I am a firm believer in fresh air, so amidst all the furor and frenzy surrounding coronavirus, I was indeed refreshed to hear one doctor’s advice that fresh air is your best friend, at least when it comes to viruses in your own home. Aside from COVID-19, I have small children and live in the Northeast, so in the winter, viruses are rampant. Any time I can, I open a window. No, it’s not super energy efficient. But it makes a huge difference in more than one way.
The last few days in Vermont have been false spring, that teaser of what lies way, way ahead when spring actually comes. The sap is flowing in the maples, the deer are rummaging through the remains of my garden, and with the windows open, you can actually smell things again. Good things.
But speaking of nasty viruses, my kids had one all last weekend. As usual, I tackled this head-on with all the things: homemade chicken soup, warm fluids, elderberry syrup “sodas,” and so much TLC. And then the one thing that actually works: time. Well, time and sleep.
This weekend, after cancelling all our plans so as not to induce mass hysteria with my kids’ garden-variety cough, we did get outside. We went exploring in the woods, climbed some trees and mossy rocks, and collected treasures in our Halloween baskets (perfect for this activity). Eliza went for volume, collecting every possible specimen of evergreen tree needle, birch bark, and acorn. Phoebe was more selective. She came home with a “crystal” we peeled off a stand of moss at the base of a tree, along with a tiny branch containing three red berries and an exquisite sample of lichen.
I picture a post-virus-frenzy world in which no one ever wants to leave their property or mingle in public, and I am so grateful that I am an introvert living in the beautiful, spacious, natural world of Vermont. For acres in every direction from my house, the world beats on just like ever before. The forest animals are starting to wake up, just as they always do. The lichen and moss once again emerge to compete with the melting snowcaps for color supremacy. At the very tips of dead-looking branches are new signs of fragile — no, not fragile, enduring — life.
And if you look up, you might see my children way too high in a tree.
What I’m reading:
“Prep for Prep and the Faultlines in New York’s Schools” in The New Yorker — an interesting addendum to the Code Switch post I mentioned a few weeks ago.
This NY Times piece about the 14-year-old girl from Atlanta responsible for the latest TikTok dance craze: Jalaiah Harmon invented the Renegade. I am a nearly 50-year-old woman who does not do TikTok, but I’m aware of it and think this girls kicks serious ass. I hope she’s going places.
What I’m listening to:
Hank Williams.
What I’m eating:
Here are two recipes I want to try on NYT Cooking:
Stay tuned.
What I’m working on:
Very thrilled that Eventbrite has published this ebook I helped draft about diversity in the wellness space, a world I worked in for many, many years. And yes I am a standard-issue white lady, but I did collaborate with and interview many women of color for this piece, and I hope their perspective and expertise shines through: Wellness for Everyone: Why Diversity Matters for Self-Care Events
For Helpshift: Ticket Deflection 101: How A Knowledge Base Will Save You Money
I also just took on a new technology client, Envoy, that I’m really excited about.
