How Things Are Looking These Days- Feb 2022
Ngwaga O Mosha Friends,
What a year 2021 was, I’m usually all about Samhain and the New Year- addressing the lessons and challenges that came forth over the past months, reflecting, sitting in gratitude or any other emotions that came up, then setting boundaries/goals for the new season. This year found me with absolutely no desire to do ANY of that. My birthday came and went in January with no deep reflection or celebration- mostly because i’m pregnant! Yay! and was very miserable because of the general malaise and nausea the first trimester brought me.
Thankfully I’m fine now, and rather excited to expend this lovely burst of energy I have on creating more content for you all before I retreat inwards for the last few weeks months of gestation and postpartum.
So what is new around here:
Preparing for a different birth experience and more traditional post partum experience true to my lineage as an African woman while drawing lots of inspiration from lots of other cultures that have rich nourishing post partum traditions like in a lot of Asian and South American countries like Colombia, and Korea just to name a couple. I know that is not an option for most caregivers in the USA, but I truly feel that a lot of the mental and physical dysfunction we experience during gestation and post partum was directly related to the lack of support we face. I’m hoping to write a different story this time.
I am slowly puttering away at my Zine entitled “How to Take Good Care” -A collection of short stories, poems, and recipes on how to take care of ourselves. This zine is an opportunity for me to share with y’all the things that ground, uplift, soothe, nourish, and please. All things I need often.
DECLUTTERING! Truth be told this has nothing to do with nesting, and more to do with the fact that the pandemic directly affected my motivation to be more present in my home and heartspace. The biggest thing about minimalism to me is taking the time seasonally to address systems in my house (think cupboards, bookshelves, closets) and figure out if they are serving my family and I in the best ways. Is my closet full of clothes I do not wear or that don’t fit? Are there books in my shelf we no longer read? I am thankfully ready to address these things- especially my little one’s room. Her room is full of toys she no longer touches and even though they were thoughtfully brought into our home it is time to let them go so her space is more reflective if where she is developmentally as well as easier to CLEAN!
Garden life? Pfffffff. I am currently overwhelmed by my Master Gardner training commitments so I am not sure how present I will be in my garden other than to make sure flowers are grown for my edible flower loving child cut flowers for my table. Anthony is more than excited to turn all 8 -10 beds into tomatoes and spicy peppers for his salsa loving self. My biggest endeavor will be spring clean up and chicken wing clipping to protect the garden from my hens.
That is all I’ve got friends,
Peace
