As I’ve been pondering blogging, what it once was, and what I imagine it returning to now, I remembered The Simple Woman’s Daybook.
Months ago, when I was really struggling, I began listing things in my journal that I saw, smelled, tasted, heard, and felt as a grounding practice. It sounds simple, but it helped.
The Simple Woman’s Daybook reminds me of that intention to pay attention.
What is it? It’s simple. A series of prompts to use monthly simply to pay attention. The Daybook was started in 2008 by a woman named Peggy at http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com and bloggers continue it to this day.
Today, I’m joining again.
For Today
Looking out my window I see nothing, because it’s still dark.
I am thinking about how I appreciate this season of my life where my time is largely my own. We have a comfortable home, sufficient resources, and opportunities my parents would have loved to have had. No, all is not perfect, but it’s pretty darn good.
I am thankful that our freezer is full of the season’s bounty and my canning shelves are respectably full.
One of my favourite things is getting coffee and going for a drive in the country with Gerry and Maya.
I am creating watercolour paintings. None that are technically good, all that I enjoy playing with.
I am wearing P.J.s. Winter flannels, not because I need to but because they’re comforting. Odd, but I’m looking forward to the cold season this year.
I am reading Still Life, the first of Canadian author Louise Penny’s Gamache books. I’ve already surpassed my Goodreads goal of reading 40 books this year and decided to try something different. Penny’s popular—and Canadian—so I thought I’d give it a whirl. Also, I set aside the much-anticipated Jodi Picoult’s latest (I didn’t finish the last one either. Disappointing, because she’s been my favourite author for decades.)
I am learning . . . so many things. About people, myself, and the created world. I have far more questions than answers.
In my kitchen I’m going to roast (yet more) tomatoes. I stumbled across a too-good-to-resist bargain on Roma tomatoes yesterday and brought home (another) case. Roasting them in a slow oven with garlic herbs, onions, and a drizzle of olive oil is my new favourite thing to do with tomatoes.
In my garden the only thing that remains are beets. Planted late, they won’t be large, but we’ll enjoy tender young beets and greens for a few more weeks.
Post Script
The practice of paying attention is a worthy one. It’s easy (for me, maybe for you too?) to feel overwhelmed by all that is happening in our beautiful world right now. Pausing to notice the gifts of ordinary things helps.
Shared Quote
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
A moment from my day
Solitary walks In a favourite place have been a time of quiet refuge lately.
Closing Notes
I’ve enjoyed compiling this simple list. The time spent has been a refuge. I hope you enjoy reading this glimpse into an ordinary life.
We now return to regularly scheduled programming.
I adored reading this and will definitely go check out the source. I wrote yesterday about the small decisions we make each day and how those build to create our lives. Being attentive is such an important part of making those choices. Thank you for this.