For me, it’s the season of: (a partial list only)
Listening to cardinals sing to me in the morning.
(Description of video below: a 20 second video of a cardinal, highlighted by sunlight, singing its song while sitting on bare tree branches against a blue sky. The cardinal is seen flying across the screen at the end of the video. It’s a video taken by a phone so the quality is what it is.)
Requesting a refund when I no longer trust they will handle my writing, my heart, or my personhood with care.
Leaving another writing group/membership group when it no longer feels like a good fit.
Fanning the teeny spark of a flame of the creative project that was just beginning to grow but lost a bit of vitality after the last two bullet points (above).
Hitting it off with cool new person #1 who then introduced me to cool new person #2 who I end up chatting with, easily, for two hours… so then they, of course, introduced me to cool new person #3 and again I chat with this third cool person for well beyond our scheduled time.
It was the perfect balm for a slightly bruised heart.
And a friendly reminder that talking to people who make my heart happy needs to be bumped up on my priority list.
Saying yes when cool new person #1 reads one of my short stories and they ask if I want to talk about turning it into a TV pilot! (I’m so excited!!!!)
Noticing what I’m feeling, sensing and saying when I have deep respect for someone vs. what I’m feeling sensing and saying (or not saying) when an interaction doesn’t go the way I’d hoped it would, and I feel obligated, or expected, to do most of the labour to stay in connection with someone.
Then trying not to kick myself too hard when I realize how often I ignore my gut instincts even though I know when I do, it leads me astray.
Believing friends when they tell me what they need… and grieving when what they need is for me to be out of their life at the moment.
Daily heart-to-hearts with Miss Violet.
We’re all still missing Lady Dianna.
Giving myself more space and time away from people who I no longer consider safe for my mental, emotional, or physical health.
Trying to manage new/same pain that’s being extra dramatic lately.
Bracing myself for appointments with my current and new-to-me doctors and specialists.
Finally agreeing to walk outside with my partner wearing the matching ponchos he got us for Christmas many years ago simply to cheer him up.
My husband had been having a rough day. And I have always refused to wear this poncho because I don’t want to be that (old) couple that wears matching clothing when we go out. My partner, however, has been longing for that day since before we got married. And this year we’re celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. SO, me agreeing to this turned his frown into a goofy grin, which made him then dance around the kitchen and pray for rain during our after-dinner walk
His prayers came true and we walked matchy-matchy in the rain. And don’t let the above picture fool you… he loved every minute of it.
I always ask for my husband’s consent whenever I want to share a picture of him because he enjoys his privacy. For this one, I suggested I could share a black and white version, but he requested the colour version so that you can easily see that our ponchos are the same colour.
Submitting more short stories for publication so that I can hopefully share them with you soon. (You can listen to me read a previously published one on this podcast. Or read another one of my stories that just got published this past January.)
Measuring my
child’steen’s height every few days because based on how he’s been growing since his birthday, I may be the shortest person in our house before the summer.Wearing an N-95 mask whenever I’m inside any place that isn’t my home. (I never stopped.)
Cooking more because reading Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Sohla El-Waylly has given me the confidence to try new things in the kitchen, fail at them, and then to try again.
I’m still a little shocked by how quickly it’s helped me prep food faster, and cook it so that it tastes way better than it ever did before.
Getting immersed in the book All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a novel. Most of what I've read lately has just been kind of meh, so I was delighted by how quickly I got immersed in this book. Seeing the many sides of the relationships the main character has with his father, his brother, and the town where he grew up were some of my favourite sections to read. Unfortunately, the ending felt a little rushed for me, so that took away some of my enjoyment.
Watching beautiful things to help me rest and regroup like: (Links are to IMDb listings if you’d like to learn more about the titles listed below.)
The movie Anatomy of a Fall. I was suspicious about all the hype surrounding this movie, but it quickly impressed me, and then continued to keep me fascinated with where the story went.
An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet. This series where Jamie Lannister’s table tennis loving alter ego introduced me to innovative technology and people with mind-boggling creativity and care for their communities was a delight to watch. I learned so much!
Season 2 of Big Boys did not disappoint! Just like the first season, it made me laugh and cry. Sometimes simultaneously.
I didn’t know what to expect with the movie Rye Lane. The trailer didn’t wow me. But the movie sure did. I was laughing within minutes. It’s quirky, smart, and so bloody bright and colourful, which only makes it more joyful. It’s a sweet story.
The seventh season of The Great Pottery Throw Down has been one of its best. The people selected made amazing pieces right from the start, and the judges remain as lovely as ever.
The movie Perfect Days mesmerized me from the beginning. Despite its length and lack of dialogue, I didn't once feel tempted to distract myself with doom scrolling on my phone. And there’s a scene at the end that feels like a reward when you see it!!! At first, I didn’t know what to make of that scene. I ended up putting a hand over my chest while I watched it because it made my heart race through an intense range of emotions that made me ache a little, and my eyes leak. But in a good way. It’s brilliant! If you’ve seen it, will you let me know if the mantra “Next time is next time. Now is now,” is still bouncing around in your brain, too?
And who would I be if I didn’t remind you about the movie Fingernails. While my obsession with it has passed, and I don’t watch it every night anymore, I still really love it. Click here if you’d like a reminder of ALL of my reasons why.
So… what's this season like for you?