A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor — such is my idea of happiness.—Leo Tolstoy
This morning I lingered in bed longer than usual. The emotional exhaustion and travel from the past few weeks has taken a slight toll.
Tim gifted me a weekend getaway to Seattle to celebrate our 14-year anniversary and we’d planned to take Belle and our new rescue, Gizmo. When Tim tried to lure Gizmo into the travel bag last Wednesday, we knew we had to make alternative plans. He whined and scratched and we had two days to acclimate him. We went into fix it mode.
He hadn’t been to daycare, so wasn’t approved for boarding yet. And, honestly, we hated for him to be with new people for four days. He’s been shuffled around so much since being surrendered by his original owners. Then a lightbulb went off, Mom! We looked into flights and she graciously hopped on an DC-bound plane the next morning. Gizmo and Mookie were in heaven to have such great care and we breathed a sigh of relief.
Our time in Seattle was lovely—a blend of social time, nature, wandering around Pike Place Market, eating amazing food, hitting Elliott Bay bookstore, looking at farmette properties. However, the 11+ hours of plane travel in four days takes a physical toll.
The morning after we returned, Gizmo had three tumors removed and we’re anxious parents awaiting his recovery. He’s snoring peacefully on my lap as I type, yet filled with staples after the removal of tumors and tissue. It’s heartbreaking and, equally, I’m honored to be his new mama and feel blessed to nurse him back to health. He’s such a sweet, tiny boy (only 14 lbs).
In addition to regrouping from the past week, here’s what’s on my mind:
- Making Pigs & Pugs Project‘s screening of The Last Pig a success {tickets and details to come}
- Getting more exercise. My last yoga and ballet class was two weeks ago and my body aches.
- Learning more about farming and gardening. Picked up these two books: Cut Flower Gardens and Woman-Powered Farm. Psst, my dream is to have a farmette in the country with rescue potbelly pigs, pugs, flowers, veggies, and, yes, maybe even a tractor. Pink, of course.
- Giving Year of Tranquility everything I have. And then some.
- Writing my memoir. I need to return to my writing habit and create a book proposal.
- Designing TranquiliT‘s spring collection.
- Reading. I’d like to beat my 24-book annual Goodreads challenge and my plan to do so is to tote a book with me at all times. Hello, Kindle app on the phone and a physical book.
I share all this to highlight that if your year isn’t off to a glamorous start, sometimes it just takes a pause to recognize it and regroup. Refocus. Set priorities once we get through the emergencies.
Personally, I have a deep desire to live as the Tolstoy quote suggests. That my work may be of some use. That a quiet secluded life in the country is what my soul craves right now. That books and nature and rest and music and love for all beings are musts.
So if you decide to linger in bed a bit longer or feel drawn to wander the countryside, listen deeply. Your soul knows what it wants and needs. So tell me, what’s on your mind? Bisous. x
