(2/2) or that’s just me trying to justify today’s plant indulgence

(1/2) They say if you really feel into what you want your life to feel like, the rest will align itself. The climate is a little flexible, but I’d like to grow into a nurturing nature-connected life that feels like this picture..

Such a vibe today..

What the future feels like:

Imagining potential futures..

Today’s good things: 1. A box of cheese 2. Really nice long chats with girlfriends (one of whom has a birthday today) 3. Seeing one of my favorite friendly faces 4. Managed to get through the day on autopilot successfully (and hoping for real sleep tonight)

Mesmerizing 'Monster Solar Prominence' From the #NASA_App :

APOD: 2023 August 1 – Monster Solar Prominence

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

Today’s good things: 1. Cooler temperatures meant nice long walks with the pup. So so so nice. 2. The water came back on as scheduled after maintenance. Super glad about that. 3. My headache went away before noon.. hooray! And my regularly occurring headaches aren’t migraines these days, which is amazing. 4. On my walk, I ran into a lovely lady neighbor that I hadn’t seen out in a while because of the heat. It made me really happy to run into her. Maybe I should invite her for coffee? 5. I realized that the relative inertia of summer will be coming to an end soon. It is a bit of a relief but today, I was grateful that it’s given me time to reflect. I have sulked about that a bit.. but those insights will actually be pretty valuable. So it has been a blessing, even. I am grateful for many other things as well, but that’s a good list for the moment.

“The importance of “between” is often overlooked in the hurry of getting from one place to another. In truth it is these interstitial spaces which, in their linking of this to that and of now to then, might be considered a more fundamental layer in reality’s manifold.” — Mark Lawrence, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (The Library Trilogy, #1)

Pondering: “a home can only exist in a moment. Something both found and made. Always temporary, in the grand scheme of things, but vital all the same.”— To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers Combine that with: “Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.”— Hermann Hesse => and you get this conclusion: “home is both found and made, in any given moment, within you.. if it is to be found at all” I like adding this temporal element to the concept. It seems a good reminder that home is something that we continuously need to find and (re)make within ourselves, which would make it an active and intentional process rather than a purely passive one.

Today I woke up feeling grateful for this little life of mine. Grateful for my little dog, decent air conditioning, a body I can swim with and an extra day to rest this week.

Recent good things: 1. Routines and rituals, even pared back versions of them, brought me a lot of comfort and reassurance this week 2. Activities that got me out of my head and into my body (archery lessons) 3. Returning to my birth name. I underestimated just how good it would feel and how much it would help me keep past stories shelved. 4. A new chapter in volunteer work opening up. I’ve been looking for a way to contribute to something bigger than myself and I’ve felt a little stuck. I am finally excited about something moving forward in this quadrant of my life again. 5. Putting together trivia questions as a small act of creativity. The joy of creating sometimes pops up in unexpected places. Overall: It’s been a little bit up and down with the “feels”, but in between those waves, things feel expansive. Not sure what to do with that sometimes but that is an umbrella of good.

“The amount a person can spare is relative; the value of generosity is not.” — To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Gorgeous

APOD: 2023 July 13 - Webb's Rho Ophiuchi

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

Today’s good things: 1. Realizing that being afraid also probably means I am trying to grow (in my own way) and it helps me understand what is important to me 2. My friend is home from the hospital after heart surgery and prolonged illness. 3. A telescope which also means future astronomy lessons and projects 4. the really small, ordinary things that make you feel loved or cared for 5. The satisfaction of finishing something I started a bit ago but had put aside (the readalong series)

Come read books with me 📖📚🪐🔭✨ End of series for reading The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Episode 16: Let’s read and talk about Chapter 46

Come read books with me 📖📚🪐🔭✨ Currently reading: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Episode 15: Let’s read and talk about Chapter 42

Haven’t been on here in a hot minute.. but felt up for a gratitude post. Today’s good things: 1. The successful launch of a feature my team worked on at work 2. A reality check that made me realize that I both have set some goals and am making progress (even if sometimes I don’t see it) 3. One tiny corner of organization that made an annoying issue in my closet go away. 4. Losing an auction 😂 which made me slow down and assess what I really want with greater specificity. 5. A funny conversation with mom about the energy I can imagine myself channeling 😂 Today felt optimistic and the future did not feel overwhelming. That is a win.

Come read books with me 📖📚🪐🔭✨ Currently reading: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Episode 14: Let’s read and talk about Chapter 38

Come read books with me 📖📚🪐🔭✨ Currently reading: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz Episode 13: Let’s read and talk about Chapter 34