There’s good enough reason to Pause, Breathe, and Take Stock this week.  What a busy month June is stacking up to be.  So much discord is happening around the world, it seems like anything that bothers my personal being is mundane.  Besides physical threats, violence, racism, and terrorism there’s the wellbeing threats: Christian immigrants in Detroit fearing deportation to a hostile land, people worrying about having enough food, and people who can’t afford healthcare.  And then this morning, I find that a house blew up in a neighboring town, damaging 50 other homes, and leaving many homeless.  On top of that, there’s so much swirling around about fake news and lies, and more hostility.  It’s difficult to know which way to turn.  

This weekend, I sat in on one talk at Printers’ Row Lit Fest.  C-Span Books, a talk about racicism and the falsities of some of what many of us, including the black speaker, believe as truth.   So much in-depth research and thoughtful questioning about racism in our country.  There is space for even-mindedness, and solution finding.  My soul feels a bit lighter.  I am grateful for that hour.

Here’s a few more reason to be grateful, in no particular order.

• Thoughtful daughters: I’m so proud of their compassion and love.  last week CoCo rescued a dog on her way to the commuter train. This weekend they both traveled for hours to go to their half- brother’s graduation party.
• Wrestler #1 in the house: I’m savoring this time with him. Perhaps a bit unusual to have a middle-aged son move back in with me, but oh so delightful. I love out conversations and just hanging out.  
• Lilies blooming:  like I said before, the month is flying by.  When I pulled into the driveway Sunday night, these greeted me.
• A deer at the pond and texting:  the heat seemed to abate when Loved-One sent me a photo of a deer enjoying our water garden. (He chased said deer away when she began tasting my flowers.)
• New writer and song writer friends, Courtney Yasmineh. She’s got some great songs like “Tangled Web” and “Tangled Web.” We did a media exchange, one A Ship of Pearl for three CDs.  Thank you Courtney.  
• Fooda:  this is a pop up restaurant at work. Everyday something different.  Cuban, Italian, Middle Eastern, Greek, and a great mashed potato bowl.  Yum.  Now I can’t wait for Lunch.
• Good shoes:  with all the walking I’ve been doing, this is so important. I’m doing 3-5 miles a day and 30 flights of stairs.
• Connecting with old writer friends. Shakuntra Rajagopal and I met at the Algonquin Writers Group.  Her novel, Song of the Mountains is inspired by her life in India. Visit her here.
• Chicago diversity: I sooo enjoyed the 2 days of people watching.
• Adello lunch breaks: such nice people, from so many background.  All with great stories and opinions.  Come to think of it, I have a lifetime of character profiles every single day, right there a my lunch table.
• Without Buddha I couldn’t be Christian by Paul Knitter.  I L-O-V-E, love this book.  A catholic theologian married to a Buddhist explains how Buddhism helps him come to terms with some of his faith’s more prickly question.  Every time I read it, I think about Mom and the faith discussions we have.
• June birthday cards.  It’s just a reminder of how many people I have in my life to love.

Here’s my table in the Illinois Women in Press Association tent at Printers’ Row. It was so windy, I had to weight things down with glass beads. I admit, the candy did lure a few people in, and helped hold the Waldal in place. 

Thanks for reading.  What’s on your list this week.  Please leave a comment.  Your thoughts always remind me of more reasons to give thanks.