it comes to teeth), baby raccoons, kitchen towels, a big glass of clean cold water, sushi rolls, Thai peanut sauce, other people’s dogs, comedy, listening to podcasts while I cook or clean, a warm shower, a/c, ink refills, crows, that particular color of blue, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.

1. Some highlights from the final week of the Paris Olympics: The first-ever Olympic gold for Philippines, Sha’Carri Richardson’s blistering, come-from-behind anchor leg ices 4x100m gold, Ray Gun performing her unique version of breakdancing, and this Instagram reel “me during the Olympics watching a sport I usually wouldn’t have been interested in.”

2. The tiny egg and the life it produced. (Facebook reel)

3. Notes to Self, a Facebook post from Jen Lemen.

4. Ecology of Love on the Poetry Off the Shelf podcast. “Camille Dungy on her garden, writing from the provinces, and the poetry of Anne Spencer.”

5. David Michael Wyatt – Hey Ya! @Andre3000 cover. (video) “The Velvet Voice.”

6. This is what depression looks like from Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess. “And if you’re trapped in your own labyrinth right now (whether physically or mentally) please know that you are not alone. That you are more than your messiest, hidden parts. That things will get better even when depression tells you they won’t. That you will write again or create again or smile again. That so many of us struggle (even when we may be too ashamed to show it) so you shouldn’t judge yourself by your idea of everyone else’s shiny lives.”

7. Petrified Wood: The Journey from Wood to Stone.

8. Recipes I want to try: Soft Ginger Cookie and Disney’s Molasses Crackle Cookie.

9. The Art of Grieving, “A feature-length documentary exploring art therapy, grief, and one artist’s mission to heal from loss.”

10. The luxuries of living small, “Freedom, time, and maximal joy” on Rootsie from Rita Ott Ramstad.

11. Blue Was the Color of Home, “A tumultuous childhood on the sea and the pull to return” on gentle sentiments from Amanda Sandlin.

12. Hold Space For One Another, “We can’t change anything, unless empathy is carried with us” from Frederick Joseph.

13. Why Joy, Hope and Positivity Are Tools for Survival, “How we can cultivate the power of positivity to see things more constructively and improve our overall outlook on life” on The Gurdeep Magazine.

14. Lucky, a poem from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

15. Striking Animal Portraits Capture “Humanlike” Poses Full of Personality. In related news, Jay Lichter Illuminates Stunning Colors and Textures in Macro Photos of Elusive Slime Molds.

16. Writing against the clock from Hugh Hollowell.

17. What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images. “Neuroscience research into people with aphantasia, who don’t experience mental imagery, is revealing how imagination works and demonstrating the sweeping variety in our subjective experiences.”

18. And finally, a bunch of other good stuff I saved this week.