Magical Questions

Priya Parker (author of the Art of Gathering) talks about asking magical questions for gatherings to bring people together. The magical question we talked about during dinner tonight was "What ordinary everyday moment are you hoping you'll still remember in 20 years?" 

Fun to be with these magical humans this evening for a weeknight dinner... 

with Kristy Kutz who is in town from London and Sarah Callender who lives close by

52,416 Reasons to Go Outside

Michael Easter posted about 52,416 reasons to go outside a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it. Below are a few of the points from his article along with some pictures from a 15-ish mile trail run today near Mt. Rainer on the Eastside Trail with my Sunday morning running buddies.... 

1. Why 52,416 leaves matter: The average oak has about 52,416 leaves, and all that green may help lower blood pressure, prime the immune system, and reduce stress.
2. Better health: Even 15 minutes of sitting and walking in nature can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones.
3. The hunter-gatherer sleep paradox: Hunter-gatherers sleep less than we do but report better sleep, suggesting that time outdoors—not simply time in bed—may help regulate our circadian rhythms.

4. Mindfulness without meditation: Nature creates “soft fascination”—a relaxed way of paying attention to the world around us that restores the brain without requiring us to sit still and focus on our breath.
5. Reset burnout: Time in the wilderness gives our overworked brains a break and can reduce stress and improve well-being.
6. Fractals: The repeating patterns found in trees, rivers, mountains, and clouds appear to reduce stress and resonate deeply with us.

7. Freedom, variability, and novelty: Nature gives us endless opportunities for freedom, change, exploration, and new experiences.
8. You have to find your way: Navigating unfamiliar outdoor environments exercises the brain in ways our GPS-dependent lives often don’t.
9. More attention: Uneven terrain and changing surroundings naturally require us to pay attention and engage our brains.

10. Silence—or good noise: Nature quiets the harmful noise of modern life and replaces it with calming sounds like birds, wind, and water.
11. Build resilience: Solving problems outdoors teaches us to adapt, persevere, and discover that we are more capable than we realize.
12. Improved creativity: Spending several days unplugged in nature has been shown to significantly improve creative thinking.

 

13. It’s free: You don’t have to go far—your backyard, neighborhood, or local park can provide many of the benefits of nature.
14. More fitness benefits: Trails challenge the body with changing terrain, varied intensity, and greater demands on coordination and balance.

15. We’re wired for it: Humans spent nearly all of our evolutionary history outdoors, so our bodies and brains are still deeply shaped for life in nature.

(We were cracking up that our Google Doc for planning the trail run had face glitter—because obviously I don’t leave home without it for a trail run—and a tourniquet listed under assets from the medical experts in the group which thankfully we did not need.) 

💚🌲💚🌲💚🌲💚🌲💚🌲 

heart rock from the Eastside trail 🩶

Let all guests be welcomed...

 

I am supervising a student at St. Benedict Catholic School this fall through Seattle U, and this was on their wall as I walked in the school. I have read this before, but seeing it on a mural like this as I walked in a school was so refreshing and made me choke up a little.

our friend Kristy who has been our guest for the last few days 

(we are holding glasses of wine that I put edible glitter in) 

Standing Ovation

 

Our friend Sarah Callender spoke at Third Place Books about her new Young Adult Fiction book called Lucy in Between that came out this summer and got a standing ovation last night. So proud of this amazing woman with so much grit to get this book into the world!!! 

15th Annual Blessing of the Backpacks

As the new school year gets underway, we’d love to invite neighborhood kids to bring their backpacks to our front porch for a little “Blessing of the Backpacks.” 

Join us for year 15 of this little tradition! 

We’ll offer a short blessing and some encouragement for the year ahead—and, of course, a scoop of ice cream to celebrate! 

WHAT: 15th Annual Blessing of the Backpacks 

WHEN: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th at 4:30 p.m. 

WHERE: Huff Front Porch- 5208 16th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 

This will be short and sweet... 

Have your kids bring their backpacks and we'll gather at 4:30 for a blessing. 

Ice cream will be served after! :) 

Blessing of the Backpacks

God, bless this school year, this new season,
this chance to discover the world anew.
We sense the anticipation of something about to happen,
of all our preparation and worry and excitement
for new friendships and challenges and opportunities.

God, bless these backpacks,
these symbols of fresh beginning.
And bless every kid who carries their heavy load,
as all the new questions rise up in their hearts and minds.

God, bless this new environment and everyone in it.
The teachers and professors who ready their classrooms,
creating opportunities for learning and belonging.
The administrators and staff as they stretch hearts and minds,
and feel their own stretching too.
The parents and caregivers who carry the weight
of loving, protecting, and raising these kids.

God, bless all who begin this journey of a new year,
With every step they take, may they feel your presence
and hear you say, “I love you. I am with you. You are loved.”
Each and every one.

-Kate Bowler

Holding on to the Last Bits of Summer

 The long sunset of summer is beginning. 
Schedules around the corner. A chance to be alone for once.
The light panic of not-readiness. 
(Wait. Did I actually devour a “beach read?” Did I see a beach?)
So please, God, make every moment today 
count twice.
Every pint of blueberries and patch of shade. 
The smell of sunscreen and sweat. 
The obscene volume of watermelon that can be humanly consumed.
Give me rest I almost missed. 
Patience for the sorrows that came without my permission. 
Keep every possible small joy, 
waiting there for me, 
to join the summer I actually had. 
-Kate Bowler 

we had so much to talk about that one lap was not enough around Green Lake so we circled around again- so grateful for James B and decades of love he's poured into our lives. 

fall is in the air for sure.... 

Jodi invited us to a boat ride through Lake Union yesterday as she's had access to a friend's boat this summer

I love this sign on this houseboat- "Happy Place" 

For the love shared...

For the love shared,
we are grateful
For provision and nurture,
we are grateful
For kindness given,
we are grateful. 

-from Padraig O'Tuama's Evening Prayer

Sikose's warm welcome for us this morning 

Rainier showing off to also welcome us home 

along with the pop of Susan's dahlias 

quick Zoom call check in with Anna while she was at her office 

car wash with Taylor (one of our favorite summer activities at the Mercer Island Auto Spa with the timed spray and wash for $3!) 

sweet time with Chris today :) 

soaking up the last of the sunshine with a happy hour on the roof tonight 

dinner prep 

sandwiches we made copying a place we went to in Anchorage 

visiting the newlyweds Keagan and Erika in our neighborhood tonight and dropping off our wedding gifts for them :)