Kimberly Wilson's Blog, page 75

Creating To-Dos to Match Dreams

Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.—Carl Sandburg

This is me right now. Although Gizmo is sans bow tie and snoring versus looking up. And Belle is also curled up on my lap since Tim is out of town (that’s the only way I get her attention). Oh, and my hair is super frizzy from all the rain versus curled and, of course, I’m in that same outfit—aka, my uniform.

While hosting this month’s minimalism module for Year of Tranquility (YOT), I’m also engaging along with the group and this week’s practices focus on time and energy usage. Some ideas to protect our output include taking a Sabbath, creating MITs (most important tasks), trying the Pomodoro technique, and tracking time. The last one sheds light on whether our actions are currently in alignment with our values.

Tim left on Monday for a bike tour on the Katy Trail and I carefully crafted the week to rotate around daycare for Mookie, seeing clients, and juggling other appointments. I also penned a list of things I wanted to do while he was gone onto pink paper and stapled it into my planner. The list includes:

Make cauliflower wings {done!}
Practice hand lettering
Finish The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
Start The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
Work on my memoir proposal
Host a FB Live {that one has a question mark after it as it’s still TBD—you’ll be the first to know if I do schedule it}
Attend Poplar Spring’s Run for the Animals
Take 5 ballet classes
Work on editorial calendar
Have a declutter day {scheduled for Saturday}
Make a matcha latte
Update 24 Tools o’ Tranquility
Review budgets
Dabble in bullet journaling
Work on my Year of Tranquility journal
Brunch with a girlfriend
Peony picking with a girlfriend

Daily I find myself obsessively reviewing my to-dos and trying to knock things off. It’s a superpower (ahem, curse) of mine. The list above wasn’t part of my typical to-dos, but rather bigger things I wanted to try or practice. It’s a list that goes beyond scheduling appointments or everyday tasks and brings what’s percolating in the back of my mind to the forefront.

For example, Tim does the cooking and I’m obsessed with his cauliflower wings so I wanted to give it a go. Last night I got home at 9 after seeing clients and picking up Mookie from daycare and read through his how-to text message. 75 minutest later I was popping crispy florets of cauliflower smothered in buffalo wing sauce into my belly. During the process I wrote a confessional text to him that I think it was my first time ever chopping cauliflower. Now I feel empowered and will be making more tonight.

A few of the items above are creativity related—hand lettering, YOT journal, bullet journaling, ballet, and memoir writing. Often times these are the projects that will fall by the wayside if I focus on checking off the typical to-dos. Although I already had the ballet classes in my schedule, I liked noting that I’d take five. It sounds dedicated, no?!

I share all this as a reminder of what we already know, and Annie Dillard tells us, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” If we value creativity, reading, writing, healthy eating, and relationships and yet those items aren’t showing up in our daily lives, this serves as a wake up call to make some shifts.

If you created a pink list to staple into your planner, what would go onto it? What isn’t a typical to-do, but rather something bigger picture that taps into a deeper longing? Guard your time and energy as your most precious resources. Because, well, they are. Bisous. x

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Podcast Interview

Need a midday boost? Have a listen to this interview on Victoria Moran’s Main Street Vegan podcast where we chat about Paris (of course), eating veg, finding tranquility, and my vision for Pigs & Pugs Project!

There’s something powerful about putting words to what I’m dreaming of bringing forth through Pigs & Pugs Project. Look for an upcoming blog post as I put written words to the dream. Write it down, make it happen . . . so the saying goes! x

The post Podcast Interview appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.

Picnic in the Park

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Although I never felt the longing for human babies, since childhood I’ve been crazy about “mothering” animals. Apparently there is a maternal instinct somewhere deep down and it pours out toward furry beings.

Since my first furbaby Louis, I’ve milked all I possibly could out of Mother’s Day and took it to a new level this year.

Friday was Mother’s Day Eve Eve {yep!} and included wine, salad, and olives at our favorite dog-friendly neighborhood spot.

Saturday was obviously Mother’s Day Eve and that called for a dog-friendly event at the Congressional Cemetery followed by two homemade vegan meals by Chef Tim.

Yesterday began with a jaunt to the farmers’ market and a Vegan Treats Pop-Up. Although they were out of peonies, I bought a $20 peony bush that had one bloom and have high hopes for growing my very own peonies.

Next we headed to Rock Creek Park for a picnic followed by a hike thorough a lush forest with a babbling brook following us the whole way. The day ended with a vegan meal at Busboys and Poets. I’d call it a perfect Mother’s Day experience.

Today feels like Boxing Day. You know, that random holiday following the big one when we’re left feeling sad because all the hubbub has passed? Well, good news, Tim reminded me that June is approaching and that means BIRTHDAY MONTH!

Okay, now that I’m feeling better, I wanted to share my picnic ingredients in case you, too, would like an easy-to-create lunch in the park.

Supplies:

Picnic basic or bag

Cloth napkins

Knife

Blanket or throw

Ingredients:

Avocado

Tomato

Fruit (Asian pear and banana shown, apple not shown)

Baguette

Bubbly in a can

Reusable water bottle (not shown)

Vegan cupcake

Vegan cheese

Peanut butter (not shown)

Rosemary crackers (not shown)

Nuts

Olives (not shown)

We slathered avocado and tomato slices onto the baguette, peanut butter onto apples, and vegan cheese onto crackers. We noshed on handfuls of nuts and I took one slow bite at a time of the cupcake while sipping bubbly from a pink can.

Although there were gnats and an occasional sprinkle, it was a sweet experience that nurtured the soul. Spending time in nature continually teaches the importance of slowing down and savoring.

And nothing beats being with family while enjoying yummy food under a green canopy of foliage. Consider scheduling a picnic in the park this month and observe your body soften into slowness. Bisous. x

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Let’s Retreat

Picture yourself waking up in a soulful setting and making space to connect with your deepest dreams and desires.

Since 2000 I’ve offered retreats to nurture the soul and four idyllic locations are currently open: Paris, West Virginia, Costa Rica, and Tuscany!

Each retreat is devoted to a particular theme and includes yoga, mindfulness, and creative play in the form of art journaling or writing.

Participants have gone on to start businesses, blogs, books, and more!

Consider setting aside three to seven days to nurture your spirit in one of these stunning settings. I promise to spoil you and create a safe space for nourishing and growing your dreams.

And, yes, the confirmation comes with a packing list to make your getaway even easier!

P.S. Can’t get away but want a retreat experience? Consider the Virtual Retreats. Next live one is happening on October 20. No packed bags or travel arrangements necessary.

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Tranquility du Jour #420: Ayurveda

Ayurveda with Susan Weis-Bohlen. In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, we discuss Ayurveda in everyday life including the Dinacharya—the daily routine and her new book, Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide: Essential Principles and Practices to Balance and Heal Naturally.

 



Direct download: Tranquility du Jour #420: Ayurveda

Upcoming Events

Year of Tranquility: Join anytime

Yoga + the Animals: June 9 at Burleigh Manor Animal Sanctuary

Penning in Paris: July 23-27 in Paris {1 spot left}

Writing in the Woods: October 26-28 in West Virginia

Tranquility in the Topics: February 16-23, 2019 in Costa Rica

Tranquility in Tuscany: July 13-20, 2019

Featured Guest:
SUSAN WEIS-BOHLEN is a full-time Ayurvedic consultant, cooking teacher, meditation teacher, and leader of sacred site tours. Susan’s personal journey into the Ayurvedic lifestyle began when she came across the Ayurvedic cleansing technique of panchakarma. What began as the release of damaging toxins and personal difficulties eventually grew into an impassioned vocation. She has since studied with the best teachers of Ayurveda, both in the US and in India. Susan knows exactly how challenging it can be to come to Ayurveda as a beginner and has dedicated her life to sharing the fruits of her studies with students all over the world.

Susan grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. After attending the University of Missouri and the University of Maryland (1985) she moved to Israel where she lived in Tel Aviv and worked as a journalist for the Jerusalem Post and as a unit publicist on TV shows and films made in Israel. Susan also worked for Israel Cable TV during its infancy and helped to establish the film channel.

In 1992 Susan moved to Washington DC to work at the Israeli Embassy in the media and press office. For the next three years she worked with the government promoting the Oslo Peace Accords, witnessing the signing of peace treaties with Palestine and Jordon, with both the Bush and Clinton administrations.

After moving back to the US for good in 1997 Susan found real joy in working at two bookstores, Bibelot and Barnes & Noble, organizing events, community groups, book clubs and workshops. After that wonderful experience, Susan worked in PR and marketing while planning to open her own bookstore. After a visit to The Bodhi Tree in West Hollywood (Los Angeles) she decided to open a new age bookstore based on their model. Susan opened Breathe Books in Baltimore in 2004. Since she became a vegetarian at 16 and had been practicing yoga and meditation in her late 20s Susan wanted to promote this lifestyle to others. She ran her bookstore for 10 years, eventually adding a vegetarian cafe, teaching and consulting on Ayurveda, hosting authors from around the globe, and leading weekly meditation classes. In 2014 Susan decided to close Breathe Books and concertante fully on her Ayurvedic practice.

Continuing her love for world-travel, Susan leads meditation, yoga and Ayurveda tours to sacred sites around the world.

Susan lives with her husband Larry (who she met in her bookstore in 2008) and their three dogs, Ella, Shadow and Joonie, in the woods in Reisterstown, Maryland just outside of Baltimore City.
Savvy Sources
Find Susan

Website

Video

Facebook

Book

Mentioned in the Podcast

Year of Tranquility: May is Minimalism

Blog post mentioned

Compassion is the new black tee


Social Media



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Tranquility Tips + Tools

Shop slow locally-made, eco-friendly fashion: TranquiliT
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Techy

To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes.
New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411.
Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released.
Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to download the podcast “automagically” on iOS or Android.

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A Garden to Walk In

A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in—what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.—Victor Hugo

Thursday morning my alarm chimed at 4am for my 5:55am flight to North Carolina. I showered and stuffed all I needed—notebook, colored markers, washi tape, toiletries, a change of clothing, laptop, Kindle, journal—into a carry-on tote bag. Before greeting the Lyft driver for the 20-minute jaunt to the airport, I noshed on chia seed pudding and kissed the pups and Tim goodbye.

Upon arrival to North Carolina, I googled “juice bar” and made my way to Happy + Hale for avocado toast topped with capers and Sriracha sauce plus a green juice. The Writing for Health workshop was held at Duke Integrative Medicine which reminded me of a meditation retreat center complete with fountains, a meditation room, a labyrinth, and a library.

Thursday was a blend of lecture, writing, and sharing and by the end of the day, I was a bit loopy. Before heading to my AirBnB to crash, I met up with a longtime friend at Nasher Museum Cafe to enjoy a glass of vino, vegan risotto, and a salad.

My alarm rang at 6:50 the following morning as I needed to see Duke Gardens (and get more avocado toast and green juice in my belly) before my 9am workshop began. Enamored, I snapped these photos during my quick self-guided tour around the property.

The path in took me straight to a large fountain and rose garden where I promptly smelled as many roses as possible. One of the gardeners kept watching me and seemed concerned about my abundance of enthusiasm.

Next was the terrace (second photo above). As I left, I saw these peonies in the lower right corner and let out a small shriek. I ran over, sniffed them, and snapped the pic below. Peonies!

After picking up my go-to from Happy + Hale, I headed in for the second day of the workshop for more writing, processing, and learning feeling refreshed.

Starting the day roaming through manicured gardens filled with happy flora was a gift. Colors, smells, and sounds can heal. A garden to walk in is a true source of awe and delight. Bisous. x

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Gratitude

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.—Proust

I’m outside under an umbrella sipping an iced matcha tea during a quick break between clients. There’s a spring in the steps of passersby as DC’s weather transitions to warmer temps.

Tomorrow morning I hop on a plane for a 5:55am flight bound for North Carolina. I’m taking a two-day workshop on Leading Others In Writing for Health at Duke. Never fear, I’ll be sure to share my takeaways and am delighted to learn more about bibliotherapy.

This afternoon I feel an immense amount of gratitude to do this work—therapy, teaching, writing, designing—and I couldn’t do it without YOU.

Over the past 14 years of blogging (gasp!), you’ve been my constant companion. Although I never really know who’s reading, I feel a deep connection to those who consume my words about struggles, lessons, wins, and everything in between.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of Tranquility du Jour. If there is anything I can do, offer, or create to serve you better, please let me know. You are truly one of my charming gardeners. Bisous. x

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April in Review + Resources

You can start anew at any given moment. Life is just the passage of time and it’s up to you to pass it as you please.—Charlotte Eriksson

Month in Review

April whirred by like a high speed train with sweet stops along the way.

Last month’s experiences included the spring virtual retreat, two jaunts to the beach, a jaunt to the woods, the purchase of a Kindle to tote a portion of my library with me, a Wise Woman Wednesday feature, a jaunt to the mountains on Easter, hours of planting flowers in my patio garden, nine ballet and a few yoga classes, two podcast releases, veg week, updates to Tranquil Treasures {hope you like them!}, the struggle to make myself a priority, a Pigs & Pugs Project board meeting, the ongoing practice of tea meditation, listening to Elle Luna speak about her new book, the appreciation of many pink spring blooms including my first peony bouquet, collaboration with mentoring and therapy clients, a podcast interview on The Creative Imposter, an afternoon tea with a girlfriend, playtime in my art journal, the ongoing search for a farmette, and the release of the creativity module for Year of Tranquility.

Since selling the studio I’ve enjoyed the energetic shifts that include open weekends without the weight of responsibility. April provided space to explore how my use of time and energy aligns {and doesn’t} with my deepest desires. I hope to do continued reflection on how to shorten the gap.

As I turn my attention to May, I see opportunities for spending time with more pink blooms, learning, and writing. My wish is that we can continue this connection to blooming along with the natural world while also weeding out that which no longer allows us to grow. Bisous. x

May Wish List

Learn lots at a small farming workshop

Host inspiring Year of Tranquility Minimalism module

Take 10-12 ballet classes

Finish Animal Assisted Interventions module

Tend garden {the peas are sprouting!}

Buy peonies, peonies, peonies

Pen weekly blog posts

Release two love notes

Collaborate with mentoring and therapy clients

Designate reading and writing time

Learn lots at Duke writing program this week

Finish TranquiliT spring launch

Survive single parenting for 10 days

Enjoy Giselle ballet performance date with friend

Return to memoir writing

Savvy Sources

13 Films to Watch to Inspire Your Next Paris Trip

How to Stop Eating Sugar

Pink Pomegranate Rose Latte

Getting the Right Things Done: Important vs Urgent

The Way to Wear Overalls

10 Books to Add to Your May Reading List

Vegan Spring Recipes

Guide to 10 Amazing Greens

How to Grow Microgreens

15 Tiny Outdoor Garden Ideas

Spring Cleaning: The Practice of Minimalism

Sketching On the Go

Create Your Own Afternoon Retreat

The post April in Review + Resources appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.

Lately . . .

What I’m Reading:

Unprocessed: My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food

What I’m Excited About:

Heading to Duke next week for a two-day training on “Leading Others in Writing for Health”
Launching Year of Tranquility’s Module 5 on Minimalism next week
Penning May’s dreams

What I’m Wearing:

My “uniform” = 2in1 fitted top, capri leggings, and an additional layer depending on the weather, where I’m going, what I’m doing, and my mood. Here are ideas on ways to work with this uniform. With a splash of Tranquillité, of course.

What I’m Eating:

LOTS of vegan protein balls

What I’m Grateful For:

YOU! Thank you for being integral to Tranquility du Jour. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to read, listen, watch, and dream along with me.

Interviews:
Yoke and Abundance’s Wise Woman Wednesday


The Creative Imposter

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My Gift from the Sea

The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.—Isak Dinesen

Last weekend we packed beach accoutrements and headed south. We’d planned this trip a couple months ago and were excited to get the dogs to a sandy shore.

Before being cooped up for a four-hour drive, I hit the studio to savor a yin class and stretch my joints. Tim picked me up with three dogs on a pillow in the front seat and our bags and dog blankets in the back. I slid in under the pillow, propped up the pups, and we took off.

About 90 minutes in, traffic was heavy and we were getting “hangry,” so we stopped at a diner near Fredericksburg that had great reviews and allowed pups on the patio. After waiting over an hour for a soggy veg sandwich and limp french fries, we got back on the road disappointed with less-than-satisfied bellies.

The heavy traffic continued and I wondered where all these people were going. They probably wondered the same thing. We’d rented an AirBnB near Virginia Beach based on the large back yard for the pups to run. When we arrived a couple hours later than expected, the house was mostly empty since it was on the market to sell and the yard was missing part of the fence that backed up to the alley. Of course, that’s where the pups wanted to wander. Particularly Gizmo who only responds to his name when motivated by food.

Determined to save the day, we headed to Virginia Beach. Neither one of us had been there despite our two decades of DC living. We were exposed to a loud Christian concert festival happening along the boardwalk, numerous tee and taffy shops, multiple stores that promoted a free hermit crab with the purchase of a cage (made me sad to think of that crab’s future care), and lots of daytime intoxication.

We took the pups down on the beach (allowed in most places before Memorial Day and after Labor Day) and I’ve never seen Gizmo move so fast. He was born with knees that don’t quite connect in the socket. Although the vet says he’s not in pain, he walks, well, like a crab. Yet I was having trouble keeping up with him in the sand as his senior self kicked into puppy mode.

After wandering longer than our stomachs wanted for a restaurant with outdoor seating to accommodate the dogs, we found a Mexican-fusion spot with cushioned outside stools and exhaled. We had a lovely meal with fresh guac, black bean quesadillas, and a slice of coconut cream pie which the pups loved. The day felt salvaged. Once back in the car, the pups were excited and overstimulated. They jumped back and forth as Tim started the car. He turned to me and said that he was exhausted and felt like he’d been through a day at Disney World dealing with kids on a sugar high.

The next morning we made a spontaneous decision to head to the Outer Banks rather than returning to Virginia Beach. It was only 1.5 hours further south. We’d stayed there a few days at the end of our 2013 Tranquility Tour and knew it was more our scene—less tees with silly slogans and daytime drunkenness.

After a short drive filled with entertaining billboards, we headed straight to a cafe that touted acai bowls and then to Nags Head Public Beach where these photos were taken. Tim and I collected sea shells, ran with the pups, read, and softened into the day. There were only a few other people and pups on the beach. Secluded and quiet but for the sound of the waves and seagulls. I noticed a sense of freedom and expansiveness. The ocean holds so many stories.

In my early 20s I read Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s A Gift from the Sea and it shaped my view of self, balance, and relationships. She encouraged simplification and solitude. Reminded readers to seek, but not cling to, special moments and to recognize the changing tides in life. Encouraged us not to yearn for things to stay the same or return to how they used to be. She opens the book with:

“I began these pages for myself, in order to think out my own particular pattern of living, my own individual balance of life, work and human relationships. But as I went on writing and talking with other women, young and old, with different lives and experiences – those who supported themselves, those who wished careers, those who were hard working housewives and mothers and those with more ease—I found that my point of view was not unique. Even those whose lives had appeared to be ticking imperturbably under their smiling clock-faces were often trying, like me, to evolve another rhythm with more creative pauses in it, more adjustment to their individual needs, new and more alive relationships to themselves as well as others.”

This beach weekend may have been far from perfect, but it offered an opportunity to evolve another rhythm with more creative pauses in it. To experience simplification and a sense of freedom. To shake up routine. I read, wrote, snapped photos, sipped tea, paid attention to the sounds, and enjoyed time with Tim and the pups. At home I would have been much more connected to my laptop, tasks, and planner, basically the everyday.

A passage I underlined during my first 1997 reading is, “Perhaps this is the most important thing for me to take back from beach-living: simply the memory that each cycle of the tide is valid; each cycle of the wave is valid; each cycle of the relationship is valid. And my shells? I can sweep them all into my pocket. They are only there to remind me that the sea recedes and returns eternally.”

And that is my gift from the sea. Bisous. x

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