Outside:

The newly restored fountain has become a haven for songbirds. I assumed we mostly had birds of prey here in the high forest. The addition of this water source is drawing all manner of small colorful birds to the garden.  We plan to make a visit to the local wild bird store to learn more about different feeders and seed and see what else we can attract. 

Wearing:

I found a floral cotton knit robe which soon became a favorite staple.  It inspired me to add a few pastel pajama pieces to go along. It was a small self-care step that paid off well. 

From the kitchen:

We had a birthday.  Asher turned 30.  That makes one of us really old.  We had tacos and  cheesecake.  On one of my first in store shopping trips I picked up some of Pioneer Woman's new checked napkins for fun.  They don't go with my house at all but they will be great for the patio.  

Listening:

The Beatles have been my carpool karaoke soundtrack lately.  

Towards Health and Wellness:

I am all about the dumbbell workout lately.  My knee got messed up a few weeks ago due to a misstep in the house while cleaning.  I have not been able to walk distances reliably but have been able to continue the hand weights. I began juicing again.  Midlife hormones continue to be a challenge and I am experimenting with some plant based bioidentical augmentation.  That sounds much tamer than it is in practice.  Midlife is not for cowards, y'all.  Not at all. 

Watching:

We watched A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood the other evening. The set construct, flipping between a 70's style model town and the actual movie set, was off-putting to me, however it reignited my love for Mr Rogers and has sparked many conversations about connection and empathy, versus pity and judgement. How do we encourage healing? How do we ground ourselves to be truly present with one another? Hint: less talking and more earnest listening.

Reading:

I could not help myself.  After reading a passage from Family Happiness I ordered a volume of Tolstoy's short stories. I feel at home once again, getting caught up in his characters' dreams and fears.  

Around the house:

We installed a giant mirror this past week.  There had been a large architectural mirror in the living room when we first saw the house. It ended up leaving with the family which greatly saddened us, having seen what an impact such a piece made.  After a year we have replaced it and are very happy with the way it reflects the light and adds depth to the space. 

From the Craft Room:

The girls are proficient at the sewing machine now. We bought some things from the thrift store that needed alterations.  Yesterday we tag teamed to get several pieces cut and hemmed.  It makes sewing a pleasure and the job was quickly finished.  

Considering:

"Better than fasting…."

I revisited St John of the Cross last night with a friend when we were both dismayed by a recent display of gossip veiled as prayer.  It is a fine line that runs between information and sensational curiosity.  Before we speak on what we hear he says  in his Sayings of Light and Love, “Conquering the tongue is better than fasting on bread and water.”

In his counsels he goes so far as to advise that we "carefully guard against thinking about what happens in the community and even more against speaking of it, of anything in the past or present concerning a particular (person): nothing about his or her character conduct or deeds no matter how serious any of this seems."   These ultimately distract us from our own weaknesses and tend to puff us up with pride. Is our ongoing commentary really as essential as we imagine?  In most cases we do best to pray for our brethren and go back to work our own fields.  It is the rare occasion where we can speak negatively and not harm ourselves in the process. 

"What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God…"