During the RowFest national regatta last week, which was held on Lake Ford in Michigan, I raced my single on Friday afternoon. I’m always somewhat nervous about it because most of my rowing has been in the double, which is larger and steadier. The single is a narrow little boat that can be hard to control in the wind.

Last Thursday had such high winds that many races were canceled. I rowed the double with my husband, but it was still windy and choppy enough that we couldn’t get much speed. That gave me some anxiety about going out in the single the next day. Better conditions were predicted, but Thursday’s wind had been worse than the forecast, so I couldn’t be sure how things might turn out. I told myself to stop worrying about it.

As it happened, Friday afternoon had little wind and the best conditions of the regatta. I felt all right about racing the single, although I didn’t win a medal in that race. I stayed even with one of my competitors all the way down the course, but she put on more speed at the end and finished ahead of me. That didn’t bother me too much, however. My husband told me later that she’d said, after the race, that she and her husband had been trying to beat us for a long time and saw us as their benchmark. That left me feeling happier!

Word-art that says, "Sometimes the magic happens when you stop worrying about how things will turn out."

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.”

Following up on Tuesday’s post about being prepared for weather, here’s an inspiring thought from Rumi about morning sunlight breaking through dark storms. Happy Thursday!

Word-art that says, "There is a morning inside you waiting to burst open into light." -Rumi

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.”

Although the long days of summer are often hot, I enjoy getting outdoors for quiet evening rows with my husband. Yesterday we had the river to ourselves for a pleasant sunset row. There was very little wind, and the water flowed gently through a peaceful landscape. Only the rhythm of our oars and the song of the bullfrogs broke the silence.

It’s not really a wilderness, of course—just a short stretch of river passing through an urban park, with highway bridges and their traffic noise at both ends of the course. Even so, we often see beavers, herons, bald eagles, and other wildlife that leave us feeling refreshed by the natural world.

Word-art that says, "To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness." -John Muir

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.”

I spent some time outdoors with friends today, in a cheerful group talking and laughing. This image seemed to suit the mood—I hope you enjoy it and are having a wonderful evening, too!

Word-art that says, "How wonderful it is that we laugh because our bodies cannot contain 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.”

Tuesday evening, although still hot after I finished an outdoor workout with my husband, felt lovely and peaceful anyway. Wednesday morning wasn’t the most comfortable because the heat wave is still going on, and we woke up to find that the air conditioner wasn’t working. We already had planned to leave early in the afternoon for a road trip, however, and we have a service appointment scheduled for when we return.

I’m still anticipating a fun, magical trip with no worries!

Word-art that says, "In the midst of our lives, we must find the magic that makes our souls soar."

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 clock on my computer went past midnight just now, so this post will have to be published with a Friday date because I didn’t get around to doing it earlier. For a moment, I thought about cheating—that is, setting the date stamp for this entry to Thursday so my readers wouldn’t notice it was a delayed post. But then I decided that was silly. After all, it’s not like anyone expects me to be perfect.

Word-art that says, "No one is perfect... that's why pencils have erasers."

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 had a good laugh at my expense when we were rowing in our double this evening. We were just about to start a set of two 1K rows when I saw a hairy spider on the side of the boat, next to my leg. Rather than touch it, I tried to flick it off using a hand towel. That didn’t work because it jumped on the towel, and then I got startled and clumsily dropped the towel in the river. Then my husband came to my aid and gallantly squashed the spider, which was still clinging to the wet towel.

He was still laughing about it when we got home, but I suppose that’s all right. Better than complaining, anyway—and we could all use a few more giggles.

Word-art that says, "Complain less. Giggle more."

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 June rowing plan that I’m doing with my husband, created by our online coaches, has different exercises than those we had gotten comfortable doing in past workouts. They have more sets of intervals, and the focus is on building power at lower rates and improving form. The sudden change left me tired earlier in the week, but not so much today. That’s how growth happens…

Word-art that says, "A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there."

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.”

I have to admit, this is not the Nurturing Thursday post I had in mind to write when I sat down at the computer. After choosing a different topic, I couldn’t get the words to flow. So, instead, I left that post for another time and decided to give myself a reminder about patience for today.

Word-art that says, "Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind." -David G. Allen

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.”

When I went out to get groceries this morning, I drove along a curving road beside the river, with trees arching overhead in a lovely green tunnel that reminded me of the description of trees along the country lane in Anne of Green Gables. Although I go that way all the time and usually don’t think much about it, today its natural beauty made an impression on me. I felt fortunate to have such a peaceful break from my workday, even if I was just doing the grocery shopping.

Word-art that says, "I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does." -L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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.”