GRATITUDE: For a brain that can learn new things and be stretched in new forms. For a body that is learning to adapt to its current limitations, hopefully can also stretch and be as flexible as it once was. Grateful for the rain watering my freshly pruned arugula and chard transplants.

FOCUS: Need to better dedicate Mondays and Tuesdays to Japanese so I’m not cramming at the end of the week! I’m still at least 1-1/2 lessons behind. Trying to get to bed on time since last night was so restless with crazy strange dreams (no magnesium last night). Will try again no magnesium today.

INSPIRATION: Learning about the progression steps to get to a pistol squat, trying to determine where to plant these dahlias bulbs (or perhaps I should just start them in small pots and transplant later).

GRATITUDE: Thankful for volunteer seeds sprouting after the rain. Grateful for the oncoming rain to help water my transplants from this past weekend and today. My right wrist is quite sore today but happy I was able to get up this morning and move despite being sore after kettlebell sumo squats yesterday. Glad for the time and talk with my mom while my dad went to Iowa. Asked if she wanted to come visit Paul and I’d drive her back but she declined.

FOCUS: Spent the afternoon trying to remove the extra rolling shelf out of the creation station. It really is so hard to minimize. Despite purging of extra magazines, books, kits and more, everything still appears full. Constantly coming back to what we use, what we need, and what is unnecessary.

INSPIRATION: Have been thinking of the kitchen cabinets and how to make drawers/how I want to divide up the spaces and make them more useful.

GRATITUDE: For spring sunshine and a beautiful day. Scatterbrained today but got a couple plants transplanted, pondered shelving and drawers for the kitchen. Was able to give away our bulky bed frame on the buy nothing group…less things, more space feels good to me. Jasper took it upon himself to clean up the living room and yesterday I forgot to mention he washed the remaining dishes in the kitchen sink.

FOCUS: ?

INSPIRATION: Listening to Peter Attia’s podcast with an expert on lower back pain…trying to glean some knowledge about this chronic pain that has bothered me for nearly 2-1/2 years now. The pain has definitely changed and more manageable, and I’m actually able to exercise again (which for a long while I was physically incapable of). Vitamins/collagen, getting a better handle on my iron deficiency, and the 7 minute workout all were major contributors to starting to heal. I can feel the gluteus medius & piriformis are still so tight but hopeful that consistent yoga and lower/core strength exercises will continue to help alleviate the daily discomfort. There was a point though where I could barely walk up or down the stairs, and bending over to wash my face in the evening or trim my toenails was excruciating. More reason to get up at 5:30am and start the day with yoga and stretching.

GEATITUDE: Removed our bedframe and it feels so much more spacious and I can actually put my feet on the floor while sitting in bed. Can’t wait to wake up in the morning and just stretch while still sitting over the edge in bed. Planted, weeded and more in the garden this afternoon with Juniper and Eric. Jasper came down even to sweep the deck for a short while. Glad I was able to start prepping the soil while it’s still wet from the last rain and before the rain comes again later this week. So many Swiss chard babies to transplant and even got the lettuce and leeks gathered together in their beds. Harvested the dandelion chicory seeds that has been long overdue…not sure they’ll sprout but will try. If they don’t work then I definitely need to head to the nursery and find it as that was definitely a staple of the last two years.

FOCUS: Go to bed early to ensure 8 hours before 5:30 wake up. I will start the week off strong and motivated. Tomorrow’s plan includes catching up all the way for my behind Japanese classes since another week’s worth of materials will be released tomorrow. Not doing so great with distractions like planning for Japan, doing taxes, thinking about what to purge in the kitchen/bookshelves but will try to get back on track tomorrow.

Dad is going to Iowa tomorrow night for a week. Make sure to get mom out during that time. It seemed like she needed some time to vent and express her emotions when I saw her yesterday.

INSPIRATION: Noting a book to read in the future- Never the Wind by Francesco Dimitri. Sounded like if one enjoyed Haruki Murakami then one might also like this.

GRATITUDE: Small Saturday indulgences – an afternoon walk to the library, a gelato/sorbet outing in the sunshine, a quiet evening cocktail, being in bed by midnight with the prospect of maybe getting 8 hours of sleep.

FOCUS: Really wanting to minimize the things I have…getting rid of a mortar and pestle that is bigger than I need.

INSPIRATION: Trying to keep track and understand what a good night versus a bad night looks like.

GRATITUDE: First time spent downstairs in the garden in a long time. All this rain has the chard and kale looking great! Transplanted a lot of the chard to the first bed…removed tomato cages to prep for putting compost in there this weekend. Hoping for nice sunny days while the soil is still damp. Backyard needs some major cleanup…

FOCUS: I should begin my indoor seed plantings as soon as possible. I wonder if my dandelion/chicory will come back from seed…

INSPIRATION: Started listening to Haruki Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore” yesterday. Many passages that have me wishing I could hold the book and make marks on phrases and sections I find moving…

GRATITUDE: Grateful today for friendships that formed and have persisted despite TheShopFWP no longer existing. It makes me reflect on the different chapters/seasons of my personal life and how friendships have come and gone.

FOCUS: Must do Japanese lesson tomorrow…homework is due Sunday and I’ve been procrastinating all week long…

INSPIRATION: Had this thought today to put together a soundtrack of my life…you know one that has all the songs which trigger a specific memory or moment in time. I’ll list the ones that quickly flashed into my head though I know there are many, many more:

Love song (The Cure)

Crash (Dave Matthews)

These Arms of Mine (Otis Redding)

Hand in My Pocket (Alanis Morisette)

Wild World (Cat Stevens)

Scream (Imarobot)

Champagne Supernova (Oasis)

Hollywood (Madonna)

Hotel California (The Eagles)

If I Ever Feel Better (Phoenix)

Honest Mistake (The Bravery)

Time is Running Out (Muse)

Nightswimming (REM)

The Sea (Morcheeba)

GRATITUDE: For the time alone at home today (and the rain which kept me from running) that forced me to sit in front of my computer and go down the rabbit hole of purging emails and trying to figure out what the heck files are in my Google drive. It’s still something to reckon with but it’s back to some sense of manageable. Also started 2023 taxes…yippee.

FOCUS: Need to figure out a system of what’s in my iCloud versus Google drives…discuss with Eric where best to keep our shared folders/files etc.

INSPIRATION: