Meg Evans

My husband took his car to the shop for an oil change early Wednesday morning, so I had the home office all to myself when I started my workday. The house seemed weirdly quiet. For the past two years we’ve been sharing the space, and that is likely to continue because my husband is now on a team that doesn’t have anyone in the company’s local office, so he has no reason to do his work there.

I worked from home even before the pandemic, and I thought it was pretty comfortable having the house all to myself during the day. Now it seems as if I was missing out on more than I realized. Although I wouldn’t want to sit in a cube farm all day, it’s nice to have more human connection.

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 today was just an ordinary workday and I didn’t do much beyond going out to get groceries at noon, it felt like the day went well. Maybe yesterday’s post, in which I wrote about my future self and about developing perspective over many years, put me into a calm and reflective mood. Rather than letting mundane worries drain my energy, I felt more inclined to appreciate how I’ve learned and grown.

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 a row of willows along my back property line that I still think of as trees, although they’re not much more than bushes now, after a few years of climate change stress. Hot, dry summers killed so many branches that I had to cut the willows back drastically, and some died altogether.

Last year they started looking better, though, and I am hopeful that this will be another good year for new growth. I took some cuttings in March, which I plan to use for replacements. They’re currently sitting in a pot in my kitchen, and I noticed a few leaves sprouting this week, which has me feeling optimistic.

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’ll be traveling this weekend to row with my husband at a regatta in South Carolina. My women’s double partner, Deb, who rows with both our Greater Dayton club and the Great Miami club, will be there too, making a total of three events for me. Along with the women’s double and mixed double 1K Masters sprints, I’ll also be rowing in the mixed double 2K, which my husband and I are doing for the first time.

Although the 2K is mainly for younger rowers, we’re giving it a try anyway, even if we are old enough to be our competitors’ parents. We are both fit enough to row the longer distance—and it’s a new adventure, after all, so why not?

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’m posting this entry on Friday, rather than Thursday, because we had some server issues yesterday evening. Around the time I went to bed, my husband thought that he’d gotten everything resolved, but he was still checking to make sure.

Of course, I could’ve stayed up later to make sure I posted an entry on Thursday and avoided deviating from my usual schedule, but that didn’t seem like it would make much sense. Nurturing Thursday is mainly about being gentle with oneself. Among other things, it’s meant as an antidote to society’s pressure to meet all expectations, whether self-imposed or external. Weekly posting is good because it gives me enough structure for meaningful reflection on a regular basis, but too much rigidity would be counterproductive.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

This morning, I got into an email conversation about gardening and spent a few enjoyable minutes imagining what I could do with my backyard. I pictured a monarch butterfly garden in the corner of the yard where my home office looks out, with flowers everywhere and small ornamental trees.

Although it’s probably fair to say that I was letting myself get distracted in the middle of a workday, I would also say that a reasonable amount of distraction and fun contributes to a productive life. Keeping one’s attention entirely focused on external tasks while neglecting oneself is not optimal. If I had a beautiful garden outside my window when I was working, I’d surely feel inspired to accomplish more.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

Coming back from Florida to Ohio was a long two-day trip (Sunday and Monday) that left me feeling low on energy for a few days afterward, but I can’t complain after a great week of fun in the sun.

When I went through my work email on Tuesday morning, I found a cat picture attached to an email that left me smiling, even though I needed plenty of coffee to stay awake. Too cute not to share!

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

I’ve been on vacation this week in the sunny South with my husband and, for part of the week, our daughter. She is a grown woman and usually busy, so it’s now somewhat rare for her to come along on our road trips. Although she couldn’t stay the whole week, we much enjoyed having the time together.

Today, my husband and I rowed together in the morning and rode bicycles in the afternoon, under a beautifully clear sky. We are treasuring these moments and feeling blessed.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

After writing a recent post in which I imagined myself as a fairy godmother to my younger selves, I began wondering if a future self might compose a similar story about the present-day me. I pictured my 119-year-old future self, Fannie, as a pink-haired guardian angel giving me flowers and assorted words of wisdom.

Then the picture changed and my snarky 76-year-old future self, Kass, popped up in front of me instead, with a devilish smile and a pair of cheap Halloween wings hanging from her shoulders. “Word has it you’re looking for a guardian angel?”

Deciding that I’d better be careful what I wished for, I left that scenario for another day.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.

Last week’s snow has not all melted yet, but it’s getting there. Yesterday was sunny and warm enough to open some of the windows, at least for a few hours, and this morning I heard the birds chirping cheerfully in the front yard like it was already springtime.

I can definitely feel a change in the air, and it’s giving me hope that happier days are not far away.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.