Be Thankful (Nurturing Thursday)

November 27, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

Wintery weather blew in yesterday, with high winds and temperatures falling throughout the day. To be honest, I didn’t look forward to waking up early and going out in the freezing cold to run the Turkey Trot.

Everything was all right, though. The temperature didn’t get much above freezing, but the roads were clear, the wind wasn’t as strong, and this year’s race sweatshirt was thick and warm. The event was well attended, and I wasn’t grumbling to myself while running but was glad to be part of the community.

Then we came home to a warm house, a restful afternoon, and a good family dinner. A day to be thankful.

Word-art that says, "It's a good day to be thankful."

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.”

A Little Magic (Nurturing Thursday)

November 20, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

As the holiday season begins, I’m remembering what it was like to decorate the Christmas tree as a child. The strands of tinsel gleamed like magical highways in the sky, winding their way around the bright starry lights. I imagined the ornaments happily traveling to different parts of the tree to visit one another. Sometimes I rearranged them while playing out that scenario.

While sparkly decorations don’t seem as fascinating once we’ve grown up, it probably would do us some good, every now and again, to find a little magic in our surroundings.

Word-art that says, "Find a little magic every day."

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.”

Putting Up the Tree

November 18, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

Although most of our daughter’s recent photos were taken while walking her dog on Auckland’s many trails and beaches, she included one showing a Christmas tree in her apartment, with a note that she had put up Christmas decorations earlier than she used to because there is no Thanksgiving in New Zealand.

Photo of dog with decorated Christmas tree.

In past years, we always put up our tree on Thanksgiving weekend, after giving ourselves plenty of time to recover from running the Turkey Trot and then eating the turkey dinner cooked by my husband’s parents in the house where he grew up. But now that they have passed away, Thanksgiving doesn’t feel much like a holiday to me anymore.

We still run the Turkey Trot, and our daughter will do a virtual run to keep the tradition with us, although I have no idea when she’ll do it because of the time difference. I won’t cook a turkey dinner but instead will cook a rib roast to eat with my husband and son; and if we are not as motivated to put up the tree, we’ll do it by the end of the weekend anyway. It’s good to have family traditions, even if they change over the years.

Choose Wisely (Nurturing Thursday)

November 13, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

After an evening workout on the rowing machine, I was wondering whether I should go write my Nurturing Thursday post or do an hour of continuing education, which has a year-end deadline approaching. I decided to write a post first and then do an online course. Instead of getting to it right away, though, I spent some time looking at images on Pinterest. Such is life in the modern world.

Looking at it more positively, I was not just wasting time online; rather, I was choosing to rest and relax for a while, understanding that self-nurturing should be a priority, and there is, in fact, plenty of time to deal with the to-dos. I’m off to start the course now…

Word-art that says, "Life is a series of choices. Choose wisely."

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.”

Farewell to Summer

November 12, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

I’m back home for the winter now, after having a great time at the Head of the South regatta. The weather in Augusta was perfect—warm and summery with little wind. My husband and I were rowing one of the club’s boats because we had sent our double back to the factory in Canada to have all its scratches and dings cleaned up over the winter. Still, we rowed well and took third place after racing our singles earlier, so we were happy with the result. Afterward, we had dinner with my mom and stepfather, who live in Spartanburg.

We left the summer behind on Sunday as we drove back to Ohio, arriving on a chilly evening with a few flurries. We put our singles away on their racks along the back wall of the garage. By morning, snow covered the ground, and I took a photo out the kitchen window. It hadn’t yet stopped snowing when we took the club’s double back to the boathouse, along with another boat we were transporting.

Photo of snow at my house in early November after returning from a trip south.

Although today wasn’t as cold, and the snow has melted already, the rowing season is definitely over. I’m glad to have a comfortable workout room in the basement for rowing machine exercises on dark winter days, but I’ll miss the outdoors for the next few months.

Another Adventure (Nurturing Thursday)

November 6, 2025 · 3 comments · Categories: Musings

After a fun week in Chattanooga, my husband and I are packing up to spend a couple of days in Augusta, rowing in the Head of the South regatta on Saturday. That will be the last of our travels for the year. Our boats will gather dust all winter on the back wall of the garage, and we’ll sit indoors on the rowing machine in the basement while the cold winds howl outside the tiny window. But for now… another adventure.


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.”