I am borrowing this idea from a post I read; it sounded like a fun idea to journal what is going on in my life, and feel free to try it yourself. Most of my results are so vastly different from the person from whom I am borrowing the idea, I imagine everyone's will be, though threads of commonality are there, too.
Dreaming | of the most anxiety inducing things right now, which I imagine is happening for more than just me. My heart is heavy with the state of the world's wars, social disparity (and worse), and very intensely, the state of the earth's health and people's apparent lack of real care. Conversely, I am consciously dreaming of happier things: reshaping our yard into attractive permaculture, planting our garden, and continuing to evolve little corners of our wonderful home.
Chasing | time. It seems so fleeting.
Reading | a lot of nonfiction: The Rested Child by W. Chris Winter, Natural Selection by Dan Pearson, Into Green by Caro Langton and Rose Ray, The Longing for Less by Kyle Chayka, and then for fiction (with a reality gut punch), The Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky.
Wearing | my Blundstone Chelsea boots and Bombas wool socks. I have worn them pretty much every day since last fall, which has lead to the discovery that I do not really need more than one pair of shoes for the winter. Once broken in, they are incredibly comfortable. They are super warm, waterproof, ankle-supportive, awesome all around. They are like a walking/hiking-winter precipitation-all around boot, and I'm here for it. And now with the warmer weather popping in every now and again, my Rainbow flip flops. Similar thought here, I think I could give up almost all other pairs of warm weather shoes (though not my Rothys, which I plan to keep forever).
Braiding | Rosalind's and my own hair every night before bed. Roz's hair is more manageable the next morning if I do and usually a huge nest if I don't. Same for me, if I'm being honest.
Buying | a new dishwasher (our old one kicked the bucket) and sunscreen, with reservations. Not only am I worried about the reefs with the sunscreen ingredients that can kill entire reefs, I am worried about the harmful endocrine disruptors that are absorbed by our skin (particularly kiddos). I highly recommend taking a look at the EWG's website before you purchase sunscreen. And starting with covering up, seeking shade, playing around the sun.
Planting | soon! We moved a little dwarf variety apple tree and a couple of boxwoods during a brief thaw, as well as popped in a few more Leyland Cyprus along our back fence for privacy, but I cannot wait to get started on new garden beds for permaculture.
Lighting | almost exclusively beeswax candles. I do have one soy candle I really love from Brooklyn Candle Studio in the Kyoto scent, but otherwise it's all beeswax pillars and tapers.
Finding | colored pencils and random loose parts toys around the house (in the love seats, under the dining banquette, in my bedroom...). Also drawings Roz did at school during the day, stashed hastily in her backpack.
Listening | to Beethoven. All of him. But really enjoying his 5th Concerto right now.
Cooking | using the same ingredients every week since winter set in: turnips, carrots, squash, onions, sweet potatoes, cabbages. I am looking forward to spring and the variety of produce to come. Some serious seasonal appreciation in this house since joining a farm share. Find out more about CSA's and how to join one here.
Crafting | fix-y and homey things: patches for clothing, lavender sachets, curtains. A shower curtain for the kid's bathroom is up next.
Singing | occasionally to Rosalind before bed. She used to ask for a song every night, but now only from time to time. Gabriel asks me to stop singing if I volunteer. I am not much of a singer. It's not that I have a bad voice, and I can carry a tune, but I just don't get much out of singing, usually.
Deleting | IG accounts recently, to curate what is in my feed, what I am feeding my eyeballs. Also editing out the insane volume of art Rosalind produces, saving the very best in her already stuffed artist portfolio.
Loving | the school pickup joy from Gabriel and his afternoon snuggles. Breathing in his little neck and drinking him in.
Planning | a trip to California to visit family we haven't seen in person in years.
Smelling | beeswax candles and the smoke when you blow them out; Gabriel's and Rosalind's sweet smells (really their necks, I can just smoosh my face into their necks), our house when I first walk back in it (though I find this one remarkably hard to do, unless I have been away for a few days).
Picking | new recipes for the same ingredients week in and week out. I'm slipping into a cooking rut, can you tell? I'm getting tired of root veggies and crucifers. I caved and we bought some organic strawberries from California last week just to get something fresh and different.
Cleaning | the kitchen much more religiously. I had gotten into a slump where I wasn't keeping up with dishes and the counters, but I'm finding my groove again with it. Bathrooms are my next to get back into regular rotation, please don't judge. I'm getting there.
Counting | everything with the kids. They love to count. Gabe's favorite number is 60. Rosalind says her favorite number is 100, but it changes. When Roz is trying to cheer Gabe up after he was upset about something, she likes to do this little comedic routine of asking what the temperature is outside, and we are supposed to answer "60 degrees!"
xo,
Ashley