Right before I started writing this post, I was changing purses. I have two that I use regularly, depending on the season. In the winter, I carry a plain black purse. Sometime in April, I switch to my summer purse, which is exactly the same style and dimensions as the winter purse. The only difference is that it has a colorful floral pattern, which generally puts me in a good mood when I look at it.

Maybe some people would say that’s a bit strange, but it makes me happy, so I don’t care.

Word-art that says, "Don't ever be ashamed of loving the strange things that make your weird little heart happy." -Elizabeth Gilbert

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

All parts of this story are consolidated on one page here.

Maybe she had misheard the shocking accusation of murder, Ina thought. Surely, the Wild Forest’s witches could not have killed Nellie’s sister. They lived so peacefully in their secluded compound, striving for harmony with nature, that Ina couldn’t imagine them doing violence to anyone.

“I wasn’t here six years ago,” Ina replied, choosing her words carefully, “and I know nothing about what happened to your sister. Nobody ever spoke of her to me.”

“They killed her, I said!” Nellie’s voice rose in agitation as she waved her hands wildly. The knuckles of her right hand bumped the vase, which skittered across the table and fell off the edge before Nellie could catch it. The pink rose flew out, landing among thin grass and weeds in the shadow of the porch.

A cut pink rose, fallen to the ground.

“Oh!” Clenching her hands again, Nellie sounded far more upset than simply dropping a vase—which didn’t appear to have taken any damage—might ordinarily have warranted. She visibly took several deep calming breaths, and then a sip of tea, before saying more.

“Early in the morning, on that Midsummer’s Eve, the air hung hot and still, with clouds gathering on the horizon—much as it was last year, when you arrived. Hetty was not yet eighteen, and she had come to stay here with me while John went into the city. I welcomed her help, as Mabel was still very young and was recovering from a fever.

“A girl wandered into the yard while Hetty and I were washing the breakfast dishes. She couldn’t tell us her name or where she was from, so we knew the witches had summoned her. Trying to keep her safe, we pretended that we knew her people in a nearby village and promised we’d take her there bright and early tomorrow, after John returned with the ox cart. We hoped that if she stayed here all night, she’d be free of the spell by daybreak.”

Nellie blinked twice and then abruptly got up from the table, turning her face away and rubbing one hand across her eyes as she picked up the fallen vase with the other hand.

“But we couldn’t stop our visitor from leaving.” Nellie settled back into her chair, restoring the now-empty vase to the table. “Late in the afternoon, a strong thunderstorm blew in, and we thought she’d have no choice but to stay the night. Instead, she lifted her head suddenly, like a dog hearing a distant whistle. She was out the door and hurrying toward the forest through the pelting rain at dusk before we realized what was happening. Hetty followed at once, while I stayed here with Mabel. Soon afterward, the rain stopped, but they did not return. The next morning, I found Hetty’s body washed up on the riverbank.”

I did an online “Yoga for Sleep” session this evening, with gentle exercises to help relax the mind and body. One of them was to lie face down while bending the knees and moving the legs back and forth like windshield wipers. Whether or not that exercise helps me to sleep better tonight, it felt silly enough to make me want to laugh. That, in itself, was probably good for me.


Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

My husband is currently “unhorsed” because his car is in the shop, so we are sharing my car this week. Today, I went out and had to detour around a stretch of highway that is under construction. I reminded myself that it still got me there faster than a horse and buggy, and that we always have a lot to be grateful for in modern times, whatever may be happening at the moment.

Word-art that says, "Advice from a horse: Take life's hurdles in stride. Loosen the reins. Be free spirited. Keep the burrs from under your saddle. Carry your friends when they need it. Keep stable. Gallop to greatness!" -Ilan Shamir

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

April 9, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

…flooding at the boathouse. After several days of heavy rain, the parking lot, the road, and the surrounding parkland were all underwater on Sunday afternoon, when the river crested. The water did not quite reach the boathouse doors, fortunately, and everything inside stayed dry. Although the river is on its way back down, we certainly won’t be rowing in the next few days.

Flooded road and park in front of the Greater Dayton Rowing Association boathouse.

My husband took a break from his work this afternoon and slogged through the mud to look at the river. He is hopeful that we may be able to get out and row this weekend. I suspect Monday is more likely; but we are both looking forward to enjoying pleasant spring days on the river, whenever we get them.

I had a conversation with my manager this afternoon, in which she recommended a series of online courses for personal development. The first in the series was about developing a growth mindset.

Although “growth mindset” is somewhat of a buzzword, I went ahead and took the course, and I found it worthwhile. Resilience and self-nurturing were among the topics discussed, along with the expectation of always finding something new to learn. I came away feeling encouraged.

Word-art that says, "Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will." -Vernon Howard

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”