This has been a week of ferocious thunderstorms. My backyard is so soggy that the lawn service company couldn’t do the scheduled service. The river is too high for rowing; we hurried out after work on Tuesday, when the water was rising and it was still possible to row, but the river was full of mud and small branches, so all we could do was paddle slowly and carefully.

Today and Wednesday there wasn’t much to do but stay in and do our workouts on the rowing machine in the hot and humid basement. Oh, well, it’s peaceful to sit quietly and listen to the rain after the thunder and lightning have passed over. Nothing to worry about!

Word-art that says, "Let the rain wash away your worries."

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.”

In addition to posting Nurturing Thursday entries on my blog, I also send Nurturing Thursday messages (different ones) to my coworkers via email. Today, I almost forgot, and sent my email at the end of the workday. So, for my blog, I decided a reminder theme would suit.

Word-art that says, "Don't forget how amazing, strong, talented, beautiful, enough, not alone & loved you are."

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.”

August 6, 2026 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

Last week had some rainy days, and my husband and I got drenched while rowing on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Auckland, which has a damp maritime climate and is often cloudy, there was a long string of sunny days, and our daughter took photos of her dog enjoying the sunshine.

Photo of dog napping in the sun.

My husband wondered if dogs find sunny spots more by sight or by smell, so he looked that up. The answer is that dogs can indeed smell the particles that come off a couch, carpet, etc., when it heats up in sunlight. Although humans lack the ability to sniff around for sunshine, I’m glad to say that we found some this week anyway, as the days got clearer and we spent time outdoors on pleasant afternoons.

I had a quiet and relaxing workday, feeling comfortable in my home office with my husband sitting at his desk across the room. After work, we enjoyed a lovely summer evening, perfect for rowing singles. The sky was clear, and the setting sun glittered on the water. A heron was standing on the dock, quite unafraid, as we came back in. By the end of the day, my soul felt much refreshed.


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.”

Earlier in the week, I didn’t have much energy after the hectic Sunday afternoon rowing races and the previous days of polluted air, which seeped into the older house where I was staying. Just finishing my normal workdays took more effort than usual. Going out after work to row with my husband on Wednesday, I wasn’t able to do much.

By this afternoon I was starting to feel more like myself. One day can make a big difference.

Word-art that says, "Every day is a new beginning. Breathe, trust, and take the next step forward."

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.”

July 21, 2026 · 2 comments · Categories: Musings · Tags:

Last weekend’s rowing regatta in Michigan, which was supposed to run from Thursday through Sunday, got overcome by events when hazardous smoky air from wildfires prevented any outdoor activities in the area on Thursday and Friday. Here’s a photo of the smoky air as seen from the front window of the Airbnb house where my husband and I were staying with another couple.

Photo of smoky air outside the front window of a house in Michigan.

Strong southwest winds pushed the smoke out of the area on Saturday, but our races were scheduled for late afternoon. By then it had gotten so windy that racing had to be stopped for safety reasons because lots of boats were flipping, so we had a third day with no rowing.

On Sunday, there was a full day of racing with our Saturday races squeezed in at the end. Some smoke blew back in and made the air hazy, but it wasn’t bad enough to be hazardous, just mildly irritating to the eyes and throat. We won some medals, though there was less competition because some people went home early. I’m glad that we had one day to race; it’s a long break until the fall season begins.

I’m traveling again this week for the last rowing regatta of my spring/summer season, a relatively short drive north to Michigan. The weather forecast calls for hot and mostly sunny days. The races are held on a lake, and I hope it will be calmer than last year’s windy conditions. But if not, my husband and I feel more confident regardless, and we plan to enjoy whatever comes.

Word-art that says, "Chase the sun, catch the joy."

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.”

During my lunch break today, I did a ten-minute online yoga session. It wasn’t really a workout, but was what’s called a restorative practice, with the focus on breathing deeply and evenly while doing some gentle stretching movements. I noticed afterward that my Garmin tracker showed I was more relaxed and had a lower heart rate, so the yoga session must have had the intended effect.

Word-art that says, "Breathe deep & let go of what you can't control."

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.”

This is a three-day weekend for many people in the United States because of the Independence Day holiday. I’m planning to watch the City of Dayton fireworks show but otherwise will be taking things easy, without more travels. Sending happy weekend wishes to all!

Image of fireworks and American flags.

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.”

The road trip to Oklahoma City went smoothly, with no delays other than my husband having to work later than expected on the day we left. I have no complaints about that because the company pays him well and that’s how we can afford our travels. We arrived early Friday afternoon, as planned, with the mini trailer parked just after the course opened for practice rowing.

Photo of SUV and mini boat trailer parked at the Stars & Stripes regatta in Oklahoma City.

The weather during practice was good, but a look at the forecast showed it wasn’t going to stay like that. Storms and high winds were on the way. My husband said he was staying frosty anyway, just chilling, and wasn’t going to let the predicted bad weather worry him.

The morning races were delayed because the storms overnight had blown away the lane marker buoys. We ended up racing in a different part of the river with no lanes, and there was a strong wind the whole time, with occasional fierce gusts. And, just as soon as the sun came out, it was broiling hot.

Even so, we succeeded in rowing at a steady pace and not letting the weather unsettle us. We got far enough ahead of the boats next to us that having no lane markers wasn’t a problem. After the morning races, we collected our medals, went back to the Airbnb to rest and relax in the air conditioning for a few hours, and returned for a 500-meter dash before packing up. Frosty and fun!