New Adventures (Nurturing Thursday)

October 30, 2025 · 1 comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

I’m off again with my husband for another rowing trip, to Chattanooga for the Head of the Hooch regatta, which is always the first weekend in November, on the Tennessee River. It previously was held on the Chattahoochee River, hence the name. We’ve rowed there many times, but now we are staying for a week at an Airbnb in Chattanooga, rather than just for the weekend as before. Now that both of us work remotely, there’s no need to hurry home, as we used to do when he had to be in the office on Monday. We can stay for a while and enjoy the adventure.

Word-art that says, "Say yes to new adventures."

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.”

Wall of Windows

October 28, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

My daughter’s schedule for her first workweek in Auckland is day shift at the hospital Wednesday through Friday, which means she has already worked the first day because New Zealand is currently 17 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time, until we fall back to standard time on Sunday and the difference then becomes 18 hours. I put Auckland’s time and weather on my phone so I can keep track of it.

One wall of her little apartment is made up of windows, giving a nice view. The dog, who loves to look out windows, seems to have claimed much of that space, as shown in the photo below.

Photo of dog looking out a window.

It looks very cozy! Although I probably won’t get to Auckland for a visit until next year, I am sure I’ll enjoy it when the time comes.

Whispers of Soul (Nurturing Thursday)

October 23, 2025 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

After packing for this weekend’s trip south, I’m still feeling calmer than in past years when we traveled to rowing regattas multiple times in October during the fall racing season. Keeping work and travel separate in my mind, without getting stressed about how much time will be needed for each of them, now feels more manageable than it once did.

Perhaps it’s because my work has become more predictable regarding the use of AI—which, so far, has improved my workgroup’s productivity without any layoffs. Those who retired in the past few years have not been replaced, but there doesn’t seem to be any urgency to cut costs further.

I feel as if a small inner voice is whispering to me that it’s all going to be okay…

Word-art that says, "Intuition is your soul whispering the truth to your heart and hoping that you hear." -Kate Spencer

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.”

Floating in Time

October 22, 2025 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags: ,

The Boston trip went well. Conditions were windy for my husband’s race, but he felt confident and was happy about that. We stayed at a comfortable Airbnb and enjoyed watching the races.

Now we’re back home, on a cold Wednesday that was much too windy to row on the river, with our boats still on the trailer and ready to head out again for regattas in warmer Southern cities.

Photo of mini-trailer in my driveway with boats.

Such a long road trip left me feeling like time was floating gently by, almost like the river, or like the car’s smooth passage through bright autumn forests. I didn’t feel impatient to get home, even though there was an accident in a construction zone that left us sitting there for an hour.

I felt pretty good when we arrived. The fatigue didn’t hit me until after we had our late dinner, when I fell asleep totally forgetting to take out the trash (my husband remembered trash pickup was the next morning and put it out, so all was well). Of course, then I had to deal with getting back to work after a long vacation (work? what’s that?), but I’m still feeling pretty mellow anyway.

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.”

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.

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