Meg Evans

After a long string of dark days, I can totally understand why pagans in ancient times would light candles at the winter solstice to chase away the dark. Unlike the pagans, however, we are blessed with libraries and plenty of books to curl up with in a cozy modern house.

My workgroup had a Reading Challenge this year, which involved reading books in various categories. It’s over now, but I checked out a sequel from the library to one of the novels that I read as part of the challenge. Just right for the slower pace of winter days!

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.”

There’s an old expression that holding onto resentment is like letting your enemies live rent-free in your head. I just came across an image on Pixabay that illustrates a creative variation on that idea, so I’m sharing it for today’s Nurturing Thursday post.

I like the idea of visualizing those old pointless grudges as prisoners, rather than squatters, because it makes clear that they have no power and can be turned loose at any time. Squatters act with intent and are likely to resist being evicted, whereas prisoners just mark time and are glad to be released. After they’ve been behind bars for so many years, maybe they don’t even remember how they got 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.”

My husband has been away on a business trip this week; he’ll return later this evening. The house has been weirdly quiet. I was working from home before the pandemic, and quiet days felt ordinary to me then, but it’s very different now that I have been sharing the home office space with my husband for almost three years. Without having him around to fill my office area with cheerful energy, it just seems like a big, empty place.

While it’s also fair to note that sometimes he has interminable meetings that leave me craving a quieter space, this week has brought into focus how blessed I am to have a loving family—along with others who brighten my life such as kind friends, helpful coworkers, and readers who take the time to write encouraging comments on this blog. Many thanks to all!

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.”

Wonderful turkey day wishes to all! I’ve been happily spending a quiet Thanksgiving reading an excellent fantasy novel, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Inspired by the Rumpelstiltskin fable and set in a dukedom in long-ago Poland, it tells the story of a moneylender’s daughter who bargains for her life with a magical winter king. I was so engrossed in the book that it wasn’t easy to take a break just to write this short blog post. Good books are rare treasures, and I am thankful for a world that has them.

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.”

There is something about November’s short days and dark, heavy skies that makes the past feel weightier. I’m not sure what it is, but there are days when I feel like a squirrel with a big hoard of memories set aside for the winter. They bounce around, sometimes taking me back to places that no longer exist, and distracting me from thoughts of the future. When that happens, I gently remind myself that there are many more stories yet to be told.

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 trip to Chattanooga last weekend with my rowing team turned out to be the end of my fall racing season. My husband and I had planned on going to another regatta this weekend in Augusta, but it has been cancelled because of tomorrow’s forecast of heavy rain, which is likely to leave the Savannah River full of debris and not safe for rowing on Saturday.

Rain is forecast here in Ohio as well, and colder temperatures. After rowing our double this afternoon in warm sunshine, we probably won’t get out again for a while. It’s already starting to feel like we are settling in for the long, cold nights of winter. That is all right, though—winter is a cozy and restful season, and afterward, there will be time for many more journeys.

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 started to write a draft of this post on Wednesday evening, but the words just wouldn’t flow. I meant to write about how rushing around makes people feel stressed, which puts our brains into survival mode and makes it harder to concentrate on everyday tasks. The subconscious mind gets so busy scanning the environment for possible threats, there’s not much mental energy left over for productive work.

Because I’d been rushing through the day too much, without taking time to relax, I felt tired on Wednesday and didn’t have any focus left in the evening to work on this post. Instead, I went to bed and woke up feeling much refreshed. That seemed like it proved the point I’d been trying to make!

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 taking a long midday break to get my hair done and then going to the optical shop to order new glasses, I had an email conversation with some coworkers about taking a moment to appreciate my “errands of the fortunate.” Sitting at my desk enjoying a cup of tea, while being aware of my small choices, felt much better than rushing around in a mindless hurry.

And, just by chance (or fortune?) I am currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, so this word-art image struck me as just right for today’s Nurturing Thursday entry.

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 slow down my life and take away those rushed feelings, I’ve been meditating on empty black space, peaceful breath, nothing to do, and nothing that needs to be done. That isn’t quite as easy as it sounds, what with the frantic pace of modern life. This week I feel like I’m doing better, though—enjoying the slow march of the seasons, letting time pass as it will.

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.”

Another weekend of traveling to a regatta with my husband and my rowing partner Deb, who rode along with us in our SUV while we towed the boat trailer. Deb and I had a good race in the double, finishing second to our friendly rivals Maria and Mindy. They are faster, but we are improving, and we stayed very close to their pace and were happy with our performance.

The fall foliage along the highways was lovely. I particularly enjoyed going through areas where the hillsides had been dynamited years ago for highway construction. They used to be just rocky ledges, but now trees have grown up through the rocks, and the ledges are starting to break down into ordinary soil. The October colors were beautiful, and it was reassuring to see how well nature can recover from human meddling.

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.”