1. Morning walks. I’m not going to lie, some mornings I’d rather stay in bed. And it’s getting darker and colder out there, little by little, day by day. And this year it won’t be as golden as fall usually is because of the extra rain we had all summer long. And this past week, my bum knee was achy and cranky. And Ringo, as always, is determined to eat every stick, dead thing, abandoned food item, and horse apple we encounter on the trail. And yet, every morning walk is such good medicine.
2. Cancelled plans. Knowing I am heading to Oregon on Monday made me very careful with my energy this week. I had to cancel a few things in order to give myself some space. It was such a relief. In what seems like “related news,” I also made a deal with myself to stay off social media altogether while I’m in Oregon, to be more present, so I took Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube off my phone. Don’t worry, I downloaded the first season of Deadloch and the final season of Sex Education, checked out a new book from the library, and have a few podcast episodes and a playlist, all downloaded so I don’t have to pay for data overages again on this trip, (there’s no wireless at my parent’s house).
3. Practice. It both comforts me, is a soft place to land, and strengthens me, provides support. Because of it, I’m soft enough to stay open to what is, and strong enough to stay with it.
4. Pie. With the exception of two, these are all pies Eric has made. Google images shared this with me this morning and it made me realize there hasn’t been nearly enough pie this summer.
5. My tiny family, small house, little life. Oh, how I am going to miss them while I’m gone. And yet, knowing they’ll be here waiting for me when I get back helps.
Bonus joy: Books that aren’t necessarily prize worthy but are so fun to read, writing with my wild-ish sangha, poetry, chocolate zucchini bread, a big glass of cold clean water, the chance to start over again, practicing yoga with Red Sage, glue stick, scissors, other people’s dogs, peach flavored Kefir, The Other Black Girl on Hulu (this was fun), watching Iron Chef and Snapped with Eric, making each other laugh, going to bed early, bird song, ink refills, all of Ringo’s different barks and howls and sighs, that the two lumps we found on Ringo are benign, my brother and niece who are taking such good care of my parents, Mom getting home from stroke rehab, getting in the pool, sitting in the sauna, a massage appointment, brunch plans with a dear friend I haven’t see in WAY too long, texting with Chloe’, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
1. Wisdom from Omkari Williams: “The world feels very hard right now, let’s do what we can to bring some softness to it.”
2. Issue #252 of The Red Hand Files from Nick Cage, in which he explains the benefits of both humility and curiosity, advising that we “try to make more use of humility and curiosity – these attributes have a softening effect on our sometimes inflexible and isolating value systems. They allow us to remain true to our temporary selves but fluid and playful in our dealings with this strange and ever-changing world.”
3. Good stuff from Lion’s Roar: Waking Up in Dark Times (“In order to shed light on the realities of climate change, says Ajahn Sucitto, first we should get more comfortable with the darkness”), and Get Curious About Your Anxiety (“Buddhism and psychoanalysis take the same approach to calming the anxious mind, says Dr. Pilar Jennings—look with friendly curiosity at your anxiety and what causes it”), and How to Help When Your Heart Breaks (“Caring for people who are suffering is a loving, even heroic calling, but it takes a toll. Roshi Joan Halifax teaches this five-step program to care for yourself while caring for others”).
6. A memoir in plants. “A Q&A with Briana Loewinsohn, author of the graphic memoir Ephemera.”
7. Healing from Trauma Step by Step from Gretchen Schmelzer. “All learning is this way—and healing is really learning—only some of the most difficult learning—because it is both an unlearning and learning. You have to unlearn all of the protections and defenses you used to survive that no longer serve you, and you have to learn new thoughts, behaviors and attitudes that can help you grow again.”
17. Wisdom from Sarah Ban Breathnach, by way of her book Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self:“But at the end of the day, when we’re finally alone, we’re peering down into the black hole in our hearts. Our insatiable, inexplicable, longing probes the emptiness much the same way you do when you can’t keep your tongue out of that sensitive, empty spot that once held a decaying tooth.”
19. Questions for Higher Weight Patients and Their Healthcare Providersfrom Ragen Chastain. “Our current medical view of weight and health is deeply muddied by weight loss industry involvement. I created this list of questions as a guide to interrogation. It can be used by or with healthcare practitioners, or by anyone who wants to take a critical look at our current weight and health paradigm.”
20. A Creative Evolutionfrom Abigail Rose Clarke. “I wasn’t an artist when I started selling my art. I’m not sure I’m an artist now.”
29. Complete Sentence, “a magazine of single-sentence prose. We champion punchy and poignant work that celebrates syntactical exploration—narratives that expand or contract within a single sentence.”
37. Maria Bamford Is Hilariously Transparent. “The prolific comedian spoke to GQ about mental health, the importance of negotiating for better pay, and her new memoir, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult.” I just finished her book last night — so good!
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 