Hullo Sweeties

I find myself in a strange, disconnected, space tonight.  I did not sleep well (meaning AT ALL) last night.  I fell into some kind of awful sleep coma from about 8am til 11:30 and emerged from it wishing that I had just gotten out of bed at 4:15 am when I was wide awake and not feeling like some sort of swamp beast.

That said, I really wanted to drop a wee line to thank you for hanging out with me in 2016.  What a year, what a  year, what a year…. And how very fast they fly by me.

I want to say, “May 2017 be a fabulous year for you!”  And I do hope that.  But the hype the hype the hype of all the “make this your BEST year YET!” and alla that…well… in all honesty I just find it bloody exhausting.

My aim for 2017, if I even have an aim other than showing up as honestly and truthfully as I can to each moment, is to Keep It Simple.

To continue the practices that I know make me feel better.  That thing I like to call “making AMESS” each day.

• A – wake up and decide to be Awesome (which these days translates into deciding to be Aware, Awake and present)
• M – Move the bod (which these days is a 20 minute (or more) walk)
• E – Eat breakfast.  (Even if I roll out of bed at 11:30 feeling like a swamp beast
• S – Sit (aiming for morning and evening meditations of at least 15 min each)
• S – Scribble (as always)

I want, very much, to catch myself when I begin to feel the urge to cram more…whatever… into my brain. To add another “practice” that I think will somehow make me more worthy of the air I breathe.  To keep click click clicking in search of…what the hell am I even searching for?  Connection, I believe.  Wisdom.

Well, here’s to less click clicking for me and more… picking up the phone or gathering with people face to face.

To more meals shared, more walks taken and talks had.

To more time spent offline and unplugged – be it time alone or with friends.

And THAT said – here’s a few online treasures I’ve found this year that I’d like to share with you (in no particular order):

• The wonderful Black Cardigan Tiny Letter by Carrie Frye: http://www.tinyletter.com/caaf It comes every month (or so) and… I am just in love with her.  If you check out this month’s offering, be sure to click through to The Plath Resolution – a great piece Frye wrote for the Awl back in 2014.
• Oh hell it’s so good here’s a direct link to the piece: https://theawl.com/the-plath-resolution-4e44df2af23c#.e8ujlgpnl
• The Oasis with Jennifer Louden: http://oasis.jenniferlouden.com You will find me there most Friday mornings, sipping my tea and scribbling away with Jennifer and all the other wise folk I have met there.
• My favourite apps of the year have been:
  • Insight Timer  https://insighttimer.com – A lovely meditation timer with bells and guided meditations and a fast growing community. I am taking part in the 365 Day challenge this coming year in an attempt to get myself back on a daily meditation roll  and to thereby deepen my practice.
  • Mealboard http://www.mealboard.com – a recipe/meal planning app that I love.  Came in especially handy when I was experimenting with an Anti-Inflammatory diet with Julia Daniluk’s (https://juliedaniluk.com) great book Meals That Heal Inflammation.
  • Overdrive https://www.overdrive.com – where I borrow heaps and heaps of e-books from the library.

And finally – this wonderful musician I discovered on the Insight Timer app and now can not get enough of. I love listening to his stuff while I sit or while I soak in the bath.  Ahhhh…. especially good with headphones.

 

You can find out more about Jonathan (Jon) Adams and his lovely sound work over at http://sonicyogi.blogspot.ca

Please feel free to share any treasures you may have found this year with me down in the comment section, or by email, or hell, drop me an old school letter.  I love that.

Sending out bright sparkly wishes for peace and goodwill.

Happy New Year to one and all.

Go easy ~p