Meg Evans

It was still dark when I woke up this morning, but it was late enough that trying to go back to sleep wouldn’t have been productive, so I got up and started my workday earlier than usual. At first, I was a bit grumpy because my sleep hadn’t been as refreshing as I would have liked and because I had been rushing too much this week. A cup of coffee helped me to feel more awake, though, and the quiet house was peaceful. There really wasn’t anything to complain about, after 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.”

On Tuesday, my manager sent an email reminding my workgroup to do the employee survey because the last day to respond was Wednesday. She added this image to get people’s attention:

I replied that my first thought was that I might want to repost the image on my blog, and that I knew I was procrastinating because I was composing a blog entry in the back of my mind instead of doing the employee survey, but that I would make sure to do the survey.

Then I was going to compose this post yesterday and have it ready to go bright and early this morning; but of course, I procrastinated, and instead I’m sitting here at the desk writing it late in the day. I’m not really sure how many layers of procrastination that makes, but it’s definitely recursive. Oh, well… that’s 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.”

I had another blog entry written out by hand on a notepad, which I meant to post a few days ago, but this has been a disruption-filled week, and I never did get around to typing and posting it. First, the old printer in the home office went bad. My husband ordered another one right away, but then he noticed that the router, which also was “long in tooth,” was having some issues too, and he replaced it.

Of course, that meant all kinds of things needed to have settings updated, and he has been working to get it all properly configured. I am glad he has the expertise to take care of our computers and devices, but this week I’ve had to remind myself not to worry about the small things. This too shall pass…

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 change of seasons in late September often feels too sudden to me. Even though the hot days still feel like summer, it gets dark so much earlier that I find myself wondering where the daylight went.

The moon is bright and full this evening, though. I heard an owl hooting when I was outside earlier, and I’ll take it as a timely reminder that there is always something to appreciate in the longer nights.

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 felt pretty good after Sunday’s marathon row. There were no blisters on my hands, I didn’t have to crawl out of the boat, and I had no aches or pains sitting in the car during the trip home. Although my hips felt a bit stiff the next morning when I bent down to unload the dishwasher, that went away after I’d been walking around for a little while. Overall, it was much better than I had expected.

So, when my husband mentioned that it was about time to get our flu and Covid vaccines, I thought it would be just fine taking a midday break from work and going to the pharmacy on Wednesday. That turned out to be overly optimistic. Fatigue hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks by the end of the workday. I felt way more exhausted than when I’d gotten vaccines in the past. Although I went to bed at a reasonable hour, my Garmin tracker informed me that my sleep was very poor and not restorative.

I’m feeling better now, getting ready to go to bed, and reminding myself that everything changes all the time and there’s no reason to worry about it.

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 rowing a full marathon on Sunday in the double with my husband, on the Chicago River. We have rowed the half-marathon there before, but this will be our first time doing the full course. The thought of it doesn’t seem as daunting as it would have a few years ago. I’ve found that as we do more, we quietly adjust our expectations to match.

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.”

Earlier today, my husband told me we’ll be going back to Boston again this October to compete in the Head of the Charles regatta. Our double had been waitlisted and finally rose to the top of the list. We’ve been doing some hard workouts in it this summer, going down to the boathouse to row after work even when it is broiling hot. So, we feel that we are well prepared.

I’m going to enjoy not having much to do over Labor Day, other than our usual Saturday and Monday workouts (every Sunday is an off day in our training plan). It should be nice and mellow. Wishing all readers a good long weekend of just being, also!

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 feral cat got into the boathouse recently and had a litter of kittens under a workbench. When they were found, there was some confusion about what to do with them. One of our members, Jan Hill, capably took charge of the situation and made a comfy little nest for the kittens with an old laundry basket, a cardboard box, and some towels. Then she carried them outside carefully and put them where Mama Cat could find them, along with an open can of cat food. Mama found them right away, and I’m sure she enjoyed the food. A happy ending for all!

And here’s a cute cat story to go along with this post—hope you enjoy it:

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 feeling cheerful when I wake up, free of thoughts about past worries. For whatever reason, they don’t seem to matter much now. Maybe it has something to do with the new windows letting more light into the house. Whatever it is, I hope it stays.

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.”

With so many possibilities all around us, making choices is not always easy. In a world that is changing so quickly, often it takes some effort to get oriented. When I feel unsure of what to do next, I try to keep in mind that, generally, being kind is a good place to start.

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.”