Say Yes

Friday is my day for proaction: Proaction is taking initiative to anticipate and shape future events rather than simply reacting to circumstances as they happen. Some people think Covey should've just used the word ACT, but proaction requires a thought: "I could do this or I could do that; I choose to do this."

On Fridays I take steps to maintain clarity of purpose, keep the end in mind, monitor my progress, and recommit. I often journal a bit about the future, and my dreams and goals: What GREAT things do I want to accomplish? How will I serve people? How will I use my talents? How will I stretch myself? How can I become an “island of excellence”? What is essential?

Agenda:

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. Clarity for Service

3. The end plan

4. Proaction and reciprocity plans

Creative Clarity

I'm on a clarity kick, trying to understand how I want to direct my energy in the next months of my life. My priorities are those activities, good deeds, responsibilities, people, disciplines, and whatever else seems most important and feels most meaningful to me, now.

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing, so today I'll take time to think about my path forward.

Agenda: 

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Creative visioning

3. Projects for the week

4. Functional creativity

Hump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Today I also need to do what I can to prepare for settling my beloved back in to home-life!

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "The Sweet Spot"

3. Writing themes and passion plan

4. Create clarity

Tuesday

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons (and, mostly, get ready to be a nurse!)

Agenda:

1. Read "Discover Inner Peace"

2. Expressing Needs in the World

3. New narrative for Tenderness

4. Synergy and hope plans

Monday Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge. 

Agenda this week:

1. Read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

2. Order plans for the week

3. Self-care

Sabbath Flow

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in quiet contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

This Sabbath we might bring our beloved husband/father/grandpa home from the hospital and settle into a semblance of normal.

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Flow plans

3. Awareness of 

3. Harvesting practice

May First Quarter Moon

Tonight is the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. Now is the time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities.

I use this May quarter moon's energy to create strength. I will remember to exercise, eat well, rest, and get healthy, and also, keep up my mental strength for the things that matter. 

Agenda: 

1. Read "That Clear and Certain Sound":

2. Journal queries

3. Make a full effort plan

4. Writing themes and passion flow plan:

Prepare for Caregiving

Caregiving is not my forte. I'm not patient with weakness, and I am generally selfish with my time. Also, my Patient is not the best patient! He will be crabby and he will push my buttons. But we love each other and love will carry us through this.

Today, as I wait in the hospital, I'm gearing up for the stresses I will face in the days ahead.

Agenda:

1. Read "That Clear and Certain Sound"

2. Hospital Beingness

3. The procedure

4. After-care

5. Caregiver roles

Hump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

Today I also need to do what I can to prepare for the unknown of a hospital stay.

 

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

3. Prepare for the unknown

Tuesday for Equanimity

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self, make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons.

And today is Grandson #1's sixth birthday!

Agenda:

1. Read "Intrinsic Hope"

2. Expressing Needs in the World

3. New narrative for equanimity + Equanimity Practice

Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge. 

Agenda this week:

1. Read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

2. Order plans for the week

3. Natural living

4. Release the bees

Sabbath for Intentionality

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in quiet contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

The sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. Everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Agenda:

1. Read "12 Tiny Things"

2. Harvesting practice

3. Afternoon Beingness routine

New Peony Moon

Beautiful peonies growing in my neighborhood.

The new moon rises today; the Chinese call the fourth new moon the Peony Moon. Peonies are the flower of riches, romance, and honor, called sho yu in Chinese, which means "most beautiful." Their lush blooms are an omen of good fortune, and also foretell a happy marriage.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

Agenda:

1. Retreat Day plan

2. Read "12 Tiny Things"

3. Choose a month theme

4. Balance Journal queries

5. Set intentions

Thursday

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I want to engage in creative practices that aid my resilience, such as mindful doodling & sketching, crochet, playing with clay, photography, and daily "creative rituals" (cooking, rearranging spaces). 

And thirdly, I've got lots of projects that help us function better: Fixing broken things and maintaining the house.

Agenda: 

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Projects for the week

3. Functional creativity

Hump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective.

 

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative for ease and order

4. Ease plan

5. Writing themes and passion flow plan

Tuesday

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Expressing Needs in the World

3. Family and community brainstorm

Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons. 

Last week at the full moon I discerned a new intention: 

I intend to list clear actionable steps towards paring down, resilience habits, delegation, care-taking, and community-building because the next 2-weeks are our boot camp for the long haul of recovery.

The truth is that I need to control the bits I can control: MY habits, my preparations and negotiations, my integrity and compassion. So, for the next two weeks I'm putting myself through Resilience Boot Camp!

Agenda this week:

1. Create order

2. Health and renewal plans

Mother's Day Rogation Sunday

Today is Mother's Day, and a low-key time for me, now that my daughter is a mother and I am a grandmother!

And it's also Rogation-tide, beginning on the Sunday five weeks after Easter and continuing for four more days, through Ascension Day on Thursday. 

Rogation is an early Christian tradition of singing psalms and chanting prayers of petition for God's protection on crops, beasts and people. Since medieval days, parishioners in Britain would walk around the parish boundaries, bearing a cross and banners, and asking for God to bless the crops, livestock, and fishing holes. The procession was called 'beating the bounds'; it helped everyone to remember the parish boundaries, in the time before maps were commonplace.

These boundary walks were also known as ‘gang days’ from the Anglo Saxon word ‘gangen’- to go. The parish would bond together as a community, offer charity to poor people they met along the way, and the priest would stop to preach at each prominent tree or landmark.

Now Rogation-tide is celebrated more as a time to honor the gift of creation of the land and waters, to offer thanksgiving for the labors on land and water that feed us, and to pray for stewardship of the earth.

Agenda Today:

1. Journal query

2. Mother Meditation

3. Monthly journal brainstorm

4. Brainstorm my summer

5. Cleansing 

6. Beat the bounds

7. Bless my garden

8. Make Rammalation Bisquits

Third Quarter Moon of May (In the Garden)

Tonight is the waning Third Quarter moon of May. Today's moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

May is a month of flowering and growth. Today I will pause to consider where my growing edge is.

Agenda today:

Agenda: 

1. Meditation and Evaluation Journal

2. Ritual for Release and Realignment

3. May planting

4. Surrender, rest, recuperate

Boot Camp Creativity

I’m in a Resilience Boot Camp this week and today my goal is to define projects and creative practices that aid my resilience, such as mindful doodling & sketching, crochet, playing with clay, photography, and daily "creative rituals" (cooking, rearranging spaces).

I'm reverting to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable and with a message. 

Agenda: 

1. Read "The Book of Doing and Being"

2. Projects for the week

3. Daily boot camp resilience list

4. Generosity practice

Boot Camp Bump Day

Wednesday is my day to re-group and re-define my week. First I make a plan for getting over the bump of the mid-week, then I re-envision my emotional tone and perspective. 

I’m also taking part in a resilience Boot Camp this week and today my goal is to define a narrative for what I need from my community.

Agenda today:

1. My bump plan

2. Read "Perspective"

3. New narrative for community

4. Writing themes and passion flow plan

5. Gratitude meditation

Self-Caregiving Boot Camp

Self-care needs to be a discipline: It takes discipline to do the things that are good for me instead of what feels good in the moment, or just what "needs to get done". Self-care needs doing every day, every week, month in and month out - it’s taking care of myself as a daily practice, so I don't get stressed out, over-committed, over-weight, and over-tired.

Self-care requires tough-mindedness, a deep understanding of my priorities, and respect for myself and the other people in my life. It involves setting boundaries, communicating my needs, and showing up authentically. It involves doing battle with my inner demons — my traumas and addictions.

Of course, with disciplined self care I am able to be a better caregiver and activist for everyone else; I have the energy, health, and focus I need to create transformation in my world.

Tuesday is my day to look at my social and emotional self and make an effort to shift my perspectives around how I view and treat the people in my life.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. De-stress journal

3. Stress-tamer menu

4. Expressing Needs in the World

5. Daily Boot Camp list so far

Boot Camp Monday

Painted Lady

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons. 

This week at the full moon I discerned a new intention: 

I intend to list clear actionable steps towards paring down, resilience habits, delegation, care-taking, and community-building because the next 2-weeks are our boot camp for the long haul of recovery.

The truth is that I need to control the bits I can control: MY habits, my preparations and negotiations, my integrity and compassion. So, for the next two weeks I'm putting myself through Resilience Boot Camp! And today is Day Two.

Agenda this week:

1. Love Meditation

2. Review "How to Keep House While Drowning"

3. A simple living room

4. Health and renewal plans

5. May nature tray

Sabbath for Resilience Boot Camp

We all have times in our lives when we are stretched by challenging situations, and the hope is that we are strong enough to win through with some amount of grace. This is what all the books, journaling, and habit-building is meant to prepare us for.

Am I prepared? Mostly, but I could always do more. This week at the full moon I discerned a new intention: 

I intend to list clear actionable steps towards paring down, resilience habits, delegation, care-taking, and community-building because the next 2-weeks are our boot camp for the long haul of recovery.

The truth is that I need to control the bits I can control: MY habits, my preparations and negotiations, my integrity and compassion. So, for the next two weeks I'm putting myself through Resilience Boot Camp! And today is Day One.

Agenda:

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

2. Start new work-out program

3. Harvesting practice

4. Bee watching

5. Discern actionable steps

May Garden

Our garden is keeping me sane.

1. Phenology journal:

I've been recording the phenology in my garden to broaden my awareness, deepen my connection to the wildlife around me, and to better understand the calendar of my environment and how it is changing. I'm focusing on a few native plants and personal favorites in my yard, the birds at my feeder, and some specific patches of leaf mulch (for insects).

This transition week to May 2026 was warm, overcast in the morning and sunny most afternoons. The high temperatures have been in the mid-60's, rising to 75ºF this Thursday.

As of early May, 2026, Eugene has recorded approximately 11.8 to 13.7 inches of rainfall for the year to date. This total is below the average pace of roughly 18-19 inches for this point in the season.

The USA National Phenology Network tracks the status of spring by when things bloom and leaves appear: "The First Leaf and First Bloom Indices are synthetic measures of these early season events in plants, based on recent temperature conditions. These models allow us to track the progression of spring onset across the country." 

It looks to me like our spring leaf-out was average, and our spring bloom was early. 

Serviceberry tree

May 2, 2026, Phenology Notes:

• Birds: Few birds, mostly Jays.

• Plants: Oregon Sunshine and Yarrow - both lush- no blooms yet; Red-flowering currant- flower buds are finished; Serviceberry- just beginning to bloom; Milkweed- coming up all over the place.

• Insects: Lots of bees out.

2. May garden tasks:

The May garden is exciting but demanding. Watering is crucial, and harvesting begins in earnest. We've had some warm and dry days, interspersed with wet spring days - a nice mix, but the trend this month is drier.

I use the Second Breakfast Garden monthly guides, because they are in zone 8b.

1. Harvesting: I'm harvesting rhubarb, lettuce, spinach, and herbs. My rosemary, thyme, sage, and mint are in their full glory, and it's time to harvest them and hang bunches to dry. As soon as they go to flower their flavor won’t be quite as nice. 
2. Set up hoses: When it gets dry I need to get the rest of my soaker hoses out and plan a layout. Also need to replace a long hose that is leaking.
3. Cool season crops (greens, peas, beets, kale, etc.) might need nitrogen during this period of rapid growth - watch for yellowing of the older leaves, because nitrogen is a mobile nutrient and the plant will draw nitrogen from older leaves to support the younger ones. Use a nitrogen rich, liquid fertilizer which is easily taken up and put to use.
4. Thinning- Carrots: Use scissors to snip to the soil line. Remove all but one within a two inch radius. Beets: Each beet seed contains three or more plants. Gently pull or snip the extras so they each have about three inches of space. Lettuces: Gently pull extras so each has about a six inch radius.
5. Warm season crops: I've just begun to hardening my pumpkins and tomatoes (cucumbers were started late) to set out anytime after Mother's Day. When planting cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, squash) don’t break up pot-bound roots. These plants have many delicate root hairs and don’t recover well from root disturbance.
6. Slug and snail proaction: Here in my valley you have to have a plan or you will loose everything. I remember the goal is to bring snail numbers down, not total eradication: I collect all of the leftover mulch and put it into the compost, and then sprinkle Sluggo sparingly, about 1 pellet every six or so inches. This week I'll need to protect my strawberries and new tomatoes.

Pest Control Philosophy at SBG: "My first step, is invariably to wait and see. Many pest species are a primary food source for other wildlife. They just need a minute to move in and solve my problems for me. If I must intervene, hygiene, flinging, and spraying with water is about as aggressive as my pest control measures get. If that fails and a chemical control (the synthetic and toxic kind) is necessary, then I shrug it off and leave it to fend for itself. I don’t see the logic in spending money to risk my health, and the health of the ecosystem to grow something I can do without."

3. Wildlife garden:

I've got a few spots to work on in the next months, little by little: 

1. A nice caterpillar haven under my service berry (low, sunny): I'm going to dig out all the buttercup, mulch it thickly, and then look for some native sedums - 

Oregon Stonecrop (Sedum oreganum): The most common native stonecrop, featuring shiny, fleshy green to reddish leaves and star-shaped yellow flowers.

Pacific Aster 

Dwarf Goldenrod (Solidago simplex)

 

2. A wetlands bed near the drain field (tall, sunny): I've got a checkermellow that needs a home, and perhaps...

Fireweed

Cascade Penstemon

 

3. Under the hawthorns, removing more iris and filling in (dry, shady).

Foothill Sedge (Carex tumilicola): Highly recommended for dry upland gardens, forming dense, fine-textured clumps that work well as a lawn alternative.