Prayer for Cruel Times

Always grateful for Courtney E. Martin's words and thoughts.

Summer Hits

My first milkweed!

I've tried posting on here a dozen times since April but have either lost steam or been unable to concentrate. Lately, this is generally how I feel: tired and distracted. I yearn for simpler and slower times. 

Like many of us, I've been sucked into screens, news, and social media. (I know, I know!) It all feels so grim and scary. I'm desperately trying to find some kind of balance, but it feels impossible. I keep reading about how we aren't wired or made to ingest the constant onslaught of this much media and news on a daily basis. We all need a collective nervous system reset. And fast!

I've been tending to my literal and figurative garden where I can touch (a la Jack Kornfield). My vocation and flowers are two good things that bring me both joy and purpose. Reading, on the other hand, has been tough. I've started and stopped MANY books and so easily lose interest. One practice I've managed to stick with the past few months is journaling. This is in large part thanks to Suleika Jaouad's, The Book of Alchemy. I've so enjoyed starting my day using her prompts as inspiration to write.

On a lighter note, it's officially summer in our house. Millie and Rowe already had one week of art camp and another week in Richmond with my parents. We've been spending gobs of time at our beloved pool where the girls can swim, play volleyball and pickleball, eat ice pops, and generally roam free. It is childhood at its absolute finest.

Ok, now for a smattering of links that have been helpful, informative, or uplifting. Much love!

+ 5 ways to stay democratic when you're afraid.

+ These burger bowls were a huge hit in our house last week!

+ RIP Brian Wilson. This is my all time favorite Beach Boys song.

+ RIP Sly. This documentary was excellent.

+ Loved her sentiments on gardening. I wholeheartedly agree.

+ Highly recommend this conversation on finding faith in our future with the great Krista Tippett and Elise Loehnen.

+ New (old) purchase. Excited to go back in time. 

+ I think about this scene from Conclave often.

+ Poetry has offered a refuge from the chaos of our times. Here are a few poems for you: Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, RWT, Jane Hirshfield, Kate Baer.

+ Summer playlist.

+ I really want to see the documentary, Between the Mountains and the Sky.

+ I'm participating in On Being's series on hope. Another great excuse to journal and think!

+ My next read is Sleep by Honor Jones. Some other pool mommas are reading it together and will discuss it (poolside) at the end of June.

Back from Spring Break + a few hits

Back from a beachy AND snowy spring break in California! We spent the week exploring San Fransisco, Yosemite National Park, Santa Cruz, and Half Moon Bay. Yosemite was arguably more magnificent covered in snow. Plus, no crowds! While we didn't get to do too much hiking, we enjoyed the sites and time spent with friends. Thank goodness for a hot tub and pool table!

National parks hold a special place in our family's hearts. They offer opportunities for exploration, connection with nature, and a chance to appreciate the beauty of our planet. They are a source of wonder and a reminder of the importance of conservation and preservation for future generations. I cannot believe we are having to defend places like these right now. But here we are. Make your voices known. Protect our parks!

Now, for a few links:

+ I was deeply moved by Cory Booker's 25 hour stand-in. Highly recommend the documentary, Street Fight, which follows his path to becoming mayor of Newark. 

+ Stoop coffee, what a great and simple idea!

+ What's your community style?

+ A must listen conversation on parenting in the age of phones, tech, and social media. 

+ Agent of care. 

+ This looks delish.

+ This song was on repeat during our spring break travels.

Snow Days for Days

 

First but not last time at White Grass!

Grateful for a few fun distractions and micro adventures during these insane, anxiety-provoking times. I'm reminded of what truly brings me peace and joy in the world: friends, family, connection, the outdoors, and movement. I should say, I'm not putting my head in the sand about what's going on in this country right now. It's deeply disturbing to me and I'm working hard to find ways to focus on local issues and action items that feel somewhat manageable. 

With that, here are some links to distract/energize/gin you up.

+ Destruction and renewal

+ Rebecca Solnit's new enewsletter, Meditations in an Emergency

+ What can I do to fight this coup?

+ Our family LOVED this series, Queens on Disney. 

+ A beautiful song from the Queens docu-series.

+ Enjoyed this podcast episode on psychological richness. Shige Oishi used to teach at UVA!

+ Snow days call for easy soup recipes. 

Processing

+ Much is breaking. Much is being born.

+ I will always listen to a Bob Putnam interview.

+ Curtis Mayfield is a balm.

+ Order and disorder a la Richard Rohr. 

+ You're more powerful than you think. 

+ How to survive being online.

And another quote that spoke to me this week: 

"Looking deeply at any one thing, we see the whole cosmos. The one is made of the many. To take care of ourselves, we take care of those around us." –Thich Nhat Hanh, Cultivating the Mind of Love

2025

We kicked off our 2025 in snowy Colorado. My family and I spent the week in Telluride skiing, eating, hot springing, chilling, and watching Wicked. Grateful for the time away and getting to experience a brand new town – an adorable one at that!

I turned 40 a few days later. What a gift it is to age! We then all tuned in to the fires that ravaged LA reminding us that climate change does not care about the size of your house or celebrity status. It's here and we all need to plan and act accordingly. Now, there's a new administration that not only ignores climate change but is set to take a bulldozer to programs that help protect many of the families I work directly with.

Whew. 

The next few years will be a challenge and my work will certainly be needed more than ever. I plan to focus on these community efforts, seek out in-person connections, take adventures with my family, and find small joys every day. One of those joys, will be continuing to use this blog as a creative outlet. (Really hoping to kick my Instagram habit!) With that, here are a few links and internet findings:

+ New to me Mary Oliver poem

+ The perfect and easy-to-make lentil soup

+ The new season of All Creatures Great and Small did not disappoint. We are ready to move to Yorkshire Dales!

+ Low-fi playlist for hi-fi times (playlist creation is one of my favorite small joys!)

+ I've been revisiting Francis Weller and his concept of the long dark. Buckle up, headlights on!

+ Just finished this podcast and WOW. Highly recommend, keep an open mind.

Thanks for reading, friends. Chop wood, carry water, show up for the cause! New mantra for the next four years. 

Sunday Hits + A New Month

I meant to post here all month. The past few weeks were busy and emotion-filled. The election left me feeling disappointed, angry, and confused. How can we all see the world so differently?

Lately, I've been craving books, interviews, and words from north stars like Gregory Boyle, Ada Limon, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Tara Brach, and Nicholas Kristoff. I'm turning to the notion of active hope and have pledged to dig into work and community efforts even more. While I recognize that most everything is out of our control, my plan for the future is to find my role in this collective transition and live with intentionality and purpose. 

Here are a few internet findings that have brought me a sense of peace and belonging:

+ The power of small groups. 

+ Wildflower patches FTW!

+ Appreciated Oliver Burkeman's take on moving forward.

+ My Low Frequency playlist has been on repeat, plus this one with chill, nervous system regulating tunes. 

+ Stress baked these cookies a handful of times. (Cook for 14 minutes)

+ More hope and human connection in divided times.

+ Food as love.

+ Just finished Greg Boyle's new book which was perfectly timed. 

+ On gratitude and being in sacred relationship with life. 

I'll leave you with a few words from the great, Margaret Renkl: So for me, there will be more watchful stillness. More walks in the woods to watch the still heron standing one-legged in the shallows; to watch the still deer, waiting to see if I mean them harm; to watch the stillness of the red-eared sliders, resting on the sunny log, and the stillness of the wood duck, whose stillness is on the surface only; to linger in the stillness of the lake itself, a perfect mirror giving back the sky.

There will be more books and more poetry and more time with friends and more afternoons sitting on a bench and watching the leaves fall. I will be fighting with all that I am, but I will also be reminding myself again and again not to wait for the world to give me a reason to sigh with relief. I will give myself respite. I will remember not to keep waiting for sweetness and rest to arrive on their own.