Currently | Spring 2024

It’s Easter Sunday and the focus for me, today, is peace. I don’t participate in organized religion anymore, but I respect the sentiment of this holiday, a renewal of body and spirit. I think that sums up the way I feel about the spring season. Plants that have looked dead over the long, cold winter are beginning to sprout green and bud with new blossoms. A farmer friend of mine is in lambing season, with tiny woolen creatures dashing about her pastures. Local robins and bluebirds are gathering materials for their nests where they’ll soon lay their eggs. It’s like all of life is waking up, being resurrected from winter’s slumber.

Inside, I’m having my own renewal, a craving for the clean slate I was too busy planning for in January. In the springtime, I clean, I purge, and I make changes in areas of my life that need mending. There’s lots of work ahead, but I’m excited for it. In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been up to lately.

Eating - more variety, thanks to planning menus a month at a time.

Working - on an April editorial calendar.

Noticing - how my brain functions when I give it the space it needs.

Picturing - what life will look like next month … next year.

Collecting - inspiration for the wall above my office desk.

Wanting - a long walk in a park.

Honoring - my body and all that comes with it.

Anticipating - a fun weekend trip next month.

Planning - teeny, tiny steps to accomplish my goals.

Following - my breath, in and out.

Accepting - that I am one person and that I can only get so much done in a day. Better to work with it than against it.

Making - my peanut butter energy bites but with a revamped recipe. I’ll have to update that post soon.

Smelling - the wild grape hyacinths growing in the yard.

Identifying - different birds who come for a breakfast of peanuts (and sometimes crusty bread) each morning.

Wearing - comfy clothes and nothing else.

Listening - to peaceful piano music each day. My kittens love it.

Consuming - much less noise after being off social media platforms in March.

Reconnecting - with the researcher in me.

Watching - The Sopranos with Frank. It’s my first time and his favorite show.

Wondering - what I will learn today.

Feeling - blessed that I have the life I do. I never thought it possible.

Releasing - the stress of keeping up with everyone else when I have difficulty keeping track of myself.

Scheduling - blocks of time for journaling, housework, writing, and other projects.

Organizing - my writing notebook, with inspiration from Helen Redfern.

Reading - too many books at once. Damn those library holds that all come in at the same time.

Taking - my time and trying to enjoy life.

Craving - Brach’s jelly beans, always at this time of year.

Investing - time in my mental health.

Appreciating - the good tech people at Notion for helping me recover a deleted workspace.

Sending - love to my dad, who is having a birthday this week.

Enjoying - the stray cats (and a fox) that come to our front stoop to eat the chow and leftover chicken or tuna I put out. I’ve named them all.

Going - on weekend drives in the country now that the days are warmer.

Resolving - to look at things from a different perspective.

Playing - with my kittens. The feathers-on-a-stick toy is a favorite of theirs, especially after indulging in catnip.

Encouraging - my love to explore his creative side and learn digital photography.

Finding - space to dream.

Spending - money at the dollar store. I can always find useful things there.

Wishing - I could find some of my favorite books at the used bookstores when I visit.

Thinking - about tomorrow. Happy April!