lifestyle | what a want to continue doing post pandemic…

perhaps
in the waiting,
we are not
wasting time,
but doing
the hard work
of finding
new rhythms 
in a quieter,
slower version
of life. 
-morgan harper nichols

it’s a rare rainy day here. it feels calm without the harsh summer sun beating down on the earth. i am currently listening to eva cassidy and the sound of my boys playing together down the hall. we have spent so much time together over the past year and a half … and it’s been full of these sweet moments. but it’s also been really hard. in so many ways. and for nearly every person. people have grown closer and people have drifted apart. sadly, many people have gotten sick and have passed, people have gotten married, separated, babies have been born… we all are just trying to keep on loving one another- through all the uncertainties. 

when we were in the mountains of tennessee about a month ago, my uncle, who is a catholic priest, held mass in the cabin. our family gathered, just like we used to throughout my childhood. we prayed and we gave peace. ‘may peace be with you.’ those are some of my most treasured christmas memories- sitting in my uncle tony and aunt judy’s sunroom as my older cousins shared special announcements and memories during the homily.  as part of the homily on this august afternoon, he had our family members (four generations were present) share things from life during quarantine that they wanted to continue doing after all of this has hopefully passed … unexpected parts we enjoyed; tiny treasures in the days that make up our lives.

ever since, i have been pondering what i want to always remember and what i want to continue incorporating into our lives post pandemic:

*i am a homebody- i love home. i am also more of a flow with each day; creating rhythms as we go and with each season versus a strict routine type-of-girl/momma. i cherish slow days and relish in taking in the most simple moments together. therefore, rising with no rush, in the early morning stillness, when the clock wasn’t counting down to anything specific- felt sacred. when there was just us. that will always be what i loved most.

01. lighting a taper candle every morning + praying 
02. journaling to joni mitchell and brandi carlile and fleetwood mac 
03. filling our home with fresh flowers as much as possible 
04. baking bread together 
05. utilizing the local library 
06. our friday night family movie night + pizza + popcorn 
07. date nights at home with my husband
08. playing all the thrifted vinyls 
09. planting outdoor flowers + nourishing our indoor plant babies 
10. bike rides and family walks 
11. piano music playing all day long in our kitchen 
12. carrying a book around + reading more often 
13. front yard picnics
14. shopping at trader joe’s 
15. enjoying outdoor movie nights using our projector
16. glow stick bubble baths for the boys and baths with more bubbles 
17. daily dance parties 
18. stretching
19. sitting in the sunshine and appreciating the moonlight 
20. really looking into my boys’ eyes… a few weeks into the initial quarantine, i realized that i knew the exact shade of brown for each one of them. 
parks james: golden, like honey oat sunshine, tender
nash charlie: deep, like dark roast coffee, expressive 
21. calling loved ones more 
22. making different homemade soups

…what about you…
what are some things that you experienced over the past year and a half that you would like to continue?
maybe even for always