Upper Valley (VT/NH) Action

Another hectic and exhausting month -- attempting to keep up with work and a preschooler in quarantine.  While I'm enjoying the regular check-ins of this challenge to remind me that I am, in fact, moving joyfully and keeping up (sort of) on decluttering, I have not yet been able to check off much more beyond what I would "normally"...

With winter approaching in NH, I've taken my gardening indoors -- starting with a fresh smelling and room-centering rosemary plant. Excited to add to this herb "collection" in the weeks to come!

Forgiving myself is sometimes so much harder than forgiving others - - my standards are just so high! So I have been focusing on forgiving myself for past choices that lead me away from where I am meant to be. Some of those choices were decades ago, but I haven't been able to let go. Now is the time. And each time I forgive, the freer I am and...

I just got home from being in Maine for 12 days. There was a huge rain storm on the drive back to NH yesterday and I went to bed exhausted. When I woke up there was fog everywhere, but by mid day it had cleared. Though I had a lot of other things on my 'to do' list, I took my dog for a 90 minute walk in our neighborhood. The smell of wet leaves...

I just facilitated a zoom conversation with a group of artists - - we meet once a month and one of use guides the discussion around a particular topic. It was my turn to lead and I loved listening to each of the participants respond to the prompt we presented. I felt myself leaning into the computer screen, wanting to be in the other people's...

I am attempting to create "places" in my home for everything we have. If a space fills up, we'll need to get rid of something before we can add more to it. I'm finding this particularly effective with kids' toys -- we have a good amount of space allocated to toy storage, with a bit more space remaining for some new items, but once...

Seeing the outdoors through the eyes of my 3-yo is an incredible way to be present in nature and to appreciate each berry and insect. During many hikes lately, we have been collecting "textures" by finding and identifying items that feel interesting. It has been interesting finding how textures vary in different types of forests --...

It's pretty intoxicating to spend two hours watching the sun and tide rise in sync. It was in the 30's and my hands were frozen, but it was just one of those moments. I thought a lot about whose land this is and about those who have stood in this same spot before me. It was humbling, to say the least.

I m grateful for the discipline this challenge provides. I've been on vacation in a beautiful natural setting in Maine and have been able to spend a lot of time walking in and connecting with the natural world. Last week I witnessed at least 30 Monarchs on their journey south and this weekend I witnessed a flock of migrating birds of some kind...

Particularly during this time of separation, "family game nights" have been an amazing way to connect with my siblings and parents.  We have a weekly Zoom night scheduled to play some of our favorite games via online sites (boardgamearena.com, netgames.io, jackboxgames.com) -- as well as chat, enjoy some dessert "together,"...