Good Morning Things

 

They are stunning. I love them.

 

Lumineers. Love.

 

*And lastly, a beautiful quote I’m trying to place in my line of sight each morning. Have a wonderful day, friends.

“Why should I not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside, looking into the shining world?”~Mary Oliver

Monday blues

How were the weekends y’all? Mine was good. Full of fascinating culture, delicious food and hanging out with some new folks. I went snowshoeing again (see photos below).

But today, I’m moving through some homesickness (spurred by Inauguration and so many images/thoughts/ memories of my city and my people) and just a general sense of restless, lonely, listlessness. So that’s where I am today.

And you?

 

 

Pink sky at night

Week highlight? This sunset.

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In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
– John Muir 

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Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
~Franz Kafka 

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Transformations

(Photo taken in my Seattle ‘hood on a routine walk back from yoga. It makes me happy, cos  it transports me over to the Emerald Isle….Giant’s Causeway  to be exact. Sometimes we just need a wee bit of imagination to view ordinary sights in a whole new light, eh?)

“You must learn a new way to think 

before you can master a new way to be.”

~Marianne Williamson

Mountain Meditation

The secret of health for both mind and body
is not to mourn for the past,
nor to worry about the future,
but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.
~The Buddha

There are certain things that, when I do them consistently, I (typically) feel better. (Meditation, for example.) So, why then, is it that I can’t seem to maintain certain practices–the good and healthy ones that bring me some degree of clarity and ease? I try not to beat myself up when I fall out of good habits and slide back into the less healthy ones, but it’s an interesting question to mull.

This weekend, I made it out into the snowy mountains with friends on a blue-skied, fresh-aired afternoon. It was a highly enjoyable day. I don’t get outside here as often as I’d initially hoped, but it’s something I vow to keep at. When I’m out there, it feels good.

I don’t pretend to be hardcore when it comes to outdoorsy adventures (in fact, I’m far from it!). But I’m learning–slowly building confidence. There are so many folks here with whom I can explore the highly-accessible beauty of the Pacific NW…so, no excuses. I’m a-ready!

I’ve come to understand the meditative elements that come along with sliding across freshly-fallen snow (or atop a tranquil body of water, like with paddle boarding this past summer). There’s something about the crisp air, the open skies, the space to breathe, to think, to just be. The heart pumping, the rosy cheeks, the pushing oneself up hills and across unknown territory.

And, of course, I am always a big one for rewards, too. (I admit, my main motivation for trying skiing again is the promise of a fireside hot toddy in the bustling lodge after a day on the slopes:))

Let me tell you, that basic almond butter-and-jam sandwich I devoured Sunday while standing on a snowy bank, majestic Mt. Rainier looming in the backdrop….now that is a lunch I’ll remember for a long time to come.

You have to be going somewhere to have the energy to get there.”
~Dr. Mehmet Oz

Bon weekend!

Don’t be afraid of your fears. They’re not there to scare you. They’re there to let you know that something is worth it.~ C. JoyBell C.

Thursday Thankful Things

Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.~Soren Kierkegaard

Thursday gratefuls:

~Full nights of sleep
~The music of Of Monsters & Men
~Sore yoga muscles
~Seeing new things in familiar spaces
~A full tea cupboard
~Fun mail in the post
~Cowboy hats in unexpected places
~My trusty circle of daily correspondents
~Stranger smiles
~Trail mix and dangerously good chocolate-sprinkled granola
~Planning outdoor weekend adventures
~Artwork that speaks to you, even when you’re not quite sure why
~Quirky sites like longboarders carrying multiple cups of takeaway coffee
~The omnipresent vibrant, puffy down jackets of the Pacific NW

What sights/sounds/tastes are catching your attention these days?

Here We Are

Here we are, in post-holiday winter. It’s still cold, dark and wet, yet the twinkly lights and festive buzz of last month seem to have been extinguished. The visiting families have all scurried back to their separate corners of the world, and everyone seems a little bit weighed down as we sigh our way back to the “reality” we’ve overlooked for the past wee while…

This time of year is always a bit of a challenge, isn’t it? Getting back into some sort of routine (especially for someone who doesn’t necessarily have a routine), trying to detox and cleanse from all the decadence and neglect from the past few months.

I’m chugging along over here… trying to focus on self-care and reaching out to others, especially on those days when hibernating in my own self-focused cocoon feels all that more tempting.

How are you all? Well, I hope:)

Here’s to gracefully and patiently riding the waves–the ebbs and flows–of the year to come. Hang in there, friends.

“Sometimes you just need to give in to the yuckiness of the day, throw your psychic hands up in the air and trust that tomorrow will be an improvement.”~Amy Shearn

Hope smiles

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come / Whispering ‘It will be happier.'”~Alfred, Lord Tennyson