Living in England, as Americans, we were constantly reminded of the different meanings that words could be assigned. "Chips" in the UK are "fries" in the USA. "Chips" in the USA are "crisps" in the UK. I may have thought that there was a finite collection of words that one could learn + move forward code switching between...but it became evident within a day or two that practically every sentence uttered between us needed some sort of clarification. This constant attention to language was and continues to be thought provoking.

The other day, I was (again) considering contentment after noticing, with some annoyance, my inability to keep hold of it. I began to turn the idea of "good"-ness over + over in my mind. 

In the UK, commenting that a dessert is "nice" is heartfelt praise. At first threw me off, because in the USA, "nice" is a pretty neutral adjective in the same context. It may even be used to add an element of sarcasm to the comment. I like the British usage far more, and wonder if it might offer us a little insight into our lack of contentment, especially as Americans.

In the USA, we often use words like "nice", "good", "fine" and "okay" as pretty neutral words. As Americans, we strive for so much better than the baseline...better than neutral. We strive for "spectacular", "exciting", "wondrous", "awesome", "amazing", "incredible". While all of that is great sometimes, it sets us up for discontent + dissatisfaction.

It's easy to recognize goodness when we don't have it. When we are sick + can't breathe through our noses, we know the goodness of being able to breathe unobstructed. But even as our noses clear, we are already forgetting to see the goodness in that feeling. 

But what if we could truly perceive the goodness of "good"...the okay-ness of ok...the niceness of "nice"...the fineness of "fine"? What if we could wake up to the goodness of having clothing that keeps us comfortable in the elements...the niceness of a warm cup of coffee or tea...the okay-ness of having enough to eat...the goodness of legs that carry us...the fineness of running water...the okay-ness of a roof over our heads...the goodness of the ability to read... 

"Good" is so good!

Love,
​Jane

A few days before the end of 2021, we decided to commit to Adrienne's 30 day yoga challenge. It wasn't absolutely clear when we would fit this practice into our schedules, but it felt important to make the commitment to move + stretch with intention.

Like many challenges, the first week went great. Each evening after dinner, the three of us got on our mats + moved along with Adrienne (what a kind teacher). She often prompts us to acknowledge that we've already done the most difficult thing before we've even begun...we've shown up.

As the second week set in, so did the obstacles...an injury, a visit we didn't want to pass up, and overly stuffed stomachs derailed our plans. And here is where a little more kindness comes in. Instead of deciding that we'd failed in our commitment, we decided that the commitment was 30 days of yoga...not necessarily 30 consecutive days of yoga. 

I truly believe that this is a better commitment. In our case, it is more realistic...and it just might result in a longer term practice. Some commitments require brutal, unwavering dedication. Sometimes we benefit from a little gentleness. I think we can tell the difference.

Love,
Jane

​​The beginning of a new year...a blank slate...an empty page...a time as good as any to reimagine our lives...set intention...and design a pathway forward. 

Some questions I find useful:

• What do I value most? 
• What would I love for the heart of my life to look like?
• What is my work? (Not my job.) What is my purpose here?
• What might my life look like if what I value most was most prioritized?
• What supports my values + purpose?
• What does not support my values + purpose?
• Am I willing to let the things that don't support my values right now fall away?
• How do I want to spend my time?
• How do I design my life to honor my values?

It makes sense to me to approach this designing in the same way that I approach simplifying my home, wardrobe or calendar. Start with a clean sheet of paper + decide what belongs. The temptation is to look at each item we have + consider whether we want to let it go or not. If we look at each tchotchke, sweater + commitment this way, it is difficult to decide to let go. We may simply consider our attachment rather than its value to our lives. Many of the things we love, both physical + otherwise, can actually hinder our intentions rather than enhance them.

If we instead look at our space + decide how we need it to function (yes, beauty is a function too) + what items support these functions...then we can better understand how to move forward + to shop our own belongings. We can decide to place an extra object (or five) in place(s) of honor...but we may realize that we have many superfluous objects too.

When we design our lives around our highest values, we may find that some things we thought we couldn't give up just aren't serving what we value most. We might decide to say, "no thank you" to an offered promotion...decide to sit out a traditional vacation this year...or remove the pursuit of prestige from a hobby.

I want to intentionally prioritize what I want in my life (love + my primary relationships, for example). I don't want to just squeeze them in around the edges. We know that we cannot eat every good thing at one meal. We do not need to own every good thing. Likewise, I cannot do every good thing at once...and that is just fine. Creating some space around the things I value most allows me to treasure them appropriately. The same thing happens in my home, my wardrobe + my calendar.

Define values often...let the imagination soar...be ready to respond accordingly...live!

Love,
​Jane

I've been on a quest to know enough for years. It's still not always easy or second nature. I'm not sure why it seems to be human nature that we are always looking outward for more. Maybe it's a sort of survival instinct...to keep looking for more food so that we don't starve...to stay vigilant about the state of our shelter so that we don't freeze or bake in the sun. I don't know why, but I sometimes have a hard time staying in a state of awareness about enough. I tend toward looking around my surroundings + wondering how I can make things better.

There are a few things (that we can surely live without...we have been for years) that could make our lives just a little bit lovelier. My partner + I have been spending time in our bedroom in the mornings + in the evenings. I have avoided bedside tables that tend to collect clutter, but it would be nice for him to have a place to set a drink on his side of the bed. It would also be nice to have a light that we could turn on at the switch when we enter the room + that illuminated our room enough for reading in the evenings.

I have collected some images of bedside tables + lights...and it's these images that attract my desirous gaze. I don't like feeling wanty or lacking, so those feelings remind me to look at the elements we already have with appreciation + admiration for how they serve us well. We have lovely laundry baskets. I love their golden color, their beautiful texture + their large size that keeps their contents out of sight from my perch on the bed.

We have a lovely bed with a comfy mattress atop a sturdy frame. The bedding is made up of so many textures + shades of white. I love how sunlight + shadows play off of them. The soft layers have been collected over decades + each repaired rip + stain just makes it more ours.

I love the green plants that were each started from the first plant we brought home to this house. The stones + rocks + shells that sit on the window sills remind us of adventures we've had...of deserts + mountains + beaches we've walked together over the years. 

We have so much that is so good. And we have each other. We have love...ragged, tested, chosen love. Ahh...that's better.  :)

Love,
​Jane

We are all powerful + powerless. Our choices are part of a great network that touch people + plants + the planet both near + far from where we stand. At the same time, the climate is shifting, violence rages and a pandemic continues to claim lives.

We cannot keep the leaves from changing colors + falling off the trees, but we can take in their beauty whether overhead or under foot.

We cannot insulate ourselves from suffering, but we can still see beautiful sunsets + drink in the sound of children playing + marvel at the swirl of milk going into coffee in the midst of it.

We cannot single handedly stop climate change, but we can make decisions one by one...choosing not to drive so far, choosing loose soap rather than packaged, choosing to cozy up under a blanket rather than turning the thermostat up a degree or two. We can exercise our influence...sharing our experiences positively.

I think perhaps our greatest power lies in the ability to change our minds...to change our perspective. Goodness is here to be found. Collaboration is necessary. One choice at a time. 

Love,
​Jane

I had plans for this to be a good year for our vegetable garden. My seeds were started inside early in the year. Before I could get them in the ground, however, life threw me a curve ball. Suddenly I had some choices to make about how I would spend my energy in the months to come. 

Early on, I resolved to plant the seeds + tend the soil. With a little more time, I decided to let myself off the hook with the garden. I just didn't have energy to do it all...even all the good things. 

We ended up with some resilient tomatoes + cucumbers anyway (when we decided to go out + get them). The other day, we pulled the tangle of weeds + vines from our garden beds and added spring's compost that still sat in the garage. As I pulled the last leaves, beets dangled heavily underneath them. I couldn't believe it. Were these survivors from our spring planting or were these late developments from months old seeds? I cut one open + found juicy gold inside.

A couple weeks ago, I felt a fierce urgency to set myself up for what comes next at work. I struggled with how to go about doing this for most of the weekend. That Sunday evening, the idea of just loosening by grip + releasing all of the striving occurred to me. My mind seemed to suddenly clear + my perspective shifted totally.

Instead of setting myself up for leadership, I realized that I don't actually need to assert myself in that way. I don't want my currency to be more hours or more status or even more money. I realize that this signals a level of privilege. Certainly there is a point up to which more of these elements truly can translate into a better life. We talk about this often here in terms of garment workers and farmers. But at a certain point happiness or fulfillment levels off + can even begin to decline in relation to increased income. Scientists call this the fulfillment curve. I'm not sure I've reached the top of the curve, but I do believe that we can reach the top of the curve more quickly when we decrease our wants.

We swim in a sea where capitalism is king, and capitalism is all about accumulation. I've come to see clearly that accumulation is not my goal. I don't need a bigger wardrobe, a bigger house, a fancier car or better jewelry. My currency is love...love to give + to receive. My currency is joy, wonder, freedom, friendship, choice...choice in the form of how I spend as much of my time as possible.

Who knows where my work will take me? I've been able to raise questions + influence change from the bottom. I do not need to grasp at power or take every opportunity to make more money in exchange for my precious time. I'm not opposed to taking a leadership position, but the decision to shift into that position will be a carefully considered one should the opportunity arise.

We tend to focus on the benefits gained by focusing on our priorities, but it might be just as valuable to take note of the benefits gained by letting go.

Open hands. Let go. Receive.

Love,
​Jane

I am a lover of lists. I make grocery lists + packing lists...dream lists...things to get done on our house lists...who I am + who I want to be lists. I also like Moonlists. I've followed along with Leigh's sort of everyday questions to friends + neighbors over the years + was inspired to ask myself the same questions too. I have mentioned her first book here before. 

But I'm not sure I've mentioned what these lists have offered me over the months that I've contemplated + written them. These lists have pointed out the tendency for my other lists to be somewhat future oriented. I often make lists of what I want to buy or pack or what I want to accomplish in the days to come. Moonlists are made thinking back over the recent past...the last two or four weeks. These lists can seem a bit mundane or unnecessary at first (like I've been sweating on morning walks for weeks now...or we've been eating cucumbers at every meal). But when I read back over them, they feel like juicy snapshots of exquisite, forgotten moments. I mean, of course I want to remember the fireflies flickering over the ripening strawberries...and Jo's puppy's exuberant ear licks when we picked them up outside their apartment as the fire alarm blared.

During the past few months, I've been making these lists with my partner. We discuss our individual answers + I write down bits of the conversation. I'd done some of the prompts before + reading over what I wrote the last time offers some perspective + contrast. It's interesting to hear his insights on what has stood out to him in the recent past...which might be something I'd totally forgotten about or thought about differently. It could be lovely to discuss these sorts of questions over the phone with a willing, long distance friend or relative...or with a child. 

I do think Leigh's books are lovely, but this is not a nudge to spend or acquire. The idea for Moonlists came from hearing about an older couple who came up with questions to answer every two weeks which coincided with the moon cycles. We can form our own moonlists by following Leigh's lead + focusing on the near past. Instead of asking, "What is your favorite memory of summer?"...one could be prompted to describe a taste, smell + sound remembered from the last two weeks...or "What has your mind been coming back to repeatedly?"

It can be lovely to take a moment to stop + think about these simple questions. Putting thoughts + sensations + feelings into words that can be written can shed some much needed light on what previously felt mundane, chaotic or impossible. These lists have been a lovely way to connect + share...with others + with myself.

Love,
Jane

The mornings are a touch darker, and the evenings are a bit cooler these days. We are encountering a new season + setting intentions for new rituals. We've enjoyed our summer evenings so. I don't want to lose momentum. Autumn evenings by the lake are perhaps less sticky, but even more itchy than summer ones.

There will still be plenty of evenings by the lake, but also some spent by the screen door watching the leaves of our maple tree turn from green to red. Warm drinks + simple snacks will be enjoyed while focusing on gratitudes from our days...new books will be read...and new songs will be discovered...together.

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

My preferences mostly lean toward an earthy palette, but I've been grabbing this bright bag again lately for a bit of cheer. The other day I looked down + noticed the color repeated...and couldn't help but smile. It's worth noticing what sparks happy.  :)

Love,
​Jane

I've been feeling the need to shift gears after coming home from work lately. Today, I tried making as gear shifter.

Visualizing where I'd like to end up with a project requires a singular focus. Color offers visceral pleasure. Feeling the materials moves me into my body. Visual fingerprints, experimentation + imperfection are welcome in my making practice. Today, process was the goal.

Love, 
Jane