Certainly coming to this site fits the bill. Also, my morning coffee while sitting by the window is a nice ritual. I do have a weekly activity, and that’s mountain biking. It gets me out and into nature. I get to spend time with friends, and I get a good physical workout.
Going to weekly Mass, spending time with my children (in person or otherwise), spending quality time with life time friends, Sailing, Biking, yoga, going to music concerts and walks in nature/Ocean. Also coming and participating on this site. 💕
I spent much of my childhood alone
and left to my own devices . . .
we all were.
My sister made fashion designed paper dolls in her room
and my brother experimented in the back yard,
getting himself stuck
(upsidedown)
in an old brick barbeque chimney.
My parents
had to call the fire company
to get him out.
I loved to explore the neighborhood,
and crawled through culverts
that would have incited a stroke in my mother
had she known.
This was my bliss,
along with all sorts of other trouble
I found for myself.
As I got older
I discovered other ways to find my joy . . .
I spent days
drawing pictures,
writing stories,
and did some wood carving . . .
a bird with spread wings,
carnelians for eyes,
and a beak of obsidian,
held aloft
by a thin strip of bamboo
inserted under its belly.
I taught myself how to knit and crochet,
to tat like my great aunt did,
and to macrame.
The urge to create
has always been strong in me,
has fed my soul for as long as I can remember.
There is something about doing one thing
that makes another thing happen
is a joy of discovery
each time it happens.
What I finish with
is always different
from what I started out with
and is often quite unexpected.
Now,
the gardens give me what I crave as well . . .
I plant a seed . . .
it may be so tiny
I can hardly see it,
or as big as a pea,
and if I tend it well,
and watch it unfold,
amazing things happen.
Each spring
I am in awe that what I’ve planted
comes back,
sometimes in multiples.
And forget about vegetables . . .
to see a mature broccoli crown
or ‘tree’ of Brussels sprouts,
long, golden carrots
dug up from the earth,
a ripe, purple eggplant
hanging so elegantly on its stem
is almost a joy beyond measure . . .
nothing like you would imagine in the grocery store.
Since becoming grateful
I see the task of washing them
as holy,
and I treat them with tenderness.
This feeds my soul as well.
So does sweeping the floor,
doing the laundry,
painting a picture,
and making the bed.
I am grateful to be able to do all of these things . . .
grateful for eyes to see,
hands to hold the paintbrush
and the broom,
knees and back that bend
to plant the seeds and change the sheets . . .
grateful to have a home to take care of
at all.
I fill myself up
heart and soul
with more gifts
than I am able to contemplate. ♥
My husband and I start each day together on our sofa. He makes coffee and brings me my cup and the French press. The cat curls up on my lap to share his warmth. We talk about what the day holds and make plans if we’re doing something together, maybe reminisce about a memory or talk about some minor ache or pain. Our running joke now is to say “when we get old” as the time we’ll do something we don’t feel like doing now, in our early 60s.
Then my husband goes off to do his thing, maybe do a bike workout on the trainer, chores or errands, working in the garage on his radio-controlled model airplane hobby. I read poetry and some daily reading; right now that’s Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening and The Daily Artist’s Way. I come to this site, read your responses, maybe comment or respond, and write in my journal. At some point I always look out the front window toward the tall trees in the park that lies in that direction, then out the back sliding door to the Dr. Seuss tree and the arborvitae that provide a buffer between our yard and the neighbors, and look at what I can see of the sky to gauge the weather.
Some days I’ll then do yoga and meditate. That doesn’t work in the schedule every day. This time of year I’ll also try to sit out on the deck for a bit listening to the birds and looking at the green and growing life in our yard.
At some point in each day I go outside and look at the sky. Sometimes that’s the very end of the day because I spent all day looking at computer screens. Each night before bed I look out my window at the night sky, smile at the moon if she’s there, look for stars.
This question is a reminder to pay attention to how I spend some of my time and ask if it feeds my soul. Playing games on my phone may be relaxing and I guess that’s soul food in a way, but not as nourishing as some of the other things I could do with that time. Not that every single moment has to have a deep and weighty meaning, though.
I’m sure it’s not like this every day,
dear Barb . . .
that would be asking too much,
but what you have described here
is certainly a beautiful day
and I don’t wonder
that it feeds your soul. ♥
Sitting in the sun, hot morning coffee/tea, petting dogs, laughing with my husband & friends, eating fresh, home cooked food; reading, laying in my warm bed, listening to birdsong, swimming, walking/running outside, gratefulness practice here, there are many more …
Ahhhhh…………..
I used a gift card for Target last weekend
to buy a new,
pillow soft mattress pad,
and am looking forward
to feeding my soul tonight
by laying down on it
for the first time. 🙂
What feeds my soul each day: coming here each day to read and respond, connect and communicate our gratitude for life; working in my flower gardens a little or a lot, and some home-keeping/tending; coffee & daily meditations; a connection with good friends or sisters or kids; Bible readings of some sort; my husband and my dog.
Coming to this site and reading the comments here and in the lounge.
Checking the weather in my city as well as that of my relatives in distant cities
Drinking a hot beverage.
Watching the birds at the bird bath.
Reading poetry and inspirational quotes.
Writing the activities of the day and scratching them off as accomplished.
Doing a mind stretching word puzzle.
Connecting with others.
Quiet time in the morning and evening. Reading a spirituality book, journaling., stopping in to this website, and nurturing phone calls with close friends.
Starting my day by coming onto this website and answering/viewing the Daily Question.
Meditations/ASMR in the evening
Nature always feeds my soul
Happy Sunday to all. ☮
Music,
I believe,
dear John,
is one of the keys to the kingdom.
My husband plays,
but not for the last few years.
I long for the day
when he picks up his guitar again.
I have quite a few.
1. Talking to Ngoc
2. Morning and evening walk
3. Reading Vietnamese books
4. Group meditation at the Uptown Vail Place clubhouse in Minneapolis even if I’m the only one who shows up the most consistently at times.
5. Bible study whether it’s the U-Bible version or Red Letter Ministries Discord group. There, it could either be studying the materials alone or joining the mens meeting group every Sunday at 1pm. I group all that into 1 category, Christianity.
Deann, this points back to my past answers that are consistent with putting my ego aside to embrace the love, care, and affection from my elders. Having a sister-in-Christ innocent like a dove in Angela helps. At the end of the day, truth is truth. It certainly feels empty without Ngoc.
Victor Wembanyama has become my favorite NBA player now. He’s the French sensation who can do-it-all, insanely competitive, a gym-rat, mature beyond his years, and has great upside at age 22. All these qualities align with me. The team I’m becoming a fan of is the Spurs, because Wemby is the future of tomorrow’s NBA. Spurs are currently down 2-1 in the best of 7 western conference finals series against the Thunder. They’re the wild card. If my Spurs win, great. If they lose, there are always lessons to learn.
But anyways, not having Ngoc around is like Wemby carrying the Spurs alone. He had that monster 41 points 24 rebounds game on Monday from what I vaguely remember. What I remember for sure is that it was a monster 40-20 game to lead the Spurs to a thrilling double overtime 122-115 game 1 victory against the Thunder. My San Antonio Spurs are currently down 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Meditation 100%!
Certainly coming to this site fits the bill. Also, my morning coffee while sitting by the window is a nice ritual. I do have a weekly activity, and that’s mountain biking. It gets me out and into nature. I get to spend time with friends, and I get a good physical workout.
Going to weekly Mass, spending time with my children (in person or otherwise), spending quality time with life time friends, Sailing, Biking, yoga, going to music concerts and walks in nature/Ocean. Also coming and participating on this site. 💕
I spent much of my childhood alone
and left to my own devices . . .
we all were.
My sister made fashion designed paper dolls in her room
and my brother experimented in the back yard,
getting himself stuck
(upsidedown)
in an old brick barbeque chimney.
My parents
had to call the fire company
to get him out.
I loved to explore the neighborhood,
and crawled through culverts
that would have incited a stroke in my mother
had she known.
This was my bliss,
along with all sorts of other trouble
I found for myself.
As I got older
I discovered other ways to find my joy . . .
I spent days
drawing pictures,
writing stories,
and did some wood carving . . .
a bird with spread wings,
carnelians for eyes,
and a beak of obsidian,
held aloft
by a thin strip of bamboo
inserted under its belly.
I taught myself how to knit and crochet,
to tat like my great aunt did,
and to macrame.
The urge to create
has always been strong in me,
has fed my soul for as long as I can remember.
There is something about doing one thing
that makes another thing happen
is a joy of discovery
each time it happens.
What I finish with
is always different
from what I started out with
and is often quite unexpected.
Now,
the gardens give me what I crave as well . . .
I plant a seed . . .
it may be so tiny
I can hardly see it,
or as big as a pea,
and if I tend it well,
and watch it unfold,
amazing things happen.
Each spring
I am in awe that what I’ve planted
comes back,
sometimes in multiples.
And forget about vegetables . . .
to see a mature broccoli crown
or ‘tree’ of Brussels sprouts,
long, golden carrots
dug up from the earth,
a ripe, purple eggplant
hanging so elegantly on its stem
is almost a joy beyond measure . . .
nothing like you would imagine in the grocery store.
Since becoming grateful
I see the task of washing them
as holy,
and I treat them with tenderness.
This feeds my soul as well.
So does sweeping the floor,
doing the laundry,
painting a picture,
and making the bed.
I am grateful to be able to do all of these things . . .
grateful for eyes to see,
hands to hold the paintbrush
and the broom,
knees and back that bend
to plant the seeds and change the sheets . . .
grateful to have a home to take care of
at all.
I fill myself up
heart and soul
with more gifts
than I am able to contemplate. ♥
Today is a big planting day for me. Can’t wait to see the potatoes and squash poke up. I’m planting late, but have faith.
I am doing the last of my own planting late too,
dear Drea . . .
we’ve had pouring rain
for the last three days,
but like you,
I have faith too. ♥
My husband and I start each day together on our sofa. He makes coffee and brings me my cup and the French press. The cat curls up on my lap to share his warmth. We talk about what the day holds and make plans if we’re doing something together, maybe reminisce about a memory or talk about some minor ache or pain. Our running joke now is to say “when we get old” as the time we’ll do something we don’t feel like doing now, in our early 60s.
Then my husband goes off to do his thing, maybe do a bike workout on the trainer, chores or errands, working in the garage on his radio-controlled model airplane hobby. I read poetry and some daily reading; right now that’s Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening and The Daily Artist’s Way. I come to this site, read your responses, maybe comment or respond, and write in my journal. At some point I always look out the front window toward the tall trees in the park that lies in that direction, then out the back sliding door to the Dr. Seuss tree and the arborvitae that provide a buffer between our yard and the neighbors, and look at what I can see of the sky to gauge the weather.
Some days I’ll then do yoga and meditate. That doesn’t work in the schedule every day. This time of year I’ll also try to sit out on the deck for a bit listening to the birds and looking at the green and growing life in our yard.
At some point in each day I go outside and look at the sky. Sometimes that’s the very end of the day because I spent all day looking at computer screens. Each night before bed I look out my window at the night sky, smile at the moon if she’s there, look for stars.
This question is a reminder to pay attention to how I spend some of my time and ask if it feeds my soul. Playing games on my phone may be relaxing and I guess that’s soul food in a way, but not as nourishing as some of the other things I could do with that time. Not that every single moment has to have a deep and weighty meaning, though.
Reading your reflection made me smile. You’re a good writer Barb.
Thank you, Michele!
I’m sure it’s not like this every day,
dear Barb . . .
that would be asking too much,
but what you have described here
is certainly a beautiful day
and I don’t wonder
that it feeds your soul. ♥
Some days it’s more like “quick, get dressed, you have a meeting that starts soon!”, Sparrow. Those days don’t feel quite right.
I completely get it,
dear Barb . . .
I remember those days well.
Now
it might be a doctor’s appointment
that gets me up early. 🙂
Sitting in the sun, hot morning coffee/tea, petting dogs, laughing with my husband & friends, eating fresh, home cooked food; reading, laying in my warm bed, listening to birdsong, swimming, walking/running outside, gratefulness practice here, there are many more …
”laying in my warm bed…”
Ahhhhh…………..
I used a gift card for Target last weekend
to buy a new,
pillow soft mattress pad,
and am looking forward
to feeding my soul tonight
by laying down on it
for the first time. 🙂
I hope it was heavenly, Sparrow!
It was,
dear Drea . . .
like sleeping on clouds. 🙂
May your slumber be pleasant and nourishing on the new mattress pad, dear Sparrow.
My slumber was pleasant last night,
dear Joseph,
and my dreams
sweet. 🙂
What feeds my soul each day: coming here each day to read and respond, connect and communicate our gratitude for life; working in my flower gardens a little or a lot, and some home-keeping/tending; coffee & daily meditations; a connection with good friends or sisters or kids; Bible readings of some sort; my husband and my dog.
Coming to this site and reading the comments here and in the lounge.
Checking the weather in my city as well as that of my relatives in distant cities
Drinking a hot beverage.
Watching the birds at the bird bath.
Reading poetry and inspirational quotes.
Writing the activities of the day and scratching them off as accomplished.
Doing a mind stretching word puzzle.
Connecting with others.
Quiet time in the morning and evening. Reading a spirituality book, journaling., stopping in to this website, and nurturing phone calls with close friends.
Meditation, stretching outdoors every morning, and listening to the house wrens tweet all day long feed my soul.
The wrens in my neighborhood
feed my soul as well,
dear Enndee. ♥
I anticipate their coming in the spring, such sweet sounds!
Starting my day by coming onto this website and answering/viewing the Daily Question.
Meditations/ASMR in the evening
Nature always feeds my soul
Happy Sunday to all. ☮
Thank you and a Happy Sunday to you Michele.
Peace to you as well,
dear Michele. ☮
I must play guitar – it helps me.
I play, sing, learn new chords or chord variations, but I MUST play
Music,
I believe,
dear John,
is one of the keys to the kingdom.
My husband plays,
but not for the last few years.
I long for the day
when he picks up his guitar again.
Keep playing. ♥
Prayer, meditation, music, being with nature, writing, reading, spending time with family and friends. All fill my soul.
I have quite a few.
1. Talking to Ngoc
2. Morning and evening walk
3. Reading Vietnamese books
4. Group meditation at the Uptown Vail Place clubhouse in Minneapolis even if I’m the only one who shows up the most consistently at times.
5. Bible study whether it’s the U-Bible version or Red Letter Ministries Discord group. There, it could either be studying the materials alone or joining the mens meeting group every Sunday at 1pm. I group all that into 1 category, Christianity.
I love that talking with a gov was number 1.
Deann, this points back to my past answers that are consistent with putting my ego aside to embrace the love, care, and affection from my elders. Having a sister-in-Christ innocent like a dove in Angela helps. At the end of the day, truth is truth. It certainly feels empty without Ngoc.
Victor Wembanyama has become my favorite NBA player now. He’s the French sensation who can do-it-all, insanely competitive, a gym-rat, mature beyond his years, and has great upside at age 22. All these qualities align with me. The team I’m becoming a fan of is the Spurs, because Wemby is the future of tomorrow’s NBA. Spurs are currently down 2-1 in the best of 7 western conference finals series against the Thunder. They’re the wild card. If my Spurs win, great. If they lose, there are always lessons to learn.
But anyways, not having Ngoc around is like Wemby carrying the Spurs alone. He had that monster 41 points 24 rebounds game on Monday from what I vaguely remember. What I remember for sure is that it was a monster 40-20 game to lead the Spurs to a thrilling double overtime 122-115 game 1 victory against the Thunder. My San Antonio Spurs are currently down 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Yoga, meditation, walks with my husband and dogs, coming to this website, preparing food, and drinking coffee ☕✨
Sunnypatti, this is a great season for a walk. Those 70s and 80s temps are coming in more consistently now starting today in the Twin Cities.