Calm After the Storm

Things have been stirred up.

Not sure where all this has been coming from, except that I am anticipating change beyond my control. Outside circumstances can disrupt inner calm, balance, equilibrium.

Others fail to plan, and the consequences can spread beyond their lives. I think about ways to insulate myself from this, but we're communal beings and can cause disruption for others and can feel disruption in our own lives that may have nothing to do with us, except that we are connected.

Plot twist.

It's a popular meme. Meant to inspire humor in the middle of disruption. I like it. Especially once the dust begins to settle and I can look around and assess what might be next.

How do we roll with things with ease and grace?

I've been thinking about that lately.

For now, I have a little bit of a reprieve and a little bit of time to think. 

To breathe through my anxiety and plan for how to manage challenging emotions that once might have led to a bit of soothing through non-supportive foods. 

I'm sipping a green smoothie made with spinach, cucumber, and frozen mango. I'll switch back to savory green smoothies tomorrow. I bought a half chicken at the store last night. Ran out to pick up coconut yogurt and saw my favorite label of pastured birds had stocked half chickens. They're fun to set into a roasting pan with some salt, pepper, and nice herbs. Maybe a little lemon and garlic. There's fresh tarragon in the fridge. Sounds perfect for a late summer evening. That'll be dinner, with some roasted asparagus, onion, and baby San Marzano tomatoes. I'll pop the bones into the slow cooker overnight for some quick broth. Or put the bones into the freezer for later.

I've been thinking about sleep hygiene and thought I might spend the week without screens in the evening. It's been awhile since I picked up my book, so I've been thinking about good music and a good read, with a nice cup of herbal tea. Early to bed and early up in the morning, maybe a walk along the canal. I'll take a look at the humidity. We're getting to the time of year when the early mornings are surprisingly cool, even when temps rise later in the day.      

The Green Wilderness is a daily writing practice that opens a landscape of discovery into my own human experience. 

Katherine Cartwright has been blogging since 2012, and each year brings new wonders. She asks big questions of the small things in life.