I really needed this today, Rita! I love seeing and imagining your beautiful calm spaces and the sound of your compact list and right-sized life. I can feel you coming home to yourself in the writing of this, even at a time of transition. I so admire you and Diana for turning that desire and intention into action and as a point of connection for community here
I am having old house overwhelm, yard overwhelm, body overwhelm, and the chipmunk part of me thinks I should step up on the gathering nuts for winter. A new job at this stage is a new way of being in the family for me so that means time not spent on other things that are centering for me. But! The writing part feels good and the brain part feel good and I, too am so looking forward to SCHOOL!
I'm smiling at the idea of my beautiful, calm spaces--you should see my kitchen! I started painting the cabinets last fall, not long before I fell and injured myself. I tried to get back to that project in February, but I couldn't do it. It's not a calm space. Right now. Which is to say, everything is always in progress and imperfect! I'm setting out intentions, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with, right? 🙂 I'll let you know how I actually do.
Wishing you luck with the old house (I LOVE old houses), yard, body and inner chipmunk. And a new job! That's a lot to juggle. I hope they are all good things. Well, I know the inner chipmunk is usually problematic. Mine is, anyway! Hamster-wheeling is the exercise I engage in most often. Or it used to be! Things always change, don't they?
I'm so glad you'll be in SCHOOL with me. I hope I can keep up with it all! And I have much less going on than you do.
I am responding to this sitting on an upside desk in my office space with Rolling Stones blasting, bolts and screws around me, and I am smiling because it feels like you are hanging out with me!
Feels good to get this space in order today for school and job stuff- one step at a time. Job is seasonal so it will wind down by December and I can devote more time to writing! Let’s do this! And I want that crisp!!!💜
Blasting music and loose screws...feels so familiar! Wish I could give you some crisp--it was really good! Dessert is definitely part of a life well-lived!
Rita, this is wonderful on so many levels. I truly appreciate the way you're focusing your, and by association my, attention on just a few areas. I scrolled along in my phone last night and paused longer than I might usually (I had the sound on, which is always a mistake) on an ad for a dental gizmo. "Stop doing all the other things you're doing in your mouth and do this!" the spokesperson demanded, in so many words. After I managed to disappear him, it was so apparent, once again, just how much we are expected to notice these days. It's impossible, of course, but we all feel the chronic drain from all the sources asking us to LOOK HERE!
Who do I want to be on the day that I die? I sure as hell don't want to be pausing over ads for dental devices! What a great way to put it in perspective. Like you, I don't find it morbid, I find it inspiring. Thank you so much.
The results of your gardening efforts look to be not just successful but stellar. Good for you!! Beets and carrots are not foolproof choices. I'm impressed, and they look like just the kind of healthy and delicious you're after right now. I look forward to seeing the results of your embroidery play. And I envy your commitment to WITD. I looked at the course description just now and had to admit to myself that I don't have 2-3 hours a week to give over (I don't want to half-ass it--that's not my style). I love that you are doing this and am excited to get hints of your discoveries along the way.
Welcome back, Rita. Your living room is stunning, literally and metaphorically.
Thank you for the words and the smile. I, too, do not want to die pausing over ads for dental devices! Too often I catch myself wasting my life on such stupid scrolling. My only consolation is that I usually do it at the end of the day when my brain is too tired to do more meaningful things.
And praise for my produce means the world coming from you! I want to take some credit for how well they turned out, but it was mostly dumb luck. We just put seeds in when the package said to and watered regularly. I was so delighted with the beets; I love beets and these were so good to eat. A question: Do you know why some carrots develop two "legs"? We had quite a few like that.
As for WITD, I sat on that one for awhile. It's more money than I was comfortable spending, and I had to make sure I could really commit to the work. It means continuing to do less here, most likely. It's feeling like this might be a time I can do that, but it sure wouldn't have been even 6 months ago. It feels a little uncomfortable to make such commitments, but I want to see what will come of them. I will let you know how it goes!
Forked carrots have no single cause. Everything from excessive nutrients, to root damage, to a rock in the soil can create those funky shapes. At a minimum, they can bring about some funny anatomical comparisons. :)
Happy September, Rita! This is a beautiful reminder of what fall is about for me as well. I have persisted in thinking of it as back to school time even for me, but it is more “school of life.” Summer is more smoke and heat in BC than I like, so once skies clear in Sept I like to feel a fresh start. This year for me that means ditching my better-paying job (madness) and literally going back to school at 51, and taking a job doing public library programming for kids. I really do feel that fall this year is like starting anew. Now to clean the house…
Happy September to you, too! Always makes me smile to hear from you. I am both admiring and a little envious of your brave endeavors! Good for you for going back to school and trying new jobs at this stage! Truly. And library programming for kids! You now I love libraries, and serving young people. I hope you love it. And please let me know how it goes. If I felt able to commit to a job right now, I'd for-sure look for something library-related. I'm so excited for you!
I love intentions and yours sound lovely, fulfilling, and fall filling.
My summer was a whirlwind of grief, changing family dynamics (my mom was the constant in our blended family), and my father’s cancer diagnosis just months after my mom’s death. All while heading into V’s last year of high school and all the college application and touring that entails. And it sounds so overwhelming because it is, but there’s been so much simple daily joy too.
Like you, I’ve always felt more “new year” in September than January and getting back into the rhythm of working a couple days a week, taking good care of myself, celebrating the people I love while hoping to fit more time for slow hobbies and organizing projects (things I haven’t done much of in the last year) sounds SO good.
Looking forward to reading on how your intentions shape your days and, of course, the embroidery!!
It's so good to hear from you, Kate! I think of you often and have wondered how you are doing. I'm so sorry to hear that you've gotten another hard diagnosis. And how is V a senior?!? Time... I'm so happy to hear that you're back at the bookstore. That feels like such a good fit for you. (Working at a bookstore is one of my fantasy jobs.)
I will keep you posted on the projects and especially the embroidery. I'm already late to start September's project. I'll have to create a small one. 🙂
So much resonates here - trying to do everything well is a recipe for angst and disappointment and this is a great reminder to narrow the focus and spend energy where it counts. I aim to join you in this reset for fall - my focus will be working hard to create new channels for our artwork, setting up this new house so it feels like home, staying strong and active, and finding an ease in the kitchen so cooking doesn't feel like so much work. P.s. Of course *root* vegetables are thriving in your garden! How apropos.
Moving to a new place is such a big project! I last moved 6 years ago, and it's a bit amazing to me how long it took for us to figure out how to make our place both function and and feel the way we want it to. Some things just take awhile of living, don't they? If you discover good ways to have more ease in the kitchen, please share! It's a constant goal of mine. I loved your most recent art drop. Looking forward to seeing how your work evolves in your new place.
Thank you Rita, so glad you enjoyed the hand bouquet! Also it feels good to know I'm not the only one looking for ease in the kitchen! I'm finding it takes me so much longer to cook here because I don't have all my kitchen gear unpacked and in their appropriate place yet so I feel totally turned around sometimes. We'll get there eventually. I think you and I 'met' in the sourdough meet and greet post by Chapin - are you baking any sourdough at the moment or is that a bridge too far these days?
Oh, no sourdough here! Have you ever seen The Lazy Genius Kitchen? Kendra Adachi is the author. She has some ways of approaching food that I found helpful. But mostly, I think, cooking real food takes a lot of resources! And I especially need good organization in the kitchen. (Adachi has good ideas for that.) I know you'll get there, in time 🙂
I'll check it out - see if my library has it. There's a whole canon of Greek and Turkish recipes that involve just throwing things into a roasting pan with a lid and waiting an hour, two hours or 3 - no sauteeing or any of that nonsense - I do think that's an amazing cooking shortcut to great flavor, just takes some planning ahead (soaking and cooking beans, or acquiring meat and thawing it). I need to avoid those dreaded 5:30pm panics of "what do we possibly have to make for dinner" on busy days when it's the last thing on my mind. Thanks for the book recommendation!
Yes, planning is the hard part. And sometimes I plan, but then no one is home to eat and I get frustrated and we waste food. I love the idea of throwing things in a pot and letting it cook for a few hours. Always love a good pot roast.
Rita, always love your posts. I'm sorry you have been struggling, but so happy to hear you reconnect with your joys. The photos of the rain on your deck and your writing leave me impatient for fall. You have reminded me of how great I can feel. I have no complaints truly in the big picture about this summer, but it was far too hot for me and we've been chasing our tails. Thank you for this beautiful post, and cheers to welcoming Fall soon! 💚
Thank you so much for the kind note; glad to know that my posts give you something good. "Far too hot" and "chasing our tails" are pretty apt words for my summer, too. It wasn't bad, and there was a lot of good in it, but I'm so ready to let that season fade away. We are having high temps again (up to 97 one day!) this week, and I am so tired of that kind of heat. I'll join your cheer to welcoming fall, for sure.
Oh, my friend, I love this. I can relate so much to what you’re sharing, as you probably guessed from that Georgia OKeeffe quote. After finally recovering from COVID, I feel ready to make some changes. I’ve started eating more whole foods for the first time in my adult life, and I’m feeling so much better overall. It’s like I’m waking up after a long, hazy dream.
I completely understand how much work it takes to care for our bodies, especially as we get older. It’s almost like a part-time job, especially during menopause. If I added up all the time I spend on yoga, using the acupressure mat, and walking four times a week, it would probably seem overwhelming. But I’m not going to add it up because I need it—and so do you.
I wish/hope everyone could do this kind of work for themselves, to care for their bodies and minds in peaceful, loving ways.
And it IS work to take care of our bodies! The only way I've been able to get myself to stick with my PT/OT is to think of it as my job. Which probably reveals some ways in which I need to further recover from the culture I've lived my whole life in, but it gets me to do the things--so not today. I also think of homemaking as my job now, and the food stuff falls into that. I honestly don't know how I managed when I was working full-time and raising my kids. I guess the truth is that I didn't manage very well. I'm so glad you're feeling able to feed yourself in ways that feel good. I always feel better when I eat more home-cooked meals heavy on produce. Hope you can keep doing that. You'll have to let me know if you find some good recipes or routines for making that all work.
There is such a calmness and peace in this post that makes me feel the same way. Thank you. I, too, think of September as the beginning of the year rather than January. I plan, as much as is possible, to put my to-do list aside, trusting myself to get things done in the right way at the right time. Perhaps that is my answer to the question: “Who do I want to be on the day that I die?” Someone who knew what to do and made no big deal about it.
I really needed this today, Rita! I love seeing and imagining your beautiful calm spaces and the sound of your compact list and right-sized life. I can feel you coming home to yourself in the writing of this, even at a time of transition. I so admire you and Diana for turning that desire and intention into action and as a point of connection for community here
I am having old house overwhelm, yard overwhelm, body overwhelm, and the chipmunk part of me thinks I should step up on the gathering nuts for winter. A new job at this stage is a new way of being in the family for me so that means time not spent on other things that are centering for me. But! The writing part feels good and the brain part feel good and I, too am so looking forward to SCHOOL!
Rita, I am so glad you are home.
I'm smiling at the idea of my beautiful, calm spaces--you should see my kitchen! I started painting the cabinets last fall, not long before I fell and injured myself. I tried to get back to that project in February, but I couldn't do it. It's not a calm space. Right now. Which is to say, everything is always in progress and imperfect! I'm setting out intentions, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with, right? 🙂 I'll let you know how I actually do.
Wishing you luck with the old house (I LOVE old houses), yard, body and inner chipmunk. And a new job! That's a lot to juggle. I hope they are all good things. Well, I know the inner chipmunk is usually problematic. Mine is, anyway! Hamster-wheeling is the exercise I engage in most often. Or it used to be! Things always change, don't they?
I'm so glad you'll be in SCHOOL with me. I hope I can keep up with it all! And I have much less going on than you do.
I am responding to this sitting on an upside desk in my office space with Rolling Stones blasting, bolts and screws around me, and I am smiling because it feels like you are hanging out with me!
Feels good to get this space in order today for school and job stuff- one step at a time. Job is seasonal so it will wind down by December and I can devote more time to writing! Let’s do this! And I want that crisp!!!💜
Blasting music and loose screws...feels so familiar! Wish I could give you some crisp--it was really good! Dessert is definitely part of a life well-lived!
Indeed — I can taste it!
Rita, this is wonderful on so many levels. I truly appreciate the way you're focusing your, and by association my, attention on just a few areas. I scrolled along in my phone last night and paused longer than I might usually (I had the sound on, which is always a mistake) on an ad for a dental gizmo. "Stop doing all the other things you're doing in your mouth and do this!" the spokesperson demanded, in so many words. After I managed to disappear him, it was so apparent, once again, just how much we are expected to notice these days. It's impossible, of course, but we all feel the chronic drain from all the sources asking us to LOOK HERE!
Who do I want to be on the day that I die? I sure as hell don't want to be pausing over ads for dental devices! What a great way to put it in perspective. Like you, I don't find it morbid, I find it inspiring. Thank you so much.
The results of your gardening efforts look to be not just successful but stellar. Good for you!! Beets and carrots are not foolproof choices. I'm impressed, and they look like just the kind of healthy and delicious you're after right now. I look forward to seeing the results of your embroidery play. And I envy your commitment to WITD. I looked at the course description just now and had to admit to myself that I don't have 2-3 hours a week to give over (I don't want to half-ass it--that's not my style). I love that you are doing this and am excited to get hints of your discoveries along the way.
Welcome back, Rita. Your living room is stunning, literally and metaphorically.
Thank you for the words and the smile. I, too, do not want to die pausing over ads for dental devices! Too often I catch myself wasting my life on such stupid scrolling. My only consolation is that I usually do it at the end of the day when my brain is too tired to do more meaningful things.
And praise for my produce means the world coming from you! I want to take some credit for how well they turned out, but it was mostly dumb luck. We just put seeds in when the package said to and watered regularly. I was so delighted with the beets; I love beets and these were so good to eat. A question: Do you know why some carrots develop two "legs"? We had quite a few like that.
As for WITD, I sat on that one for awhile. It's more money than I was comfortable spending, and I had to make sure I could really commit to the work. It means continuing to do less here, most likely. It's feeling like this might be a time I can do that, but it sure wouldn't have been even 6 months ago. It feels a little uncomfortable to make such commitments, but I want to see what will come of them. I will let you know how it goes!
Forked carrots have no single cause. Everything from excessive nutrients, to root damage, to a rock in the soil can create those funky shapes. At a minimum, they can bring about some funny anatomical comparisons. :)
We have definitely had some anatomically interesting carrots this year! :-)
Happy September, Rita! This is a beautiful reminder of what fall is about for me as well. I have persisted in thinking of it as back to school time even for me, but it is more “school of life.” Summer is more smoke and heat in BC than I like, so once skies clear in Sept I like to feel a fresh start. This year for me that means ditching my better-paying job (madness) and literally going back to school at 51, and taking a job doing public library programming for kids. I really do feel that fall this year is like starting anew. Now to clean the house…
Happy September to you, too! Always makes me smile to hear from you. I am both admiring and a little envious of your brave endeavors! Good for you for going back to school and trying new jobs at this stage! Truly. And library programming for kids! You now I love libraries, and serving young people. I hope you love it. And please let me know how it goes. If I felt able to commit to a job right now, I'd for-sure look for something library-related. I'm so excited for you!
I love intentions and yours sound lovely, fulfilling, and fall filling.
My summer was a whirlwind of grief, changing family dynamics (my mom was the constant in our blended family), and my father’s cancer diagnosis just months after my mom’s death. All while heading into V’s last year of high school and all the college application and touring that entails. And it sounds so overwhelming because it is, but there’s been so much simple daily joy too.
Like you, I’ve always felt more “new year” in September than January and getting back into the rhythm of working a couple days a week, taking good care of myself, celebrating the people I love while hoping to fit more time for slow hobbies and organizing projects (things I haven’t done much of in the last year) sounds SO good.
Looking forward to reading on how your intentions shape your days and, of course, the embroidery!!
It's so good to hear from you, Kate! I think of you often and have wondered how you are doing. I'm so sorry to hear that you've gotten another hard diagnosis. And how is V a senior?!? Time... I'm so happy to hear that you're back at the bookstore. That feels like such a good fit for you. (Working at a bookstore is one of my fantasy jobs.)
I will keep you posted on the projects and especially the embroidery. I'm already late to start September's project. I'll have to create a small one. 🙂
So much resonates here - trying to do everything well is a recipe for angst and disappointment and this is a great reminder to narrow the focus and spend energy where it counts. I aim to join you in this reset for fall - my focus will be working hard to create new channels for our artwork, setting up this new house so it feels like home, staying strong and active, and finding an ease in the kitchen so cooking doesn't feel like so much work. P.s. Of course *root* vegetables are thriving in your garden! How apropos.
Moving to a new place is such a big project! I last moved 6 years ago, and it's a bit amazing to me how long it took for us to figure out how to make our place both function and and feel the way we want it to. Some things just take awhile of living, don't they? If you discover good ways to have more ease in the kitchen, please share! It's a constant goal of mine. I loved your most recent art drop. Looking forward to seeing how your work evolves in your new place.
Thank you Rita, so glad you enjoyed the hand bouquet! Also it feels good to know I'm not the only one looking for ease in the kitchen! I'm finding it takes me so much longer to cook here because I don't have all my kitchen gear unpacked and in their appropriate place yet so I feel totally turned around sometimes. We'll get there eventually. I think you and I 'met' in the sourdough meet and greet post by Chapin - are you baking any sourdough at the moment or is that a bridge too far these days?
Oh, no sourdough here! Have you ever seen The Lazy Genius Kitchen? Kendra Adachi is the author. She has some ways of approaching food that I found helpful. But mostly, I think, cooking real food takes a lot of resources! And I especially need good organization in the kitchen. (Adachi has good ideas for that.) I know you'll get there, in time 🙂
I'll check it out - see if my library has it. There's a whole canon of Greek and Turkish recipes that involve just throwing things into a roasting pan with a lid and waiting an hour, two hours or 3 - no sauteeing or any of that nonsense - I do think that's an amazing cooking shortcut to great flavor, just takes some planning ahead (soaking and cooking beans, or acquiring meat and thawing it). I need to avoid those dreaded 5:30pm panics of "what do we possibly have to make for dinner" on busy days when it's the last thing on my mind. Thanks for the book recommendation!
Yes, planning is the hard part. And sometimes I plan, but then no one is home to eat and I get frustrated and we waste food. I love the idea of throwing things in a pot and letting it cook for a few hours. Always love a good pot roast.
Rita, always love your posts. I'm sorry you have been struggling, but so happy to hear you reconnect with your joys. The photos of the rain on your deck and your writing leave me impatient for fall. You have reminded me of how great I can feel. I have no complaints truly in the big picture about this summer, but it was far too hot for me and we've been chasing our tails. Thank you for this beautiful post, and cheers to welcoming Fall soon! 💚
Thank you so much for the kind note; glad to know that my posts give you something good. "Far too hot" and "chasing our tails" are pretty apt words for my summer, too. It wasn't bad, and there was a lot of good in it, but I'm so ready to let that season fade away. We are having high temps again (up to 97 one day!) this week, and I am so tired of that kind of heat. I'll join your cheer to welcoming fall, for sure.
We are in the same boat when it comes to high temps these past two weeks. I’m so over summer, lol. 💕
Oh, my friend, I love this. I can relate so much to what you’re sharing, as you probably guessed from that Georgia OKeeffe quote. After finally recovering from COVID, I feel ready to make some changes. I’ve started eating more whole foods for the first time in my adult life, and I’m feeling so much better overall. It’s like I’m waking up after a long, hazy dream.
I completely understand how much work it takes to care for our bodies, especially as we get older. It’s almost like a part-time job, especially during menopause. If I added up all the time I spend on yoga, using the acupressure mat, and walking four times a week, it would probably seem overwhelming. But I’m not going to add it up because I need it—and so do you.
I wish/hope everyone could do this kind of work for themselves, to care for their bodies and minds in peaceful, loving ways.
Love you, my friend. 😘
Love you back 😘
And it IS work to take care of our bodies! The only way I've been able to get myself to stick with my PT/OT is to think of it as my job. Which probably reveals some ways in which I need to further recover from the culture I've lived my whole life in, but it gets me to do the things--so not today. I also think of homemaking as my job now, and the food stuff falls into that. I honestly don't know how I managed when I was working full-time and raising my kids. I guess the truth is that I didn't manage very well. I'm so glad you're feeling able to feed yourself in ways that feel good. I always feel better when I eat more home-cooked meals heavy on produce. Hope you can keep doing that. You'll have to let me know if you find some good recipes or routines for making that all work.
There is such a calmness and peace in this post that makes me feel the same way. Thank you. I, too, think of September as the beginning of the year rather than January. I plan, as much as is possible, to put my to-do list aside, trusting myself to get things done in the right way at the right time. Perhaps that is my answer to the question: “Who do I want to be on the day that I die?” Someone who knew what to do and made no big deal about it.
I love this, Ally: Someone who knew what to do and made no big deal about it. I suspect you've been this person for a very long time already.