“When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”

-African Proverb

HOME

A few months ago, we made a move to a home that is closer to nature, but our son is still able to attend the same school. Our intention was to consolidate our life (home/office/recreation), so that we could spend less time feeling split between locations and activities and focus on what really matters in our life. I realized that after years of digging in my heels to try and make what we had work, I needed to re-evaluate what was important. We needed a change.

Taking the time to really “name what matters” for our family took (and continues to take) ongoing consideration, compromise, and hard work. The move was exhausting, and yet, it was worth every second for the peace it has given our family. We have reclaimed joy with time for hikes, biking, enjoying the seasons, and time for all of us to be with friends after a long time apart. I’ve loved watching the fog hover over the greenbelt near our home as we drive to school in the morning. The little things make all the difference.

Our life is still full, and we still get worn out as we are managing school and sports schedules, time with family and friends, scheduling downtime and time for being active and exploring outside. Our lives feel changed because we are able to experience the parts of life that are important to us with more clarity and intention. I’m no longer spending hours every month trying to organize or manage our things or travel back and forth among locations because everything has a place now. Through the de-cluttering of physical items in this consolidation and being nearer to the activities we love, we’ve created mental space for enjoying the activities and people we love.

My Yes magazine arrived at our home with the title Enough for Everyone. It had me thinking about what IS enough food…living space…water…energy…clothing…education…time? Many of us are thinking about our lives differently after the past two years of upheaval, loss, and uncertainty.

Minimalism gained popularity in the last several years and with it a push to de-clutter and live with less. Images of stark white, spotless, and streamlined homes and closets with capsule wardrobes and household items being counted could be found all over social media. Living intentionally can include minimalism, but it doesn’t have to. Intentional living asks us to consider the physical items we bring into our space, but also the environment and people we surround ourselves with. At its core, living with intention is living in alignment with our values.

I read The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living by Christine Platt and found her approach to intentional living refreshing and accessible. She shares her own story with tips for living with intention and living with less.

Here are a few places where you can begin to live with more intention. Remember that you must first think about your intentions and values for HOW you want to live. What small changes can you set in motion to set up your home and life to support those intentions?

Your time is only free when you create a framework to support that freedom.

Why not start with your bookshelf?

Organizing your bookshelf with The Lazy Genius

Questions to ask yourself: Why is it important for me to organize my books? What freedom will I gain to have my reading life in order? How many books is enough? Why do I buy books? Where? How can you support authors if you can’t afford to buy physical copies? Where can you donate books when you are finished with them?

I have a shelf for books I’m currently reading, a shelf for books I want to keep, and a shelf for books waiting to be read. Organizing my books in this way helps to keep me organized and adds thoughtful limitations. This means no new books until there is space for one on the shelf and giving books away (books I don’t plan to keep) when I finish reading so that others can enjoy them.

Have you seen “Sparking Joy” on Netflix yet? (*link has sound)

10 minutes a day to change your reality - I can relate when she says, “There are so many things I want to learn. Why is the day so short?” (*link has sound)

“In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and a pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the morning, can pull everyone from bed in a fog. Food is better in November than any other time of year.” - Cynthia Rylant, In November ($)

As we enter the season of comforting meals, I’m sharing a few of my favorites that I’ve come across in the last few weeks.

Fall salads from the cookbook Cook Once Dinner Fix: Quick and Exciting Ways to Transform Tonight’s Dinner into Tomorrow’s Feast by Texan author Cassy Joy Garcia

Turkey Pozole Verde just in time for leftovers

Sausages with Gingery Pineapple

I’ve stocked our freezer with tamales from Tamale Addiction for quick lunches and meals throughout the holidays as well as tamales on Christmas Day.

Less Work, More Living

Helping the Rich Let Go - Brobbey from Good Ancestor Movement Ltd. says, “We ask our clients, ‘What harm may have been caused in the process of the extraction or ongoing accumulation of this wealth? Were there groups of people [who] were harmed? Was there ecological harm? And what, based on this, is imperative for you to do? Too much philanthropic activity reinforces the power and replicates the structural inequalities that led to the wealth inequalities.”

GARDEN

“If each of us “grows” a child who appreciates nature, we grow billions of trees.” - quotation by Thuy Dao from Her86m2 channel video (link below)

Children need to experience nature to appreciate nature. This means helping with access to nature for all children and getting outdoors ourselves to experience it with them. You don’t have to be a parent to show nature to a child. Be a guide, a teacher, a mentor, or a volunteer.

My first year teaching elementary school, I made it a priority to have a class garden. Each child had a small piece of the garden where they planted their seeds. Later, I helped my son’s teacher create a class garden and a butterfly garden. Last year I grew extra seedlings to give to a friend who teaches kindergarten so that her class could create a garden.

My son is older now, but I love taking him and his friends to explore in nature. Watching the wonder and delight in a child’s eye when they realize the magic nature offers, you can’t help but want to protect this gift for them. This is why I post photos of nature every week in my blog and why I write about my experiences in nature. I want to remind everyone what we are protecting when we make decisions to ensure a thriving environment for our generation and the many that will follow.

Humans often get in the way of nature when we try to “help”. When we appreciate, learn from, listen to, and RESPECT nature’s cycles, we are humbled by its magnitude and diversity, are filled with wonder at its beauty, and are driven to work with its ecosystems. Nature will always be a gift we share with generations to come.

If you need a little inspiration to inspire the next generation, watch Gardening with Alexia to Create a Nurturing Environment (*link has sound)

WELLNESS

Chicken mole enchiladas and grief

The toll of ongoing stress

Our bodies need the information from a vaccine to know what to fight. It’s why we get vaccines before we travel to certain areas or when the influenza virus mutates every year. “Your immune system is the one doing the work,” Kozik said. “They say ‘I trust my body.' Great, I trust mine too. It just needed to know how to recognize what it’s supposed to be fighting.” Source: Washington Post

Meditations on Enough

CREATIVITY

Knitting for Radical Self-Care: A Modern Guide by Brandi Cheyenne Harper

BOOKSHELF

We have a fireplace in our home again after 12 years, and I love curling up near it with a good book. This past week I finished up The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell. I didn’t even know I could enjoy a good mystery until I read this book. The snarky inspector got me hooked, and the strong and witty female characters, and eerie London setting of 1893 will have you turning the pages. I found myself looking forward to slipping away from real life to find out what was going to happen next!

Be sure to keep an eye out on the 52 Seasons Instagram feed for a reminder that my Growing a Family of Readers booklist will be featured on Bookshop.org’s children’s books homepage on November 22-29, 2021.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher helping children learn about the importance of gratitude or looking for new perspectives on Thanksgiving, I’ve curated an article and list of books to help kids (and adults) learn about new perspectives on Thanksgiving and why it is a day to gather, but also to mourn.

I wonder if we re-named Thanksgiving Gathering Day if it might be more inclusive and representative of the actual history of the day. If we gathered around a table or gathering place with our losses, struggles, experiences, and even celebrations from the year and honored those who came before. A gathering of people sharing a meal grounded in the truth of the human experience might have more meaning. This is what other cultures have done for generations.

Teaching (honestly) about Thanksgiving

Gathering Together in Gratitude Booklist on Bookshop.org

Books I’m reading: Shiner ($) by Amy Jo Burns and Sweetgrass ($) by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Books I’m listening to: Lost in the Never Woods ($) by Aiden Thomas

Books I’ve recently finished: The House on Vesper Sands ($) by Paraic O’Donnell, Pride ($) by Ibi Zoboi, Parable of the Sower ($) by Octavia E. Butler, Clap When You Land ($) by Elizabeth Acevedo, and The Personal Librarian ($) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

What’s up next on my TBR (To Be Read) list: Strange Weather in Tokyo ($) by Hiromi Kawakami and Allison Markin Powell, Fault Lines ($) by Emily Itami, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness ($) by Ingrid Fetell Lee, Once Upon a Wardrobe ($) by Patti Callahan, Snow & Rose ($) by Emily Winfield Martin, Baker’s Magic ($) by Diane Zahler, and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses ($) by Robin Wall Kimmerer

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.

COMMUNITY

Boji in Instanbul

I’m listening to my body right now and will be taking a two week break in November. It’s time for me pare down my schedule as new activities are added for the holiday season. I’ll return with a blog post on December 3rd to share ideas for the winter season and reflect on the year before I take another break for winter.

Enjoy your weekend :)

Please share your thoughts on what is enough or changes you’ve made to live with intention in the comments section below.

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.

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Disclosure: ($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy, Campspot, Beauty by Earth, or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.