Although I’ve been struggling with my resolution this year of not feeling burdened by self-imposed tasks, I can’t complain. My life has become more interesting in recent years, and my fitness has improved. Also, in general, it’s much better to pursue challenges and go on adventures than to give up on trying.

Word-art showing a person running beside a lake. "It's impossible," said pride. "It's risky," said experience. "It's pointless," said reason. "Give it a try," whispered the heart.

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 past few years certainly have been disruptive, I would say that navigating the unexpected changes hasn’t been all bad. Being forced to examine assumptions long taken for granted has led to more insight into what works well and what, instead, just causes unnecessary stress. Without the exhaustion of being in a rush to do things that weren’t really necessary, there is more available mental energy to understand and connect with others, rather than getting upset about trivial stuff.

Word-art that says, "Our days are happier when we give people a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind."

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.”

It’s already Friday evening, but that is okay. The time change probably has something to do with my being more easily distracted than usual. I totally forgot I hadn’t posted my usual Thursday entry last night. Nothing to worry about, though; if I don’t get everything done precisely on schedule, the world is not going to come to an end. Anyway, it would do us all a lot of good to put items like “dive into random fun stuff” on our to-do lists. In that regard, here’s a cute word-art image that suits my mood today:

Word-art that says, "Advice from a loon — Spend time at the lake. Enjoy a good swim. Call your friends. A little color goes a long way. Surround yourself with beauty. Enjoy time alone. Dive into life."

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.”

Winter isn’t quite over yet, but I am looking forward to getting out on the river soon, instead of sitting at home doing long exercises on the rowing machine. They’re good for me, of course, and the cold March rain and howling winds will soon be gone, so there’s no reason to let the weather get to me.

Modern sculling boats wouldn’t actually sink if they got full of water in a rainstorm, of course. They’re very buoyant, made of carbon fiber, and they just go slower if they get water in them. Last year my husband and I were rowing in a place that had a lot of powerboats, and one got too close and left our little boat so full of water that it was almost too weighed down to move. We had to pour out a water bottle and use it for bailing. That worked, though it was more adventure than we wanted!

Word-art that says, "Ships don't sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don't let what's happening around you get inside you and weigh you down."

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.”

After training all winter on the rowing machine, my husband and I won the gold medal in the lightweight mixed double at the Sarasota Sprints masters regatta on Sunday. We’ve been rowing almost 10 years now; it was May 2013 when we took a Learn-to-Row class together.

We took up the sport because we wanted something that we could do together after several years of traveling to our daughter’s soccer games when she was in college. It took a lot of effort to build up our skills and fitness enough so that we could do well at the regattas, but it was worthwhile—not just for the competition, but more generally, to keep the world feeling fresh and exciting. We both believe it’s important to keep learning new things all through life.

Word-art that says, "Ask yourself what is really important and then have the courage to build your home and life around that answer." -Joshua Becker

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 haven’t spent much time online this week because I’ve been on vacation in the South, enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. My husband and I have been rowing our double scull and riding bicycles. Yesterday was a bit too windy for us to row with any speed, but it was still fun to be outdoors in the warmth. Happy spring wishes to all!

Word-art that says, "Spring Break."

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.”

Today was rainy and dark, with an occasional rumble of thunder. Not much to look at. When I stepped outside, though, I really liked the soft feeling of the humid air, starting to feel just a little more like spring. It was a good reminder that there is something to enjoy in every day.

Word-art that says, "What a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before." -Maya Angelou

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.”

After replacing an old Keurig coffeemaker with the latest model, I went into the kitchen yesterday morning and found an “update successful” message on its screen. I took a picture of it just because the idea of a coffeemaker updating itself seemed interesting.


Of course, I’m showing my age here because the younger generation wouldn’t think anything of it. They’ve grown up with all kinds of devices getting frequent updates. I don’t mind, though—it keeps the mind healthy to have a sense of wonder, even with something as ordinary as a coffeemaker.

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’ve had a quiet day at home. When I sat down to write this post in the late evening, there didn’t seem to be much to say about it. I was just being in the world, not feeling as if I needed anything in particular. After a moment of reflection, I decided that was okay. There is no requirement to always be doing something productive, and real happiness can be found in those peaceful, unburdened moments.

Word-art that says, "Real happiness requires less than you think." -Courtney Carver

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 week I’ve been looking out the window at snowy, overcast days, mostly staying indoors except for a couple of errands on Tuesday afternoon. I am feeling a cheerful energy, though, almost like when we were kids and had a snow day. It’s actually just another workday for me, but I’m taking a break to write this post, and right now I don’t feel any time pressure. It’s all good.

Chalkboard word-art that says, "Let it snow."

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.”