I just bought a hammock for the backyard yesterday. As I swayed in it this morning, reading and drinking coffee and meditating and listening to the birds I thought, “even if I never lie here again the money was worth this time.” I have no idea how long I was cocooned in there, but it was delicious and needed. Thanks for putting to words why moments like these are so important.
We had hammocks in our camping gear; not sure why it took me so long to see if it would fit the trees in our backyard. They didn’t fit so I just went ahead and got a standing one. Brains are weird and beautiful 😊
I feel compelled to tell you how lovely you made my Sunday morning. This is a sacred time for me to escape into peace and soul filling sounds, reads, and thoughts. Starting with the song at the top of the post and all the way through to the recommendations, my soul is buoyed and I'm inspired in so many different directions. Thank you. You made time fade a bit for me this morning.
I find myself so much more able to do this in summer. Days by the pool when I realise it’s 7pm, 8pm and no one’s been fed yet. Walks to the village for ice cream when I get home to find that bed time was an hour ago and it doesn’t really matter.
I think it helps I live in a somewhat vacation area so you can slip into what the holiday makers themselves are doing and pretend for a while.
I also think that it’s a lot to do with having a 4 year old now who copes/thrives with no schedule, when that would have driven us all max just a summer or two ago.
Summer energy really does feel like an encourager to lose track of time a bit more -- and the seasons we're in personally certainly have a big say in it all 🙃 thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Israel -- you're so right. I long thought it was annoying but I now just see it as an attempt at doing more than just moving through my life without noticing what I find.
Wonderful. This happened for me a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't particularly planned for a fully empty day, but it managed to push through the over-filled laundry basket of my life at that time. A very useful reset which has managed to stick around. No more spin cycle!
Ah yes, I remember mentioning to you the idea of a “fallow field” was so valuable in my own development. I think we are secretly enriching our own soil of creativity when we do a whole lot of nothing. May we all see the value in that!
This is so wonderfully observed and shared. I just returned from a week in Canada with my partner and toddler and you articulated the exact feeling I am having. It was so needed to just have a week away. Even though we were on parent duty the whole time, the timeless feeling was there. I’m so glad you got to have that experience and I’m hoping for more for both of us.
Ahh forgetting time. What a perfect time piece, yes, pun intended. I run a very small Airbnb, two rooms to be exact, each with their own private bath. They are lage and very comfortable rooms, that being said, there is a shared kitchen/dining space, where to the right of the sink, is a wall clock. I keep it, because I like the shade of blue that surrounds its white face. This clock has a time of its own. (well truthfully, it's because I'm too lazy to change the batteries). My guests would look at it, surprised at what time it was saying, as if any clock has ever been truthful. I simply remind my guests that they are on vacation, it's a tie when time is fluid, flexible and disposable. After all, should any of us really need the time, we're never too far from a cell phone. I have made this a daily practice, and without realizing it, the benefits are well worth it. You'd be surprised how well your inner clock will not lead you astray. The other benefit is realizing we place "need to" in front of of the daily lists, with little or no consideration to is it truly an need to" and if it is, is it a "need to" today.As a business owner, writer, potter and swimmer, just to name a few, many things require my attention. But they all can be done in a graceful and timely manner of mindfulness. I'm not saying to rid ourselves of clocks, I, like you am saying, remind yourself you are not chained to it. At 73, I have developed a more fluid daily lifestyle, having followed those before me. I can clean a room in one and a half hours. Sometimes I do it all at once, when I ave to, but mostly, I stop and take a time out, to write a poem, or respond to a fun piece of writing, just like this one. Thank you, I needed that.
Thank you Lisa, the more I read on here, the more I yearn for carefree days exploring nature and returning with ruffled hair, tired legs and the remains of a picnic and some random leaves or twigs in the car. I will welcome those times back with joy, but for now love sharing in the experience of others and all that it invokes. 💫🙏
Oh, I know exactly where you are! That trail is one of my favorite places in the world, from living 20 years in the Bay Area. I went there to celebrate many new seasons, sometimes to just be alone with the water and sky and tule elk. I remember one hike, early on a foggy Thanksgiving morning, during rutting season, when one big guy was trying to keep track of all his women, and they were all spread out all over the trail, and here and there a young male was lurking and trying to lure a female away. We made a BIG half circle around them to stay out of the family politics. Or the time I hiked it in a rain parka, water sheeting down, the sea dark gray and surging. Thank you for sharing so beautifully the treasures of a day spent being present on that spot of Earth. <3
I am disturbed by how much I feel I have adhered to this belief in my life: "A day when one has not pushed oneself to the limit seems a damaged, damaging day, a sinful day."
I'm very curious if and how I can raise my kids not to believe this (I'm also the parent of a toddler!). I supposed by modeling it...though I think I have a long way to go before I can do that well!
Hi Lisa, just wanted to drop in here to say how much I look forward to reading what you write. It’s a soothing balm. And a great way to loose track of time. Sending you all my love from India!
I just bought a hammock for the backyard yesterday. As I swayed in it this morning, reading and drinking coffee and meditating and listening to the birds I thought, “even if I never lie here again the money was worth this time.” I have no idea how long I was cocooned in there, but it was delicious and needed. Thanks for putting to words why moments like these are so important.
This sounds like bliss -- and is inspiring me to see if a hammock might fit between some of our trees. Thank you for sharing <3
We had hammocks in our camping gear; not sure why it took me so long to see if it would fit the trees in our backyard. They didn’t fit so I just went ahead and got a standing one. Brains are weird and beautiful 😊
Yes! So much so. "the money was worth this time" keeps ringing and feels so sacred -- so glad you got one and I'm researching now!
I feel compelled to tell you how lovely you made my Sunday morning. This is a sacred time for me to escape into peace and soul filling sounds, reads, and thoughts. Starting with the song at the top of the post and all the way through to the recommendations, my soul is buoyed and I'm inspired in so many different directions. Thank you. You made time fade a bit for me this morning.
I'm so grateful to read this -- it means a lot. To time fading more and more <3
I find myself so much more able to do this in summer. Days by the pool when I realise it’s 7pm, 8pm and no one’s been fed yet. Walks to the village for ice cream when I get home to find that bed time was an hour ago and it doesn’t really matter.
I think it helps I live in a somewhat vacation area so you can slip into what the holiday makers themselves are doing and pretend for a while.
I also think that it’s a lot to do with having a 4 year old now who copes/thrives with no schedule, when that would have driven us all max just a summer or two ago.
So glad you enjoyed your hike and time together.
Summer energy really does feel like an encourager to lose track of time a bit more -- and the seasons we're in personally certainly have a big say in it all 🙃 thanks for sharing.
It is hard not to find a lesson or wisdom when we’re writers. This was a good one.
Thank you, Israel -- you're so right. I long thought it was annoying but I now just see it as an attempt at doing more than just moving through my life without noticing what I find.
Wonderful. This happened for me a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't particularly planned for a fully empty day, but it managed to push through the over-filled laundry basket of my life at that time. A very useful reset which has managed to stick around. No more spin cycle!
No more spin cycle! yes!
Ah yes, I remember mentioning to you the idea of a “fallow field” was so valuable in my own development. I think we are secretly enriching our own soil of creativity when we do a whole lot of nothing. May we all see the value in that!
Indeed!
This is so, so helpful. Thank you for sharing this. I agree completely, it's so refreshing to have days where time isn't a factor. 💛
So glad it reached you, and yes to this <3
Very timely post for me Lisa, thank you. Also, I read A Room of One's Own last year for the very first time and I thoroughly enjoyed it 😊
It's such a classic, such a gift!
I loved reading this! Free time and space is so important for creative people and it’s so hard in our capitalistic society.
Yes yes yes. So important and so hard.
This is so wonderfully observed and shared. I just returned from a week in Canada with my partner and toddler and you articulated the exact feeling I am having. It was so needed to just have a week away. Even though we were on parent duty the whole time, the timeless feeling was there. I’m so glad you got to have that experience and I’m hoping for more for both of us.
Ahh forgetting time. What a perfect time piece, yes, pun intended. I run a very small Airbnb, two rooms to be exact, each with their own private bath. They are lage and very comfortable rooms, that being said, there is a shared kitchen/dining space, where to the right of the sink, is a wall clock. I keep it, because I like the shade of blue that surrounds its white face. This clock has a time of its own. (well truthfully, it's because I'm too lazy to change the batteries). My guests would look at it, surprised at what time it was saying, as if any clock has ever been truthful. I simply remind my guests that they are on vacation, it's a tie when time is fluid, flexible and disposable. After all, should any of us really need the time, we're never too far from a cell phone. I have made this a daily practice, and without realizing it, the benefits are well worth it. You'd be surprised how well your inner clock will not lead you astray. The other benefit is realizing we place "need to" in front of of the daily lists, with little or no consideration to is it truly an need to" and if it is, is it a "need to" today.As a business owner, writer, potter and swimmer, just to name a few, many things require my attention. But they all can be done in a graceful and timely manner of mindfulness. I'm not saying to rid ourselves of clocks, I, like you am saying, remind yourself you are not chained to it. At 73, I have developed a more fluid daily lifestyle, having followed those before me. I can clean a room in one and a half hours. Sometimes I do it all at once, when I ave to, but mostly, I stop and take a time out, to write a poem, or respond to a fun piece of writing, just like this one. Thank you, I needed that.
Unstructured time. Always a fan!
'The mountains are calling, and I must go.' John Muir
Thank you Lisa, the more I read on here, the more I yearn for carefree days exploring nature and returning with ruffled hair, tired legs and the remains of a picnic and some random leaves or twigs in the car. I will welcome those times back with joy, but for now love sharing in the experience of others and all that it invokes. 💫🙏
Oh, I know exactly where you are! That trail is one of my favorite places in the world, from living 20 years in the Bay Area. I went there to celebrate many new seasons, sometimes to just be alone with the water and sky and tule elk. I remember one hike, early on a foggy Thanksgiving morning, during rutting season, when one big guy was trying to keep track of all his women, and they were all spread out all over the trail, and here and there a young male was lurking and trying to lure a female away. We made a BIG half circle around them to stay out of the family politics. Or the time I hiked it in a rain parka, water sheeting down, the sea dark gray and surging. Thank you for sharing so beautifully the treasures of a day spent being present on that spot of Earth. <3
I am disturbed by how much I feel I have adhered to this belief in my life: "A day when one has not pushed oneself to the limit seems a damaged, damaging day, a sinful day."
I'm very curious if and how I can raise my kids not to believe this (I'm also the parent of a toddler!). I supposed by modeling it...though I think I have a long way to go before I can do that well!
Hi Lisa, just wanted to drop in here to say how much I look forward to reading what you write. It’s a soothing balm. And a great way to loose track of time. Sending you all my love from India!