1. Morning walks. I didn’t take many pictures this week, of our walks or otherwise. That happens sometimes. I also haven’t been posting much of anything “original” to Facebook or Instagram. I simply feel quiet and still, sad and grateful, and what I create and share seems to be reflecting that — there’s so much I find it hard to communicate, am stunned into silence.
2. All we can do is take care of ourselves and each other. I’ve said this to a few people this week, find myself returning to it over and over. Chose to do what we can with what we have where we are. I am finding that when I can focus on that, especially on the things that in “our” culture are made to seem small or ordinary or unimportant — like walking the dog or feeding someone or giving a hug or choosing to be kind — are the biggest things, essential and sacred.
3. Keeping your heart and mind open. It can be hard to do, so hard. We are all busy trying to protect ourselves, to predict and prepare for the next disaster. I can be habitually skeptical, critical, disconnected, and isolated. This week I did something relatively new to me (I went to see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist), decided to stay open to it, to be curious, to let it help me, and I’m so glad I did.
4. Practice. It’s one of the things I can count on. When I’m lost, I can find myself there.
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. I love it here, this home we made.
Bonus joy: smashburger tacos with homemade burger sauce, fruit salad, plantain chips and dip (seriously, I may need an intervention soon), clean sheets, clean laundry, a warm shower, a big glass of cold clean water, a/c, getting to hug Chloe’, seeing Pancho and Franny, H. telling a “knock knock” joke, how happily the bees feed on the blooms of our golden raintrees, good books, new music, listening to podcasts, doing yoga at Red Sage, training with Shelby and the gang, getting in the pool, sitting in the sauna, the hydromassage chair, down pillows and blankets, our whole house fan, locust trees, sunflowers, fresh corn, peaches, my cholesterol 30+ points lower than last year, naps, how sweet Ringo was with both Dr. Foster and Teri, hanging out with Stacey, texting with Chris, making plans with Barb, origami cranes, gummies, toast, grocery shopping, breakfast burritos, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
1. My Aim Is To Be True, Not Great. “Rather than becoming great, I prefer to be true. Ordinary. Happy with staying close to home with an adventure here and there if it arises. Happy to run into friends and neighbors when I venture beyond the house. Happy to walk the same trail every day. Happy to be an ordinary human doing ordinary things. This is my freedom. This is my truth.” So much this.
2. Wisdom from Patti Digh: “My thoughts on resisting a possible ultra-conservative presidency following the blueprint outlined in Project 2025: Choose one topic you feel strongly about and work on that topic. There is too much for us to split our attention among all the things that are planned. Know your topic inside and out, donate what you can to organizations advocating on that topic, and make a dent in that topic. Others will choose different topics and do the same. Hit that one topic hard, with all you can muster, given your resources. That is going to be my approach.”
3. Wisdom from Søren Kierkegaard, “The most common form of despair is not being who you are.”
4. All infrom Josie George. “What am I opening and closing to? Life itself. My existence entirely. Inconvenient, uncomfortable, surprising, often disappointing, wise, perfect. Terrifying. Terrifying. And the greatest gift there is.” [Thanks to Rita for the link.]
6. Wisdom from Roshi Joan Halifax: “Keep clearing the mind of psychosocial debris, to the extent that we can, through practice, love, art, and the wilds. and keep aligned with the values of integrity and care, letting wisdom and courage be the guide, not the psychological manipulations of ill-meaning players.”
11. PBS Short Film Festival. “The PBS Short Film Festival continues to elevate the reach and visibility of independent films and filmmakers from across the country. For thirteen years, the festival has showcased films about love, acceptance, family, strength, equality, friendship, loyalty and much more. The 2024 festival highlights ‘Story Time’ as we celebrate the art of short form storytelling.”
13. The Key to Longevity Is Boringon The New York Times. (gift link) **Spoiler Alert**: “Research has long shown that health and longevity come down to five fundamental lifestyle behaviors: exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, eschewing cigarettes, limiting alcohol consumption and nurturing meaningful relationships.”
14. Wisdom from Michelle Cassandra Johnson: “The world is rather upside down, and I know this feeling of discombobulation will only continue leading up to the U.S. Presidential election in November. The dog days of summer are upon us in North Carolina, and we are inflamed. The climate is inflamed. The entire globe is on fire. I keep coming back to the light and what opportunity exists here for us to find light in this strange place and land that sometimes feels unrecognizable. And even if, at times, it feels difficult for me to find the light, I know it’s there. I know it exists, and all the darkness and shadow that makes itself known cannot and will not extinguish the light.”
18. Practicing Friendship: Sy Safransky and Sparrow. “In many ways they are opposites. Sparrow is impish, unkempt, chaotic. Sy arranges the pens on his desk so that they’re parallel and makes his bed every morning.”
19. What Your Grocery Cart Says About Youon The New York Times. (gift link) “We combed through a month’s worth of receipts from more than two dozen people across the U.S. to better understand our relationship to the food we buy.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 