Category — 8things
*8Things
Hello Magpie!
Are you familiar with *8Things Thursday? It’s kind of been a habit of mine these past few years.
Sometimes I just make a list of *8Things that are rattling around in my brain so my monkey mind will calm the heck down.
Other times I’ve spent a few minutes just noticing *8Things of beauty or curiosity around me.
Lately I’ve been using *8Things as a gratitude practice.
What *8Things will we observe today? Come on over to my new Magpie Girl page at Facebook find out.
(I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours.)
See you there!
-Rachelle
*your magpie girl
*8Things: A Gratitude Practice
Sammy does not enjoy the new puppy…
Hello Magpie! It’s *8Things Thursday. Time to check in with our Gratitude.
Last week my poor Sammy dog was sick. This is his 12th year on the planet, and his 6th year with us. Things seem to be breaking down a little as he’s been in and out of the vet A LOT this fall. So this week for *8Things, I’d like to celebrate with 8 pictures of our little monster.
What are you thankful for this week? I’ll show you mine, if you’ll show me yours…
What about you Magpie? What *8Things are you grateful for? Put the short version in the comments, or grab a button for your blog. Give us a permalink below so we can stop by! Your list will help others find their gratitude mojo when it’s running a little thin. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: A Gratitude Practice
Hello Magpie! It’s *8Things Thursday. Time to check in with our Gratitude.
I’ve not been very grateful this week. I opted for being pissy instead. Specifically I’m pissy about my ratio of housework-to-writing. My kids help. My husband contributes. We even have an occasional housekeeper. We don’t keep a spotless house by any means. And yet I struggle with the unending entropy that is an organized/clean/functional home. I don’t want to be a housewife, and yet at least half the day every day (plus evenings) I am.
A former housemate of mine once pointed out to me that I was bitching about a beautiful 6 bedroom home. (OuchandThanks.) So before she has to say it again, I thought I’d focus my gratitude practice this week on housewifery. (This friends, is where a spiritual practice really is a discipline.)
What *8Things are you genuinely grateful for today? I”ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours…
I’m grateful …
1. we have enough clothes to do 8 loads of laundry a week.
2. no one has to go without shoes — as is evidenced by how many pairs of them are around the house. (Just two generations ago, my Grandfather’s family only bought shoes for the oldest two kids.)
3. we’ve been able to house so many friends in our downstairs room — Rebecca, Sharon, Souren, Josh, and Kristen have all lived with us from 3 months to 3 years at a time.
4. I can see the city glow at sunrise from my bedroom window.
5. the kitchen can hold all the appliances needed to host 18 for Thanksgiving.
6. we have the money we need to run kids to the naturopath, dentist, orthodontist and hair dressers.
7. ditto for jazz choir, piano lessons, and the occasional cooking class.
8. for my responsible, creative, kind kids — because they are pretty damn AWESOME.
What about you Magpie? What *8Things are you grateful for? Put the short version in the comments, or grab a button for your blog. Give us permalink below so we can stop by! Your list will help others find their gratitude mojo when it’s running a little thin. Thanks for playing!
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*If you have a little extra time this week Magpie, please give me a hand! How do you reduce resistence around house-work and parenting requirements? For those of you who are reluctant homemakers, how do you make peace with your momhood/dadhood? And if you are a work-at-home-parent, how do you protect your work time from the siren call of dirty socks?
*8Things:A Gratitude Practice
Hello Magpie! It’s *8Things Thursday. Time to check in with our Gratitude.
It’s starting to get grey here in Seattle, and my disposition is following suite. So I know that a gratitude practice will be part of the discipline-of-will that I will need to get me through. Thanks for practicing with me!
What *8Things are you genuinely grateful for today? I”ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours…
I’m grateful …
1. for the last few flowers from my garden.
2. for the good memories of my grandparents that come with the assembly of our Dia de los Muertos shrine.
3. that the puppy is finally bonding with me and coming to ask for random petting and loves.
4. that the older dog has not passively agressively peed in the house for a record-making 3 days.
5. for the opportunity to see our dear friends in Vancouver this weekend.
6. I got to laugh with the fun-loving members of Pomplamoose at their Seattle show last night.
7. to read Eden’s fantastically scary horror story that she wrote for school this week.
8. that Melaine challenged me to write a book by 04 May 2011. (For reals.)
What about you Magpie? What *8Things are you grateful for? Put the short version in the comments, or grab a button for your blog. Give us permalink below so we can stop by! Your list will help others find their gratitude mojo when it’s running a little thin. Thanks for playing!
*8Things. A Gratitude Practice.
Hello Magpie! It’s *8Things Thursday. Time to check in with our Gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but we have a recurring bout of First World Issues around here. Folks in our house can get pretty whiny at times. That’s why I enjoy this little gratitude practice. It grounds me in the reality of how bountiful my life really is — even on the tough days.
What *8Things are you genuinely grateful for today? I”ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours…
I’m grateful for…
1. my sweet yoga instructor who kept saying our stretches were “delicious.”
2. Claire and Noah who are coming over for homemade mac-n-cheese tonight.
3. homemade mac-n-cheese.
4. an unexpectedly sunny day here in the Pacific Northwest.
5. the dogs finally being off their medications.
6. a doctor who caught that my iron was low in time to prevent a chornic pain flare up.
7. coffee with Jen Payne Saturday!!
8. a weekend without a lot of commitments.
What about you Magpie? What *8Things are you grateful for? Put the short version in the comments, or grab a button for your blog. Give us permalink below so we can stop by! Your list will help others find their gratitude mojo when it’s running a little thin. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: A Gratitude Practice
Every time I think I’m done with *8Things, it comes back around. I guess this candy-striped icon is my little sidekick these days. (Shhhh…don’t tell Pinkerton.)
In it’s next incarnation, *8Things is going to appear on Thursdays as a gratitude practice. (‘Cuz you only preach the sermon you need to know, and Tapping Into Gratitude is one of my greatest hits needs.)
What *8Things are you genuinely grateful for today? I”ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours…
Introducing….Addie the Grublet!
I’m grateful for…
1. The messy joy that is white puppy “helping” in the winter veg garden.
2. The headache I’m rockin’ right now because it means I’m finally gonna move out of the PMS to just the MS. (Fewer symptoms during the MS part.)
3. The financial ability to see the acupuncturist, the naturopath, and to buy insanely costly supplements.
4. Watching my kids walk to middle school(!) together.
5. Today there will be sun. (It makes me hum this.)
6. Growing enough tomatoes to be able to make sauce.
7. Starting my day with a soul nurturin’, brain-feedin’ TED talk by Brene Brown.
8. Learning to blog again, every day. (So juicy!)
What about you Magpie? What *8Things are you grateful for? Put the short version in the comments, or grab a button for your blog. Give us permalink below so we can stop by! Your list will help others find their gratitude mojo when it’s running a little thin. Thanks for playing!
*8Things: Soulcare, with a side of funny.
Pinkerton has been throwing a bit of a temper-fit lately. Apparently, he’s finding it hard to find the good stuff on the Internet. He wants it now, doggonit. Not 300 clicks later.
I wasn’t going to give in to his tantrum, but 72 hours of non-stop cymbal banging can really convince a gal. So, on behalf of Pinkerton–and anyone else out there who doesn’t like endless clicking (or endless cymbals)–we are now going to feature link love on *8Things. I’ll curate the best of the web for you and serve it up in a tidy list. This week: a soulcare feast with a side of funny.
(Pinkerton, I hope you’re happy. Now step away from the noise makers…)
*8Things for a Soulcare Feast (with a side of funny)
1. First of all, let me just say, if the photo in this blog’s banner doesn’t warm your soul, nothin’ will. (Pastry Child Photography)
2. You are enough. Even if you don’t lead a charge of thousands. (Tracey Clark Blogs)
3. How to deal with criticism. (Huffington Post)
4. Are you too sensitive? Or not sensistive enough? (Blogasana)
5. How to avoid giving up. (Savor and Serve)
6. Need a jump start? Ten ways to get your act together. (Stratejoy)
7. How to stand in your own power in the work place. (Intuitive Bridge)
8. Bwah ha ha ha….
What about you Magpies? What *8Things have you found on the web this week that you think are worth passing around? Grab a button and play along. Put your favorite link in the comments. Thanks for playing. (You inspire us!)
*8Things: Stop Resisting
Hello my loves, my darlings, my Magpies.
I really care about you. So in today’s *8Things I’d like us to pay attention to resistance. Because its is sucking up a lot of your brilliance, time, and creativity, and I don’t want that for you. For us.
Right now, even as I type, the man next door is mowing his lawn. It is insanely loud. Earlier he was pressure washing the deck. (Also loud.) Apparently it is home improvement day at the neighbor’s house.
As a migraineur I really dislike noise. I work without music. I drive without the NPR. I “shush” my children.
Even though I have no control over the making or not-making noise, I am involved with it. I am committed to being frustrated at it. We are in relationship, Noise and I — and it is a toxic one.
I don’t want to be in a relationship with Noise. I don’t want to struggle. I don’t want to be mad. I don’t want to resist.
Rachel Cole said something recently in this post at Jamie Ridler Studios. She said “Stay in choice.” Rachel helped me realize: I have a choice around this terrible Noise.
Choice One: Resist it. Get angry. Be annoyed.
Choice Two: Accept it. Notice it. Let it be.
I heard a story on the NPR recently about a meditation practice that helps people with tinnitus. It doesn’t make the ringing in their ears go away, but it helps them to stay in choice. They choose to notice it, to accept it, and to let it go. The result? Reduced anxiety. Increased productivity. More ease.
When I choose to resist something I have to be in relationship with it — I have to engage with it, and hold an internal dialogue about how much it is bugging me. But if I choose to accept it, it can live over there–outside of me–and the tension my body holds around it can dissipate.
What about you, Magpies? What are you resisting in your life? How can you stay in choice around those things? What helps you practice non-resistance? (Tequila doesn’t count.)
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…
*8Things for Non-Resistance
1. The weather. I chose to practice non-resistance with the mantra “It’s not personal.” Also, I like to ask myself WWLID? (What would Laura Ingalls do?) Answer: nothing. She wouldn’t know it was fantastic in San Diego or Hawaii. She’d just deal. (Laura Ingalls is my go-to guru for simple living.)
2. Noise. I chose to practice non resistance by wearing earplugs, moving to another location, or listening to this song.)
3. How long everything takes. I kinda suck at this one. Maybe you have suggestions?
4. Computer programs that don’t work the way they say they will. I choose to practice non-resistance by reminding myself that most of these are free, and people are trying their hardest. Also, tequila. (I cheat.)
5. The fact that I can’t eat baked goods, bread, or beer. (Gluten) I choose to practice non-resistance around this unfortunate turn of events by remembering that discovering this allergy reduced my migraines by 80%.
6. Crumbly kitchen counters. I choose to practice non-resistance around this 1) by being grateful the my kids cook for themselves, and 2) by telling myself to stop fuming and “Just wipe the damn counters off already!”
7. The reality that my children need to be fed 3 times a day. (Really? Didn’t you just eat, like, yesterday?) I choose to practice non-resistance around this by practicing gratitude that we can eat 3 times a day.
8. Chronic pain. I choose to practice non-resistance to this by acknowledging what I’ve accomplished, asking for words of affection when I feel like a looser, and refusing to give up.
What about you Magpies? What *8Things do you want to practice non-resistance around? What helps you practice non-resistance? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalinkin the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing. You inspire us!
*8Things: Soulful Suppers
Today my daughter Cate and I recorded a video lesson for my upcoming class on Right-fit Relig-ish practices for children. This one was on mealtime rituals that encourage gratitude and presence. It got me to thinking about how nurturing a family meal can be, especially in the glorious summer time. So this week for *8Things I’d thought we’d respond to the question: “What makes a soulful supper?” Any ideas for simple meals, bonding experiences, or just plain old nice things to do at dinners? Let us know!
One of our soulful suppers as captured by Pastry Child Photography.
*8Things For Soulful Suppers
1. simple dinning – tossed salads, grilled something, crusty bread, fruit
2. pretty settings – eating outdoors, vintage glasses, flowers in a jam jar
3. earth lovin’ – cloth napkins, local veggies, real plates (even at the picnic)
4. collaboration – everyone cookin’ in the kitchen, shucking corn, shelling peas
5. right-fit dinner time - early for the family with toddlers who sleep by 6. middle for the couple who has to commute home. late for the night owls who dine like New Yorkers.
6. ‘sert – no cook cheesecake, melon balls, strawberries and cream, a shared bar of good chocolate. (I like dessert!)
7. gratitude – a moment of silence, holding hands in a circle, a poem, a prayer
8. right-fit amount – enough to feel gently full
What about you Magpies? What *8Things make for a Soulful Supper in your book? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing. You inspire us!
*8Things: Not to Miss this Summer.
Here in Seattle it’s the first real week of Summer. School is finally out. The Solstice has just slipped past, and in the past few days we even felt some warmth on our shoulders. The weeks of Summer are scant, and the expectations to have fun-fun-super-fun can be huge. Let’s take a few moments together to capture a couple of Summer priorites.
*8Things: Not to Miss this Summer
1. Any time it’s over 80, I’m dropping everything so we can go swimming at one of our urban beaches.
2. Walking every night through our vegetable gardens. (Dad made me square-foot raised beds!)
3. Walking with the kids to the Farmer’s Market for fresh cheese, fruit pies, and local produce.
4. Hosting our annual 4th of July open house.
5. Kousin Kamp at my parent’s new island home with EIGHT cousins!
6. Yurt-camping with friends.
7. Seeing the 21yo perform in his first profession show (West Side Story), and watching the 11 and 13yo sing tunes from Wicked at camp.
8. Eating outside as often as possible. (Who wouldn’t at this table?)
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What about you? What *8Things do you intend to do with your one wild, precious summer? Grab a button and play along. If you put your list on your blog, give us the permalink in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for playing. You inspire us!
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