Meg Evans

By early afternoon, I was feeling somewhat distracted after a few minor annoyances, such as my headphones weirding out when I joined a Zoom meeting. After it was over, I went to get gas and groceries. The sun had come out, warming the air, and I felt comfortable standing at the gas pump, unlike the wintery weather of a few days ago. Even though I wasn’t doing anything but ordinary errands, going outside put me in a more cheerful mood.

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 up early this morning before the sun had come up, getting ready to head out to the Turkey Trot with my husband and our grown children. We’ve done this road race together for the past 20 years, so it can fairly be called a tradition, although we haven’t always stayed together on the course. Today, our daughter brought two friends, all walking together while we ran on ahead. They came over to our house afterward and spent some time playing board games, just like when they were kids.

Wishing fun times with friends and family to all, and many blessings!

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 a gloriously warm and sunny autumn day, so perfect that I took the afternoon off from work. It probably was the last one of the year; rain will be moving in tomorrow, with falling temperatures.

That’s all right, though, because winter afternoons in a cozy house are just right for a good book and a cup of tea—or maybe, on a lucky day, a great book.

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.”

Once again, I’m scheduling my Thursday post in advance because of travel plans for another long weekend. I’m heading south this time, visiting my mom, who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., and then rowing in the Head of the South regatta in Augusta to finish out the fall season.

Wishing everyone fun trips and adventures, too!

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 it is chilly here today, the bright sunshine coming through my windows leaves me feeling cheerful anyway, and I don’t mind that the calendar shows it’s getting close to winter.

Wishing sunshine to all my readers today!

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.”

During our recent travels, my husband and I both caught a head cold and have been feeling droopy this week. Although we haven’t had much energy, we are otherwise doing okay, cheering each other up with hugs and laughs. The house is warm and cozy, and we have plenty of blankets and chicken soup to keep us comfortable. Soon enough, we’ll be feeling better, and I can’t complain.

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 scheduling this post in advance because of more traveling, to Boston this week—it will be my first time competing in the famous Head of the Charles regatta. It’s an exciting adventure for my mixed quad crew, none of whom have rowed there before. For this week’s Nurturing Thursday, I’m wishing everyone a wonderful early morning, filled with love.

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 recently because the fall rowing season is underway, but that is all right. Traveling to regattas with my teammates is fun, although it keeps me busy, and the training exercises (even if not fun) are great for fitness. I anticipate many good things to come!

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 did an indoor rowing exercise this afternoon, consisting of four intervals of 5 minutes each. It was part of a weekly plan that my husband and I get from our online coaches. Last year, I was assigned a precise result for this same exercise: my time for each 500 meters (known in rowing jargon as the split) was to be 2:12.2. Over 5 minutes, that comes out to 1,135 meters. I was able to do it for each interval, but it felt exhausting.

The coaches weren’t so exact about it this year, and when I sat down on the machine, I had in mind that I would just try to stay somewhere around a 2:12 split and not worry about where it came out. The exercise felt like it had a much easier flow this time, and as it turned out, I still ended up with precisely 2:12.2 for each interval. Not overthinking it worked much better for me!

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.”

Many years ago, I lived in a neighborhood where an outdoor cat had a habit of walking in mud puddles and then jumping up on parked cars, leaving a line of muddy paw prints across the car. Maybe the cat thought of itself as an artist. We usually kept our cars safely in the garage, but the cat got my husband’s car once when it was in the driveway, and our daughter (who was very young) thought it was hilarious when he grumbled, “I hate cats!” For a long time after that, she went around saying, “Daddy HATES cats!” and giggling.

That memory came to mind not long ago, randomly, when I was looking at a cat picture online. It got me thinking about how quickly life goes by. Even when things seem like major annoyances at the time, we may find that they make us smile later.

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.”