1. Morning walks. Even though we don’t take the same route every day, we do have some regular spots. It makes me so happy that there are so many trails, both public and secret, near where we live, along with so many ponds and the river. We had to skip the dirt trails at the ponds this week because of rain, but we got to see Theresa at her fitness studio twice, which always makes our day.
The first time we walked past, Theresa didn’t see us and Ringo was very sad“I can hear her in there”“Mom, can you go get her?”
2. Mom is still here, or rather there. I have no idea what to expect at this point, and that’s okay, especially knowing she is comfortable and happy where she is at and is getting the best care possible.
When she saw this picture of herself, she asked my brother, “whose foot is that?” 🙂
3. Therapy. I finally saw my new therapist and am feeling optimistic about working with her. At the end of our appointment, we showed each other pictures of our dogs.
4. Eric. I have made so many choices in my life that weren’t good and/or didn’t work out, have had to rescue myself and start over a million times, but choosing Eric, and continuing to choose him over and over, is the BEST thing I’ve ever done, and I’m so grateful for him and our life together.
The picture I sent himThe one he sent me
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. There has been a whole lot of “yard time” this past week, lounging in the sun watching the grass grow.
Bonus joy: onion buns, a perfectly ripe banana (which for me means barely ripe), Eric making dinner on the weekends, Sunday morning Pilates, Ringo’s primary vet who loves him SO much, new stickers, clean sheets, good TV, listening to podcasts, being able to get books for my Kindle from the library, libraries and librarians, poets and poetry, canceled plans, planning road trips with Eric, a massage with Dana, writing with my Friday morning sangha, KIND nut clusters, yogurt with granola and berries, having my bird feeder replaced so the chickadees and finches are visiting me again, dandelions, forsythia, daffodils, Eric getting me flowers for no other reason than I like them, the smell of strawberries, making naan, grocery shopping, the produce section, the sound of a pepper grinder, a big glass of cold clean water, texting with Chris and Chloe’, the cutest of puppies, other people’s dogs and kids and gardens, horses, the sound of a cat purring, books, electric cars, using grocery points to get $.90 cents off a gallon on gas, a warm mug of green tea, a warm shower, clean teeth, down blankets and pillows, my Shakti mat, blackout shades, naps, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
2. The Price of Eggs, “Or, death of a chicken” by Christopher Solomon.
3. Keep Moving by Mandy Brown. “Over the past few months, I’ve observed a number of patterns emerging in the moves and countermoves that workers are making in response to the direct, violent, and unconstitutional attacks on human rights, life-sustaining infrastructure, and work itself. Here, I offer them not as guidelines or directives, but as entryways, starting points, notions or suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck or uncertain, perhaps one or more of these notes will give you a stone to upturn or the energy to shift your feet a little, to move, even slowly and cautiously, towards the work that makes all our lives better.”
4. Keep lookingby Jenny Lawson. “The scary things are loud and sometimes it’s hard to not let them drown out everything else, but finding joy and beauty and happiness in spite of it all is an act of revolution. Don’t forget to enjoy the lovely things whenever you can…the moon at midnight, your favorite comfort show, laughter, a soft furry lap baby, the existence of cheese. The more you look for lovely things, the more you find them. This is how you find fuel to fight and to love and to keep moving forward.”
7. Wisdom from Amanda Martinez Beck: “A lot of our body image turmoil can be quieted a bit when we consider the purpose of our body—and it’s not to be thin or pretty or perfect. The purpose of our body is relationship, with myself, with others, and with the Divine.”
12. Wisdom from Danny Gregory: “I’ve spent decades finding my way back to this truth, that art isn’t just what you think, but what you feel. Not just what you conceptualize, but what you experience. Not just clever ideas, but the raw, unfiltered truth of being human.”
13. Stick Nation, “a niche Earth Day special about paying attention, one stick at a time.” (podcast)
19. I Won’t Fight Death to the Death on Lion’s Roar. “Most of us spend our lives doing everything we can to deny death, to turn a blind eye to it. Cindy Littlefair on acceptance.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 