Meg Evans

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.”

I had my annual eye checkup on Tuesday, early in the afternoon, and took a half-day off from work because it takes a while for my eyes to go back to normal after getting the drops to dilate them. The weather was lovely—sunny and warm, with almost no wind. My husband took a break from his work so that we could go rowing after I came home.

Because my eyes were still sensitive to light after being dilated for the exam, I was wearing black plastic over my glasses, but I enjoyed getting outdoors on such a perfect day anyway. We rowed the double, with my husband in the bow doing all the steering. I had nothing to do but row, while breathing the fresh air and letting all the everyday worries fall away.

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 meant to post another installment of the “Lost in Time” story yesterday or this morning, but I got busy with other things and did not finish it. Then I thought maybe I’d get to it after my workday, but after I did the rowing intervals that were on my exercise plan and took a shower, it was already late enough that it was time to cook dinner—and the garbage is still waiting for me to take it out.

Of course, being busy or not is a choice, as is setting one’s priorities. Rather than feeling deprived of time and stuck on a never-ending treadmill, it’s better to find constructive ways to change the narrative.

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 got my mind stuck in a less than optimal place this afternoon, while taking a break from my work to get some exercise on the rowing machine in the basement. Some “what’s the point anyway” thoughts started getting to me. Most of the time, I can ignore that stuff pretty well because I know that the point is to be stronger, healthier, longer-lived, and generally better able to explore the future and see what kinds of interesting adventures happen. So, usually I’m not inclined to give up. But today, I felt like it would be helpful to give myself a reminder by posting this image for my 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.”

This week I’ve been looking for a few quiet moments during the day, here and there, to just relax and do nothing. It’s intended as an antidote to the modern habit of scurrying busily from one task to another, which doesn’t actually save time because getting overscheduled and stressed makes people less efficient.

Habits can be useful when we cultivate them for a purpose, such as staying fit by exercising every day. More often, though, habits tend to be mindless; we fall into them rather than choosing them. Life can feel much more peaceful when we take a little time to reflect on where we want to be.

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 bought a birthday card for my mom at the supermarket where I usually shop. While I was taking my groceries to the checkout, a ridiculous worry popped into my head—what if the same card had been on the shelf years ago, and I’d bought it again without noticing that it was the same?

Of course, that is not likely ever to happen, and I don’t expect my mom would be annoyed even if it did. So, I just reminded myself that forgetting about cards and gifts would be a better way to go through life than keeping score of who gave what.

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.”