Welcome to Friday,
Some weeks, life just throws curve ball after slide after change-up while others seem to be a walk in the (ball)park. This week has been one of those sunny, rambling strolls after the slow trudge forward and back – the post-road-trip recovery, I call it – where the sun is warm and the sky clear and oh – why not stop here to smell the roses and yes – we must stop and pay proper tribute to the songbirds, too. It’s been lovely to get back into the habit of daily walks and reading and piping mugs of tea. What I mean to say is simply, as enjoyable as time away is, it’s always so refreshing to return home, isn’t it?
This week I enjoyed:
Rebecca Hey’s beautiful and lively illustrations in the world’s first encyclopedia of trees.
Merriam-Webster has a tool for showing which words entered the lexicon during your birth year. Good to know I entered the world alongside queso, nanobot, and gangsta rap!
I recently discovered the writings and philosophy of Mary Midgley, a British philosopher known for her work on biology, ethics, and animal rights. I find her challenging of Richard Dawkin’s support for seeing Darwin as a counterpart to theology incredibly interesting.
This piece resonates with something that’s been on my mind lately – learning new skills even, or especially, in adulthood. It’s a beautiful excerpt with always relevant wisdom – to remain a grown-up novice. The author learned to surf in middle age. What new things are you learning to do as an adult? What new skill should I learn?
Finally, I enjoyed Molly Flatts’ thoughts on the power of fiction to shake us out of our own dimension and into imagining the next.
Currently reading: Leaves of Grass (1892 edition) by Walt Whitman
Have a beautiful weekend!
