1. Morning walks. Temperatures are cooling down and things are turning golden. It’s not always easy for me to get up so early and get out into the world, but when the sun comes up and I’ve got my best boy with me and it feels like we have the whole world to ourselves it makes it all worth it.
Image by Eric
2. Practice. Yoga at Red Sage with dogs, writing with my Friday morning sangha led by Chloe’, meditating in my practice room, reading and writing in the morning with a warm mug of green tea in front of my HappyLight.
3. All the good people, family and friends. My highly sensitive introverted self was very social this week: brunch with Carrie and then a visit with her family and my boyfriend Tony the tiger dog, hanging out at my kitchen table with Chloe’, acupuncture with Lindsay, my yearly haircut with Elianna, yoga at Red Sage with Teri, aqua aerobics with Tracy and getting to say hello to my gym dad Frank, wildish writing, getting a massage from Dana, going to lunch with Jon and Chelsey, book club, texting with Chris and sharing selfies with Mom. It was good and also I am so tired!
4. Cooking and baking. I love being able to make what I want, how I like it at home for myself, and now that it’s cooling down, I can finally start using my oven again. This week I want to try a few new recipes, one is for a smash falafel wrap and the other is for cornmeal pancakes.
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I love it here, with them.
Bonus joy: peaches, corn, watermelon, bean and cheese burritos (we call these “old styles” because when we first got married, we ate them a lot), birds at the feeder attached to the window over my writing desks (yes, I have two, side by side running the length of my “office” — one has my desktop computer and the other has more space for writing by hand and making art and piling books), tiny brass animals (I showed Chloe’ my collection when she was here and it reminded me of this part in Mae Martin’s comedy special Sap — which I totally recommend, it’s SO good), libraries and librarians, poetry and poets, listening to music while I drive around with my windows rolled down, Sunday morning pilates, the hydromassage chair, getting in the pool, sitting in the sauna, other people’s dogs and kids and gardens, stickers, sharing stickers, picking out a new sticker for the front cover every time I start a new blank notebook, the way the top of Ringo’s head smells when he’s been out lounging in the sun, the whole house fan, naps, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
2. A Hall Pass from the Universefrom Laurie Wagner. Laurie is also offering a free four day session of wild writing, Writing As Medicine, June 2nd – June 5th. It is such a beautiful, meaningful practice, and has been for me ever since I first wrote with Laurie twelve years ago.
7. Unsilenced Bodies with Abigail Rose Clarke and Catherine Simone Gray. (video) “Why we need the subversive practices of listening to the body and listening to nature with Abigail Rose Clarke and Catherine Simone Gray. What does it mean to be in an intimate relationship with our bodies? How do we ‘follow our heart’? How do we ‘listen to our gut feeling’? How do we disentangle trauma responses from the deep, true voice of our intuition?”
14. I stopped feeling guilty about wanting a simpler life – Slow living reflections. (video) “Twelve years ago, I moved to the countryside in search of a simpler life. At first, I felt guilty — for slowing down, for not chasing the ‘normal’ path, for wanting something quieter. In this video, I reflect on what I’ve let go of since choosing slow living: the guilt around resting, the pressure to be productive 24/7, the inability to set boundaries, the notion that being an introvert was somehow wrong or the myth that I should be living a different live, chasing success like everyone else. I’ve learned to embrace intentional living and find beauty in life’s imperfections, accepting myself as I am. If you’re drawn to mindful living, life in the countryside, or just craving more stillness, I hope this resonates. This is a gentle reflection for anyone feeling out of place in a fast-paced world. Whether you’re exploring slow living, learning to embrace your introverted nature, or just dreaming of a slower life close to nature — this is for you.”
15. Navigating by aliveness from The Imperfectionist. “In a world where tech commentators confidently declare that we poor ignoramuses haven’t even begun to get our heads around what’s barreling down the tracks towards us, I think it’s good to stay fully, even slightly foolishly, committed to the idea that humans doing human things, with other humans, is and will remain at the vital heart of human existence. Because otherwise what on earth’s the point?”
17. I’ve been counting cans again: How do we live in these times? by Ijeoma Oluo. “If I can’t guarantee my safety in the world, if I can’t guarantee the safety of my friends and family, I can at least be a safe space for them, and they can be for me. If I can’t build a safe world, I can build moments of freedom and choose to rejoice in them. If I can’t protect our bodies I can protect our joy. If I can’t guarantee that I will be here tomorrow, I can at least ensure these words are here today.”
18. What Was The Summer Vacation? Everything and Nothing, All At Once by Anne Helen Petersen. “Last week, I asked Culture Study subscribers to describe their summer family vacations: where they went, of course, but also how they understood the purpose and meaning of their family’s choices. What did they remember? How has that memory shifted with time? Who did the labor? How did it feel? What mattered — and what didn’t? A few themes emerged — ones that are worth turning over as we approach this summer and the perceived demand for highly orchestrated family leisure.”
19. Heart of the Matter: A Special Series on Narratively. “In this collection, we explore everything from an epic heartbreak, to a life-saving operation with a twist, to a true mystery involving suspicious infant deaths, and more.”
22. #1000WordsofSummer 2025 FAQ, a really great writing “summer/boot camp” led by Jamie Attenberg that starts May 31st. And yes, I’m doing it. Join us?
25. Visit one of Brooklyn’s greenest blocks in the heart of Flatbush. (Facebook reel) “On a rainy day in the middle of spring, East 25th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D is already bursting with life. The block has been crowned victorious in BBG’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest five times; many of the block’s gardeners now also mentor budding gardeners elsewhere in the borough. Neighbors Vera, Dian, Trevor, Luke, Trang, and Max were kind enough to show us around the block to talk community building and urban greening strategies.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 