tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7439542062571102762024-03-13T17:02:10.857-05:00Run the Earth and Watch the SkyWelcome to the online picnic-spot for my sporadic writings and endless tea drinking.Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717969443122650884noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-72160418571702155342023-03-03T19:30:00.006-06:002023-03-03T19:35:36.223-06:0030 before 30<p></p> In all its imperfection<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR10KtLy6DfymMIB7bl4g1erW3Cticjz6VPGfTVtM9HezX_M-BmaNfw0ngPTK9T2V0Z2NQNpT9UbXCVSL5Hbg-GVoXTCmtECpdjlYiZDe5PQL71b_T_gSLKDAyPhxFCkw0vYBh3a408B-FrD275NORgK-QsPVPuC6YuvqcLSJVx7sc_fLX8AwENy8T5w/s2000/C417319C-41D4-40B3-9EAD-98265B53B219.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR10KtLy6DfymMIB7bl4g1erW3Cticjz6VPGfTVtM9HezX_M-BmaNfw0ngPTK9T2V0Z2NQNpT9UbXCVSL5Hbg-GVoXTCmtECpdjlYiZDe5PQL71b_T_gSLKDAyPhxFCkw0vYBh3a408B-FrD275NORgK-QsPVPuC6YuvqcLSJVx7sc_fLX8AwENy8T5w/w225-h400/C417319C-41D4-40B3-9EAD-98265B53B219.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><p>I had planned to post this on my half-birthday, for no reason besides my own love of symmetry. But as I mentioned in the last post, this cold&flu thing is no joke and has continued to worsen. So although I did drag myself out to achieve one of my 30b430 goals yesterday, I did not get this post written up. So I'm posting it now, knowing that chasing your dreams does not have a time-stamp, and the idea of "being behind" is meaningless, because no one is walking your same path.</p><p>I'm giving myself 18 months to get these done, as I wanted to fill my list with meaningful things. Not fluff to make up a number, or things I put off so that I can check them off a particular list. And I may very well change this list as I go along, discarding something that is no longer important to me, adding on something fulfilling. Some are deep and storied, some are things I've never tried that I think would be fun. Some are just a way to get me out of my house, or my routine, a challenge to think and move and evolve. </p><p>What would be on your list?</p><p>Here's mine, in no particular order<br /></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Visit Scotland</li><li>Solo travel</li><li>Sing karaoke</li><li>Ride a rollercoaster</li><li>Become a yoga instructor</li><li>Get my colors done</li><li>Learn CPR</li><li>Try an escape room</li><li>Visit the MIA</li><li>Restock my savings account <br /></li><li>Start investing</li><li>Do a wine or whiskey tasting</li><li>Re-learn Liebestraum on the piano</li><li>Try tennis</li><li>Find a new way to explore my love of dance</li><li>Crochet my first granny square blanket</li><li>Plan and have an amazing picnic</li><li>Fall in love</li><li>Journal 30 days in a row</li><li>Make a list of things I've done before age 30</li><li>Meditate a combined 30 hours</li><li>Get to 30 pushups at once</li><li>Send 30 cards or letters</li><li>Walk 30 minutes a day for 30 days</li><li>Read 30 new books</li><li>Plant 30 of the same plant <br /></li><li>Do my 10th 30-days-of-yoga-with-Adriene</li><li>Go 30 days with no nonessential spending</li><li>Write 30 poems</li><li>Plan a unique 30th birthday party<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VVnAJxnzkX_UCBF1T_673T-2KCyabsIaDrAjAS6rnTEyIsv-n8GnsenhaSvtGzLwUfGRavpdKELWapnqyrzh66BJPW1KPJAQgR24K-3SXtwLh4hqEazKU-TI2cdGUZ_AEZLIOE-OZc3iWQ-Iov2c5UVXlVu3f-PryK8TVnq_hp8AEs4YzSBhurZAtg/s4032/60A06221-B887-403C-B0B0-AB67B7E5232B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VVnAJxnzkX_UCBF1T_673T-2KCyabsIaDrAjAS6rnTEyIsv-n8GnsenhaSvtGzLwUfGRavpdKELWapnqyrzh66BJPW1KPJAQgR24K-3SXtwLh4hqEazKU-TI2cdGUZ_AEZLIOE-OZc3iWQ-Iov2c5UVXlVu3f-PryK8TVnq_hp8AEs4YzSBhurZAtg/w400-h300/60A06221-B887-403C-B0B0-AB67B7E5232B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-80756425818076238242023-03-01T21:22:00.003-06:002023-03-02T03:39:53.670-06:00Crumple days<p> It's Wednesday evening, and I have a few thoughts to share about those days and weeks that feel like a crumple. I've been having one of those. I developed a nasty cold this week and I'm also in the process of switching from one med to another, which comes with a lot of breakthrough depression, dissociation, and significant dizziness. And I've had a few thoughts about self awareness, self compassion, and the innate drive to do-it-all and somehow live up to that American pressure to Hustle.</p><p>And I've actually found a couple of really helpful tips through my excessive time on my phone during the crash-mode that has been my recent state. One of those tips was just the reminder that, unless there is a life-threatening situation, nothing is in fact urgent. We know that fight or flight mode takes over when we are stressed, but it is hard to consciously understand that there is in fact time, and that the urgency imposed upon us is manufactured. </p><p>The other was a practical self-regulating tool. I love adding these to my arsenal whenever I come across one that resonates with me. For anyone in a long-haul journey to find health or relief, you know that our tool-belt can never be too full. And there is something so meaningful in this one, because it seems to have a deeper meaning beneath it: our voices are tuned to regulate our own bodies, and humming can help us regulate, bring us back to center, return to the awareness of now. </p><p>I immediately thought of two things: how isolating, whether self-imposed or pressed upon you, can lead you through the healing quiet all the way to the other side, where you no longer hear the grounding sound of your own voice, let alone others. Secondly, how easy it is for some of us to think that our voices do not need to be heard, to always er on the side of less, or fret when we've used our voices in powerful and expressive ways. Let us not be afraid to step up, be loud, be heard, speak our piece, and stay in tune with our self, our voice, our strength.</p><p>And speaking of strength, it is especially easy to doubt our own strength, purpose, and contribution when we are in a low space. When we feel terrible in our bodies and our minds, and it's difficult to take each step and manage each day. But our strength isn't gone you know, it is elsewhere. It is being used for other purposes. It only feels discouraging because we often cannot see all the battles we are fighting, we cannot do what we used to be able to do, and others seem to be going along without these struggles and limitations that are apart of our daily lives. </p><p>I used to be the girl who could easily pick up one end of a couch or piano, who carried armchairs from one room to the next without waiting for assistance. And now I have to wait for help, leave the lifting to someone else, tend to aching muscles and strained joints even as an older generation thinks I'm too young to feel daily pain.</p><p>And it can be easy think we are not doing enough, because our slower days do not look like our full days. Because our new routine is not as strenuous as an old one, or as your neighbor's routine. We often let negative thoughts take over when we have to significantly cut back, to the point where we cease to see the steps we really are taking.</p><p>This week I took a "lazy Sunday" because I was struggling with a host of symptoms, both physical and mental, including depression, side-effects, and the Sunday Scaries. I got up and did a few things before bed, but still felt like I'd done "nothing" that day. In actual fact, I'd gotten up in time to join a zoomcall that was important to me (I was a little late, but I made it), I took a shower, put scrubs through the laundry, made a batch of macarons, wrapped a gift, reached out to a friend, made chicken, potatoes, green beans, and meatballs, put fresh sheets on my bed, finished an audiobook, rested, did my skincare.</p><p>I did all that I needed to, and more. I even set myself up for the week ahead, even though it was hard. And it made me realize how resilient we can be, even on hard days.</p><p>And that's not to say that we don't need days where we <i>actually</i> don't do anything. Today was closer to that, since this cold makes me feel like I have the flu, and between my sore throat, dry nose, congested head, and dizziness, I didn't move much off the couch except to eat food and stuff. Still, I took care of myself. I ate real food, did some (very) gentle yoga, took a shower-bath with essential oils, did some self-massage and humming to feel attached to my body again, took a nap, and I plan to meditate before bed. I felt so cruddy, in fact, that I didn't even think I could make it to the chiropractor, and so will try tomorrow. I also know that I have a class tomorrow, and a long grocery list, and so I will by necessity be more active then, and so must take that extra care in these moments.</p><p>My pajamas tonight are fuzzy sweats and my t-shirt that says "stay awkward, brave, and kind" as Brene would say. And not only is this necessary and helpful in relation to dealing with other people, relationships, and the world, it is also good advice for dealing with your own body and mind. </p><p>So: stay awkward, brave, and kind <i>with yourselves</i> tonight. And I hope you sleep well.</p><p>Peace<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-3659498036986201892023-01-01T06:00:00.001-06:002023-01-01T06:00:00.162-06:00Hygge and Badassery<p>I've decided that may become the title of my (nonexistent) autobiography.</p><p>Something about the juxtaposition of the two is very "me". My brother and I recently had a conversation about how we are both very intense and also pretty chill,<strong> </strong>my sister and I often identify as "velvet steel".</p><p><i>In this world you will have trouble </i>(be tough as nails)<i> but take heart, I have overcome the world </i>(stay tender; be a soft place to land).</p><p>I like how "hygge" in itself has a both/and to it. Rest without laziness. Comfort without apathy. Indulgence without excess. Its an enveloping warmth that comes with movement and connection, with solitude and rest. A light that doesn't forget the darkness. </p><p>I thought at first of having it be my word of the year. Because so many of the more active words people employ to inspire their year just made me tired, to be honest. As much as I have accomplished and loved this year, I am weary. And in order to motivate me and lift me up daily, my mantra cannot be one of constant reaching, ambitious challenges, or demands. </p><p>I liked that <i>hygge</i> was a grounding word, about staying in the present moment. About real, often tactile ways of expressing hope and light, comfort and connection. It is a word born in cold climates (and oh boy I live in one). In a rush-hungry, virtual-visit world, I liked its reminder to be present.</p><p>But it wasn't quite right. As much as it spoke to me (and as much as I loved the thought of all the books and games about hygge I would have an excuse to buy) it lacked an upward lift that I knew would be necessary to carry me through the year ahead. I am no expert on hygge, so you are welcome to argue that it is either more or less than I have described, but as my word pertains to my own life, it can only help me as much as its meaning has molded into the heart of me.</p><p>I chose instead, a word that could span both Hygge <i>and </i>Badassery. </p><p>That spoke directly to my need to be both challenged and held. </p><p>For structure and freedom; pursuing my dreams and appreciating the here and now.</p><p>Loving my independence, and searching for a soulmate; moving and resting; reaching and waiting.</p><p>Growing and enough. Faithful and questioning. Grounded and dreaming. <br /></p><p>I chose a word that many have chosen before me, and for that very reason I had dismissed earlier. It was, in a way, too obvious; too common. But when I thought about all the truths that could be hidden inside it... I decided to make its magic come alive again.</p><p>I like to choose words that have both a physical and metaphorical meaning. Ones that I can implement into my year. In reminder, challenge, wordplay. It makes that one word-of-the-year <i>a little bigger on the inside. </i>Last year's word <i>Flourish</i> had both the <i>bloom where you're planted</i> meaning, and also the <i>added beauty</i> meaning. And this year's word has at least two equally strong and applicable meanings.</p><p><b>Balance</b></p><p><i>a mantra. a pose. equilibrium. stability. equipoise. a pleasing integration. a parallel juxtaposition. moderation. a grounding, even if only an inch of you is still touching the earth. </i><br /><i></i></p><p>Balance is the name of my meditation app, appropriately. As well as a whole branch of yoga, in both its physical and abstract senses. These give me immediate areas of focus and foundation for my word of the year. Our January Yoga with Adriene theme is "Center", which is integral to all forms of balance, finding center. Also, the very muscles needed for balance are often the small muscle groups most integral to longevity, and for me, targeted in my PT exercises for back pain.<br /></p><p>Balance reminds you to tend to all parts of your body, both together, and in their turns. Physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and so on. And in my experience, that is the only way to make progress in my own health.</p><p>I hope it helps me with my tendencies toward <i>all or nothing</i>. </p><p>I can use it to remind me of <i>the third way</i> </p><p>To say <i>I pick neither</i>, when the options offered are not life-giving. </p><p> </p><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4" style="text-align: center;">Balance is the state of the present – the here and now. <em>— <em>B.K.S. Iyengar</em> </em></div><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4" style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>Falling out of balance doesn’t matter, really and truly.
How we deal with that moment and how we find our way back to center,
every day, again and again – that is the practice of yoga…it’s about
trusting that you will find your way.— <em>Cyndi Lee </em></p><ol style="text-align: center;"><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4">Yoga is about finding your own balance in our crazy, tempestuous times. It’s about standing tall with confidence even when the winds of your world are swirling around you. — <em>Kathryn E. Livingston</em></div><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4"><em> </em></div><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4"><em> </em></div><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4"><em><i>Awake, my dear. <br />
Be kind to your sleeping heart. <br />
Take it out into the vast fields of Light<br />
And let it breathe.</i><i> </i></em></div><div class="code-block code-block-default code-block-4"><em><i>-Hafiz </i><br /></em></div></ol>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-86076141175309698412022-12-27T08:00:00.002-06:002022-12-30T08:04:20.980-06:00It's Coming on New Years<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">We're taking down trees.<br /></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3a/02/51/3a0251701825ea1393e56f7dbdf39fba.jpg" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3a/02/51/3a0251701825ea1393e56f7dbdf39fba.jpg" width="203" /></p><p>The end of year is gliding toward us, both inexorable and benevolent. A fresh start. You all know, if you've read any of my New Year posts of the past, how much I cherish the blank slate of the new year, the possibility and even inevitability of newness, a sparkling restart button for all those who have been too tired or muddled to make proper use of Mondays or other such beginnings.</p><p>Here is an opportunity to step into a new pattern. A time when we are practically expected to break a champagne bottle on the deckrail of the year ahead, expecting goodness to come. And of course, this can be dreadfully overwhelming. It is one of my favorite times of year, and even so, as it hurtles toward us each December I have the urge to think it’s coming too soon or too fast. But perhaps it comes just when we need it to. When we wouldn't have chosen to crawl out of Christmas quite so quickly. When it would hardly have occurred to us to write brand new lists, and start our favorite cycles again. A time to turn over whatever leaves you choose, and not dilly-dally about it.</p><p>It comes just in time. When the thought of the holidays' excesses going on makes you feel a bit queasy, its a time to sweep the crumbs from the table and bring out a clean notebook page. What seems most important to do and be and feel in the months ahead? What are the responsibilities you need to put down in black and white in order to stop carrying them around in a basket, and instead choose a day to tackle just how to make things happen? What is something that had an immense effect on you in the last year, and is it something you want to promote and make space for in the new year, or is it something you need to pack away for good, and actively heal from?</p><p>Each person's list is very personal and different, but I do beseech you to find a quiet corner to shut out all the clamour and ask yourself as many questions as you please. Bring along a journal to pour out your scattered thoughts, if you like. To make space in your own mind for moments of clarity, decision, and planning. Because thinking, dreaming, planning and strategizing, are usually what it takes to live a life you can love, where you really feel like you're living, where you can bring to life those pieces of yourself and your dreams that are most important. It takes time and work, but also rest, and boundaries, and choice.</p><p>I commend to you whatever process works best for you to feel that fresh start to the tips of your toes, and the top of your head. Find some quiet, and look for the meaning at the heart of your weary efforts. </p><p>I like to choose a word for the year to center upon, instead of my Resolutions List being at the forefront. I do keep lists of things I want to do, accomplish, maintain, let go, etc. But I like to make the start of a new year feel simplified and less cluttered than a demanding list might afford. And so I've enjoyed choosing a Word of the Year in recent years. I posted more about this last year. I won't tell you how to choose your own word. There are lots of tools out there, and lists of words. Not all of them are helpful of course, and it still takes quiet time, sitting and mulling over your inner longings and murmurs, and which string needs tugging this year. What can I gather around, like a fire to light my hope and energy this year?</p><p>I'll tell you all about the word I chose in my next post.</p><p>In the meantime, I thought I'd share a different sort of list with you today. Many people are compiling a list of resolutions this time of year, and in the last few months I have been thinking about my 30 before 30 list so that I'll have time to accomplish them by the time the big day rolls around. That specific list I may share another day as well, but I found when making that list that two other lists emerged naturally. One was what many call a "Bucket List" - things to do <i>sometime</i> in my life. And the other was of things I'd <i>already</i> done. This, I found to my comfort and inspiration: was the longest list of the three.</p><p>And so today, as 2022 nears its end, I'm sharing </p><p><b>22 things I think everyone should do at least once in their life</b></p><p><i>My two cents of course, take how you will. And all my best wishes for the New Year!</i> </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Travel outside your own country</li><li>Live by yourself</li><li>See the ocean</li><li>Hold a newborn baby</li><li>Take a dance class</li><li>Get certified at something</li><li>Try meditation</li><li>Read a book that you adore</li><li>Witness a fresh snowfall</li><li>Get a massage</li><li>Go to therapy</li><li>Bake bread</li><li>Stand up for someone else</li><li>Go caroling</li><li>Tell a joke from memory</li><li>Play an instrument</li><li>Read aloud to someone you love</li><li>Volunteer</li><li>Take yourself out to dinner</li><li>Ask for something big: a raise, love, help.</li><li>See a migration murmuration<br /></li><li>Complete 30 days of something (anything! But my top recommendation is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLui6Eyny-Uzx-IzGg48K4aHGyBwtPh7Sw">Yoga with Adriene's daily yoga in January</a>)</li></ol><p>What would you add to this list?<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-80665421924049355112022-11-01T17:14:00.004-05:002022-11-01T17:14:36.419-05:00November<p> Greetings my good friends. Today, November begins. I had great thoughts in weeks past, of getting a post up with spooky reads for All Hallows Eve, but never got it finished, what with restful days off and hectic work and weekend. The good news is I spent some pleasant hours crocheting and catching up on The Rookie, and also spent many hours recently with my nieces and nephews, which does the heart no end of good. We even had a Spooky Tea yesterday, complete with full-on costumes. Today I'm settling in to the November-y-ness of it all. Embracing the coming Christmas season, and the close of harvest-time.</p><p>Minnesota has been fluctuating with a familiar madness, between freezing
temperatures and 80 degree heat. I used one of the warmer to days to
winterize my gardens against the coming winter, but I'm already poised
to embrace the snow and Christmas season as it drifts toward us. After
the new year I will enter the dreaded season--the prolonged winter--but
this fresh beginning comes with its own hopes and joys.</p><p>As witnessed by my plans for book recommendations and code societies,
I often don't have the time and energy to live up to all the creative
ideas I can come up with for myself. And this fall especially has been as full of exhaustion and the fight for mental health as it has been full of blowing leaves and pumpkin pies. This is often my reality, and so I give a nod to it as I settle in here.</p><p>I'm entering November with Postscript Murders on my audiobook app, and Persuasion open to read with my eyes. New and old, stimulating and soothing, all the better to cover the necessary reading bases. Since I've missed out on going full spooky-book-rec on you all (sorry Historian and Perilous Gard) I'll just add on a few grey-November reads in case you need a little inspiration.</p><p>The Tiger in the Smoke</p><p>Gaudy Night <br /></p><p>Jane Eyre</p><p>The Night Circus</p><p>The last is one that I read just this year, but am already inspired to read again, just for the magical essence of it. Even more than the story-line was how certain parts and descriptions made me feel, a nearly tangible enchantment in the very design and evocative structure of the Circus and its partners.</p><p>I'm off to a bit more real life, but will write more soon. In the meantime, I wish you dark and misty novels, and bright enchanting hope. <br /></p><br />Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-6657124690115886532022-08-14T21:49:00.000-05:002022-08-14T21:49:02.487-05:00August<p></p><p>I am back at last. A mid-August evening is drawing to a close, purple clouds streaked across the after-glow. I'm trying to wrap my mind around where we are in the season of the year, where I am amidst the turn of the world. A combination of good sleep hygiene and overcast skies means I've missed the Perseids this year. A need for additional naps and recharging means my screentime is up and my garden time is down, something I hope to be changing as I am able. </p><p>At the same time, it has been a fruitful summer. I've self-published a collection of poetry, called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Bright-Song-poetry-collection/dp/B0B6Y2YK5F/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11MAGN1XEO5J6&keywords=one+bright+song&qid=1660529533&sprefix=one+bright+son%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-4">One Bright Song</a>. I've written and delivered a class on women's empowerment. I've passed my 90 day review at work, and plan to join the town parade this weekend. I've met brand-new nephews, and welcomed back old friends. I've finished a myriad of books, and am planning a smashing birthday party.</p><p>And I've formed a Society for like-minded individuals on the subject of codes, clues, ciphers, cryptology, treasure-hunts, puzzles, games, riddles, code-breakers. All such various and sundry interests. A place to channel some of my nerdy puzzling energy, and bring along others to enjoy the ride. The Society's main page is on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucindahpearcesociety/">@lucindahpearcesociety</a>. As curator there, I go by my nom de plume, Peony Ellis Watson. Further information about the society, it's name, purpose, and posting schedule can be found on that page. </p><p>I recently got back into my passion for puzzling and codes, and wished there were more podcasts and things in this category. (If you know of any excellent ones, do pass them along). But I thought, why not start a collection of my own? A society of us who are a little obsessed with such things, a place to explore and share and revel in mysteries, games, anagrams, and cyphers. To converge knowledge and skills and fun. To gather our enjoyment of Enola Holmes, The Inheritance Games, Bletchley Park, Sherlock, National Treasure, and the like. Do join if you have a mind, and tag someone else you think might enjoy it!<br /></p><p>I share book recommendations on that page too, from that genre of books, for all ages. But for other genres, here are a couple of gems for your August bookstack.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lGnOHtJsO4X5dqRsxWQp1Mjy_fQaIeheYrOgduv2zwCF1bSri42AFChBvzaB-hqH1MXZz0pJQ3HZ3cw6qbQMAsM3JSL6rote_EH50See1vaT_-Nzb9SMm2tZUO1kVNb9XoHaRfrcCBtYOemFA-yqgfVUwCGMKVOpHFI5GiMNrx8RdizXNCSR0HNcng/s4032/CE991C22-AF66-4F13-886F-43D1D9E9C07F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lGnOHtJsO4X5dqRsxWQp1Mjy_fQaIeheYrOgduv2zwCF1bSri42AFChBvzaB-hqH1MXZz0pJQ3HZ3cw6qbQMAsM3JSL6rote_EH50See1vaT_-Nzb9SMm2tZUO1kVNb9XoHaRfrcCBtYOemFA-yqgfVUwCGMKVOpHFI5GiMNrx8RdizXNCSR0HNcng/s320/CE991C22-AF66-4F13-886F-43D1D9E9C07F.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha89eGk20HyoUErDz_9mVLph3AijtLJ5cnyGsXtK8vnCw2T4Jj54e0-KqWAIwaSYVgEm57DKZZ-lDO9dzQl-ZzleXYPdx1ysQ1sWq1OPGk1RCpy2e5Tr50Z8eRTJ9y8JqAT_Bm4d8wz-Ch6BM0LZXXPPvnd5S-rx6mOsk38Ib6BxPLWilxmK3-Vm6q-w/s4032/8227D9FE-620E-4625-B091-E83429292F9D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha89eGk20HyoUErDz_9mVLph3AijtLJ5cnyGsXtK8vnCw2T4Jj54e0-KqWAIwaSYVgEm57DKZZ-lDO9dzQl-ZzleXYPdx1ysQ1sWq1OPGk1RCpy2e5Tr50Z8eRTJ9y8JqAT_Bm4d8wz-Ch6BM0LZXXPPvnd5S-rx6mOsk38Ib6BxPLWilxmK3-Vm6q-w/s320/8227D9FE-620E-4625-B091-E83429292F9D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div></div><p><br /><b> The Sherwood Ring</b> combines modern intrigue and historical plots and adventures. Flashes back in time, desperate schemes against worthy opponents, a twist of fate, a dash of romance, and some strong female leads.</p><p><b>Leave it to Psmith </b>is one rollicking and windy, hilarious tale. Mistaken identity, jewelry theft, and country house parties. Absent-minded earls, efficient butlers, impersonated poets, dignified and determined ladies, and flowerpots, all play pivotal roles in this read you won't want to miss.<br /></p><p></p><p>And speaking of not wanting to miss anything, I would love to hear your thoughts on '30 before 30' lists. I love how unique everyone's is. They range from quite trivial items to momentous and very specific ones. Let me know what is (or was) on yours. What you wish you could have told your nearing-thirty self. I have enjoyed beginning my own list. I have two years before 30, but I'd like to make plans this year, so that I have a chance to check off a few goals, a few trips. I'm recording too, a list of things I have already accomplished (so many more than 30!) that could be on this list. I want to reach 30 with a feeling of the richness of what I've already experienced, and excitement for all the rest that is to come.<br /></p><p>It's hard not to sound cliche when pointing out the fact that this year has flown by, that summer nearing its end hardly seems real. That I feel I haven't quite grasped at enough of summer yet. As much as I love sharp pencils and blustery breezes and apple pie, I do want a few more sunbathing, lake-splashing, hot yard and garden days. I want to make the most of it.</p><p>I've been enjoying biking to work, taking snippets of my day out on my balcony, opening my windows on a cool morning, and watching the bumblebees and butterflies at their August peak. Just today I saw a monarch, two red admirals, a swallowtail, a hummingbird, and numerous bumble and honeybees, just in my own garden! It makes my heart sing to have a haven for these beauteous pollinators. <br /></p><p>Before I sign off on this slightly random and rambling blogpost of this evening, I must commend to you the new Persuasion movie on Netflix. If you're a purist, only liking the book versions or the ancient original movies, it may not be your cup of tea, but oh is it mine. I reveled in the visual beauty, the clever anachronistic humor, the deep emotion, and have thought of it probably every day since I watched it. I actually can't wait until I watch it again. It's going to be those I keep on repeat to soothe my soul. I hope you enjoy it too! (The soundtrack is heaven, I listen to it constantly.)</p><p>Alright that's all for now my dears, I'm off to bed. Thanks for stopping by here!<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-76125563513159924792022-06-24T16:40:00.000-05:002022-06-24T16:40:32.868-05:00This post is best accompanied by 'Wave' by Antonio Jobim and a glass of something iced. Or a cuppa, because a cuppa is never the wrong answer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7b7-CZAhaP7qvSnIWBM2GBl5HNoZ_7iX1j32YtFSeGegOFPHtsTfBJUAlpclJH89sNKkG-NU4kU0VdhibVIx1Lcp6L6PKUa1bmrPlwhEnYxcZPiuK4bywHHTNWDArFft49-k7HM-TUKOUm2OcwySCwdiM6Axl9Cj0QyOyLKpjW4ALf5C5X15Thm_CA/s4032/78EE33D6-C8F5-41C0-9D71-5FBF4418AE27.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7b7-CZAhaP7qvSnIWBM2GBl5HNoZ_7iX1j32YtFSeGegOFPHtsTfBJUAlpclJH89sNKkG-NU4kU0VdhibVIx1Lcp6L6PKUa1bmrPlwhEnYxcZPiuK4bywHHTNWDArFft49-k7HM-TUKOUm2OcwySCwdiM6Axl9Cj0QyOyLKpjW4ALf5C5X15Thm_CA/w300-h400/78EE33D6-C8F5-41C0-9D71-5FBF4418AE27.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>We have reached true summer here in my hemisphere. Besides weeks of rain and thunderstorms we didn't have very much spring weather. It seemed to go from annoyingly cold to unnervingly hot. But I am reveling in the green-gold of this late June sunshine, and the pink-brown of my sun-kissed skin.</p><p>The vines covering my house may or may not be possessed by some nature-magic as in Spindle's End. They are certainly insistent, stubborn, and lively. I finally got around to hacking them away from my balcony door where they had completely barred my screen from closing, and tried to infiltrate my upstairs. They also tried to reach across my whole balcony, but that's another story. Fortunately today I found a spurt of energy and a break in foot-pain, and managed to tackle some of the garden that was most unruly.</p><p>My balcony is unblocked and my peonies dead-headed. There was such a short season for my favorites this year. Peonies and lily-of-the-valley are something I wait all year to experience again, and this year both of those beauties passed me by with only one jug each brought into my home with their heavenly scents!</p><p>I also got to the first spate of weeding today, and although not as beautiful or abundant as I had perhaps dreamed, my gardens are showing through. I'll take a hose to them once the sun goes down, I think. Try and bring them back to happiness in time for the more-abundant less-refined look of mid-summer. I've left vines snaking over a number of my windows. They block a few of the sun's rays, but in the peak of heat that is often a blessing. It allows a dappled green light through, like the best conservatories, and magical greenhouses. Very <i>Woodwold,</i> and<i> Ivy Tree.</i> It also lends a bit of privacy without cutting off my connection to the out-of-doors, since I've begrudgingly turned on the AirCon recently, as the indoor temperatures reached 80 degrees.</p><p>With July quickly approaching I am aware that I have missed a few "Book Recommendations by Month". So here are some favorites I love in the sultry heat of summer. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>Summer of Storms </b>acting and art, tasteful family intrigue, mystery and crime, a dash of romance<br /><b></b></p><p><b>My Brother Michael </b>historic Delphi, chance meetings, sudden danger, and a search for the truth <br /><b></b></p><p><b>Over Sea Under Stone </b>the Cornish coast, Arthurian legend, ancient clues, and very current threats<br /><b></b></p><p><b>Dandelion Fire </b>magic and menace, a pivotal undertaking, family ties, personal sacrifice, adventure<br /><b></b></p><p><b>A New Song </b>a stint on an island, new experiences, intrigue, growth, life's dramas and beauties<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4wkb2PEPteMee7P43ATbi-tsRq4s5rSX95N-9CVeOGnbNpZoBBVNz8vFnPD4oIHu6TBEasN_rU9-HiT6Corl1Af-kmcYIadFFn8KzjiDOGemG1CJ13HVYf6UqNHGjiPsMtsXadu64tGYVnJcS-ANeT1IldIKGNjDagz7LOrZLEskSjfNxXDoDiUYyA/s4032/1960CF5A-A7F4-4449-87E0-389B843B65CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4wkb2PEPteMee7P43ATbi-tsRq4s5rSX95N-9CVeOGnbNpZoBBVNz8vFnPD4oIHu6TBEasN_rU9-HiT6Corl1Af-kmcYIadFFn8KzjiDOGemG1CJ13HVYf6UqNHGjiPsMtsXadu64tGYVnJcS-ANeT1IldIKGNjDagz7LOrZLEskSjfNxXDoDiUYyA/w150-h200/1960CF5A-A7F4-4449-87E0-389B843B65CD.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrk30mgvMxXxeBlJyCfPi_l0ZTCT2ORIZHbh5iz4jd0kSYKAtXpnn3kkLd7vs04MBrcvhFZ7EWIbVQXBxj7396SZrG6rfEV2OLUkDLfNHzqyzIUkPZMnO6arAiyU_Ed0Chor4eJzDheyTfnGeT6pFrCI2674WqpOALYR18glqpwdbt-n1-6-Md5GHyA/s4032/81D1B068-B393-4F16-B025-00303F7D43EF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrk30mgvMxXxeBlJyCfPi_l0ZTCT2ORIZHbh5iz4jd0kSYKAtXpnn3kkLd7vs04MBrcvhFZ7EWIbVQXBxj7396SZrG6rfEV2OLUkDLfNHzqyzIUkPZMnO6arAiyU_Ed0Chor4eJzDheyTfnGeT6pFrCI2674WqpOALYR18glqpwdbt-n1-6-Md5GHyA/w150-h200/81D1B068-B393-4F16-B025-00303F7D43EF.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81qEnN-DGjL.jpg" class="shrinkToFit" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81qEnN-DGjL.jpg" width="130" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ypu3s3fF3wNT6dKgIsjN9BAnSVP8Gsx_ivyKPGOAd8FcZ6hUY9Mk2B4YjSMkV9Ndw9pftkcXhpL_xdZ8U11GrPagAj_23ZehL7KwNyToK20skEodsXblTSfoye8wHsBHu06-2mGJB3isYIEqDDJ0fIMDBsDaxgACWm2QBbb87E_L0lxQhSeYRiaRDA/s4032/D1130D2E-EB7C-468C-940E-60EF8DC060A7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ypu3s3fF3wNT6dKgIsjN9BAnSVP8Gsx_ivyKPGOAd8FcZ6hUY9Mk2B4YjSMkV9Ndw9pftkcXhpL_xdZ8U11GrPagAj_23ZehL7KwNyToK20skEodsXblTSfoye8wHsBHu06-2mGJB3isYIEqDDJ0fIMDBsDaxgACWm2QBbb87E_L0lxQhSeYRiaRDA/w150-h200/D1130D2E-EB7C-468C-940E-60EF8DC060A7.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil04tF4krAxbkLvmJN1_SNTObgzL4_wDcm-hmaEPQve3KiGj21kGll9H7ehvzmuYd1CCrlXtn67rf0aH-cjYvZm2MU5POXu1hC1Ky1kknMBGWZdFI6VPnsMSQh2E3FgxKlzKq33-SlSmVTTOvFV_NwiteHqpnYc9eXOCdfhPLjxd9Z2PgnyD4nbO60hw/s4032/5220B26E-559C-4ECA-AE99-C020629A5AA0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil04tF4krAxbkLvmJN1_SNTObgzL4_wDcm-hmaEPQve3KiGj21kGll9H7ehvzmuYd1CCrlXtn67rf0aH-cjYvZm2MU5POXu1hC1Ky1kknMBGWZdFI6VPnsMSQh2E3FgxKlzKq33-SlSmVTTOvFV_NwiteHqpnYc9eXOCdfhPLjxd9Z2PgnyD4nbO60hw/w150-h200/5220B26E-559C-4ECA-AE99-C020629A5AA0.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div></div><p> </p><p>About a month ago I rolled my ankle, ending up with a major sprain and a minor fracture, which has been pretty good for my book-list and pretty hard on my gardens. Great on the napping agenda, and rough on the yoga and walking habits that <i>had</i> been going strong. After catching up on some much needed sleep, and some (apparently) necessary doing-nothing, I did manage to finish the class I was writing though. I've also painted a huge shelf, prepared for my new stove to arrive (unbroken this time thank you), worked on finishing my dining-room, and learned several new piano pieces I now play almost every time I pass the instrument.<br /></p><p>This week feels like true summer to me finally. Possibly it has to do with the fact that over the weekend I got sunburned, and the AC also went out on my car just in time to drive two hours in over 100 degree heat. But mostly it's because I now can see the blue sky, the sun is dappled by a multiplicity of foliage, and I can finally wear shorts without getting cold. I visited the local library and in the window-bright stillness I glanced at every shelf and took home a light read that I curled up with all afternoon, and finished past my bedtime, summer after-light glowing through my curtains of vines and lace.<br /></p><p>I make hummus veggie wraps and ginger switchel, listen to excellent
audio-books, and try to decide if I need a new car. I'll wrap my ankle
in a bit, and go for a bike-ride. Finish my spray-paint project. Put
fresh sheets on my bed. Dream of Scotland. And think about how I want to
live my 29th and 30th year.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94SutirpJGxeVHvrP1WpYzkJBnfPD-I5VwgkPz6nN5nY9DTzlwAmbsj9SCR5CjIxCQc3NWYCYg1WoGqFCYiQDB_a1T8LFvMtw2LNe2d_nH_e8NYxIQ-J_VCADRKK-X_3I0K72qyvjy5PlSVSGWzXU06FPWnvc9tW0shVX_oPqe-7gJNZmNwB5jhdrng/s4032/7C078A1A-16C8-4567-8BAD-09E91D3840CF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94SutirpJGxeVHvrP1WpYzkJBnfPD-I5VwgkPz6nN5nY9DTzlwAmbsj9SCR5CjIxCQc3NWYCYg1WoGqFCYiQDB_a1T8LFvMtw2LNe2d_nH_e8NYxIQ-J_VCADRKK-X_3I0K72qyvjy5PlSVSGWzXU06FPWnvc9tW0shVX_oPqe-7gJNZmNwB5jhdrng/s320/7C078A1A-16C8-4567-8BAD-09E91D3840CF.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JCtUwGjMZzAfH5QbY5DzuYn_gsS-_Xfvqne8SxI3-gx2q6_hR7qSZZMVKdWasmQISQ87FocOJM38yRMUZXq-pTIveiyI4B8ywgci-HsW5wg9d9xe460-HWl1W-215x_6o4-wz1rrdV7xutY8lxobx5K0llmOmOlo51DtXsvGuMCfgQ-LkHis33cnNw/s4032/595B0390-90E8-4A30-9701-9A054FB9E372.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JCtUwGjMZzAfH5QbY5DzuYn_gsS-_Xfvqne8SxI3-gx2q6_hR7qSZZMVKdWasmQISQ87FocOJM38yRMUZXq-pTIveiyI4B8ywgci-HsW5wg9d9xe460-HWl1W-215x_6o4-wz1rrdV7xutY8lxobx5K0llmOmOlo51DtXsvGuMCfgQ-LkHis33cnNw/s320/595B0390-90E8-4A30-9701-9A054FB9E372.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jgFxknYsAtD-9apgCcNs-o9d44HN0kbAN5bXubpwfHRFFSuVN2InTkgPGOxEo7JDE3z9AnzJDl_j75MCiOPmy8IsSZd_mrM-MBVFGUzcyP04W3tMur-JWgmMof59yJTUGAOAw964gwYXTv9PFa4ajjW6jI8cvJdHaQ-pcHY4fCbVGDoTtUegUiwKaQ/s4032/E6DEC8D8-50B8-40DA-A2CE-E4EB9CDF682E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jgFxknYsAtD-9apgCcNs-o9d44HN0kbAN5bXubpwfHRFFSuVN2InTkgPGOxEo7JDE3z9AnzJDl_j75MCiOPmy8IsSZd_mrM-MBVFGUzcyP04W3tMur-JWgmMof59yJTUGAOAw964gwYXTv9PFa4ajjW6jI8cvJdHaQ-pcHY4fCbVGDoTtUegUiwKaQ/s320/E6DEC8D8-50B8-40DA-A2CE-E4EB9CDF682E.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EbnSB2omEnUziGx9Prz_zAshNvM9KuASKpB41ZPNaxuKu1N_xeRc4vTw1uMpWtFvnrODBcyAkiLz0ac7v9-Lu_3pyZ8zPD_ilzF720t8xS6jzyYpx4JJA0Fbjc-OpAZPy8vVvDs5NyakUoo7MR92ptJIordfcljwasHtBrXY3QLSLv8LDJ2Bw4mx6g/s4032/5337FA1A-F5EA-4713-ADE8-68C749D55E77.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EbnSB2omEnUziGx9Prz_zAshNvM9KuASKpB41ZPNaxuKu1N_xeRc4vTw1uMpWtFvnrODBcyAkiLz0ac7v9-Lu_3pyZ8zPD_ilzF720t8xS6jzyYpx4JJA0Fbjc-OpAZPy8vVvDs5NyakUoo7MR92ptJIordfcljwasHtBrXY3QLSLv8LDJ2Bw4mx6g/s320/5337FA1A-F5EA-4713-ADE8-68C749D55E77.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-31059054175304926912022-03-16T08:11:00.005-05:002022-03-16T08:12:10.305-05:00March reading recommendations<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4fDKIfldzkLEOsRWsm8HOTSTutf1ILEdn6aXVm635bh8LURl8AHvWUUFsbRgp9D64EdymQ69i0Ja0l5qM6nd3uwRe7DCauMq5yt3TbD5cO0HdeLg33sI1zEnsxjXMkBaNmoTzxjbz8JzUPLPR4QsWpwdjPUgrdnih1h6r9kpXnGHOKUn-uC8cksTOYA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4fDKIfldzkLEOsRWsm8HOTSTutf1ILEdn6aXVm635bh8LURl8AHvWUUFsbRgp9D64EdymQ69i0Ja0l5qM6nd3uwRe7DCauMq5yt3TbD5cO0HdeLg33sI1zEnsxjXMkBaNmoTzxjbz8JzUPLPR4QsWpwdjPUgrdnih1h6r9kpXnGHOKUn-uC8cksTOYA=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p>And here we are, halfway through March before I'm getting to this
month's recommendations. It is a busy month, full of quick thaws, and
the last depressive stillness of winter. It speaks in quality of light,
and gradually uncovered garden beds, of the coming spring. As far
north as we are, spring itself is still a wish, a hope, and a few weeks
away. But this week we are supposed to glimpse multiple days above fifty degrees! So I'm making plans now to get
right out there, trimming bushes and clearing undergrowth, before the
new greens start to show their brave faces.</p><p>Before I get side-tracked though, by work, and gardens, and poetry, here are my book recommendations for the month of March. </p><p><b>Spring Fever</b> by P.G. Wodehouse is a spritely read, full of fizz and humor, and just the right amount of plot and ridiculous hilarity. I first read this one out of a tome of an omnibus pulled from one of Mama's shelves. And I enjoyed it so much, I took to reading it aloud to everyone after dinner, chapter by chapter. This is such a priceless way to enjoy a good book, especially a funny one, with everyone from Dad on down to my teenage brother, enjoying with appropriate snorts of laughter. That being more than a decade ago now, I've obtained a paperback for my own shelves, and have set this one aside for bedside reading, or laughs after dinner in the lounge.</p><p><b>A Forgotten Place</b> by Charles Todd is a very different sort of book. The other side of March, with mists, and dim, forbidding cold, bracing air, an atmosphere of intrigue, and something on the horizon. This is from the Bess Crawford series, of which I've read several but not all. Even if you don't have time or inclination to tackle the series, this one is still worth your time. Bess, having been a nurse during the Great War, finds herself this time in an isolated Welsh village full of secrets. Stranded amidst increasing mystery, danger, and suspense, she is determined, as always, to discover the truth. </p><p>The setting, both in geographical space and in era, is deeply felt in this novel. And the story moves both methodically and with breathless suspense through tales truer than fiction, and with threads both timeless and poignant. I recommend you go find your library card.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZcudAKmDxCfcHk0DDxwIcw309__5zRuGDk6pIZylWR114SkzzTZlr2r9ecFfAAgMlOmad6NLY6qnbGRUMAQtBssBrlFe3ArGSWqAbi55pp8nJRIn8pkZDtGzHdT9tUJfoMjGsrFT5jLvzXRnU_tWYs0GzRp-KY4un0BEbaUkQ64F66oHSsvwB65BsJg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZcudAKmDxCfcHk0DDxwIcw309__5zRuGDk6pIZylWR114SkzzTZlr2r9ecFfAAgMlOmad6NLY6qnbGRUMAQtBssBrlFe3ArGSWqAbi55pp8nJRIn8pkZDtGzHdT9tUJfoMjGsrFT5jLvzXRnU_tWYs0GzRp-KY4un0BEbaUkQ64F66oHSsvwB65BsJg=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggVKuNlzNCy-sGRzbMM7ca3EgikE7hswI-BacalhSflgiR1KJ2CtSuPe8Slsle6hhasrqkAOlJbg0X_DUgBICrx0lhBAhEm4MP_J_J1HHSmG4NflzZfVXMVeTKyx48O_rFqkyIHVECnxJVFNwI5MIbMz6yCnboDydb_a1kxLUQtb3V6zB15KV7fRr1Cw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggVKuNlzNCy-sGRzbMM7ca3EgikE7hswI-BacalhSflgiR1KJ2CtSuPe8Slsle6hhasrqkAOlJbg0X_DUgBICrx0lhBAhEm4MP_J_J1HHSmG4NflzZfVXMVeTKyx48O_rFqkyIHVECnxJVFNwI5MIbMz6yCnboDydb_a1kxLUQtb3V6zB15KV7fRr1Cw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>This last one, <b>The Thief</b> by Megan Whalen Turner, is well thumbed as you see. The first in the Attolia series, it weaves the first strands of a wider story with subtle precision. Set in imagined lands, with influences both medieval and ancient Greek, the real strength in this series is the depth of characters. Turner has a way of turning a phrase to give you insight into the many sides of each person, their secrets, motivations, hidden fragilities and hidden strengths. And at each revelation, you'll find yourself wanting to reread or ponder past actions that may have deeper meaning, and say even more about these people you're coming to know so well. Even at the end of this book you're bound to come away wanting to start it all over again to see what you had missed. And if you're at all intrigued, I can tell you the following books <i>just get better</i>.</p><p>...<br /></p><p>I'm off to work now, but I hope you find something you'd like to add to your growing TBR pile. I know mine never shrinks for long. Happy reading, and happy spring to all! Back soon~</p><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-70175450891021153312022-02-07T18:38:00.004-06:002022-02-07T18:41:16.660-06:00Books for FebruaryWelcome back, friends. It seems I've blinked and we're well into February, so why don't I delve right into my three recommendations for this month! I hope you've all survived January alright. Even with upheavals, I'm doing so well. Glad to see February and fill it with good things, and new things, and specifically during these cold and often solitary days, choosing to fill my cup to the brim, so that I can more readily spill over and pour out for others.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>As my daily yoga-with-Adriene reminds us</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Inhale: lots of love in. Exhale: lots of love out</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's read, shall we?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7bsuee6Q6eIYqp0L7ePNZ7TCYm7Qn_l29QFQxbTvYu9ax2hf9Vrzjp29ctVFsLn-qqr3Z106XEL4wmq9PeC2AzPkP6vtiTt33yEekB5bULsqMnoHrwZMpf9xwjPwoIYRMUpAA3TgVvwhVhKTpeL6rK1aQ5oybIlHFo3j4Z9NJ1E3V_ZRT0xxB9EkJDQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7bsuee6Q6eIYqp0L7ePNZ7TCYm7Qn_l29QFQxbTvYu9ax2hf9Vrzjp29ctVFsLn-qqr3Z106XEL4wmq9PeC2AzPkP6vtiTt33yEekB5bULsqMnoHrwZMpf9xwjPwoIYRMUpAA3TgVvwhVhKTpeL6rK1aQ5oybIlHFo3j4Z9NJ1E3V_ZRT0xxB9EkJDQ=s320" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> Pride and Prejudice</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This one should need no introduction, and yet it may receive the longest. It must be Jane Austen's best known novel, and is certainly the one that I always come back to. Even those who don't know Austen will have heard of it, and even if you've only seen the movies, you're welcome here too. With this story, as is seldom true elsewhere, I feel the spirit and emotion has been well transferred to screen, and it is to those that I return even more often than to these pages. The 2005 version is unparalleled for its aesthetic and soul, in my opinion. This can be a controversial subject, but in literature and entertainment I believe our individual experience plays such a part in what speaks to us, that to have differing opinions and preferences is not only to be expected, but should never be quelled. I return to that film with such regularity, for its beauty and artistry, its comfort and pathos. I have had many favorite movies in my time, but honestly, this might be my desert island one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And no, I didn't plan to spend this whole time talking about the movie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every few years I pick up the book, and am brought along through this familiar story, the details sharper and though-provoking where they differ from the movie. And her writing style quick and evocative. I've read several other of Austen's, naturally; but none has captured me the one this has. I believe it to be her best for its timelessness. It can speak to us in any generation. There is a <a href="https://electricliterature.com/why-we-turn-to-jane-austen-in-dark-times/">marvelous article</a> on why her writing has such an inspiring, nourishing effect on us. I'll link it <a href="https://electricliterature.com/why-we-turn-to-jane-austen-in-dark-times/">here</a>. After World War One they used to prescribe her books to men with shell-shock, so great was their belief in her talent for grounding and uplifting. I hope you'll give it a try during these unprecedented times.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Winter Sea</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I discovered Susanna Kearsley a few years ago, and her books quickly became favorites that I reread frequently. To me, she holds the title in her particular subgenre. Spinning two tales at once, a modern one, and one deep in history (often using speculative-fiction devices such as ancestral memory or time travel) her ability to evoke characters and their similarities through the eras, while including masses of accurate historical context is captivating. Most of what I know of Scotland's Jacobite rebellion originated with these books. Winter Sea, also published as Sophia's Secret, is set in and around Slain's Castle, Scotland and deals with spies and intrigue, love and loyalties, family, heartache and hope, bravery, and accepting the unknown. Her books remind me that there is a kind of solid good to be found: in people, in places, and amidst the chaos that all our different lives bring.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Beauty</b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a retelling of a fairytale we all know. But as Robin McKinley does very well, she turns the original story on its head a bit, and plays around until it is unexpected and completely relatable. This allows us to come at the story with fresh eyes, and get to know rich and unique characters we have not previously met. You'll find yourself turning pages quickly to discover how the story will unfold, even as you recognize the well-worn tale underneath. It is somehow both magical and down-to-earth. A book to read with a mug of tea and a biscuit, while sitting on the windowsill. And it is perhaps the only book I've read that made me desperately want a horse. An enormous, glorious horse. Buy yourself a rose this month, and cozy up with this read, as the last of the worst of winter howls around.<br /></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifeJ_ZgJvdDMvPh9nwY6_teNDwSryuUThBlYShgJ0iYaF28-TMg-2kMSRLHJHwL015OriTxBP3wZ8xbWS4ue7_4eAiJDzA-9zgQukb2IVAumHuhh9vx4mcbQ7STtojnYqzXT8VBskzS_Ji9uhPoSnYnkycM8eX1GW8Na7mublAJi6vA0TTqnzTnIJ4Ww=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifeJ_ZgJvdDMvPh9nwY6_teNDwSryuUThBlYShgJ0iYaF28-TMg-2kMSRLHJHwL015OriTxBP3wZ8xbWS4ue7_4eAiJDzA-9zgQukb2IVAumHuhh9vx4mcbQ7STtojnYqzXT8VBskzS_Ji9uhPoSnYnkycM8eX1GW8Na7mublAJi6vA0TTqnzTnIJ4Ww=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>And if you want a bonus read, after enjoying this one, try Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, for another twist on the classic, this time in a vivid steampunk AU.</i><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-65969571359062909652022-01-21T21:41:00.002-06:002022-02-07T17:23:00.648-06:00Book Recommendations<p></p>Let's do some book recommendations by month, shall we? I got this idea some time last year, and am late getting this <b>January</b> one out, but better late than never. Let's not wait till next year to test out our funky ideas. So, if you're wanting a new book to finish out the month with, a little inspiration trickling in as the year goes by... I've got some suggestions!<p></p><p>Some of the books that I have designated by month have a strong setting in a certain time of year. Others just seem to fit the mood, a sort of aesthetic color-scheme by season. As I've chosen for each month, I've included many that I reread yearly, along with others that I hope will introduce you to something new, inspire your imagination, or be just the delightful escapism that you need. If these don't strike your fancy, but you're stuck looking for something new, comment a few of your favorites, and I'll try to come up with a fresh read for you.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEithoqXP8tsFAqX0aB55EtXW1GeVw1f_SBOUZEQkZVojfJVjjmY3AcAIogIj7rCs6AKWISAmvZXbe3osTL5MSNv2XADNNJlOxUYQ-NQ1ZMn3fBj90DeT2cmJ-Zwn5dT5TAORsEbeXfKdWyv8pX6OtWwYNiUxjg6auoCX7enZiiQXlax7QuNk4_wIr0vzw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEithoqXP8tsFAqX0aB55EtXW1GeVw1f_SBOUZEQkZVojfJVjjmY3AcAIogIj7rCs6AKWISAmvZXbe3osTL5MSNv2XADNNJlOxUYQ-NQ1ZMn3fBj90DeT2cmJ-Zwn5dT5TAORsEbeXfKdWyv8pX6OtWwYNiUxjg6auoCX7enZiiQXlax7QuNk4_wIr0vzw=s320" width="240" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: center;">I've gone with three for each month, and for January I chose...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>A Gentleman in Moscow</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">This gem from Amor Towles is one of my absolutely-every-year reads. I notice new things, savor the prose, and bask in the life-affirming encouragement through humor, intelligence, and pathos. I've waxed about this one before, so I'll keep this brief, but its so much more than a synopsis could say. <i>In Moscow, between the wars, a man gets on the wrong side of the Bolsheviks, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel, for life. Instead of letting this be the end of his story, he brings all his wit and wisdom to bear on his new circumstances, and carves out a life both unexpected and full of life and influence. </i>It is all at once a historical snapshot, a witty commentary, a cozy saga, and a call to action.<b> </b><br /><b></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Innocence</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Now, it's been a couple years since I read this one, so the details aren't sharp enough to give you a play-by-play (not that I'm into spoilers anyway). But this book is full of snowy streets, secret retreats, dangerous adventures in libraries, and a deeper story full of intrigue, bravery, anguish, hope, and beauty. I've never actually read any other books by Dean Koontz, and wonder how his others measure up to this one, and its satisfying narrative of suspense and soul.<br /><b></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Reluctant Widow </b></p><p style="text-align: center;">This one is pure enjoyment. Hilarious, quick-witted, and well spun, this is one of my favorites from Georgette Heyer. Georgette's best feel like a cross between Jane Austen and P.G. Wodehouse, I'd have to say. And what a conjunction. Regency drama, sharp banter, comical side-characters, and a mysterious plot. It's just what I need during a January slump, and the audible reader is perfect too. Grab a cup of tea and prepare to be <i>diverted</i>!<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <br /></p>I know the world has gone the way of booktok and bookstagram, and I know I spend more time with my nose stuck in my phone than in my books these days... But here's to picking up the best of novels, to writing poetry in your spare moments throughout the day, to sniffing the aroma of old bindings, to finishing the next short story segment you promised. To reading before bed, on holiday, on public transport, to listening to audiobooks in your earbuds. Here's to hand-written letters, Shakespearean sonnets, the well-thumbed copy of Percy Jackson by your bed. And that obscure fictional character that made you feel brave.<br /><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-79370837646204775532022-01-14T22:03:00.002-06:002022-01-14T22:03:16.057-06:00Some things stay the same<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://i.pinimg.com/236x/37/be/45/37be459ad00939f60878dec109db4aba.jpg" src="https://i.pinimg.com/236x/37/be/45/37be459ad00939f60878dec109db4aba.jpg" /></div><br /><div><p>Sometimes after the burst of newness at the turn of the year, I like to look around and see what hasn't changed. What stays the same, as the world turns and all its residents step into January looking for a new lease on life? Through all the reversals and new directions of the last year, and even the first weeks of this one, some things carry on. </p><p>I still dance to the music, spiderman is always amazing, friends come in clutch on hard nights, book stacks are exciting. Family is dear, Adele is fire, fried potatoes are worth it; and you can still frequently find me of an evening, turning on jazz, sipping wine or herbal tea in my satin pajamas, writing away at some article or project.</p><p>As often happens, difficult circumstances weren't long in coming to my shiny new year. There will always be those, whether or not they come from expected quarters. And this week, to top it off, I've come down with a pernicious cold (rapid tests two days in a row say no covid, but it's nasty either way). I've been home from work, sipping tea and cooking vegetables and soup, watching movies and embroidering.<br /></p><p>But if the universe is trying to challenge my resolve to my word-for-2022 <b><i>flourish</i></b>, it needn't bother. Flourishing is all about letting the buffeting wind make you strong, about living with grace and gentleness to yourself and others, about taking as many tries as needed to clear a hurdle. It's about looking around you and seeing what is still beautiful, and about embracing that extra flair in yourself.</p><p>I had more thoughts, but my brain has been scrambled by this germ, and so I'll close out for tonight and return another day. But my adventurous, writing, Jo soul is glad to be here. I have plans for book recommendations, and other fun posts. Give yourselves grace to step back, rest, and thrive, my dears. I'll see you soon <br /></p></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-42314419970788388122022-01-01T06:00:00.001-06:002022-01-01T06:00:00.181-06:002022<p style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGo1V8e4lZ6FW32ItEKQ1AcG2H81zsFXFTxNmhBtG0DMvtgt_DBZeKXObWsLtOuLCMQTeUBqGwRj82APtRyngPgqR25VDYHYV-yrYCOAxliSONB9tlDs5-KFSDClglVLJibEUBBA9lVQSaziNWKV_NbB86067khE1E5XXq7EEuT49LGjtwL6G72i1Gqg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGo1V8e4lZ6FW32ItEKQ1AcG2H81zsFXFTxNmhBtG0DMvtgt_DBZeKXObWsLtOuLCMQTeUBqGwRj82APtRyngPgqR25VDYHYV-yrYCOAxliSONB9tlDs5-KFSDClglVLJibEUBBA9lVQSaziNWKV_NbB86067khE1E5XXq7EEuT49LGjtwL6G72i1Gqg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Cheers to you and yours!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How are you going to cultivate hope this year?</i><br /></p><p>On New Year's Eve I listened to a year-end podcast, wrote my 2021 blogpost, wiped down my yoga mat and did a yoga practice for new beginnings, cleaned up my house a bit, and set up a little charcuterie and champagne for a quiet evening in. I checked my books read for the year, and I'm up to 81! My scrubs are clean for my 6am work-start. And I've chosen a word or two for my year ahead.</p><p>It didn't feel much like a resolution year to me. The things dearest to my heart are hard to quantify or predict. Those things that always make it onto my list, like exercise or writing more, tend to wax and wane regardless of what I decide on January 1st. So it looks like this: <br /></p><p></p><p><i>I am a non-professional writer. I am excited about some projects I'm working on.</i></p><p><i>I am an amateur yogi. I choose to make daily yoga a part of my routine. </i></p><p>And on from there, I have some quiet personal lists to work on.</p><p>But I liked the idea of having a single word of the year, and I thought I'd try it out in 2022. As with resolutions, it is impossible to predict how a year may look, and so I am fully prepared to find it humorous in twelve months' time, but I hope it inspires me in the meantime.</p><p>As I sorted through words, I landed on one that I had not expected; like a nickname that is first used off-hand and then somehow sticks. I said it over a few times (and I liked the way it felt in my mouth) and it scared me a little. Was it <i>too</i> hopeful? To anyone who has battled depression or anything in that universe, there is a genuine aversion to tempting fate. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I want it to be true, no matter what I have to walk through, no matter what life throws at me. Through the ups and downs, the wholeness and the happiness and the gritty day-to-day. </p><p>So let's do this thing!</p><p>My word is <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Flourish</span></span></p><p>It means to thrive. To grow or develop in a healthy, lively way.</p><p>It means bold and sometimes extravagant gestures, added flair</p><p>Art for its own sake<br /></p><p>It has this sense of movement with joy </p><p>It even reminds me of prana and sukha in yoga practice, the meeting of energy and ease</p><p>I'm thinking...</p><p><i>bloom where you're planted</i></p><p><i>show up with soul</i></p><p><i>overdress a little</i></p><p><i>take up space <br /></i></p><p><i>dance unconcernedly</i></p><p><i>fear not the pizzazz</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeZuLsmh7VVCJYylApcgGym4VDl-cSTcD0INrm7-a2RKuDZEoyK2oGGf2fk_AqaLAtCKgi8FjmDPjkhKn5_M_T0nSOUBgrgfqVF8wiI4dkzQjCoDQMHlgEzp52pWhLmyE33yn2J3YDEEBybRkLrUExrgsMme0B7CHKUUR0cLq-yLNQn3nOqxhQnAYW2A=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeZuLsmh7VVCJYylApcgGym4VDl-cSTcD0INrm7-a2RKuDZEoyK2oGGf2fk_AqaLAtCKgi8FjmDPjkhKn5_M_T0nSOUBgrgfqVF8wiI4dkzQjCoDQMHlgEzp52pWhLmyE33yn2J3YDEEBybRkLrUExrgsMme0B7CHKUUR0cLq-yLNQn3nOqxhQnAYW2A=s320" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i> </i>What do you think?<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-44762218845117083932021-12-31T17:21:00.002-06:002021-12-31T17:21:53.117-06:00photo a month 2021<div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" 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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5ESH1H0ui9bGFNYgf3U0W9KDMErV6Ml70Bg26GCsIIxM-bTxiKfaJbAAQcllMAZ34omhLbtjhqqM_LPaxSpOcItRUCEIqGXyZW6adbjb2lD0jXkDlfy4dOOQXTTNcS26g5jHASuwqfnwoi8qVjtiXb9xpWTrU_YvYIEx1TNObXMuJ-qQ5olVm056ivA=w150-h200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9-dphN4LMYR91dj3SLmmq754cosN__xtxVfiRnTHfnibLZIPkLeiA6KLsjyYvGgEKspI4J51jhhin08oC2AVZ-kqn-ctcSsCHEYAzzPvTaTu73jzUEFoCrXkwvpYWooz1-UbCyTb6eKy_VKNda7E0iww7fg9MQCzD56D6__vkD_5aehWZpeyy5ZDpgw=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9-dphN4LMYR91dj3SLmmq754cosN__xtxVfiRnTHfnibLZIPkLeiA6KLsjyYvGgEKspI4J51jhhin08oC2AVZ-kqn-ctcSsCHEYAzzPvTaTu73jzUEFoCrXkwvpYWooz1-UbCyTb6eKy_VKNda7E0iww7fg9MQCzD56D6__vkD_5aehWZpeyy5ZDpgw=w143-h200" width="143" /></a></div></div></div></div><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-28308294497939206682021-12-31T13:38:00.001-06:002021-12-31T13:38:34.125-06:002021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0erzfEYQi_zyrzXcAYARAyhWViMY0zbMh5PjwOBlMdvY949ptR59kbZtFmkBOhPNdKck1qVLloIHxOdIFLQt45PGTdtc5LaQ02RM1S4DR85kmfwnD1NDei7R8btO-xNQBIFyyEBEcLHCgy78rMmxEUQOIKNUUe_zOzaq_YPXlPCEyqjGp2M8GrkWgHA=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0erzfEYQi_zyrzXcAYARAyhWViMY0zbMh5PjwOBlMdvY949ptR59kbZtFmkBOhPNdKck1qVLloIHxOdIFLQt45PGTdtc5LaQ02RM1S4DR85kmfwnD1NDei7R8btO-xNQBIFyyEBEcLHCgy78rMmxEUQOIKNUUe_zOzaq_YPXlPCEyqjGp2M8GrkWgHA=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQuJxYchQ4zZtvfzLp3kbLeEWpphcD2l6W1D4PVJoyf2K6LyNP_dZ4N-fi2qqS04igSzGGSLzAufRoLRbxLTfjAi2XYPPzF1sFAqdQRrVP_RU4BS6-JoAuosAnaPoOJwbbUxpYFojG4gwy_Mpd40CAxI79noAJ2kGozeGwK7liQDFhfy1TzL_QzUJhWw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQuJxYchQ4zZtvfzLp3kbLeEWpphcD2l6W1D4PVJoyf2K6LyNP_dZ4N-fi2qqS04igSzGGSLzAufRoLRbxLTfjAi2XYPPzF1sFAqdQRrVP_RU4BS6-JoAuosAnaPoOJwbbUxpYFojG4gwy_Mpd40CAxI79noAJ2kGozeGwK7liQDFhfy1TzL_QzUJhWw=s320" width="240" /></a><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I realize as I'm finally writing this, that it's already January in parts of Australia. But however much I love that end-of-year time of reflection, the rest of life never seems to stop either; and this year, along with my post-Christmas fatigue I had a very messy house, and a looong grocery list to deal with when I got off of work.<p>So here I am, it's not too late. I've been thinking and jotting down notes about the years past and ahead; I have scribbled pages in my full journals, and set out bright new ones to start fresh. I have the usual interplay of shining optimism and the deep knowledge that life never goes as planned. My scattered and tired self dearly loves a new start, a blank slate, a spring-board for motivation; and I will use them to the full! And I know too that with every year there is a certainty of sadness, heaviness, confusion; that my anxiety and depression, though better tamed, will still have to be acknowledged and navigated. </p><p>What then? I must create for myself what I most want to offer others: a place to come back to, with lighted windows and full acceptance. This has many corollaries, and is all interwoven with the year I've just had, and what I see as growths and lessons and themes of 2021.</p><p>For one thing, when I moved into my first real home of my own this year, I wanted this house to be a reflection of that very thing. So that along with my eclectic style and varied taste, I hoped it would reflect my heart for welcome and comfort and belonging. That's why I call it The Luminary. I want its warm, welcoming light to glow through every window and chink, brightening your nights and lighting the way home.</p><p>And I set up a welcome sign in the <i>Conservatory</i>, as I call it, that is a bit lengthy for a welcome sign and so I expect many miss it. But I want somehow to impress it upon those entering. <i>this is my wish for you</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You are welcome here<br />In all your wholeness<br />And all your frailty<br />The secrets you carry<br />And the burdens you bear<br />Your hopes and your fears<br />Your light and your darkness<br />Do not need to be known by me<br />To enter my acceptance<br />Be at home<br />May my wholeness<br />And my brokenness<br />Assure you<br />You are not alone<br />My spirit recognizes<br />The spirit in you<br />Come as you are </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">At the beginning of this year, my resolutions were more like my notebook lists: some things I want to get to, a few things to prioritize, new ways of looking at things. Most of them I only did partially, as is often the case. Looking back, I'm not sorry for what I put on the list, or what I did or didn't do. Life is full, and it changes drastically, and that's exactly where growth comes in. Sure, in a perfect world I'd write more regularly, or never miss a yoga session, but then I wouldn't have dreamed of all the many things I did get to do in the past year!</p><p style="text-align: left;">One thing I did say last New Years, was that I wanted to <b>show up with soul</b> in 2021. I think what I meant by that was a sort of whole-heartedness, to show up as myself, my whole self, serious and intent, funny and extra. To not let my stunt-double take over, as someone cleverly put it. And I think, of all the things in that blogpost, in those scribbled journals, in my New Years Ramblings... I think that was the most profound, and it certainly was an area that I've put a lot of thought, care, and <i>soul</i> into this year.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I didn't even think of it as my official 'word of the year' or give it much direct thought. But that concept seems to have shaped so many things throughout my year, taking many forms and words, like <i>wholeness</i>, and <i>belonging</i>. Words and ideas that have become overarching themes, concepts that became concrete decisions that have shifted my entire life.</p><p style="text-align: left;">One of the first and most substantial is what you might call the Anti-Waiting or the End of In-Between. In February of this year I was able to get away for a bit, knowing that I needed to rethink my life a little. My work wasn't going to be sustainable long-term, and I had come to a stage where I felt like <i>what's next</i>? And what I realized as I thought this through was that I wanted to put down some roots. I didn't want to live in a place, work in a place, where there would be a constant what's-next, a job that I constantly needed a vacation from, a living situation that felt temporary. I made the conscious decision to stop waiting for the life that I most
wanted. Not expecting to acquire everything I most want, but wanting my
very life to cultivate all that is most important to me. And to those
who know me, it won't be surprising that to have my own home was a concrete step toward that. I wanted to plant perennials, and have room to do yoga in, a house in which I could entertain guests, or have an hour of silence, or dance to jazz at dusk, or make pancakes in the middle of the night.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And I, more fortunate that many, found that opportunity when I looked for it. Most of you already know this story, of moving back to small-town Minnesota, to this old house that I loved, but had never had to myself before. An opportunity to rent from my own parents (the best of several worlds) and make it my very own place of solace and inspiration, deep color, numerous plants, busy kitchen, sunny yoga-room, full library, and welcoming couches.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It's a long-term commitment of course, deciding to live into the person you want to be. It will have its growth-spurts and set-backs, but it's a journey worth taking. It's choosing a childhood dream to work on, or taking yourself to the movies. It's calculating what you'll need to make that Europe trip happen, and working on that high-interest savings account to make it possible. It's using your money on things that matter, saying no to things that have become an unnecessary burden. It's working somewhere with ethics you're proud of, and making time for hobbies that make the world a better place. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And it's committing to keep working on yourself too. How can I be kinder, more compassionate, a better listener? How have my habits and the worlds systems hurt others? How can I fight against the racism and discrimination in myself as well as around me? What are ways I can show more grace, let go of resentments, allow for changes, look for growth?</p><p style="text-align: left;">It really became a way to look at and almost quantify what is most important to me, what I want out of life. I spent a lot of time at the beginning of the year trying to sort out what Brene Brown calls <i>core values</i>. And because I have a value-heavy, wordy, busy mind, it was hard to pin it down. Looking back over my scribbled pages of notes, I see a few that I circled: <i>connection</i>, <i>meaning</i>, <i>home</i>. But I think a year full of changes has done what journaling could not. I've zeroed in on a few things, rich with meaning, that I want to carry forward with me into the years ahead. And they're not tidy, equal, or the same part of speech. It's more like a Word, a Lesson, and a Quest.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Wholeness<i> </i>is</b>...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>showing up as your whole self</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>not allowing people's expectations or assumptions to keep you small</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>working to make your life reflect your values</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>not hiding from joy or pain <br /></i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>repairing brokenness</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>healing the heaviness that comes from living in this broken world</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>bringing the feeling of wholeness to those feeling shattered</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>giving grace to every part of you, flaws and all</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>giving grace to every part of them, flaws and all </i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">I only thought of this next as a lesson when <a href="https://www.herbityproductions.com/"><i>Herbity Productions</i></a> asked <i>what lesson did you learn in 2021?</i> and I immediately tried to think how to quantify this concept in one sentence. I was, of course, unsuccessful, and have transferred here in order to explore it further. </p><p style="text-align: left;">In its most transformative moments this summer, it confronted me more like a challenge, requiring me to step out boldly and accept it. At the same time it felt like a universal truth, something that was either glaringly obvious, or possibly sacrilegious? Some things are so deeply ingrained in us that it takes some strange years, long walks, and possibly some store-bought-serotonin, to untangle.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>I belong to myself before I belong to anything or anyone else</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">I do, and I must. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>And</b><i> </i>belonging to yourself can sometimes leave you feeling alone in the wilderness. But it is also a significant step in releasing you from outside expectation, because they don't own your belonging. You do.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Later this year I read Brene Brown's <i>Braving the Wilderness</i> and found it just resonating with so many things I've been processing for years. She starts off by quoting the surprising and compelling words of Maya Angelou, <i>"You are only free when you realize you belong no place - you belong every place - no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great."</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">I feel like I've been discovering this my whole life, in different layers. And I am excited that this new layer surrounding my belonging can help me bring that wholeness to the quiet moments and personal decisions of my life, <i>and</i> to pouring life into those broken and alone, <i>and</i> to empowering others' strongest, brightest selves.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure whether this last is an Ultimate Quest, or an Eternal Side-Quest. It's the kind that finds you, without you seeking it out. And for me this year, it's just something that I've realized about one of the deep parts of me. Sometimes a moment of clarity will come in a triggered, painful moment; and you realize just how important that part of your life, yourself, is to you.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>"because of you I felt less alone"</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">That's what I want my legacy to be, the atmosphere I bring, the lingering scent I leave.<i> </i>Yes, I want to be kind and smell nice, there are innumerable other things I wish to do and be. But if I help people feel less alone throughout my life, then I shall call it a success. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's to continuing to cultivate that in the New Year and beyond...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Cheers</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Stay tuned as I call in the New Year, and share my 2022 word of the year <i>that kinda scares me</i><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyx0X26fvzwEsG4ZxW35eWroyphuSPv1lAWNMd1pW-875Du3KxwKwb4w6E3H2xT0zV0ZKVAO1ZHwbxOAHkGIE4AiOemKqgPWMg5PPjjhTONQgIVGNVzRMDjsbbDnTRalP_vcMLKK0mgUn6KVriflKIXhR_e-lI_JH88PCwlS2-Pdjzh7NN5tDbvp_PYg=s1878" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyx0X26fvzwEsG4ZxW35eWroyphuSPv1lAWNMd1pW-875Du3KxwKwb4w6E3H2xT0zV0ZKVAO1ZHwbxOAHkGIE4AiOemKqgPWMg5PPjjhTONQgIVGNVzRMDjsbbDnTRalP_vcMLKK0mgUn6KVriflKIXhR_e-lI_JH88PCwlS2-Pdjzh7NN5tDbvp_PYg=s320" width="192" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJe_Vq4XbGGRKcteABzLdKAmOrV8rq70X7Q5-RhP1kLkStuUDE9jncze_QXjH09bdaPxFjs_Y1okIRLEI2SPVTCIiu4slSgDObxfoPPx44X4eMJDA_dQqba_6SxlToj2qFtjczOKvtGcBwbqrpRm4Fs01kNy_HYj8REoPoXkunF2bHRR26kg9EEJ3lGQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJe_Vq4XbGGRKcteABzLdKAmOrV8rq70X7Q5-RhP1kLkStuUDE9jncze_QXjH09bdaPxFjs_Y1okIRLEI2SPVTCIiu4slSgDObxfoPPx44X4eMJDA_dQqba_6SxlToj2qFtjczOKvtGcBwbqrpRm4Fs01kNy_HYj8REoPoXkunF2bHRR26kg9EEJ3lGQ=s320" width="240" /></a></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-29550956768303104362021-12-24T08:13:00.003-06:002021-12-24T08:13:24.196-06:00It's Christmas Eve!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtV74fjD9XIv3PqMWTH4ttfGtMNYZREWlFzpmeLth6r-TcSZmUoHj7vODDednSKWifcAylvTF-MbuzswoiETa21GLa_9EqYR8uRUQw-Wzujuita5gn8z4NvVzmbqvcI9DYnxYxaGCJCs-tYA_yJ3PmS9H05hlM-GTGLk7cvuhhajj1Mm2ZoPReZqBmCg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtV74fjD9XIv3PqMWTH4ttfGtMNYZREWlFzpmeLth6r-TcSZmUoHj7vODDednSKWifcAylvTF-MbuzswoiETa21GLa_9EqYR8uRUQw-Wzujuita5gn8z4NvVzmbqvcI9DYnxYxaGCJCs-tYA_yJ3PmS9H05hlM-GTGLk7cvuhhajj1Mm2ZoPReZqBmCg=s320" width="240" /></a><br />Let me tell you, my friends, I had such great hopes to blog more during the Christmas season. Instead, life got very full of everything else, and I've let it slide. It is now Christmas Eve, and I'm off to work in twenty minutes. I would love a post bursting with hope and stories and poems and cheer, but here's the abbreviated version, and some of the reason my evenings have been full of not-writing. I've made about 20-dozen Christmas cookies, all gluten-free and dairy-free (but full of sugar and tidings of good cheer).</p><p>I'll be back to talk about the New Year. I always manage to get a little time to contemplate the year past and future. Wishing you all the hope of the season, Merry Christmas and a bright New Year! May you show up with soul and the spirit of Christmas. 'till next time ..<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_-3Ilai0hx7Y2jMj6ctX1AmKVtInWmBUdVnEnqaFW5CaMwicp3ofTZLctKyuEQkDVL-besHRhzD68vCumxMduwVS1QjKk7r4gy0rc-AKNdvg-N56RBxDYy6AVDqsyV-Nd8rclY4cTAacelxatxi49vZ9tx3hwoWYrN-UiSytt76LZIk67YW0T52NVwg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_-3Ilai0hx7Y2jMj6ctX1AmKVtInWmBUdVnEnqaFW5CaMwicp3ofTZLctKyuEQkDVL-besHRhzD68vCumxMduwVS1QjKk7r4gy0rc-AKNdvg-N56RBxDYy6AVDqsyV-Nd8rclY4cTAacelxatxi49vZ9tx3hwoWYrN-UiSytt76LZIk67YW0T52NVwg=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9zzDzIFrQIcbAGIGmY_d7cUrA-hSFPAaEIwZnZKNagzS5Px52x4fq4eCK2bXTc-XIT7KBeaKIlQ33iWjoUnjB3CN_ZVLDMKqIQxBcvS4dKvaa79Log_K0LTEpkKDEh_bQMfVq8Pn186AFt3c2Kt4t7WajUW68nMSowLwhU7EStKhLBdYqSvwR58k1Yg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdqhOA5WT80sgIZlGWgIZ_fVsTiNUaHDzPMrjNN_1h5M202R5rSy-fgDjdIqVCesCMt0B7LNkfkcfLaGHxx8rzcDTVmQaXLbBpGvErGKOHmi-a4r_xx-dy62k2-ATwyrOGH-nlJrJj9yqcbcI0XTtCN2gr0nmsWmRQmeNBJw53knkCbXheiPVzrlI1fg=s320" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-hPvhTsOd4fO56kI4mujbjuRw1c0PvQSFhPJ2-cVjOeTd2RKUxXtpFlkmI6ah2M_aNlytoQjCtn7IPqYtWibLSUI2_EfQaGVK4bYqja6pHZ1603UxxZtedSA0dvc79zlY0WvlzlkOxYVNIZ69d2K6qvgcLZRh-sMzXuwANvJ4Mo2USg8IDWlkoGvgmw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdqhOA5WT80sgIZlGWgIZ_fVsTiNUaHDzPMrjNN_1h5M202R5rSy-fgDjdIqVCesCMt0B7LNkfkcfLaGHxx8rzcDTVmQaXLbBpGvErGKOHmi-a4r_xx-dy62k2-ATwyrOGH-nlJrJj9yqcbcI0XTtCN2gr0nmsWmRQmeNBJw53knkCbXheiPVzrlI1fg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdqhOA5WT80sgIZlGWgIZ_fVsTiNUaHDzPMrjNN_1h5M202R5rSy-fgDjdIqVCesCMt0B7LNkfkcfLaGHxx8rzcDTVmQaXLbBpGvErGKOHmi-a4r_xx-dy62k2-ATwyrOGH-nlJrJj9yqcbcI0XTtCN2gr0nmsWmRQmeNBJw53knkCbXheiPVzrlI1fg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFqtOI_EjK-jedMKi49rCY4oBZqPAPZoP-ihZdwFgSBXQDPwjDG-NKnjEOs4h51xmEDu5ca4RGXAQn1du5oAzBAzk0NmGL2kA7wugm5h9Uf1_qaXiR_Nr2aacteyLRNWQ_9eFHBkUDl3kMlqYtSaGvQkZlF7g2VdxSqmmGd0mol3GcL9UU2QxZJWYjKA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFqtOI_EjK-jedMKi49rCY4oBZqPAPZoP-ihZdwFgSBXQDPwjDG-NKnjEOs4h51xmEDu5ca4RGXAQn1du5oAzBAzk0NmGL2kA7wugm5h9Uf1_qaXiR_Nr2aacteyLRNWQ_9eFHBkUDl3kMlqYtSaGvQkZlF7g2VdxSqmmGd0mol3GcL9UU2QxZJWYjKA=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvxCKNhQ1U4LY_fiWxY_4EWbzF9t5xgIgcRTIKplFuzmMBaqIdrpBc4jEJt3dXPXoll7fLpmIc_gaLZVDGK3KOOLLXkxJE9h6dn9JiL420hnkXWiN4dFzJ7CZMny3cQfRoHxM_d9ZBQ5LTwjd5El8Z9bwJwYztm353_9sfbWVs7w4V3ZYKOGKIn0eEfw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvxCKNhQ1U4LY_fiWxY_4EWbzF9t5xgIgcRTIKplFuzmMBaqIdrpBc4jEJt3dXPXoll7fLpmIc_gaLZVDGK3KOOLLXkxJE9h6dn9JiL420hnkXWiN4dFzJ7CZMny3cQfRoHxM_d9ZBQ5LTwjd5El8Z9bwJwYztm353_9sfbWVs7w4V3ZYKOGKIn0eEfw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-20032619728199351172021-11-29T18:09:00.006-06:002022-02-07T17:26:34.188-06:00Enter Christmas<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOotTQdqoix1up4-8TSoYWoU1yKrL94ZQIsjBF6rWgh3ivZ5_IhzID3yjkt0ibq0kcbjpmXbmovXs9JROUFV_SZs5ML7eX2K-IUfOklTWnxD3YipSMR5c0Y1hDU17FKjMLL6uxIpn9QOJJRZQZWj0P30fE5D7vKnXGFc3Hxlt1Eb1FyX0a7-ZMaJR3JA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOotTQdqoix1up4-8TSoYWoU1yKrL94ZQIsjBF6rWgh3ivZ5_IhzID3yjkt0ibq0kcbjpmXbmovXs9JROUFV_SZs5ML7eX2K-IUfOklTWnxD3YipSMR5c0Y1hDU17FKjMLL6uxIpn9QOJJRZQZWj0P30fE5D7vKnXGFc3Hxlt1Eb1FyX0a7-ZMaJR3JA=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBfCm3pUPD_IFDe5DmKzOVJUyz0ogpTWypVGqSLTBQZpbnDVFxDmBcYnQntkZFYkcNguTT7LkE76a8drRGyk_n-Ya1UGnEI3J-WnEKal8Oo3oB0sRx6tJYWfYvJUMU_hiJiKX5834mm5gN0ijSySL8biv5BdC3xXhPJ1w-4BAZ8tjl8cXKzlywENPAaA=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBfCm3pUPD_IFDe5DmKzOVJUyz0ogpTWypVGqSLTBQZpbnDVFxDmBcYnQntkZFYkcNguTT7LkE76a8drRGyk_n-Ya1UGnEI3J-WnEKal8Oo3oB0sRx6tJYWfYvJUMU_hiJiKX5834mm5gN0ijSySL8biv5BdC3xXhPJ1w-4BAZ8tjl8cXKzlywENPAaA=s320" width="180" /></a></p><p>Here we are nearing the end of November! A month has flown by since I
posted last, despite the best of intentions. My house has transformed
itself for the Christmas season, although it still waits for a tree.
Lights and candles twinkle everywhere, ushering in the seasons of
Advent, Hanukkah, and Solstice. Leftover pie shows up on breakfast
plates, extra Thanksgiving food is to be found in the oven, because I
insist on eating stuffing and cranberries for at least a week
straight...</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMUnRTsA4PV6aKT0chKUpeJ4hkdEOjwH1WZJHwRwMph8Sby7JO5S-tKIC5eN6h2e3z0Djm1vlpg-w13XRKGPzIyfbiUcjXq7SCJzAKmgwwFBPH6oRnZRJMqY6ELwwNkO7Zd27nc0FXxJeMHE5dvhXIPhTgtneSWGFVsX2vu-rXlZfGUsCdu_Vb0hzw-Q=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMUnRTsA4PV6aKT0chKUpeJ4hkdEOjwH1WZJHwRwMph8Sby7JO5S-tKIC5eN6h2e3z0Djm1vlpg-w13XRKGPzIyfbiUcjXq7SCJzAKmgwwFBPH6oRnZRJMqY6ELwwNkO7Zd27nc0FXxJeMHE5dvhXIPhTgtneSWGFVsX2vu-rXlZfGUsCdu_Vb0hzw-Q=w200-h150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0nrIJ81p4z--k7yKizjdLsbNAOZsn5Y373MX-qJrygbxtVYstW6QndGCe8uiAViW7RtRj8wATbg2kgqzCyr02bcaFztbI58-eZlRIG5ACnQ3dNo5YYRrJYKXhc1ExCPnegb9UhkMna1d2s9XaYTVlhCp1GqzaRbgAz_aEnUwJkJWogc-YIVwMzdBM4A=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0nrIJ81p4z--k7yKizjdLsbNAOZsn5Y373MX-qJrygbxtVYstW6QndGCe8uiAViW7RtRj8wATbg2kgqzCyr02bcaFztbI58-eZlRIG5ACnQ3dNo5YYRrJYKXhc1ExCPnegb9UhkMna1d2s9XaYTVlhCp1GqzaRbgAz_aEnUwJkJWogc-YIVwMzdBM4A=w200-h150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgzrFO1sAFYqgspgYUm-KvDxwKqyLq2IYJsx80jHEUgHDSWelHavwYS4ngP13mX5JlumwO2b9xp8DsgnjnaWa4GJ-bYYODNPe9Y792Fcl5fA0RXqEheAZh0fMtqTWM4T5NNQwXCKeslDrS9kmXlPtmeGmglT5gEqJsAZvkmn5OhwjwXDqIY8cQ1p75Cg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgzrFO1sAFYqgspgYUm-KvDxwKqyLq2IYJsx80jHEUgHDSWelHavwYS4ngP13mX5JlumwO2b9xp8DsgnjnaWa4GJ-bYYODNPe9Y792Fcl5fA0RXqEheAZh0fMtqTWM4T5NNQwXCKeslDrS9kmXlPtmeGmglT5gEqJsAZvkmn5OhwjwXDqIY8cQ1p75Cg=s320" width="240" /></a></p><p>Seasonal picture-books are moved to the top of the
pile. Chocolates and holiday baubles sit on the coffee-table, goodies
are slowly spirited away to the freezers. One entire room of my house is
off-limits to all but head-elf (me) as it is filled to messy brim with
presents and wrapping paraphernalia of every description. Christmas
music of all kinds pour from record-player and speaker, and the
Christmas movies have begun their procession. Most notably, we've given
White Christmas its first viewing of the season, and both local-school
plays have been delightfully seasonal: Frozen and Elf; adding much to
the festive community spirit!</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Zmi5s2tlqZ4JCt1abiR6A3OuwXq8uD-_nj0mCNsvsncqDAAq4ww4c_7Xus1OYAgFA2qaU_TJjWJ6ww2tSjEfYqcGEUhecx0XUyqxp83_Y8nVKWIDJaaxcjyD22FR6QjEpRvS3Eerg55aqZ85dJOOAOMQ906tpW-K8lkHQEJPZ9rXAf_hMfM31JWeLQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Zmi5s2tlqZ4JCt1abiR6A3OuwXq8uD-_nj0mCNsvsncqDAAq4ww4c_7Xus1OYAgFA2qaU_TJjWJ6ww2tSjEfYqcGEUhecx0XUyqxp83_Y8nVKWIDJaaxcjyD22FR6QjEpRvS3Eerg55aqZ85dJOOAOMQ906tpW-K8lkHQEJPZ9rXAf_hMfM31JWeLQ=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfxEJEFt2DFdVqZ--A8RsS5pJlJEwjYzS_3a_2yYIc88dmzifHbbH7dxm6N5Kvh8yM70fforPm5d06RRDeKg5umaQG1K2H2TznIo9n1WYNHaF5JkpitXu85Wm9EYSkH21rWcur89WTIiEP1y0uwl6dBND2vLDdYrjMXeM0BAxEoCSREGHF35TGBG62LQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfxEJEFt2DFdVqZ--A8RsS5pJlJEwjYzS_3a_2yYIc88dmzifHbbH7dxm6N5Kvh8yM70fforPm5d06RRDeKg5umaQG1K2H2TznIo9n1WYNHaF5JkpitXu85Wm9EYSkH21rWcur89WTIiEP1y0uwl6dBND2vLDdYrjMXeM0BAxEoCSREGHF35TGBG62LQ=s320" width="240" /></a></p><p class="title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>I've also been reading lots of books, doing daily Yoga with Adriene, planning and buying gifts, making pies, and thinking of my dear ones in hospital, as I make my own rounds in a quite different hospital. All my many potted plants from outdoors and my summer conservatory had to be brought in from the cold, frost, and snow. Most of our snow has melted, and today was relatively mild, but the frosts are deep most nights, and the geese can be heard early in the morning, flying south with speed. </span><br /></span></p><p class="title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgglJQ_bkAq2UbLnv9u5nAjFpyimfLFhbEHsd3dBmOx6RUxyL652DLvjOA047L266dKV8LuHRc5WwjU4Upo-MtsdQN2G8D9PdJTwE-0TCeJ2-nN-H-p9c9kMOwpPdZbkTUdAtpxJHMYKXeftzlb3uXJtkQs7UpLP50WDHdHfc1tWd57BAZfu_C6fuNmEQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgglJQ_bkAq2UbLnv9u5nAjFpyimfLFhbEHsd3dBmOx6RUxyL652DLvjOA047L266dKV8LuHRc5WwjU4Upo-MtsdQN2G8D9PdJTwE-0TCeJ2-nN-H-p9c9kMOwpPdZbkTUdAtpxJHMYKXeftzlb3uXJtkQs7UpLP50WDHdHfc1tWd57BAZfu_C6fuNmEQ=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXqcCq9_PP2zzHrtYvH1alwHplmN8QDZqpWnJgwS4-hxwTS8PPWkLzTuLcZsbyfYW1b7hUVemFaVYSvXs7fXJ-OYBIbeJRC5i7Ha4deFNKG8cPdzmltQZ8PnPiJHRlmrNLMHJmoWCgRXx9p6Q1_bXEUHvSA0946UYxbTjbv_9zP56wV_6FhJQ4ZceO3Q=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXqcCq9_PP2zzHrtYvH1alwHplmN8QDZqpWnJgwS4-hxwTS8PPWkLzTuLcZsbyfYW1b7hUVemFaVYSvXs7fXJ-OYBIbeJRC5i7Ha4deFNKG8cPdzmltQZ8PnPiJHRlmrNLMHJmoWCgRXx9p6Q1_bXEUHvSA0946UYxbTjbv_9zP56wV_6FhJQ4ZceO3Q=s320" width="240" /></a></p><p class="title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So now my shelves and sills are loaded with plants, vines, and flowers. Freshening the air, and bringing the feeling of life and growth to the cozy interior. I've readied my Advent calendars to be opened once December breaks upon us, begun reading poems for Advent, and singing songs of the Maccabees. </span><br /></span></span></p><p class="title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Advent Sunday</b></span></p><p class="title" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">by Christina Rossetti</span></span></i></p><div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> </div>
</div>
</div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out<br />With lighted lamps and garlands round about<br />To meet Him in a rapture with a shout.<br /><br />It may be at the midnight, black as pitch,<br />Earth shall cast up her poor, cast up her rich.<br /><br />It may be at the crowing of the cock<br />Earth shall upheave her depth, uproot her rock.<br /><br />For lo, the Bridegroom fetcheth home the Bride:<br />His Hands are Hands she knows, she knows His Side.<br /><br />Like pure Rebekah at the appointed place,<br />Veiled, she unveils her face to meet His Face.<br /><br />Like great Queen Esther in her triumphing,<br />She triumphs in the Presence of her King.<br /><br />His Eyes are as a Dove's, and she's Dove-eyed;<br />He knows His lovely mirror, sister, Bride.<br /><br />He speaks with Dove-voice of exceeding love,<br />And she with love-voice of an answering Dove.<br /><br />Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go we out<br />With lamps ablaze and garlands round about<br />To meet Him in a rapture with a shout.</div><div class="field__item even"> </div></div></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji1J3jw59ImW_AhY_pGRg_zVS6P05s2MKEiXWy9LULamhSLJtNO3s-qvMj-Fbcuvy21Lc2eU5PPFt58WP8IQFnEMmptxJu1AmFdpcgOCegb6sk3nE_Gs3b8k309W1CmOrWOH2CeViY3k_whkzq7a7TlW4Jb8a5mrsD99OkL5s2bA_vHSSqcVe2cry0wg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji1J3jw59ImW_AhY_pGRg_zVS6P05s2MKEiXWy9LULamhSLJtNO3s-qvMj-Fbcuvy21Lc2eU5PPFt58WP8IQFnEMmptxJu1AmFdpcgOCegb6sk3nE_Gs3b8k309W1CmOrWOH2CeViY3k_whkzq7a7TlW4Jb8a5mrsD99OkL5s2bA_vHSSqcVe2cry0wg=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ13-yVitjhRm1w3UIE9bbePawElG9t4VWLARTAr5AO2APXUyxLacrLB5ll0nalF_WAbs9SljMCgjAUtOBv32hDrn535tjm7tlDIDHhfa_ouIvo85xLYP6XVgzvAXbjcQtMAfVOqcumLrN_rCzVKv1zX6bNMckNlQux0G3NngHXcVsgEe2gJRyhSHSmg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ13-yVitjhRm1w3UIE9bbePawElG9t4VWLARTAr5AO2APXUyxLacrLB5ll0nalF_WAbs9SljMCgjAUtOBv32hDrn535tjm7tlDIDHhfa_ouIvo85xLYP6XVgzvAXbjcQtMAfVOqcumLrN_rCzVKv1zX6bNMckNlQux0G3NngHXcVsgEe2gJRyhSHSmg=s320" width="240" /></a><br /></p><p>This year I made my own Christmas wreaths from the greenery collected in my own yard and gardens, <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpBrpvgKbqFwm_TcH9xkOlSyOGhAvgNQWZmDvHn__bs6PMDJMWFUfuBfRXO0GZSs-MwlKvASwSHqnDRigMcYN__wa2i3RW3cjj-qsVHHspjcXtIhqSHN7bg_kzCulQX97GfCycEZEAfAILjMWo3w3SMkG0NVPIzENLC67uCtgUQ_1xWIsKl9iDNM4RjQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpBrpvgKbqFwm_TcH9xkOlSyOGhAvgNQWZmDvHn__bs6PMDJMWFUfuBfRXO0GZSs-MwlKvASwSHqnDRigMcYN__wa2i3RW3cjj-qsVHHspjcXtIhqSHN7bg_kzCulQX97GfCycEZEAfAILjMWo3w3SMkG0NVPIzENLC67uCtgUQ_1xWIsKl9iDNM4RjQ=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw9ZK3Rm4oR4q0VqK-QBcLQ0zwsu7tSQGGnxhh_967T6yDy3wM4mD02p8EeJ07Lwukc2qAtnirFB4erhBhy5VpGHV7pOU1F__es0D8Bb4He88L4rOGpqxeWUU66slTF0DDXqy8cJAmgfdpR9U58p4vrx7363U0AykO5cMVRTFUCPGKWicNoQh6zVf3iA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw9ZK3Rm4oR4q0VqK-QBcLQ0zwsu7tSQGGnxhh_967T6yDy3wM4mD02p8EeJ07Lwukc2qAtnirFB4erhBhy5VpGHV7pOU1F__es0D8Bb4He88L4rOGpqxeWUU66slTF0DDXqy8cJAmgfdpR9U58p4vrx7363U0AykO5cMVRTFUCPGKWicNoQh6zVf3iA=s320" width="240" /></a></div>I decorated with my old collection of decor (a small amount for a house this size) supplemented with new finds, and boosted with a bunch of homemade bits and bobs, garlands, and snowflakes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkbJiwTozrpg96W2guidCeZoExAFPxffpXpic4rN3ihrO7Q6b5oQlZoNGaT9yULaI_nAoXtbGrsGNCrM6QlaqW8WCEhzB5x0GLlh0I8QlHVoipK0aWFYh5H0BH6Mt594-tUrsTW-ZdY3yf12DEYVhaSh8tHLtAktTKxGf3sA-_fzXQWocs61vmwECheg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkbJiwTozrpg96W2guidCeZoExAFPxffpXpic4rN3ihrO7Q6b5oQlZoNGaT9yULaI_nAoXtbGrsGNCrM6QlaqW8WCEhzB5x0GLlh0I8QlHVoipK0aWFYh5H0BH6Mt594-tUrsTW-ZdY3yf12DEYVhaSh8tHLtAktTKxGf3sA-_fzXQWocs61vmwECheg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div>Timelessness is a strong component of my aesthetic all year round, and no less in this season. A bit like a time-travelers home, I like to use cozy aspects and ideas from many eras, with higgledy-piggledy abandon. Blessedly grateful for electricity for all the fairy-lights (and I've even taken to use scores of battery-candles), nevertheless each room has a bit of a vintage feel. I am especially inspired by the war years, the combination of the imaginative frugality of wartime with the undeniable glamour of old hollywood. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY1-Sxcjb5odFazNEW4FgKkiKaNdXVCvXmGO3oXrB9txtwftq5ubtZUeXPfISg5s7-J5x17DqDR4ssH1KwGlRcIK_47XJnuNhV35wtJ8F0aoNIys-wmfSmp1GB9RNEG2dtDuN0UeRzp5fMg34KNU-kzlWFRE1GK6eKnGtxbdCv2oiinRQPkHslo9dM7g=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY1-Sxcjb5odFazNEW4FgKkiKaNdXVCvXmGO3oXrB9txtwftq5ubtZUeXPfISg5s7-J5x17DqDR4ssH1KwGlRcIK_47XJnuNhV35wtJ8F0aoNIys-wmfSmp1GB9RNEG2dtDuN0UeRzp5fMg34KNU-kzlWFRE1GK6eKnGtxbdCv2oiinRQPkHslo9dM7g=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYfkcVJW6qNHmP2s3H1g23cYlxC1AbxcNqDNMDxIfLg8j-wG4yxwWSOek1jy_COCbLyU7n__prqdTLavVt5wpCjqZawvXzepAxijSg_LLTtnqQ4X9Axpwz-fAkeuekQxngRMI52IcwBlGbtCWa6rG2CeGCVxBJKC2KYOHpic_R9X2tdNkWnMoR3u8xeg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYfkcVJW6qNHmP2s3H1g23cYlxC1AbxcNqDNMDxIfLg8j-wG4yxwWSOek1jy_COCbLyU7n__prqdTLavVt5wpCjqZawvXzepAxijSg_LLTtnqQ4X9Axpwz-fAkeuekQxngRMI52IcwBlGbtCWa6rG2CeGCVxBJKC2KYOHpic_R9X2tdNkWnMoR3u8xeg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>How are you staying warm and hygge this time of year?</p><p>What holiday tradition can you not wait to jump into?</p><p>Is there a Christmas treat you're longing to bake?</p><p>Are you a fancy-holiday-dress type, or the ugly-Christmas-sweater kind, when invited to a party?<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKUR9SUMx1YQkPbxRB9abSt4o_ODwhlzjf2HrsGc73Yu1ESYDcdM6xE7AiWVnw-6gT-UKadJn63De4v_YEnDAvIr-Srdw5cKW6o0jLPoDMIODIOuLwsC6RAnjtg-SimcO8fcRDMH44yMwIfIp42ImWTfJnVEatVSumEWVAPaQe0e_d4F8ZK4tB5W18vQ=s320" width="240" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTLgWm8Jo4mOyE7lODlZ9nw27nYmOiBeDwERXDjIBU8xPZ7R-iWaoHp7cHFWmiqJiV7L1leTBNz9wuvgkdtZ127stnrAGkHnDXeDT7O9zUJLZUw9Ssm0grWVHhqL7nBf86ArKprvaqkExOy32YLq7ySbFmidhlGoT1v5qC3tx0W4qkn2RPFzJo7HLLWQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTLgWm8Jo4mOyE7lODlZ9nw27nYmOiBeDwERXDjIBU8xPZ7R-iWaoHp7cHFWmiqJiV7L1leTBNz9wuvgkdtZ127stnrAGkHnDXeDT7O9zUJLZUw9Ssm0grWVHhqL7nBf86ArKprvaqkExOy32YLq7ySbFmidhlGoT1v5qC3tx0W4qkn2RPFzJo7HLLWQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKUR9SUMx1YQkPbxRB9abSt4o_ODwhlzjf2HrsGc73Yu1ESYDcdM6xE7AiWVnw-6gT-UKadJn63De4v_YEnDAvIr-Srdw5cKW6o0jLPoDMIODIOuLwsC6RAnjtg-SimcO8fcRDMH44yMwIfIp42ImWTfJnVEatVSumEWVAPaQe0e_d4F8ZK4tB5W18vQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'll see you here again soon, my friends! Pass the Christmas spirit, and remember that <i>the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!</i><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-28637669062747644022021-10-24T16:08:00.001-05:002022-02-07T17:27:36.461-06:00Hello again<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAaxHH7s1wThW_RfwtCukJyTxtZFga9AD03kgzfJny1bBu8uc89XxOn0QonIyc7Bcq8LXhIndy9_4O34Ex-TSpy4qlcuHSdu0XMEcwTPpcp6T8fxeZhXQZarw1KLVWT-iDohLNjYQOqcYq70TrFq_pyromEUufrIGyyrf2T5i4Ur0HHSFjzpI4NwF-5Q=s2000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAaxHH7s1wThW_RfwtCukJyTxtZFga9AD03kgzfJny1bBu8uc89XxOn0QonIyc7Bcq8LXhIndy9_4O34Ex-TSpy4qlcuHSdu0XMEcwTPpcp6T8fxeZhXQZarw1KLVWT-iDohLNjYQOqcYq70TrFq_pyromEUufrIGyyrf2T5i4Ur0HHSFjzpI4NwF-5Q=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Along the wind-swept lanes of October I return to this online aerie after a long time away. I almost feel I should introduce myself again, it's been nearly all summer and fall that I've been away from here. Rest assured the days have been filled and overflowing with life, with happy newness and old tradition. Walks and food and projects and books, among the many other joys and turmoils that life brings.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, hello again everyone, I am Olivia, or Liv as many call me. Writer, cook, thinker, sometimes author of this blog. I'm in the midst of my first year in my new home, and enjoying it immensely. The Diningroom is the only place that still needs some work before it can be fully inhabited and utilized, but the rest of the house is cozy in the extreme and just the kind of place I like to spend my days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like I've been here forever, really. I'm settled in my job, imprinted onto my home. Even as I get ready for my first Christmas here on my own, it is filled with as much familiarity as expectant newness. The myriad plants I've collected over the summer are now huddled around the south window in my library, and my heater is humming away against the late autumn chill.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's all for today, but expect to see me here again more often now. I plan to blog regularly throughout the Christmas season. Not an official blogmas like last year, where I post every day. Just a season full of sharing the beauties of Christmastide. A little spot to come and be cheered as the days grow shorter, or the days get hectic or slow according to your season in life. Wishing you all hope and brightness in the coming months.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And in the meantime, today, here are a few Before and Afters from making my house a home. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Before:</b><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA0zZquCL_KPqf5kt8VA0IqY1qSVVqb0hiGLi6zEL_l1isz2W-Qb-85WZwU1pgNVVMMsqqFbKW0s_BiHCD2j7Y0QCcDeejb0ehKPSK8DTtobRyD1Bbwmht9QCpo9XNbdhxGJ21Rk8na03YXNIURMNNhWkVdZNpn87PMTz2JACZjfKY_po_9UngSZL1XA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA0zZquCL_KPqf5kt8VA0IqY1qSVVqb0hiGLi6zEL_l1isz2W-Qb-85WZwU1pgNVVMMsqqFbKW0s_BiHCD2j7Y0QCcDeejb0ehKPSK8DTtobRyD1Bbwmht9QCpo9XNbdhxGJ21Rk8na03YXNIURMNNhWkVdZNpn87PMTz2JACZjfKY_po_9UngSZL1XA=w300-h400" width="300" /> </a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b>After:</b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPrBewAqoswSkSeOX8NPaKAsABDsBMz7GgG_Zvm-9uoMLVyUD1XJxcs0jNlCPDxBrOJM8RpehP292I9aD1asMh7i0vUMXaPTZKlVisIp2JWpjfKEmXGpRjElZfVmjkwVlmw0psqQpvQdXkrVIRgiZNEHHYOuBa1_-7240y-6dMwlFepuuZM0Zg-11m8A=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPrBewAqoswSkSeOX8NPaKAsABDsBMz7GgG_Zvm-9uoMLVyUD1XJxcs0jNlCPDxBrOJM8RpehP292I9aD1asMh7i0vUMXaPTZKlVisIp2JWpjfKEmXGpRjElZfVmjkwVlmw0psqQpvQdXkrVIRgiZNEHHYOuBa1_-7240y-6dMwlFepuuZM0Zg-11m8A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Before:</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWvtURto31as9u_4ZtEqyNfrzKW6dumzMmynO6eyvdrvD76tG-4lJ-qq89gY-hsGTXvpdAPRno8vuYeVMHuAOY_aVZDu3nvwzSHfe1-THTojuunQ009hlXDJqB1QPrZdFu9irmLokEvTbmKoOXT5o0MeWbqTWgqQtPm5YhRbHPDWmMDtZ-nAX1rxd8eA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWvtURto31as9u_4ZtEqyNfrzKW6dumzMmynO6eyvdrvD76tG-4lJ-qq89gY-hsGTXvpdAPRno8vuYeVMHuAOY_aVZDu3nvwzSHfe1-THTojuunQ009hlXDJqB1QPrZdFu9irmLokEvTbmKoOXT5o0MeWbqTWgqQtPm5YhRbHPDWmMDtZ-nAX1rxd8eA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>After:</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDhupE3sp_Yzsrd0mQB_-s8hhdYmKtpU744uGs-h4GEQOxZmpLx6PxK8-S77GAIKC0SNw-Sb9TpYiSpDTFfTMRMfOIHlzLXbdekBjv4MgWULtnZW-ro1OlzS6StzYZMhmkWRCWiS9ncmFrHBNoQthbDqO7-FaLnarzffiYRYk8erkUpBpj3PqtUOJgDg=w400-h300" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Before:</b><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL9xou2qgalgkAPjOeDVbJ316OZqPI66YM6-PkNKyCxfey613IlCHopCqjVhpAlipTSryVgWoB06zm8UUsjqXAlGA4AW-dGCBDLHAy7glzIWgfUbiGji3Ck5WzyDRBmMx46qXpFeXQyINl-O_r1gmci1PzGtoODE8EfIJse6DwDkHDCJkvq2w2Bhynqw=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL9xou2qgalgkAPjOeDVbJ316OZqPI66YM6-PkNKyCxfey613IlCHopCqjVhpAlipTSryVgWoB06zm8UUsjqXAlGA4AW-dGCBDLHAy7glzIWgfUbiGji3Ck5WzyDRBmMx46qXpFeXQyINl-O_r1gmci1PzGtoODE8EfIJse6DwDkHDCJkvq2w2Bhynqw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>After:</b><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP_DHv-Bkr49Sp59ACpPk1jItyUQd4sWBbsqEzp_SboPbk6K05xeZVkhGRrNWS6i9oWIVV5IV_R--kkvjIiAAyTMwbH5b9MnPTD2XPBxAgtLrFWZjT4t58eHVXP36YSjm3s_NNI_5bbIhd5bW7eWhRS6j7eJb6SQnXzdVjTO7qh7s-YD6QmlLY6_3HRQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP_DHv-Bkr49Sp59ACpPk1jItyUQd4sWBbsqEzp_SboPbk6K05xeZVkhGRrNWS6i9oWIVV5IV_R--kkvjIiAAyTMwbH5b9MnPTD2XPBxAgtLrFWZjT4t58eHVXP36YSjm3s_NNI_5bbIhd5bW7eWhRS6j7eJb6SQnXzdVjTO7qh7s-YD6QmlLY6_3HRQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p></div></div>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-90202576344235966392021-06-19T22:11:00.002-05:002021-06-19T22:11:33.670-05:00Happy Juneteenth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4MfkfZgR7o/YM6xs1LUC3I/AAAAAAAABXU/m2yH07KN9sUe4Q3X57dNop320xUfQdn_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/4973769A-32C7-4CC5-9B29-A9FB73277598.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4MfkfZgR7o/YM6xs1LUC3I/AAAAAAAABXU/m2yH07KN9sUe4Q3X57dNop320xUfQdn_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/4973769A-32C7-4CC5-9B29-A9FB73277598.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-90588939575104523412021-06-15T22:17:00.001-05:002021-06-15T22:17:13.646-05:00Enter summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zMj58gRe9cg/YMlq_pLaM6I/AAAAAAAABWs/ju8WVVdK2QQBtOfVghfBlgUaRSWbWDxvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E4255BD4-946F-429C-B2FD-CEB19E8C6D60.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zMj58gRe9cg/YMlq_pLaM6I/AAAAAAAABWs/ju8WVVdK2QQBtOfVghfBlgUaRSWbWDxvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/E4255BD4-946F-429C-B2FD-CEB19E8C6D60.jpeg" /></a></div><p>I'd forgotten what it was like for summer to smell like warm honeysuckle and damp lilacs. When rain makes the weeds easier to pull. Where picnics can be an all-day affair or something you pop out and have at lunch break. </p><p>What riches, to be able to bike to work in the morning and trim rose-bushes in the evening. Weekends might even bring a spin on the lake, or a trip further into the country to see cows and corn and cottonwood trees.</p><p>Over the last week or so, the potent sun and wind have dried out my gardens, and weeds have taken over. Not every day comes with enough energy to tackle a jungle in the heat, after a long shift on your feet, but I was able to water tonight. </p><p>Some evenings I slip out for a sunset walk, or an hour on the balcony. A few mornings have seen a bit of yoga before work, a few afternoons, a lay out in the sun. In the evenings I try to take a while to sit listening to jazz in my
lounge. Sipping wine or chamomile tea, or in my silk kimono, or dancing
alone to soft melodies. </p><p>I still paint walls, and hang art (an extreme sport, as the only thing that will chew through my 80-year-old plaster walls, is a concrete bit). I've bought a printer, and a blender. And tried my hand at Pho. </p><p>Sometimes it's the oddest things that bring that feeling of comfort or contentment, the feeling that yes indeed, this is the place I'm meant to be in this moment: eating overdone chocolate chip cookies with cheap black coffee on a work-break; or papering basement walls with the New York Times on a late night whim.</p><p>Who knows what lies ahead, but I'm breathing in the beauty these days. Remembering to nap, and breathe, and move. To embrace the imperfect tumble with a gladness that is pure gift.<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-32795546925975185622021-05-25T21:25:00.001-05:002021-05-25T21:25:00.163-05:00In memory of George Floyd<p> i’m ready to speak<br />though my voice is still weak<br />i won’t get it all right<br />but to see this plight<br />and not protest the blight<br />is wrong. I am white<br />and my privilege goes deep<br />deeper than i thought. the seep<br />of racial injustice that keeps<br />the different down<br />lies about the black and brown<br />cannot go on, it has to stop<br />full stop.<br />and the first thing that i can do<br />is own it, in all its shame<br />i wish it wasn’t, but it’s true<br />come with me, say their names<br />taylor, floyd, castile, and on and on<br />and till. until we see the people<br />where is our we the people?<br />we are torn asunder<br />we have kept them under<br />lift them up now<br />in any way you know how<br />The path to change is steep<br />we start when it makes us weep<br /><br />i am sorry.<br />not just for how you feel<br />or what’s been done to you<br />lord knows--i don’t--how to heal<br />i won’t pretend to<br />but sorry i’ve been blind<br />sorry i’ve been quiet<br />what’s on my mind?<br />have i been chasing a riot?<br />a symptom of a broken system<br />proclaiming liberty… but not for them.<br /><br />I’m sorry i’ve let decorum dictate<br />the state<br />of this conversation of hate<br />i’ve let the “peace” at a dinner table<br />disable the bridge <br />i could have built<br />i cut the cable with my privilege<br />to ignore the issues<br />because i didn’t need the tissues<br /><br />“this is ridiculous” we hear ourselves say<br />and as we rip the mask off our face<br />we place our hand on the mouth of another race<br />its a disgrace<br />we demand a reprieve<br />while our brothers: they can’t breathe<br /><br />I’m listening.<br />we’ve been deaf for too long<br />blind to all this wrong<br />this camel’s back is strong<br />but let this be the time<br />when we open our ears<br />shed tears<br />listen to your fears<br />i am here now to turn up your voices<br />hear about your choices<br />to see where you've been muted<br />your rights looted<br />whenever it suited<br /><br />it shouldn’t take seeing this film<br />with our eyes<br />to humanize this man<br />to realize the famine<br />of justice in our systems<br />to sympathize with pain<br />to exercise our capacity for change<br /><br />I’m learning.<br />we’ve been complicit.<br />the racism in this country has been explicit<br />we’ve chosen status quo over<br />the safety of our fellow men<br />again and again<br />not now and then<br />when will we say “when”<br />this has to end<br />and it starts right here<br />we use our voice and lend an ear<br />no time for fears<br />call out your peers<br /><br />i know: i’m one for peace<br />but in order to obtain the release<br />of my neighbor in chains<br />it’ll take some birth pains<br />and if i have to give up “nice” <br />to uphold<br />the dignity of my black sisters<br />then behold:<br />that is my privilege and my duty<br />to call out bias<br />to call out beauty<br /><br />not to stand discrimination<br />to demand more from this nation<br />seek out leaders for reform<br />to continue this fight after the storm<br />keep the conversation going <br />beyond tomorrow<br />so that change can come from this<br />most recent sorrow<br /><br />watch just mercy, watch 13th<br />investigate your history<br />do you know juneteenth?<br />don’t skip over the hard stuff<br />the trails of tears<br />this pain’s been in our story<br />for years and years<br />there’s a lot that we don’t talk about<br />it’s not pretty to see<br />but in order to change the system<br />it’s got to come from you and me<br />it starts with education <br />and taking a step back<br />and then we have to step up<br />and keep each other on track<br />we have to keep learning<br />observe and take note<br />be allies and listeners<br />stay vocal, and vote<br /><br />my words can’t undo<br />the damage we’ve done<br />that’s true<br />but it’s stage one<br />this is a marathon run<br />this battle won’t be won<br />in a short time<br />no it’s been lifetimes<br />and yet it’s now or never<br />if we don’t step up<br />this could be forever<br />now is what makes us<br />now makes the future<br />don’t let this change<br />be a half-hearted suture<br />let’s regrow the bones<br />from our sticks and our stones<br />words and tones<br />let this be an end of the groans<br />don’t wait and see<br />fight with me<br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-14384701775814901492021-05-19T22:26:00.006-05:002021-05-19T22:28:30.324-05:00Projects galore<div style="text-align: left;">In an effort to prioritize gainful employment, a variety of home improvement projects, and spring gardening, I've been scarce around here, I must say. But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of things I wanted to blog about. From the glories of May to my innumerable hobbies, there is indeed much that could be said. And even now, I write this as my eyes grow blurry at the end of a night.<br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70hYn0-9KfM/YJc88cdgjLI/AAAAAAAABTE/OBkF1yE-zf4YIJfFVWpD_Gpm8VEL54fjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/E8C05446-D6DE-4762-A930-7C5231B8FC74.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-70hYn0-9KfM/YJc88cdgjLI/AAAAAAAABTE/OBkF1yE-zf4YIJfFVWpD_Gpm8VEL54fjQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/E8C05446-D6DE-4762-A930-7C5231B8FC74.jpeg" width="400" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: left;">I found a job, and I love it. I have a home all to myself, and I adore it. Above is pictured a day of sorting out art for my walls. Below, a project that took <i>some time</i>, strength, and gumption, but is now finally finished. One day several weeks ago, I borrowed my sister's eldest, and their fifteen-passenger van, and drove into the city for a trip to IKEA. After wide-eyed roaming, a few solid purchases (and sorrow at the lack of meatballs), we loaded up an industrial cart with nearly four hundred pounds worth of shelves. My Marvelous Niece, just lately turned teen, lent her strength and good humor to the task as we leaned into our woman power and teamwork to get all those shelves home. <i>On the cart, around the building, off the cart, in the van, out of the van, into my home. </i>And then we revived ourselves with noodles and thrift-shopping.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1JBzd8YwgY4/YJc7fIMEhpI/AAAAAAAABRo/XLtwk21oags_qRjpB69H0Mr_33MFkqrRQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/788C9625-5842-4FE9-A8A5-FED5109F7597.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1JBzd8YwgY4/YJc7fIMEhpI/AAAAAAAABRo/XLtwk21oags_qRjpB69H0Mr_33MFkqrRQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/788C9625-5842-4FE9-A8A5-FED5109F7597.jpeg" width="300" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: left;">And so for the next few weeks I was putting together bookshelves on my library floor. Sometimes bringing in the enthusiasm of my nieces and nephews to the task, but most often working solo. I've gone through quite a few audiobooks these days, with all the projects. As you can see, as I built each shelf, I painted them to blend into my library walls. Then lifted them against the wall before beginning the next shelf. It took a bit before I got the fine-tuning of moulding cut-outs and wiring holes, then finally bolted them to the walls. When I could at last begin filling them with books.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oFKS-Ng8Zc/YKW5uMtudaI/AAAAAAAABUw/t6Dsm-bzBkkwmkpjO4scHUZSaH2C_htLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/D7DCDB58-F0E6-425A-A567-760E79EBEDED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--oFKS-Ng8Zc/YKW5uMtudaI/AAAAAAAABUw/t6Dsm-bzBkkwmkpjO4scHUZSaH2C_htLQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/D7DCDB58-F0E6-425A-A567-760E79EBEDED.jpeg" width="300" /></a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">And that isn't all, of course. I'm also deep into gardening, whenever the weather has been fine. It's a rainy one today, so my lawn stands un-mowed, and the last of my weeds sit idly by. But I've quite transformed the little plots, seeding flowers and planting herbs. I've found a spot for my climbing rose, and my birdfeeder that never seems to stay full. I was hoping to attract an oriole to an orange, but with the rain, I haven't been able to do much bird-watching. <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ji7aSC5PCF8/YJc7FxDMxwI/AAAAAAAABRE/N2AS8YYQdHwhX4zvJVVKjU0e4mN7DLGUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/5BAB4BF5-4961-4913-B35B-B1C4EF607265.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ji7aSC5PCF8/YJc7FxDMxwI/AAAAAAAABRE/N2AS8YYQdHwhX4zvJVVKjU0e4mN7DLGUQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/5BAB4BF5-4961-4913-B35B-B1C4EF607265.jpeg" width="400" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: left;">One of my other projects has been turning a sad old mudroom into a bright and happy conservatory. I can't seem to find a decent before picture of the mudroom, but you can imagine the raw, discolored wood, and the gloomy, dusty atmosphere. I started by scrubbing it down from top to bottom, and then painting it in numerous coats off-white. I'll post more pictures quite soon of the happiness that is my growing conservatory. One correlated project was to refurbish
this antique door into my potting table. It's finally ready for
assembly, so look out for more pictures of the final conservatory look.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex7jbxOBnKI/YKXTDyuxh9I/AAAAAAAABWM/HnurQpC8kb8Nv5Ss1ZYdlrPdery_D7joACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/6A8EDD6E-B6A7-4057-87B2-2FAD53B40CCF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex7jbxOBnKI/YKXTDyuxh9I/AAAAAAAABWM/HnurQpC8kb8Nv5Ss1ZYdlrPdery_D7joACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/6A8EDD6E-B6A7-4057-87B2-2FAD53B40CCF.jpeg" width="300" /></a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">One project that is far from over is my diningroom, but I am enjoying every minute of demolition, renovation, and brainstorming. There should be some really excellent before and afters of this one once finished. I am having altogether too much fun.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8useKGVWDVQ/YKXNULC3ALI/AAAAAAAABWE/pg6ADzg74xAwPvrgJx0a7nAkhdIuB4DNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/92772323-89D4-4198-9661-AB37CD9F7623.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8useKGVWDVQ/YKXNULC3ALI/AAAAAAAABWE/pg6ADzg74xAwPvrgJx0a7nAkhdIuB4DNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/92772323-89D4-4198-9661-AB37CD9F7623.jpeg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Here you see some progress in the shelving department. When I've had a chance to cozy it up some more, I shall continue to share. For now I am very glad to be completely done with boxes. Shelves are out and set up, boxes have been flattened and recycled. The last of the book boxes have been unpacked at last, jumbled onto the shelves till sorting time, and the boxes banished for good. <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJaqePqgHg0/YJc6QOWj9ZI/AAAAAAAABQM/ayyeNRi0XFsog1G6Lyz0fbBP0EdeWKKxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/00DC7671-8E7F-4396-9F76-642B45E0B5A3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJaqePqgHg0/YJc6QOWj9ZI/AAAAAAAABQM/ayyeNRi0XFsog1G6Lyz0fbBP0EdeWKKxwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/00DC7671-8E7F-4396-9F76-642B45E0B5A3.jpeg" width="400" /> </a> </p><p style="text-align: left;">And onward still, filling the days with warm food, </p><p style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_jPtCXC8i8/YJc7hsXmokI/AAAAAAAABRs/38p06LuA1YE_yTKiWqyPh4B0_jhs0VFrACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/896E4AB0-0875-4BE1-9F07-2CC16C9A76BA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_jPtCXC8i8/YJc7hsXmokI/AAAAAAAABRs/38p06LuA1YE_yTKiWqyPh4B0_jhs0VFrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/896E4AB0-0875-4BE1-9F07-2CC16C9A76BA.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXyzXBI2bhQ/YKW5eIeAOHI/AAAAAAAABUk/awiA1v7T5kgvmHKQUpXcUFE-_m83qG7RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/4819E4A8-ADB9-4E68-B2D8-C1F49349B552.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VXyzXBI2bhQ/YKW5eIeAOHI/AAAAAAAABUk/awiA1v7T5kgvmHKQUpXcUFE-_m83qG7RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4819E4A8-ADB9-4E68-B2D8-C1F49349B552.jpeg" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esX14PyHS4g/YJc7l5C-EsI/AAAAAAAABRw/Hg_8Fm1UDWADRjas0gXsGn_BtwPN_lLEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s4032/936D1F6A-6B5E-4D62-B774-5E564BE79B93.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esX14PyHS4g/YJc7l5C-EsI/AAAAAAAABRw/Hg_8Fm1UDWADRjas0gXsGn_BtwPN_lLEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/936D1F6A-6B5E-4D62-B774-5E564BE79B93.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fFhgW35M6V4/YJc8p32PioI/AAAAAAAABSs/hRGOL56tOao3VkEuy_rQrVvZjsxl8qKDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/D851E9BB-6134-4B1D-AA28-543902047CCD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fFhgW35M6V4/YJc8p32PioI/AAAAAAAABSs/hRGOL56tOao3VkEuy_rQrVvZjsxl8qKDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/D851E9BB-6134-4B1D-AA28-543902047CCD.jpeg" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: left;">coffee, tea; books and new bikes</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IG3tF_tKjSY/YJc67UVNdnI/AAAAAAAABQ4/ev1foGWOxUQCluHOYnUkomPCxtfDrlS6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/479AB558-7590-43DC-BFCF-00689D152434.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IG3tF_tKjSY/YJc67UVNdnI/AAAAAAAABQ4/ev1foGWOxUQCluHOYnUkomPCxtfDrlS6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/479AB558-7590-43DC-BFCF-00689D152434.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Csog1K6xGHg/YKW5WW23uII/AAAAAAAABUg/lInYofZ-cFEXm1lzH1vsJO6rnzkkVHf5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/429D5722-2C24-47A2-9BED-444FB4C02653.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Csog1K6xGHg/YKW5WW23uII/AAAAAAAABUg/lInYofZ-cFEXm1lzH1vsJO6rnzkkVHf5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/429D5722-2C24-47A2-9BED-444FB4C02653.jpeg" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELn1P45uGps/YJc8FGGUy8I/AAAAAAAABSI/c8XccE1EkqgKCQYSOFcKrJNC3VI3Kw77gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/9C230BEF-B79E-4068-9F40-F15A2E2DC90C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELn1P45uGps/YJc8FGGUy8I/AAAAAAAABSI/c8XccE1EkqgKCQYSOFcKrJNC3VI3Kw77gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9C230BEF-B79E-4068-9F40-F15A2E2DC90C.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm2yw5K4GoI/YJc8oUREdjI/AAAAAAAABSo/WSZtT_75RyQiiRm0XDMvpuSbL1mNhx-iACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/C74AC4CC-55B8-4A8B-9247-168FD7A4CCAD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zm2yw5K4GoI/YJc8oUREdjI/AAAAAAAABSo/WSZtT_75RyQiiRm0XDMvpuSbL1mNhx-iACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/C74AC4CC-55B8-4A8B-9247-168FD7A4CCAD.jpeg" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">the grounding beauty of gardens, and the scent of lilacs and lily-of-the-valley<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCqo1tLvzxk/YKW5RND3MyI/AAAAAAAABUc/LFdJU4RVQ7UEUJsY7DI0wOtEjv0KUOPqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/284A48AF-DC1C-439B-B5C3-8780CD4FAB69.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCqo1tLvzxk/YKW5RND3MyI/AAAAAAAABUc/LFdJU4RVQ7UEUJsY7DI0wOtEjv0KUOPqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/284A48AF-DC1C-439B-B5C3-8780CD4FAB69.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNcVMosTRPI/YKW5yXfljlI/AAAAAAAABU4/K1G4kShiT0IbBT2dstnxb_BKE950oeUiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AF908316-1D59-4EC6-A082-AFA7424DCAA8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BNcVMosTRPI/YKW5yXfljlI/AAAAAAAABU4/K1G4kShiT0IbBT2dstnxb_BKE950oeUiwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/AF908316-1D59-4EC6-A082-AFA7424DCAA8.jpeg" width="400" /> </a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Peace to you, my friends. More soon, <br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-68926030196190162332021-04-22T22:10:00.004-05:002021-04-22T22:20:05.536-05:00Hey Siri, take me home<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYLVMuuihxM/YIDWQ3RO51I/AAAAAAAABOk/RyZ_J-gk4vAq-ECyI-cE-FscLpvjj9-0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AA7D6872-5120-4989-9603-4279AD6EB7C4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYLVMuuihxM/YIDWQ3RO51I/AAAAAAAABOk/RyZ_J-gk4vAq-ECyI-cE-FscLpvjj9-0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/AA7D6872-5120-4989-9603-4279AD6EB7C4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></p><p>After Saturday's fare-thee-well party where we ate meatballs and chocolate cake, shared stories, and sang our hearts out (or at least I did)... I headed out of the city on Sunday, full of gratitude for where I've been, and the love and belonging I'd been shown there. </p><p>Ahead of me stretched a few-hours drive into the country, and an immeasurable life-journey beyond that. <i>'Siri,' </i>I said, <i>'Take me home'.</i></p><p>On my way out of the city, I stopped at a Red Cow (something you don't get out in the Middle of Nowhere) for a burger that made me want to <i>cry</i> it tasted so good. It was early afternoon, and I knew that without significant protein, I would be languishing before I reached Small Town, MN. And so, complete with gluten-free bun, separate-fryer-side, and dragon-sauce, I restarted my gps and audiobook, and pointed my car west.<i> </i><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O1jy_63q3Zk/YIGH__hIlII/AAAAAAAABPY/hjclRc95iqAI9w8wDLKG6qI6RlZWxfGzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/2D525AA7-6FC4-405E-A287-8904CB5B1528.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O1jy_63q3Zk/YIGH__hIlII/AAAAAAAABPY/hjclRc95iqAI9w8wDLKG6qI6RlZWxfGzwCLcBGAsYHQ/w150-h200/2D525AA7-6FC4-405E-A287-8904CB5B1528.jpeg" width="150" /></a></p><p>Oh how glad I was to be done with the hardest stage of moving. To have the coming days free from the pressure of work and schedule, to reorder my life a little. To work on my house a lot. To get involved in my sister's family as neighbors once more. Oh so grateful to have this opportunity for new beginnings, for self-expression; room to entertain, and room to dance. And more than anything, grateful for the sense of home waiting for me at the end of my drive.</p><p>I've been spending weekends at my house for over a month now. Bit-by-bit, turning a house into a home. Experiencing the peculiarities of small-town life. Some of my interactions back in a Small-Town have been a lesson in amusement:</p><p>There's very little smize or conversation coming from the local folk, just a lot of staring. Some of my coworkers from long ago, (who
have been asking for ages whether I'll come back), received the news that
it was happening with barely the lift of an eyebrow or the nod of a
head.<br /></p><p><i>"Whatever the opposite of demonstrative would be." I told a city friend.</i></p><p><i>"That town," they responded, "Isn't going to know what hit them!" </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tf6hcdlKF2o/YGk0UsZTwyI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Y0ivt3yxngYN097Rxkb963PEDMEc41iywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DFF20DFA-1836-4E7E-9A3B-5D7C73D4D993.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tf6hcdlKF2o/YGk0UsZTwyI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Y0ivt3yxngYN097Rxkb963PEDMEc41iywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DFF20DFA-1836-4E7E-9A3B-5D7C73D4D993.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIkSSbCKmr4/YIDWh5pTETI/AAAAAAAABO4/uJQCZxaz9h42V734F7C0aXzyL4DWoJ0vACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/B571D80C-2518-43FF-B5AE-84DC3F51D67F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jIkSSbCKmr4/YIDWh5pTETI/AAAAAAAABO4/uJQCZxaz9h42V734F7C0aXzyL4DWoJ0vACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/B571D80C-2518-43FF-B5AE-84DC3F51D67F.jpeg" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p>The first time I went to the hardware store for paint, my
sister went with me, and we were able to deliberate, talk with the paint
guys, and find what we needed. And after a few trips back to the same
aisle, urged by the cashier to choose a better roller or tray, left with
what we came for. </p><p>My subsequent trips were not always as
productive. First, we came to needing a can of paint near closing-time,
and so I dashed over and asked if it was too late for a gallon of paint.
With six minutes to the hour, and most of the staff having wandered off
already, no one was found to mix my paint, and I had to wait till the
next day. A week later, when I returned for another gallon of paint, it
was a little after 1:30 in the afternoon, loads of time. I don't see
anyone near the paint counter, so I have to ask again. Anyone around for
paint? </p><p>Well, they tell me, that guy has gone to lunch. </p><p> Ah. And when will he be back? </p><p>Pause, and a glance at the clock. Shrug. <i>Two?</i> </p><p>I'll
be back then, I tell them, and head back home to spend some productive
minutes before I can return for that gallon of paint.</p><p><i>'Local girl returns to Small Town and is stonewalled by the Hardware Store'</i> my sister laughed. <br /></p><p>But truly, the painting as a whole has gone swimmingly, and I can now sit back and work on arrangement, organization, and decoration. </p><p>My furniture, in one trailer-load, was hauled out here last Friday with the help of my brothers. Mama made dinner, and my sister's family trooped across town to help unload and inaugurate the house with a round of food, plans, and laughter (coffee too).<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RN3Nv7cF0HM/YIGbJyqZNZI/AAAAAAAABPs/HFqwXYJceAoVwBhSEGCP827mKiENHubtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1701/88BD033C-C265-48E7-A2E0-6371330CCE51.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RN3Nv7cF0HM/YIGbJyqZNZI/AAAAAAAABPs/HFqwXYJceAoVwBhSEGCP827mKiENHubtQCLcBGAsYHQ/w265-h400/88BD033C-C265-48E7-A2E0-6371330CCE51.jpeg" width="265" /></a></p><p>In the few days that I have really and truly lived here, I have enjoyed making a list each day of things I could accomplish. Some of which I do, in fact accomplish, while some projects that never made it onto any list get done as well. And several items from my lists have been pushed off into the future in favor of learning shuffle-dance steps, making chocolate chip cookies, and writing up business proposals.</p><p>But it is immensely satisfying to screw in socket-plates, hang curtains with my new tool kit, hang lights, and frame pictures. To pad about my garden, barefoot but wrapped in a blanket, prodding mint leaves, sniffing cherry blossoms, and grinning at the dandelions and crocuses daring to bloom. While on a zoom-call today, I was distracted by a house sparrow carrying bits of brush to make a nest. And this evening there were bees in the tree blossoms. </p><p>In a world heavy and fraught with grief and sickness and upheaval, these small things are truly golden.</p><p>The tumult of the world will always break in. Steps of hope as well as stumbles of sorrow. The verdict from Chauvin's trial this week left me and mine weeping in relief and hugging-fit-to-break, over one small step for mankind: a tiny link in the chain of accountability necessary to move forward on human rights. And today, as I wrote on my laptop and made my lunch, I tuned in to NPR's coverage of the funeral for Daunte Wright. Beautiful, moving, and not lightly forgotten. Nor should it be.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap9-_6-_lDA/YIDVlx-DvSI/AAAAAAAABNw/iHu1-gIGt6gxmWC6Qr-ZWKjIbbtf3WmzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/19C1740C-C016-4BE8-A2C4-064E0FFCA34B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap9-_6-_lDA/YIDVlx-DvSI/AAAAAAAABNw/iHu1-gIGt6gxmWC6Qr-ZWKjIbbtf3WmzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/19C1740C-C016-4BE8-A2C4-064E0FFCA34B.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiJQ2iCkrZw/YIDW0P1o6OI/AAAAAAAABPM/pFOjlHwvav46axHu3hQ2KDKqYpbzP8RkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/EAF62370-30F0-444D-9AA8-5AE3D02E33A8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yiJQ2iCkrZw/YIDW0P1o6OI/AAAAAAAABPM/pFOjlHwvav46axHu3hQ2KDKqYpbzP8RkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/EAF62370-30F0-444D-9AA8-5AE3D02E33A8.jpeg" /></a></p><p>These weave together into my days here. From organizing my remaining
book-boxes, to cooking a good breakfast with a cup of tea each morning.
Making cozy corners, and wide-open spaces in between. Trying to teach
the running-man shuffle dance (at which I am no expert) to a bundle of
laughing folks in the kitchen, while holding a sleepy toddler: an
exercise in joy. Finding a place for the pineapple (gifted to me for my
new home) to sit in state until it's cut and eaten. Keeping my plants
alive and well. Using my new vacuum. And slowly transforming the space into a surrounding of comfort and beauty.</p><p>In future posts, I will show before-and-after pictures of some of the rooms I'm mostly done with. Until then, thanks for coming on this road with me, virtually though it may be. Lovely to 'see' you here from across the miles. More soon,</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Peace</i><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1InDMqn_88/YIDWevc3MlI/AAAAAAAABOs/TSE3FLCLnl4hCYRIifLrBCu2HxdRlOGwACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/B2FC2BB1-32D3-49E4-94EA-8556AE49ABE3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1InDMqn_88/YIDWevc3MlI/AAAAAAAABOs/TSE3FLCLnl4hCYRIifLrBCu2HxdRlOGwACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/B2FC2BB1-32D3-49E4-94EA-8556AE49ABE3.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ANNMCD2LwE/YIDWga3u7XI/AAAAAAAABOw/rE0WDG60YbA7HZUEfXHJkPE7Vb2ASadCACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/B6EBA87C-BBD0-4DBE-A0FA-57C47F78B17D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ANNMCD2LwE/YIDWga3u7XI/AAAAAAAABOw/rE0WDG60YbA7HZUEfXHJkPE7Vb2ASadCACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/B6EBA87C-BBD0-4DBE-A0FA-57C47F78B17D.jpeg" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-38432579940416635272021-04-09T21:03:00.000-05:002021-04-09T21:03:09.581-05:00Let hope fill you with joy<div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a4/6e/dd/a46edd69d00aadddc427f81adccb20af.jpg" class="shrinkToFit" height="266" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a4/6e/dd/a46edd69d00aadddc427f81adccb20af.jpg" width="320" /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Let love be genuine<br />Reject anything evil<br />Cling to everything good<br />Love like sisters, brothers, friends<br />Compete at showing honor & respect<br />Stay faithful and diligent<br />Be alive with the Spirit<br />Serve Jesus<br />Let hope fill you with joy<br />Find patience in your struggle & grief<br />Never stop talking to God<br />Share with your fellow journeyers<br />And open your home to them<br /><br />Find joy in God, it is always there<br />Look to him and rejoice<br />Be so reasonable, that everyone knows it<br />The Lord is here with us<br />So don’t live into your anxiety<br />Live into prayer & communion with God<br />Ask questions<br />Thank him for what you have<br />Talk to him about your needs and your wants<br />This makes room for peace to flow in<br />A kind so good, you don’t even know<br />The hand of Jesus, protecting your heart and your mind<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">You may not have heard, but…<br />The God we serve lasts forever<br />He created everything you see<br />He doesn’t get tired or worn out, <br />And he understands better than anyone you know<br />He’ll share his strength with those who feel unutterably weary<br />And make even the weakest of us powerful<br />Even children get tired and worn out<br />Strong men trip up and fall flat<br />But when we hope in the real God<br />Our strength will be revived<br />When we run, we won’t get worn out<br />As we walk, we won’t feel faint<br />We’ll be able to fly!<br /><br />I encourage you to live in a way that’s worthy of the name of Jesus<br />Walk the humble path, <br />Choose the gentle way<br />Bear with each other, full of love<br />And not with impatience<br />Gladly do the maintenance that unity requires<br />For we have the same Spirit<br />And the peace we live out, is our bond<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">What I want more than anything<br />So much that I’ll forget my other requests<br />Let me live where my God lives<br />Every day, may his home be mine<br />Let me see him in all his beauty<br />And seek him where he is found<br /><br />Keep a weather-eye out<br />Don’t be shaken, be faithful<br />Be brave, & take courage<br />You are strong; live it<br />Let love lead everything you do<br /><br />This is what Jesus says:<br />Keep chasing joy<br />Talk to me constantly<br />Always find things to be grateful for<br />This is the way of God<br /><br />Don’t be afraid, I’m here<br />Don’t worry, ‘cause I’m God <br />And we belong to each other<br />I will help you and make you strong<br />I’ll hold you up with my own two hands<br /><br />May you be filled with joy by the God of Hope<br />And filled with peace when you trust him<br />Then, by his powerful Spirit, you too will become an overflow of Hope</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">from Romans 12:9-, Philippians 4:4-, Isaiah 40-28-, Ephesians 4:1-, Ps. 27:4-, 1 Cor 16:13-, 1 Thess. 5:16-, Isaiah 41:10-, Romans 15:13-,</span><br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-922253152769262432021-03-29T21:45:00.002-05:002021-03-29T21:46:12.403-05:00Someday is now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4oEN8oSevA/YFu-LogIU2I/AAAAAAAABMo/L-UDzEA05AUetR2qzgUNEOMjqDW4d8OjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/0D64E365-6D2B-412C-9538-109CF2EC298B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V4oEN8oSevA/YFu-LogIU2I/AAAAAAAABMo/L-UDzEA05AUetR2qzgUNEOMjqDW4d8OjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/0D64E365-6D2B-412C-9538-109CF2EC298B.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br /></div><p> And, I'm at it again, packing up those books I love, in preparation to giving them a new home. One with more space and scope, one that's a bit of a dream come true. Each new house I've lived in has held some exciting progress: moving away for the first time, and then a place to myself, and then a place grand and beautiful. This next stage on the journey holds a piece of each of those places, and a whole new experience into the bargain. It promises freedom and retreat, creative expression and challenge, nostalgia and an unknown future. It is a place that has been beautiful before, and will be beautiful again, but this time it will be mine.</p><p>Perhaps strangely, it feels like a natural progression forward, rather than a step back, to be returning to the small town I lived in for several years, before moving to the cities. It amuses me that <i>Go west, young man, go West</i>, is still an answer to wanting elbow-room, freedom, and affordable housing. . . Although as I think about it, my heart can't help but break at the thought of all the native peoples who were displaced by Western Expansion. The spot I am returning to was once the land and home of the Oceti Sakowin, the Wahpekute, Wahpeton, and Yankton peoples. I will remember them, and respect these Minnesota plains I cross more often these days. I am not sorry to be once again taking up residence where I can smell the fields, plant things in the ground, and create a sanctuary for the bees and birds.</p><p>After several years, sporadically documented here, I am leaving the city. It was nearly five years ago I decided to be intrepid, move out, and try a year in the city. It seems half a life-time ago, I am such a different person to who I was then. A little more battered, but a lot more brave. Carrying a little more sadness, and a lot more strength. I've taken on a little cynicism, and a great deal of confidence. I have new edges, and new compassion. My poetic soul has new dark circles under its eyes, but believes, stronger than ever, in the power of a brand new day. Fresh starts. </p><p>Like the one I'm taking now. More than anything, because I'm ready to stop living an in-between kind of life; one where I feel like I'm waiting to begin. I want to begin. And I've found a place to do it. Somewhere I think I can be the person I want to be, live into my values. Room to expand and create, to move and do yoga, to cook and bake and entertain. A home that I can invite others into, fill with hospitality, guests, and laughter. A place to let the imagination run free, to return to in solitude, to be an endless project, a home base. Where I can take the long view, plant perennials, decorate my dream house, leave nothing undone just because 'I'll get to it someday'. Someday is now. This is life, and we're never more ready. It's not an arrival, it's movement. We have to step forward. Grow. Life is a long path faithfully trodden, mileposts left behind one after another. </p><p>The house I last lived in with my parents, stands empty, waiting for me. My favorite house, all covered with vines. Bare rooms ready to be made over to suit my waking dreams. Endless projects and scope for imagination and creativity. The blueprint of the house, the bare bones, I know well. (I may still be able to skip the squeakiest step while running down the stairs.) And yet, ever corner is new, because its mine. Because the colors will change, the textures, and lines, the designations and aesthetic. I am crazy excited, and will be sharing the entire process here as much and as often as possible. Hold onto your hat!<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MsFishersModernMysteries-2019-AcornTV-preview.jpg" src="http://www.frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MsFishersModernMysteries-2019-AcornTV-preview.jpg" /></p><p></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743954206257110276.post-36170487651533928942021-03-10T07:00:00.001-06:002021-03-10T07:00:04.690-06:00Wodehouse Wednesday <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LObPaCloY8E" width="560"></iframe><br /></p>Oliviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15102810396526891682noreply@blogger.com2