Congrats on 500 subscribers, Christine! Love the fall trees and that you’re back on the trail.
“I won’t say it was a magic elixir, but I did feel a sense of release from the anxiety, fearfulness, and anger as I let myself be in the moment.” So good!
I’ve been walking and hiking and biking in our new town a lot (we moved from San Diego to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho a few months ago so I’m feeling that ruby-red rub). I’ve found I don’t even want my headphones or extra noise. I’ve also been taking a ridiculous amount of fall tree pictures and collecting leaves to send back to my SoCal peeps.
Thank you! 😊 Oh I have heard of that town, right??…either the Tara Westover book, or one of the famous cases about standing up to the government?? You really ARE in the thick of it! I love that you’re getting to soak in so much nature and feel you SO much about needing the quietness (and also, I imagine you also feel/wish you could bottle up the beauty of fall leaves!!)
Thanks, Christine! I actually don’t know about a government stand off specifically, but I wouldn’t be surprised! I am trying to bottle up the magic of the leaves, but I’m also looking forward to a true, barren winter for the first time in 20 years. I love sunshine and summer and yet it’s a lot of pressure to be at 100% production and enjoyment mode all the time.
Nice reflections on the joy and hardship of running and the renewal from being in nature, Christine! Joy and renewal feel essential as survival refuges during this intense election time when so much is at stake. Our nation's constitutional existence and our personal freedoms are threatened by a man who should not even be allowed on ballots after multiple felonious and treasonous actions. It's nothing less than a mind-fuck! We must have respites from it. Mine are daily 5-mile walks in the woods and reducing my check-ins on politics from minute-by-minute to a few times a week. I had to do it for sanity's sake. I can't say what I'll do for sanity if he gets into office (probably not by popular vote but by manipulating the "system"). I guess we will all learn to live day by day, finding more refuge in the things that give us joy and peace.
Walks and being outside are a real commonality with folks here! So good! Paying less attention to news is in some ways an actual discipline for the news-obsessed among us but makes a huge difference. I need to remember the major news orgs are mostly interested in attention and clicks (I feel cynical saying that but sadly…). It doesn’t do me good to know every single detail and pundit’s opinion on said details!
Yes to more refuge in the things giving joy and peace.
Congratulations on 500 subscribers! I can definitely relate to what you are experiencing and am SOOOO tired of the Brown/Moreno ads that seem to be on a constant loop here in Ohio. I would love to know where the coffee house is that you mentioned. Safe, welcoming spaces are so important!
Fellow Ohioan!! Where are you at? The ads are THE WORST ughh every mailer or TV ad I get just puts a pit in my stomach. The coffee shop is here where I live in Bellefontaine, Ohio -- it's called Native Coffee and I love them / the new owners, so much! -- https://www.instagram.com/nativecoffee.co/?hl=en
Ooooh I am feeling this election anxiety! I'm a stress-cleaner, in 2020 I steam-cleaned all my carpets. The only upside is that my townhouse will actually be pretty nice once everything is over?
I really love this, Christine. And your marathon training absolutely inspires me, even though running is absolutely not my cup of tea. I really resonate with anxiety = picking up the phone for no reason. My anxiety is not just political (I think we chatted about this?), but that’s definitely part of what’s on the radar. I will say that I heard several things this weekend that gave me hope - in short, the stratification of political preference is almost perfectly aligned with age. As much as it feels odd to say it - the cohort that wants Trump’s world is dying. Fast. I just hope I live long enough to experience the new world.
Well, your organization/excel spreadsheet of tarot card pulls is inspiring to me! Thank you though :)
I would really like to believe that! I keep hearing things about how young men are being more pulled towards Trump than one would think the younger generation would be, which has been super disheartening. I hope that influence can be minimal once the Trump-y Boomers are done...being here.
Thank you! Wild to think that two years ago I think I had… not even a tenth of that? I’ve been reading your posts but the same busyness/anxiety keeping me from writing also kept me from commenting on yours 😅 Your poem art is delightful though! I’m glad for your grounding things 🥰
Congrats on 500 subscribers, Christine! Love the fall trees and that you’re back on the trail.
“I won’t say it was a magic elixir, but I did feel a sense of release from the anxiety, fearfulness, and anger as I let myself be in the moment.” So good!
I’ve been walking and hiking and biking in our new town a lot (we moved from San Diego to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho a few months ago so I’m feeling that ruby-red rub). I’ve found I don’t even want my headphones or extra noise. I’ve also been taking a ridiculous amount of fall tree pictures and collecting leaves to send back to my SoCal peeps.
Thank you! 😊 Oh I have heard of that town, right??…either the Tara Westover book, or one of the famous cases about standing up to the government?? You really ARE in the thick of it! I love that you’re getting to soak in so much nature and feel you SO much about needing the quietness (and also, I imagine you also feel/wish you could bottle up the beauty of fall leaves!!)
Thanks, Christine! I actually don’t know about a government stand off specifically, but I wouldn’t be surprised! I am trying to bottle up the magic of the leaves, but I’m also looking forward to a true, barren winter for the first time in 20 years. I love sunshine and summer and yet it’s a lot of pressure to be at 100% production and enjoyment mode all the time.
Nice reflections on the joy and hardship of running and the renewal from being in nature, Christine! Joy and renewal feel essential as survival refuges during this intense election time when so much is at stake. Our nation's constitutional existence and our personal freedoms are threatened by a man who should not even be allowed on ballots after multiple felonious and treasonous actions. It's nothing less than a mind-fuck! We must have respites from it. Mine are daily 5-mile walks in the woods and reducing my check-ins on politics from minute-by-minute to a few times a week. I had to do it for sanity's sake. I can't say what I'll do for sanity if he gets into office (probably not by popular vote but by manipulating the "system"). I guess we will all learn to live day by day, finding more refuge in the things that give us joy and peace.
Walks and being outside are a real commonality with folks here! So good! Paying less attention to news is in some ways an actual discipline for the news-obsessed among us but makes a huge difference. I need to remember the major news orgs are mostly interested in attention and clicks (I feel cynical saying that but sadly…). It doesn’t do me good to know every single detail and pundit’s opinion on said details!
Yes to more refuge in the things giving joy and peace.
Congratulations on 500 subscribers! I can definitely relate to what you are experiencing and am SOOOO tired of the Brown/Moreno ads that seem to be on a constant loop here in Ohio. I would love to know where the coffee house is that you mentioned. Safe, welcoming spaces are so important!
Fellow Ohioan!! Where are you at? The ads are THE WORST ughh every mailer or TV ad I get just puts a pit in my stomach. The coffee shop is here where I live in Bellefontaine, Ohio -- it's called Native Coffee and I love them / the new owners, so much! -- https://www.instagram.com/nativecoffee.co/?hl=en
I am in the northeast Cincinnati suburbs. Here is my latest article, hot off the press: https://open.substack.com/pub/awakened2love/p/we-the-people-are-all-human?r=1i8pk7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Ooooh I am feeling this election anxiety! I'm a stress-cleaner, in 2020 I steam-cleaned all my carpets. The only upside is that my townhouse will actually be pretty nice once everything is over?
Hahaha I mean it aint all bad to have such a useful coping mechanism 😂 -- way better than doom-scrolling!
I really love this, Christine. And your marathon training absolutely inspires me, even though running is absolutely not my cup of tea. I really resonate with anxiety = picking up the phone for no reason. My anxiety is not just political (I think we chatted about this?), but that’s definitely part of what’s on the radar. I will say that I heard several things this weekend that gave me hope - in short, the stratification of political preference is almost perfectly aligned with age. As much as it feels odd to say it - the cohort that wants Trump’s world is dying. Fast. I just hope I live long enough to experience the new world.
Well, your organization/excel spreadsheet of tarot card pulls is inspiring to me! Thank you though :)
I would really like to believe that! I keep hearing things about how young men are being more pulled towards Trump than one would think the younger generation would be, which has been super disheartening. I hope that influence can be minimal once the Trump-y Boomers are done...being here.
I missed you!! And 500 subscribers!!! That’s awesome!!! I’m feeling anxious too. Walks, my kids, my cats, poem art, comforting shows—all grounding. 💙
Thank you! Wild to think that two years ago I think I had… not even a tenth of that? I’ve been reading your posts but the same busyness/anxiety keeping me from writing also kept me from commenting on yours 😅 Your poem art is delightful though! I’m glad for your grounding things 🥰