1. Morning walks. Maybe it’s the rabbitbrush and goldenrod and asters blooming, or the mornings being darker, but this week seemed to turn ever so slightly towards fall — my favorite season in Colorado.
I hadn’t seen many Rocky Mountain bee plants this year, and the seeds we scattered in our garden didn’t take. Then yesterday morning, Ringo and I went to a spot we hadn’t been since spring, and there were purple sparkler blooms and bees all along the trail.
One year, we had a whole bunch of Rocky Mountain bee plants in one of our flowerbeds and they got about six feet tall. My favorite thing was going out and standing next to them, listening to the hum of the bees, so loud I could feel it buzz in my chest.
2. First responders, in particular fire fighters. We still have multiple fires burning here, and so many people are right there, working so hard to put them out, risking their own safety and health to protect property and people along with all the wildlife.
3. Practice. I am so grateful I have it to return to, again and again.
4. Good food. Eric made a peach pie on the grill a few nights ago. He’s been working so much this summer on a special project that it’s the first pie we’ve had. Our raspberries probably still have a few more years before they really start producing, but the single berry I got the other day was so good. And roasted potatoes, red onion, and red pepper for breakfast burritos never disappoint, especially when I have eggs from Chloe’s chickens to go with them.
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I’m savoring this particular moment in time, before school starts and before I need to make another trip back to Oregon. Nothing compares to the quiet, calm, and comfort that lives here.
Bonus joy: baby deer, hummingbirds, the smell of rabbitbrush, how the top of Ringo’s head smells when he’s been laying out in the backyard in the sun, sunflowers, corn, peaches, ice cream, clean sheets, a/c, plantain chips with dip (yup, still — I tend to get hyperfixated on certain foods), listening to podcasts, true crime documentaries, music, naps, acupuncture, massage, a warm shower, clean laundry, a big glass of clean cold water, peanut butter, the “plug your nose” trick that makes it possible to take the sour bitter Chinese herbs I’m trying for my hot flashes (funny, when I was younger I used this same trick to take shots of tequila), the Olympics, the way my brother and his daughter take care of our mom, “Nana and Papa,” sharing reels and memes, making each other laugh, gummies, down pillows and blankets, libraries and librarians, vaccines, storytellers, poets and poetry, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
3. On loneliness, Issue #295 from The Red Hand Files. What I liked so much about this response isn’t something Nick said, but something he shares that someone else said: “Philosopher, neuroscientist and psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist says we require three things to attain a meaningful life. The first is feeling part of a wider community – family, friends, and society in general. Second is an understanding of nature and a connection to the natural order of things, which McGilchrist feels we have largely lost. Finally, we need to form a relationship with the sacred or divine – this can be found in art, music, poetry and religion, where we acknowledge the ineffable and all-encompassing force that holds the world together.” I feel like these three things are worth a lifetime of our effort.
4. and that’s the way it is, on Chookooloonks from Karen Walrond. “Because any time I hear a story about someone doing something really challenging or difficult (and I’ve been listening to a lot of stories as I research my book), or indeed, when I reflect on past challenges of my own life, the truth is sometimes the only way to make it through is just to make it through. Sometimes life can get so overwhelming, that there’s nothing to do but take as deep a breath as you can, and focus on the next 60 seconds in front of you, and then the next, and so on. Just one baby step at a time. And with consistency, little by little, you suddenly realize that you’ve created some light.”
5. Christina Rasmussen: Life Reentry: Exiting the Waiting Room on the Sounds True podcast. “Filled with unique perspective and compassionate insight, this dialogue explores the place of uncertainty and stagnation known as ‘the waiting room’; the original self, and how we get disconnected from it; the impacts of an ‘us vs. them’ experience; how to identify your primary invisible loss; three inner narrators—the survivor, the watcher, and the thriver; reclaiming our forgotten ‘thriver memories’; the cost of seeking approval; saying yes to what you’ve always wanted to do; cleansing our patterns of fear; the practice of mental stacking; the Life Reentry model; reframing our experiences and taking action from our wisdom; why the place of death is also the place of creation; and more.”
12. Zoltan Kaszas – Honorary Jones (FULL SPECIAL) 2024. (video) “As the end of the world approaches, comedian Zoltan Kaszas reflects on his father figures, getting married, moving to New York and more in his brand new stand-up special.”
14. Death on Shishapangmafrom Outside. “Two American women and two Sherpa guides perished while racing for a record. The tragedy illuminates how the recent rush to climb the world’s highest peaks is driving climbers onto dangerous mountains like never before.”
15. ‘I didn’t want to be swallowed up’: actor Josh Hartnett on swapping Hollywood for Hampshire. “On track for megastardom, the actor turned down the part of Superman (twice) and turned his back on Hollywood. Now living in rural Hampshire, he talks about choosing fulfilling projects, his hippie childhood, the perils of stalkers – and the fun of owning pygmy goats.” I know that so many people strive for it, but I think being “famous” or a “celebrity” or even just a social media influencer would be an AWFUL way to live.
16. White Women: Answer the Call 2024. (video) “Sunday night, 44,000 women gathered with Win with Black Women to support Kamala Harris, and they raised over $1 million.”
17. Goodbyefrom Britchida, who had to say so recently to her dog Elsa.
22. Joy is Underrated or Incorrectly Rated from Gurdeep Pandher. “Joy is more than just having fun or experiencing fleeting moments of pleasure. It’s a deep sense of well-being and tranquility that emerges when you feel content with your life and circumstances. It’s not about crafting a flawless world devoid of challenges—such a world doesn’t exist. Instead, joy is about finding and nurturing your own happiness amid life’s imperfections, embracing the highs and lows, and discovering meaning and satisfaction in the midst of life’s inevitable struggles and uncertainties.”
27. “Parable of the Sower” Is Now, Says Gen Z. “Young people who have read Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel say it’s not only prescient, but also carries lessons for today.” I’m not sure why they had to frame this discussion as a Gen Z or young people thing, but okay.
28. Softening the Clenched Fist from Krista Tippett on The Pause. “Reflections from Plum Village on healing our world’s pain.”
29. Norah Jones: Tiny Desk Concert. (video) “‘I finally made it to Tiny Desk,” singer-songwriter Norah Jones excitedly declares during her performance. Her first Tiny Desk experience was a solo piano and vocal (home) concert, which reflected all the meditative, sonic hallmarks of performing in isolation. Since her juggernaut debut album, Come Away With Me, was released in 2002, she has crafted intimate songs that showcase her beguiling vocals…For her long-awaited in-person performance, Jones presents a light, breezy set of soulful tracks from her newest album, Visions, a collaboration with producer Leon Michels.” In related news, Feist: Tiny Desk Concert. (video) “There’s always been a disconnect between Leslie Feist’s music — soothing, thoughtful, deliberately crafted — and her warm, wryly funny personality. We got to witness both in her long-awaited Tiny Desk debut, which finds her showcasing new and old material amid self-effacing commentary on the pandemic, public speaking and her strange moment of reality-TV fame.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 