Loosened from the mud, I find myself floating in a world of possibility.

So can you.



Attitude of Gratitude: tea and reflection


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A good friend of mine has achieved over eight months of sobriety!  I'm thrilled by her accomplishment and watching her process has me thinking about my own relationship with alcohol.  I used to have a couple of beers before bed every night.  Right before she chose sobriety I had began looking at my own habits.  I started to climb into bed earlier and skipped the nightly alcohol consumption. This weaned me off of beer and the result is that I've finally lost those last few pound I've been trying to shed since having a baby.  I haven't quit drinking entirely but I do enjoy it better now that it happens only on the weekends.  I've also switched to whiskey which makes the lights brighter and the music more lyrical.  All this to say that in my efforts to help my friend, I've turned her onto the multitudes of tea that are readily available these days and that in turn, has upped my own tea consumption.  I'm grateful that she shared her experience with me as that has brought me closer to those habits that soothe my soul.

Another good friend of mine is in Utah right now for Spring break.  I wish I was there in my favorite part of the world, relaxing in this cabin, experiencing this sort of magic.  Yet I am so grateful for the experience I had with the Big Dipper last weekend.

Our Co-op Board is dysfunctional. Actually it is a bit more functional since I took on the role of President but it definitely could be better.  I realized this week that I'm not here to "fix" the problem.  I am here to help us improve our productivity and our relationship with the GM.  This is a huge shift for me and a good one.  Everyone has their own idea of what a "fix" is and those ideas widely differ.  I know I can find some agreement on how to improve because relationships are an ongoing process, there is never an end point.  I am grateful that those who I work with consistently tell me that I'm doing a good job but I want to improve - truly.  I believe this quote to be true: “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” — John C. Maxwell.  I want to encourage constructive criticism as a way to better my own leadership skills that in the end, betters our work process.  I am grateful to be at place where I can welcome this feedback.

Things I pinned for The Pursuit of Pleasure and Prayer and Happiness.

Oh, gosh, isn't this awesome!  An online sand meditation!

Last night I attended the Co-op's monthly NE Network meeting.  The topic was Urban Harvest.  I met some really interesting people doing some really interesting work, such as gleaning (Fruits of the City) and urban farming (Stone's Throw Urban Farm).  Robin from Stone's Throw talked about the folks who come and glean her three acres of urban farm land: African Americans that pick all the green tomatoes after the ripe tomato harvest and Hmong women who come to help "weed" by picking those greens that would ordinarily be pulled out and scrapped (they pick the greens that are common in the Hmong diet).  With these stories, she answered all my questions before I had even asked them.  I live in a "food desert" in an area that is right across the river from an even larger "food desert": North Minneapolis.  Yet I truly believe that the term "food desert" doesn't take into account those ways that folks of color procure food for their families outside of conventional methods.  These are the stories I want to tell through my words and, more importantly, through my photography.  I asked Robin if she could use some of my photography services in exchange for me getting access to these stories.  It was an exciting conversation where we both left extremely excited about the possibilities. 

I can't end without any mention of Frozen, so here's a link to Frozen's Honest Trailer.

In a week full of anxiety and more SNOW (dangit!), I am finding many pockets of gratitude.

To all my friends in warmer places - please send your snow-free vibes to us here in Minnesota.  For that you will have my never-ending gratitude!!!!








Comments

  1. It was lovely to read how you are doing...fun links too!

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    Replies
    1. Nice to hear from you, Yvonne! Glad you like the links. We need to catch up sometime soon! Sending kisses and hugs out your way with a little bit of warmth....you all are getting some snow, too, right?

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    2. Oh yes, let's definitely catch up! I've got skype and Gmail chat if you'd care to imbibe...sending you warm hugs and smiles in the mean time. We've had a few days of warmer weather, but we've been getting snow regularly. Not nearly as much as you've had lately though...Oy! Glad it isn't me. Its been 55 here today. A huge blessing...

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  2. Sending warm weather - and lots more to be grateful for - from Taos, NM. Smooch.

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