I confess I’ve had a week where I’ve felt more like an unsuccessful novice at birling (logrolling) than a masterful surfer of my days. While it feels like it’s time to throw everything up for review and reconsideration, I’m also finding myself turning to tried-and-true rituals as attempt to navigate this wobbliness with as much grace as possible. And this peek-into-my-week ala The Scattered Life Collective vision of Cynthia Lee is one of those touchstones that feels helpful, so I’m playing again this week.
out the window: We had lots of rain last night and now the humidity is at 4007%, it’s uncomfortably hot, and the grey skies are promising more precipitation. Morning coffee on the porch was more of a hurried affair than leisurely as within seconds we we’re covered with a sheen of too-hot-too-wet. Even the bubbles were sinking like lead balloons rather than flying off to freedom.
on the menu: Honey Roasted Carrots with Red Onion Gremolata. I’m reconsidering making this on a day that’s a bit cooler. Having the oven on just doesn’t sound like fun today. But the recipe does make my mouth water, I love honey roasted carrots.
good things:
- When some of the morning bubbles sunk directly into the porch flowerboxes when released from the wand, I got a physics lesson in why some of them looked like half-bubbles. Because the film on the top of the bubble was so very thin and the ratio of light diffraction it looked like the top half of the bubble wasn’t there. Very cool.
- Baths. I’ve been alternating salt baths for clearing and Lush bubble baths for conjuring up a little bit of delight.
- I’ve found someone who has the skills to make a pattern from my beloved worn-to-shreds artist tunic and will be making me more! I’m beyond-the-moon happy with the thought of this. This feels like a step in the right direction of my goal of only-treasures in my life.
- Speaking of direction, the immense discomfort and wobbliness of this week – ay this entire month and perhaps more – has finally pushed me into a plan that I’m anxious to start implementing. Yay for a bit of clarity. Yay for a plan.
- This week I’m holding this Rumi quote close to my heart:
“The rain-weeping and the sun burning twine together to make us grow. Keep your intelligence white-hot and your grief glistening, so your life will stay fresh.”
reading: Two very short reads this week. Seth Godin’s V is for Vulnerable (Life Outside the Comfort Zone) – an abecedarium for adults. And the children’s book Migrant by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault which is about Mennonites from Mexico who have dual citizenship in Canada and migrate to Canada annually as field workers.
watching: I Am – filmmaker Tom Shadyac interviews philosophers and spiritual leaders about what ails the world and how to improve it.
listening: No doubt I’ve shared this link before – but I do spin Jennifer Berezan a lot, and A Song for All Beings is one I particularly love.
favorite word of the week: haecceity – n: (philosophy) the property that uniquely identifies an object. From medieval Latin, literally: thisness. My mind is literally dancing with this one – a word that means thisness!
out and about:
- I SO do not need to take on a single other thing, and yet, if I find myself with a tiny bit of time this weekend, I would love to be part of the love of this Happy Flag Project celebrating the Dalai Lama’s upcoming visit to Birmingham Alabama.
- There’s a certain wonderfulness to the fact that the week I’m feeling very blue, I discover there’s such a thing as the blue hour.
- I often find myself in resonance with the things Mel of Ink Blot Kingdoms is talking about and this one on Recalibrating is a perfect example.
- A cheery bit of dahlia love.
- And a little reminder for how to show up in the world.
And there you have it. Now what about your week? Any delights to celebrate? Some tender spots to be held gently? What made you laugh? Do tell – you know I love to hear.