saving my life: suddenly June edition.

Hello, friends. It is June, somehow, and the world is purple and green: tall ruffled iris, big puffball alliums, flowering catmint, leggy delphiniums. And the pink is splashing out, too: rhododendrons, fluffy peonies, bright sweet beach roses overflowing with bees.

The weather is up and down, as it often is; the headlines are heartbreaking, as they often are; and some evenings I’m so exhausted I can barely see straight. But, as always, there are a number of things saving my life in this season. Here’s my latest list:

• Pink fluffy peonies from Trader Joe’s, in addition to the ones in my neighbors’ yards.
• Petting Gigi, our sweet office dog, who’s always so happy to see me.
• Jenny’s maple-pecan granola. Making it for myself, when I can, feels like the sweetest act of self-care.
• Moisturizer, which sounds boring but is also vital self-care (see above).
• Friends who respond to my (frantic or joyful or silly) texts, and keep me going.
• The occasional zoom with my writing group: class is officially out for the summer, but we’re still meeting once in a while.
• Batch after batch of Molly’s ratatouille, which is just about the only thing I want to cook/eat these days.
• A recent adventure to Portsmouth, NH, with a girlfriend, which included trips to Book & Bar and Auspicious Brew.
• Bike rides with my guy, including a hop down a new trail the other week.
• Piles and piles of good books: incisive nonfiction, immersive novels, fun mysteries, joyous middle grade.

What’s saving your life, these days?