Day 3,934

This morning was my first run in about a week, my back was pretty good for the most part. Nice to get it al loosened back up and ready to go!

Mindset makes a big difference. So does clarity. As does sharing the load. Take a deep breath, get others involved. It will all get worked out.

Beyond grateful for the ongoing love and support from Becky. She always seems to know just what I need to hear and when, both the good and the bad, and is always there to help me through the difficult days. Life is so much easier when I can know I’m that supported.

Yoga… ahh… yoga… Exactly what the body and soul need to pause, zoom out, and get back into the right focus on what really matters. The crazy workout and puddle of sweat were very rewarding as well!

Watching soccer with Dominic while texting my brother – priceless! The game didn’t go as we’d hoped, but was only slightly worse than expected. We had a blast laughing, joking, and enjoying the ride. While watching sports isn’t one of my go to’s for relaxation time there are definitely some awesome ways in which it can help build and strengthen bonds between brothers and friends.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,933

I could really get used to the three day weekend concept!

This morning we knocked out a peaceful walk shortly after waking up. While we skipped the normal hiking haunts due to the heat for Leia we hit the end of Fisherman’s Road and enjoyed a quiet walk almost n the woods with almost no other traffic. There were trees and woods on both sides of us at times, so much greenery for us to take in and enjoy. The birds were plentiful – being both seen and heard. Such a calming start to the day, all the better having the time for the two of us to relax and talk.

Church included a thought provoking sermon on the importance of feeling a sense of wonder and fascination. We ate lunch, knocked out the last of our weekend tasks, and took some time to play some games with just the two of us.

Dominic joined us late in the afternoon and we were cheering loudly for the Norway versus Brazil soccer match, enjoying the excitement provided. Dinner and a walk, then games and talking about future hiking adventures he plans on having.

Now it’s back to Gavin and I sitting on the couch, shooting the bull and watching the Mexico v England match and catching up on the day.

Soon will be bed and starting the week all over again.

A wonderful day to wrap up a perfect weekend at home with family!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,932

I could get used to this three day weekend stuff! Having the opportunity to sleep in a little today felt amazing. So easy to forget how much more sleep we could actually use, especially when there’s extra time to relax.

Having the entire bonus day yesterday to get most of our stuff done was excellent, today was the opportunity to get a little extra knocked out. It also meant more time to spend with family.

We also had a wonderful time hanging out with friends to celebrate the Fourth. So many laughs, shooting the bull, and hanging out felt great, exactly the right way to spend a bonus day of chill!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,931

Today was definitely a list kind of day! Why settle for one thing or a theme when going wide seems so much more fitting?

• Getting a nice little sleep in, even if it was only until 7:20 or so.
• An almost immediate walk with Becky and Leia, time in motion, time to talk and connect.
• Eating a solid breakfast, taking time to cook eggs.
• Watching Gavin enjoy pole vaulting at RiverFest while talking with Dominic.
• Doing a handful of adulting tasks, enjoying them rather than feeling obligated to do them.
• Watching soccer with Dominic while eating lunch.
• Mowing the lawn even when it’s hot and humid.
• Having an early dinner with Becky.
• Going grocery shopping on a Friday when it’s quiet, running into Dominic there, and enjoying the lack of any type of rush,
• Reading a thought provoking book throughout the day.
• Hanging out with Dominic and Caitlyn, chilling in the living room, shooting the bull.
• Getting 10-15 minutes of concentrated Gavin energy as he transitions from work to heading off to meet up with friends.
• Relaxing on the couch quietly with Becky, both reading.
• Wrapping up my day with a review of how much I appreciated it and why.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,930

Growth:

Reminders that all in life is not permanent, especially the “stuff” we surround ourselves with and attempt to find comfort in, are all around us, we need only pause and pay attention. Today I was shown one of these reminders, the largest mansion I’d ever set foot in, owned by quite possibly one of the wealthiest people I have met, was being torn down just under a year after his death. We’d had an interesting conversation on the collection of stuff at one time we were there, the sight of it being demolished was quite impactful. His impact and legacy lives on in so many, his stuff is no longer.

What kept resonating in my head as I watched the news footage was the sign in George Bailey’s office in It’s a Wonderful Life:

All that you can take with you is that which you have given away.

Appreciation & Presence:

These two are joining forces today as they were very much interrelated! Dominic came home from the Cities for the holiday weekend and joined us for a little soccer watching, dinner, and some family games. Gavin stepped up big time and made us homemade chicken parm for supper for all of us and it was dee-lish! As I type he’s also knocking out the dishes, strong work!

Spending time with my family is my favorite thing in the world, to have that time together, to joke and talk and eat and play and exist together was priceless. So present with them throughout, so appreciative for the time we get together like this as a family!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,929

This quote really struck a chord with me this morning. Be warned, it’s sounds more than a little dark, but deeply insightful. For sure, it’s not nearly as certain as it sounds, more of how things can feel throughout life as we get older.

When I looked up at my father as a boy, I thought being a man was having control. Being the master and commander of your own destiny. How could any boy know that freedom is lost the moment you become a man. Things start to count. To press in. Constricting slowly, inevitably, creating a cage of inconveniences and duties and deadlines and failed plans and lost friends.

Pierce Brown, Morning Star

In so many ways this explains the feeling of attachment. The more we have, the more we are stressed to keep it. The more nervous we become about losing it. The less likely to stay present as we have now created the space for worry.

Very insightful, I’m very glad to be reading this series again to stumble upon this.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,928

As I re-read Life Lived Wild by Rick Ridgeway there are certain lines that resonate deeply for unexpected reasons. One in particular is the following quote after they’ve been in the mountains for quite some time. The clarity Rick feels in that moment is priceless, the types of deep thoughts which only seem to surface once we strip away all the noise and stresses of our daily modern life.

I stood and paused and considered the satisfaction of a perfectly placed tent stake.

Rick Ridgeway, Life Lived Wild

This quote brings to mind my seemingly infinite moments of sitting in stillness and silence on a rock in the middle of a large stream in Porcupine Mountain State Park watching the dragonflies zip across my line of sight eating up mosquitoes, seeming to suck them right up into their jaws. Once of the deepest moments of peace and stillness I’ve ever experienced in my adult life.

Just closing my eyes and thinking back to that memory brings such joy, such stillness to my soul. My heart rates slows, my shoulders relax, my world becomes more clear.

I honestly could not say just how long I sat upon that rock and observed nature in silence, time was irrelevant to me as the water rushed by. The only time was Now, there was only Present.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,926

A couple of quick hits today, no real format, time for some freestyle…

• Perfect camping weather is amazing and greatly appreciated. After several years of extreme heat, rain, storms, and whatnot it was great to nail a perfect camping weather weekend.
• Another weekend spent in the campervan.
• Several years ago I realized I should be reading the same books as the boys. There’s been a large number of books we’ve all read or at least two of us have, and there has yet to be disappointment from any of us on those books. Regardless of who picks it up first we quite often will take each others book recommendations to heart. What I’m most appreciative of is the ability to have conversations about those stories afterwards, both the fiction and nonfiction.
• Tweaking my back really sucks, but it reminds me to be grateful for the other 99.999% of the time when I have zero issues. Hoping it heals up quick, but using each moment of discomfort to remind me that I’m glad I stay in relatively good health and don’t have ongoing back issues.
• A full weekend reset was exactly what the doctor ordered, completely with the crazy early bed time I’m about to have!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,925

So much outdoors time today, it was wonderful! For well over 12 hours I was relaxing, walking, or chilling outside. Virtually every moment of the day was spent either outdoors or in our campervan, talk about s perfect day!

At one point I was reading in my hammock. I paused, took in the view of the bright green leaves contrasting with the bold blue sky with just enough foliage to block the direct sun while amplifying the sunlight. My mind went back to the comment made by Human in The Speaker for the Dead, “Come and sit in my shade, and see the sunlight through my leaves, and rest your back against my trunk.” So perfectly fitting and serene.

Thanks!!!