On October 1, I completed the 50th book of 2020. A handful of those were DNFs (Did Not Finish), but the rest I read in their entirety. On the Psychology of Meditation | Robert E. Ornstein & Claudio Narranjo (read September 1-12) Inhale the fragrance of old books. Our outgoing pastor invited my husband to … Continue reading September Reads, incluso un libro en español
Author: Elizabeth
Crafting, eating, exploring, lifting, reading, traveling, writing, yoga, in alphabetical order of course.
Snap out of it
The world is at a fever pitch right now. Everything is heightened, stressed, tenuous, uncertain. Almost anything could be the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were. Everyday I resist the urge to actively look for said straw. It's tempting to fall into a feeling of hopelessness and live just for today. I've … Continue reading Snap out of it
On the edge of thirty-five
There's been a lot that's come up in recent months that I haven't expected to address right now. And lots that I have expected. On the surface, I will be reaching "advanced maternal age" when I turn 35 in April 2021, notwithstanding the fact that I don't have children over whom to be maternal. They … Continue reading On the edge of thirty-five
Routines are hidden self-care
I have always thrived on routines. Though I held them with disdain as a child I know that children thrive on routines. It feels safe and comfortable to know what's coming next in the day. The feeling of safety allows you to be more present in the current moment. That said, shifting to a work-from-home … Continue reading Routines are hidden self-care
The Year of No Zero Days – Garden Edition
Disclaimer: This is not a tutorial. There are no "here are 5 steps to gardening." Nope. I came home one day from work (well, from actually being in the school building) and found a little green bean peeking out from the chicken wire I tried to nicely place around the garden bed. I felt such … Continue reading The Year of No Zero Days – Garden Edition
When they’re all grown up
Sometimes the house is too quiet, sometimes the floors are too clean. On a lazy, cool, and rainy Sunday afternoon, which have been quite rare, I become more aware of my inner thoughts than I have been in awhile. I seem to oscillate between thinking and feeling, doing and observing. And I've been doing a … Continue reading When they’re all grown up
How the prosperity gospel ruined my peace, and other stories | [Unpublished post from 2015].
I'm sharing this private unpublished post in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. To all the people who are sick of society's and the collective church's bullshit about conceiving a child and what constitutes a family. When I'm in crisis, I write. A lot. As a colleague says when there's nothing else to say: words, … Continue reading How the prosperity gospel ruined my peace, and other stories | [Unpublished post from 2015].
I am woman, a poem.
In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. For all mothers who wish they were. You are still you. I am woman. I am moon and stars and voices on the winter wind. I am a young girl with sparkles of hope in her eyes as she gazes at the fading sun. I am in awe … Continue reading I am woman, a poem.
The journey to delighting in boredom
By training in...boredom, we train in accepting things as they are. This helps us wean ourselves from the habit of closing down into our soothing world of familiar, imputed meanings.Pema Chodron, Welcoming the Unwelcome I used to be terrified of being bored. As a teenager in high school who lived life at 90 miles an … Continue reading The journey to delighting in boredom
We are who we’ve always been
I have read a lot of good books lately - twenty so far in 2020. I recently finished The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and I can say that I had a book hangover for a good couple days. I also read another fantasy book, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia … Continue reading We are who we’ve always been
MPM 2.0: mercy unmasked 