Good News & Gratitude #7

Shoutout to chickens, squirrels, birds, bees, trees, chocolate, compost, good books, rescue dogs, and more!

Hello Beyonders!

While I love gardening, I'm not much good at composting. Instead, I save up my vegetable scraps and once a week offer them to my friends’ beautiful chickens. The ladies seem pretty pleased. And as my mom would have said, it does my heart good!

In fact, I’m most content after I’ve fed the chickens, fed Rudy and Delilah, walked D and her best pal Cookie, filled the bird feeders, plunked five scoops of squirrel food in the crook of the tree with a few extra peanuts on top, filled the bird bath with fresh water, and checked on the bees. My whole being settles into these moments. I feel a vibrant quietness course through me. It’s how I want to always feel.

There are times the limitations my health presents can get me down; I can question my purpose on this planet. But these moments of tender service remind me that I’m connected to all that is, including the unknown—in whatever form that takes. For me, it’s the Great Mother who I experience in the huge maples that watch over my back garden and brim with wisdom. And in the chorus of crickets and the sweet chirps of the sparrows and the fascinating patterns the bees make on the front of the hive to keep it cool and the mighty hawk circling overhead and the vole tunnels that I sometimes sink partially into and Rudy preening in the sun in the chair across from me and D preferring the shade by my side. You get the picture! I’m grateful for these reminders that we aren’t dominant over our fellow beings and that none of us are alone. I’m grateful for the joy in this quiet, earnest tending.

Speaking of the wonder of animals: I just made our monthly donation to The DeTommaso Dogs. Another thing that does my heart good. Deep gratitude to all the paid subscribers who make this possible!

A couple of foods that bring me Great Joy:

Honey Mama’s Truffle Bars Friends, I am a chocolate addict! I can’t get through the day without it. Therefore, I’m also a bit of connoisseur. And, oh my goodness, these bars are The Best Thing Ever.

I first tried one at the Seattle airport and thought, “I’m so glad they don’t sell these near me, I would be addicted.” As it turns out, they sell them everywhere near me, so, yes, I am wildly addicted, so much so that I can’t even wait for lunch, they’ve become part of my breakfast. And everyone I’ve offered a slice to, all different sorts of humans, are now wildly addicted, as well. So I thought some of you might want to become addicted, too.

They are astoundingly delicious and full of ingredients that are good for you. Truly! My favorite is Chocolate Cake.

And I’m pretty sure they help me write better! If you try one, let me know what you think. (I don’t get any sort of kickback from this company despite starting a small village on them)

Cocojune I only discovered these yum-yummy coconut yogurts a couple weeks ago but eating one has quickly become a coveted part of most days. They’re so thick and creamy and, well, decadent, I think even folks who eat dairy would love them. I’ve only tried the Pure Coconut, Vanilla Chamomile, and Strawberry Rhubarb because those are the three flavors the store near me sells, but I bet the rest are good, too.

As a sidenote: I’ve been vegetarian or vegan since I was about four. Apparently, my parents and pediatrician thought I was the World’s Most Finicky Child until they realized I liked pretty much everything except for meat, eggs, and dairy. This was in the sixties and my lovely, kind Very English Parents who lived on shepherds’ pie and toad in the hole and bubble and squeak and liver and onions and the Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, et cetera, knew absolutely nothing about how to raise a vegetarian daughter. But they made a valiant effort (If I recall correctly, I ate a lot of pasta and salads and potatoes in their jackets). If you went to a restaurant in those days, right through to fairly recent-ish times, your meal was the side dish veggie which was usually slathered in butter (so much for vegan) and a slice of bread. Which is a longwinded way of saying, it’s so much easier to be plant-based these days! Yay! For one thing, we have delicious coconut yogurts!

In prepping for this week’s interview with Ingrid Rojas Contreras I reread both her books: Fruit of the Drunken Tree and The Man Who Could Move Clouds. They are staggeringly, astoundingly beautiful (I offer small summaries in the lead to the interview). They will change the way you see the world and also your relationship with yourself. After my conversation with Ingrid, all I want to do is dream! And create new stories for myself. And hang out with her mother. If you haven’t read them, I encourage you to do so. They will bring you joy! Or listen to them on Audible: Ingrid reads her Pulitzer Finalist memoir and her voice is so soothing.

That’s all for this week! Grateful for the animals and trees and chocolate and gorgeous books and the hope of dreaming and new stories!

How about you? What’s your good news? What are you grateful for? Are you any good at composting? What brought you joy this week?