Sometimes You Need an Excuse

 #1 - "Is that racist?"  I saw something the other day that appeared to be prejudiced to me.  And the nervousness I felt in confronting it (not even confronting just inquiring), helped me feel how difficult this is.  

#2 - I did though and I realized, "YEAH I did something courageous this week!"  All summer at the retreat center each Sunday in the "Sacred Space" service we would be asked to think of something courageous we could do that week. I took this practice very seriously, and when I got home I was happy to have an idea to continue this practice.  This week I didn't have any ideas, yet it still happened today!

#3 - I met someone today with quadruplets.  I've heard of such things, but just thinking how to get that many (pre-school) kids safely from where you live to a car or anywhere, was a reality check I'd never experienced.

#4 - Sometimes we meet people that we may think we'd like to connect with again, but we need an excuse.  I'm using the book club I'm starting with friends to do this.  There is a sweet woman much younger than I that worked at the same retreat center over the summer and whose home is nearby.  She gave me her # to stay in contact, I doubt anything would have happened, but I used it to invite her to my book club and she said she will come.

Yesterday I did the same to the woman who was my Realtor and today she wants to join too!

#5 - Similarly there is a woman I work with who I thought last year, "I should ask her if she'd like to go for a walk."  She seems like someone I'd enjoy talking to, she lives nearby, and she's a native Spanish speaker (I'd like to practice)..  Last week at our staff meeting I also learned she likes to go for walks and was also working somewhere in Washington state over the summer.  So today I asked her.  We don't have a time yet, but she is willing.  If it is next week it could be my next courageous thing (not the walk but trying to have a conversation in Spanish).

In Case You Were Wondering

#1 -  In Case You Were Wondering...because I was wondering, if home would lack in comparison to the majesty of my summer...

Tonight my niece had a cross country ski race at a Three Rivers Park called Gale Woods Farm.  I noticed when I looked it up on the map that there is a new Three Rivers Park just a bit north of there.  So after the race I drove up there to check it out.  

It's small, most of it is under rehabilitation so only a section of it has a trail open to the public.  However that also means it is undeveloped.  I was the only person there and as I watched the sun setting on the trees across the pond

 I looked at the sky

 I looked at the prairie, 

I started to cry.

#2 - Also my niece, as usual, is such a strong runner it is a joy to watch.  I was actually able to keep up with her briefly near the end as she'd just gone up a hill.  (Previously I've tried to keep up with her at the end of a race, so I can see her and not been able to.) 

#3 - Also my laptop wasn't working when I tried it Wed night which was stressin. I told my job I do from home, that I planned to come back next week but needed to find a laptop first.

They called and said they would send me one. #4 - Since the pressure was off, I tried my old laptop again and it works, for now.  

#5 - I am more and more adamant that a big part of enjoying life is protecting spaces - spaces in landscape, spaces in time, spaces.   I'm not sure what that looks like on a bigger scale, but it feels like a substantial part of my purpose/mission. People (myself included) are often uncomfortable with it initially, but beneath space is a reservoir of fortune.