Bodega Bay, today

 

Reno, 2014

 

Today's theme

 

The most important story I've ever written

It's an in-depth investigation of Miranda's Rescue,  which is under fire on suspicion of animal cruelty, torture, fraud, and more. I am proud of the work that was done on it, and very honored to be in Alta. 

Merchant's

 

Portland, 2011

That time we attended the 24-hour play at a former school.

The summer of trains

Mindfulness Cards

Recognizing how the natural world and the human-made world are intertwined can bring great joy and appreciation. When we take the time to see nature in the environment around us, it opens us up to a sense of wonder. Take some time to explore your surroundings and look for nature in unexpected places -- a tree, a bird, a flower, a gorgeous sunset, a drop of rain. Once you train your mind to se small moments of beauty, you can cultivate moments of joy in everyday life.

Yay Wegovy!

I'm down to 128.9 pounds. The lowest I've been is 124.7, and that was before I switched to the pill and proceeded to gain 10 pounds from re-titrating. Both my sweater and leggings today are size extra smalls. I went to yoga yesterday and it felt great. 

I'm trying. And to a definite degree, I'm succeeding.

Mindfulness Cards

When we engage with everyday objects, we can choose to look deeper to appreciate the incredible world behind the object. Every product, service, or experience that makes up our lives -- from the food we eat, to the products we purchase, to the streets we walk upon -- exists because of the work, commitment, and love of hundreds, sometimes even thousands of people. This is the true internet, the network of human beings who either directly or indirectly have made life as we know it possible. Pick an object today that you've never considered closely and take a moment to reflect on all the energy that went into its existence. May the appreciation flow.

Point Arena, 2019

 

"Mindfulness Cards: Simple Practices for Everyday Life"

There is so much beauty in the delicate. Butterflies, snowflakes, the little dandelion seeds that float along in the summer breeze. Spend a few hours intentionally moving through the day with that same delicacy, engaging fully with the reality of the world around you, with an attitude that is more like a feather than a brick. Notice how it feels to approach the world with such lightness.

In the batting cage

 

Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

 Old pirates, yes, they rob I

Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Whoa! Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-ah can-ah stop-ah the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
All I ever have
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

Delta King, Sacramento

 

Mindfulness Cards

When we're watching TV, at a movie, or using our devices, we tend to focus on what it is on the screen rather than the screen itself. Next time you're watching something on a screen, try including the screen itself as part of what you see. Notice what it feels like to include the screen in your viewing experience. This simple practice is a powerful metaphor for how our minds can get sucked into the content of our thoughts rather than taking a bigger view and looking at the nature of our awareness itself. 

Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Nightingale Song"

We sing the nightingale song alive
Streets never border further than my eyes
We sing the nightingale song alive
We might be different but our hearts won't lie
And little ever changes if anything at all
But the song rings loudly through these halls

Mindfulness Cards

On Kindness:

We can be really hard on ourselves. To balance feelings of self-criticism and unworthiness, it is really important to remember that fundamentally, we are actually on our own side. A good way to do this is to develop gratitude for yourself, recognizing that so much of what you do, you do for your own good -- even if it doesn't always work out in the way you expected. Take a few minutes today to close your eyes and thank yourself, because you're doing the best you can.

On Rest and Balance:

Doing nothing is a wonderful way to cultivate calm. And while it may sound paradoxical, doing nothing actually requires a fair bit of effort. Take 10 minutes today to step away from the usual hubbub of your life. Let yourself settle in to doing nothing, giving whatever energy and momentum is around you the space to run its course instead of engaging and giving it more fuel. By staying steady and letting everything run out of gas, you can start to notice what remains once the dust has settled. Rest with it.

On Insight and Awareness:

Cultivating insight is all about understanding the connections between things. But before you can understand connections, you have to see them. Whenever you see something interesting happening in your experience, practice looking for related connections. For example, if you're distracted by something while you're working, try recalling what emotion you felt just before the distraction. Or, when you feel a sensation in your body, notice what distinguished the sensation from all the sensations you don't normally notice. This practice of noticing will illuminate the connections between your mind, body, and experiences.

On Curiosity and Joy:

The connections and pathways in our brains change over the course of our lives based on how we think, what we do, and where we are (scientists call this neuroplasticity). In other words, our minds and our brains are constantly being trained. When you cultivate awareness, you can make a choice to have more control over what qualities you develop in yourself. Knowing this, what do you want to train your mind in right now?

Assistant coach and beloved player

 

"Mindfulness Cards: Simple Practices for Everyday Life"

As you deepen your mindfulness practice, the question of who and what it is that is aware of all this experience starts to become more and more prominent. If we are aware of our thoughts, then we can actually be our thoughts. Who knows? Spend 5 minutes siting with this question and pay attention to what comes up in your mind.