Sit in Nature (Nurturing Thursday)

October 16, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings

My days often feel busy when I’m traveling to rowing regattas or going down to the river to practice. There is also something meditative about it, though, sitting on the boat’s little seat as the oars move in rhythm and the landscape goes by. The road trips often feel like that as well, especially in October, passing through miles of forests with colorful autumn leaves.

This weekend we’re in Boston for the famous Head of the Charles regatta. Our mixed double did not get in, despite being at the top of the waitlist; so, I am not rowing. My husband will row his single on Friday morning, and I’ll be carrying his oars to and from the dock. Still, it’s a good vacation for me, spending some time away from the usual workday busyness.

Word-art that says, "You should sit in nature for 20 minutes a day... unless you're busy, then you should sit for an hour."

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.”

Lost in Time, Part 23

October 13, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Stories

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

“And don’t say that it was just an accident—that Hetty stumbled and fell into the river, and nobody killed her. That’s what John tries to tell me.” Nellie’s voice rose belligerently as she glanced toward her husband, who had just lifted another board into place and was setting a nail into it. Beyond the shed that John was repairing, a narrow path led into a stand of trees, soft and bright in the June sunlight.

(Photo credit: Rick Obst)

“Maybe nobody put their hands on Hetty and pushed her into the river, but that doesn’t mean the witches did nothing to kill her. If it hadn’t been for them, Hetty never would have been out there in the storm. And I know that they cursed her for trying to interfere with their evil plans, so now her spirit can’t rest. Sometimes, when the wind comes from that direction,” and Nellie gestured toward the path, “I can hear Hetty crying. Her soul is in torment. John says it’s only the wind, but I know what my sister’s voice sounds like. I suppose you’re going to agree with John that I am just a crazy woman who imagined it all?”

A light breeze touched Ina’s face, carrying only the sounds of birds twittering and John’s hammer banging. There seemed to be nothing in this ordinary landscape to suggest the presence of a tormented soul.

“No, I wouldn’t say you imagined it, Nellie. Sometimes I can sense a person’s spirit. Although I’ve never heard ghosts, there are some who do. Can you make out any words when Hetty cries? Do you feel that she is asking you to help her?”

Nellie’s face relaxed into softer lines as she understood that she was being taken seriously. “No, there are never any words. Hetty cries because she is trapped and in pain. Because I am not a witch, there is nothing I can do to help her. Can you lift the curse, Ina, and set her spirit free?”

Ina pondered that odd request for a moment, unsure how she could honestly offer any help. As far as she knew, the witches never had cursed anyone. She couldn’t guess what might have injured Hetty’s spirit, and she had no experience with ghosts. If she gave Nellie false hope, that would be cruel. But perhaps there would be no harm in simply investigating, without any promises.

“If you take me to the place where you found her body,” Ina finally said, “then I’ll see if there is any way I might be able to help.”

Keep Your Feet (Nurturing Thursday)

October 9, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

The fall rowing season is underway, with 5K regattas every weekend. I raced the double in Pittsburgh with my husband on Saturday, and we did well, improving on last year’s time by half a minute and taking second place. This weekend we’re off to Nashville for the Music City Regatta. It’s a busy schedule, with plenty of adventures; but of course, just going out the door can land people in unexpected places.

Word-art that says, "It's a dangerous business, going out of your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." -The Fellowship of the Ring

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.”

To Believe (Nurturing Thursday)

October 2, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

I haven’t done any gardening recently, but all the colorful garden photos my daughter has been sending from Auckland have me thinking about it, anyway. I suppose that’s a start!

Here’s a word-art image that fits the theme:

Word-art that says, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

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.”

Tulips in September

September 30, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags: ,

I’ve been enjoying the photos my daughter sends from Auckland. She has plenty of time to relax and wander around the city while she’s waiting to start her job, and she has been making the most of it. Seeing a tulip garden at the end of September seems a bit odd, though, with the seasons flipped.

Photo of a garden in Auckland with tulips.

Then again, everything seems odd these days, with climate change making it much warmer here than it normally would be in autumn. The rowing season feels almost like one long summer instead of distinct seasons. Now that my husband works from home, we can go out earlier in the afternoon than we could when he worked in an office. That flexibility is great to have—but, sometimes, it feels like all the old routines and expectations have broken down, and whatever comes next is still waiting to be built.

Finding Beauty (Nurturing Thursday)

September 25, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

Now that our daughter is settling into her new life in Auckland, I was looking at some photos and videos of her walking the dog at a seaside park. The landscape was so lovely that I said out loud to my husband, “Wow, this is beautiful, I’d love to walk there!”

Maybe I sounded a bit too enthusiastic, because he answered by saying he’d like to visit New Zealand but wasn’t planning to move. Of course, I haven’t made any plans to move either, not having seen the country in real life yet; but I hope we’ll find many beautiful places when we visit.

Word-art that says, "If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere." -Van Gogh

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.”

Finding Stillness

September 21, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

I took this post’s title from an online yoga session by Owen Henn, which is part of the library available through my Hydrow subscription. It is one of my favorites—calming and restorative, with gentle exercises—inviting participants to slow down, be still, and do nothing but breathe.

Photo of a river with still water in sunlight.

(Photo credit: Robert Anders)

To be honest, this isn’t what I had in mind to write over the weekend. I woke up feeling I ought to be more creative and finish another installment of one of the three stories I’ve had in progress on this blog for years. Then I thought about the yoga exercise, reminded myself that I spent plenty of time during the week producing paid work, and decided it would do me some good to slow down the beginning of my day.

So, instead, I got my breakfast and intentionally did nothing productive whatsoever—just sat on the couch doing a Sudoku puzzle for a while, enjoying a small moment of stillness.

Forgive (Nurturing Thursday)

September 18, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

On Wednesday afternoon in New Zealand, which was late Tuesday evening here in Ohio, the quarantine period for my daughter’s dog was over. She sent photos and videos of their happy reunion, with plenty of excited tail-wagging and jumping for joy. However unpleasant the quarantine might have been for the dog, all was quickly forgiven and left in the past.

If only humans could forgive and forget as easily as our pets, I expect we’d have a much better world.

Word-art with a heart that says "Forgive,"

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 Forlorn Little Face

September 14, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

My daughter arrived safely in Auckland, New Zealand, and has been setting up her apartment. She has a job offer at a hospital but doesn’t yet know her start date because that depends on when the nursing visa paperwork gets finalized. The dog is still at the quarantine facility, which has been sending updates on how she is doing. From the photos of her sad little face, it’s clear that she is desperately looking for her human.

Photo of my daughter's dog, Remi, in quarantine after arriving in New Zealand.

When she gets released from quarantine, she’ll have a comfy bed by a window in the apartment so she can see what’s going on outside, according to my daughter’s latest message, and a soft rug to roll around on. Not much longer to wait now…

Already (Nurturing Thursday)

September 11, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

My day was somewhat out of the usual routine, with an out-of-town errand in the morning and a short task during my afternoon break. Nothing too unusual about that; but after a hard rowing workout on the river, it had gotten dark by the time we left the boathouse, and I’d had no unscheduled time whatsoever to just chill out and relax during the day.

I reminded myself that there is only the present moment—so, if I want more time to rest, I already have as much of it right now as I’ll ever have.

Word-art that says, "Everything you want, you already are."

(Image credit: John Hain)

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.”

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