Hello friends.
Does anyone else feel like even their reserves are depleted? Are you on the struggle bus? Has July felt like one long, hot slog? Seems like we’ve all been on bad news overload! And here in Vermont, the one year anniversary of dreadful flooding was overshadowed by more flooding. Our neck of the woods escaped damage, but folks north of us are slogging through another round of recovery. I don’t know how they do it, honestly.
Do we need to know everything that’s happening in the big wide world all the time? NO, no, a thousand times NO!
Perhaps you have dropped by here at sewandsowlife to get a peek at what will never make the headlines? Domestic, simple, uncomplicated bits of ordinary life? Hoping some of this will take your mind off things, gentle friends…
Freya and her mama and papa have been with us here in Vermont, they left this morning to head back to Detroit.
We celebrated Freya’s second birthday with a lovely gathering. Gretta, Ben and Maggie are living just an hour south of us for the summer, and so they joined us for the celebrations. You can see Freya’s sweet little fingers (above) cleaning up the last bits of her confetti cupcake. Her fingers are appropriately colored with markers (because all great celebrations are marked with color around here).
We’ve gone to story hour at the library, played in the kiddie pool, rambled around the local playground, eaten multiple creemees and read books, played with Duplos and drawn pictures. We’ve also made terrific use of a swing on the front porch. Time just folds into itself when you hang out with a two year old.
Hannah mentioned that a library tote might be a fun present for Freya, so I poked around the internet and found a cute image of a big eared kitty and tweaked it. There’s a little pocket stitched inside, so that when Freya gets her own library card, she’ll have a safe place to keep it. (Of course, I filled the tote with books, among them Harold and the Purple Crayon and a Richard Scary board book.)
Other things that offer sanctuary from the realities of the world:
the gardens and farmers market and their increasing bounty.
dead-heading the day lilies early in the morning and thanking each one for their fleeting beauty.
grabbing fresh herbs to cook with.
the birds, who sing and fly with abandon.
laughing out loud until we need to gasp for air.
reading. BTW, North Woods delighted me and exasperated me at the same time. Lyrical and very choppy at other times, I just don’t know what to make of it.
Good words from inspired people
from gather here’s July 3rd newsletter, “When I’m Worried I Make Things”. Sign up for the newsletter here.
also via gather here, npr’s Goat’s and Soda’s How do you stay optimistic in spite of it all? 6 hopeful souls share their secrets.
via heather cox richardson, “As Maine writer E. B. White famously wrote to a man who said he had lost faith in humanity: “Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.”
Remember to breathe, hope, notice, invite, love, create, wonder and celebrate.
Let’s celebrate the little things, drop a comment below to let us know what has brought you comfort, joy, delight this week! Let’s refill out tanks. xo