1. Morning walks. I’ve been calling it “river medicine” when we get to walk by the water. This past week, I could start to see the tiniest bit of fall creeping in, although it’s also greener than it’s ever been this late in the summer because of all the rain we’ve had. We saw a heron and heard an owl one morning when we walked along the river. I also noticed that the narrowleaf cottonwoods, one of my favorite fall color trees, are losing their leaves from a fungus (again, because of all the rain) but my friend Jim assured me it makes the leaves drop but doesn’t kill the tree. The other days we walked at the cemetery, which I could call “death medicine.”
Beaver denHeron
2. Family. My dad is still here/there, still under hospice care, and in related news, my mom had a stroke last week and is in the hospital. Seriously, it’s so awful it’s almost unbelievable, bordering on ridiculous. Thank goodness it was a “small” stroke, but she is still going to need some time in a rehab, which means my brother and nieces, my mom’s siblings and friends are all helping out, taking care of Dad and visiting with Mom. I’m so grateful I got to spend the time with them I did recently, and so glad that there are so many other people who love them who can offer their support when I can’t be there.
Dad and Mom, 31 years ago, my last Christmas living at home with themRestorative yoga teacher training at Om Ananda, “give us ALL the props!”
3. Practice. It really is the only reason I’m still standing, still here, not losing my sh*t right now. This past weekend I did a restorative yoga teacher training and it made me realize that even now, STILL, I deny myself comfort and care, that I still have work to do when it comes to really and fully loving and honoring myself.
4. Massage with Dana. Even though I’ve been seeing her for the past eight years and no one else, that’s still what I put on my calendar when we have a session, “Massage with Dana.” She really is the best. I trust her, we make each other laugh, she’s so kind and smart, I can talk to her about anything, and it’s incredibly healing to work with her.
5. My tiny family, small home, little life. I love it here, so much.
Bonus joy: figuring out that if my Kindle library loan is due back but I’m not finished and can’t renew it because someone else has it on hold all I have to do is put my Kindle in airplane mode and they can’t take the book back, being able to get books from the library for my Kindle, the library, books, sharing books, Tour de Fat because even though I complain about the complete chaos of it every year I’m glad that people are willing to be weird in public and bring their kids and dogs along, I’m also grateful that I made it though another Tour de Fat without killing anyone on a bike because half of them are drunk and the other half aren’t paying attention, rewatching Iron Chef with Eric, fans of all sorts, tomatoes and raspberries from the garden, the Rocky Mountain Bee plant in our front yard, being able to text with Chris and Mom, the texts Chloe’ sends me and the Instagram reels Shellie shares with me, that Chelsey understands exactly what I’m going through, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
3. How You Can Donate and Help Support Maui Communities Right Now. “We’ve compiled a handful of community funds and nonprofits you can contribute to right now. In such dire times, truly anything can help and make a difference for those affected by the fires, and we will continue to add more donation centers to this article as the situation continues to evolve.”
4. Handsome, a new podcast from comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin. “Every week, the handsome hosts field a question from a friend and attempt to answer it together, covering every subject you could think of. Along the way, Tig, Fortune and Mae tell plenty of stories and just generally have a ridiculous time.”
11. NPR’s Book of the Day podcast. “In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone’s talking about? NPR’s Book of the Day gives you today’s very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you’re looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we’ve got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch today’s great books in 15 minutes or less.” One book they shared I’m currently reading: In ‘Soul Boom,’ Rainn Wilson calls for a spiritual revolution, and another I am going to read next: ‘Soil’ weaves together a poet’s experience of gardening, race and community.
15. A Tiny, Weightless Thing from Karen Maezen Miller. She posted this on her Facebook page and I can’t figure out how to link to that and it’s not on her website either, so I’m going to share the full text here and hope she doesn’t mind.
“Many years ago, when my life seemed to take a radical and inexplicable turn, people would sometimes ask how I decided to make that happen. The truth is, I didn’t make anything happen except in the smallest ways. I didn’t decide to downsize, for instance, although it looked that way. I didn’t become a minimalist, although my needs diminished. I didn’t decide to pursue a spiritual path, I just put one foot in front of the other. I didn’t resist, reject, or refuse anything, I simply made different choices. They are the kind of choices we are presented with all the time.
Instead of more I chose less. Instead of that I chose this. Instead of later I chose now. And instead of me, well, I didn’t choose me.
If we are lucky, we are given a great deal of time on this earth, time enough to get a good look around. And eventually, after enough upheavals, disasters, and disappointments, we might realize the point of it all.
It’s not just to be kind, although that’s part of it. It’s not just to be tolerant or generous, although both of those will become easier. It’s not really about gratitude either, although you will be grateful for all the opportunities given to you.
We are here, together, now to serve one another. Let’s not make that complicated. It’s really simple, and a lot simpler than serving yourself. Serving yourself is an endless, exhausting, and futile endeavor. It perpetuates dissatisfaction. It multiplies desires. But serving others, helping others, and caring for others is a tiny, weightless thing. It’s instantly satisfying and gratifying. In other words, it’s good.
This is the secret to happiness. Let’s not keep it a secret.”
17. How drawing changed this artist’s life and led to a $45K paid newsletter. “Danny Gregory triumphed in the advertising world before tragedy struck. But his resilience and passion for creating helped him bounce back to scale his newsletter to 20,000 subscribers and inspire artists around the world.”
25. Amazing Gracefrom Gretchen Schmelzer. “Our hearts break open and our mosaics, the world’s mosaics, get bigger. First, let yourself grieve. And then, let yourself grow.”
31. Origin Storyfrom Jami Attenberg. “I’m sorry this newsletter today has nothing to do with writing. It only has to do with a dog. But having a dog is part of what makes me happy and steady and alive, and those things help me to be a writer and a better participant in my community.” Amen!
39. On Death and Love. “As Melanie Challenger examines the belief in human exceptionalism that has devastated life on this planet, she wonders if our desire to outrun death is hindering our capacity to love.”
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 