More and Less | January 2017.

from Saturday's morning walk

I'm taking a different approach to Currents this year.  Instead of documenting what's going on with a list of -ing words, I'm going to frame the update with my intentions for 2017. Hopefully making that a monthly practice will help me keep those More/Less ideas top of mind ... and get back to a habit of Currents posts.

more gratitude. This has been a challenge. There are still lots of good things in my life, but I'm getting bogged down by the not-so-good. I need to practice being grateful for all the things.

more mindfulness. With a huge thank you to Kat for the recommendation, I ordered Slow Stitch. I've been savoring the words and photos.

more exploring. Thanks to Krista Tippett's interview (recently re-run) with Maria Popova, I subscribed to the Brain Pickings newsletter. I've wandered down a few paths on the site and enjoyed every single thing I've found. This article about Mary Oliver is one of my favorite finds.

more curiosity. One of the Read Harder Challenges is an LGBTQ romance. I'm reading Month of Sundays, my very first lesbian romance (because curious).

more connecting. I'm on track to publish 20 blog posts this month - woohoo! that's almost every weekday. And I've made real progress in real life - Marc and I are walking together a few times a week and I've started a regular Monday afternoon knitting date with a girlfriend; there's also knitting class on Wednesday afternoons, wine & knitting with my sister on Wednesday evenings, and small group on Friday mornings. With the little boys on Tuesday and Thursday (and a built-in opportunity to see their mama) and regular calls with my mom and Sara, I'm feeling about as connected as ever. (see less busy below.)

more yoga. I recommitted to the "daily yoga" habit on January 1. It helped that the Y added a second Yin class on Mondays and I'm back to using Yoga Studio. 23 days so far ... and I'm almost ready to say it's a habit again.

more prayer. A work in progress. (see less worry below.)

more letting (it) go. I packed up two boxes of "stuff" to donate (I'm not sure that really counts because it was mostly to make room for the three boxes of stuff I brought back from Mother's).

less busy. My calendar seems awfully full (for someone with no day job), but I don't feel busy. I wonder how that might change when Sam starts coming on Thursdays (this week!)

less worry. I'm paying more attention to current events now than ... maybe ever. There is so much going on that's scary and uncertain, but being informed and taking action (even little things) is helping. I'm glad I included this intention this year. Keeping it top of mind is helpful, too.

And whew - this month has flown by. Connecting with y'all continues to be a highlight of my day(s). Thank you!

As I start planning for February, I welcome any and all suggestions, especially for exploring and curiosity. Podcasts, books, websites?