Such a beautiful video.
The Responsible Economy
I think the simple life really begins with owning less stuff."
Yvon Chouinard
A beautiful essay written by Patagonia's founder.
The Meaning of Having it All
My son D taking in the view.
"To me, having it all — if one wants to define it at all — is the magical time when what you want and what you have match up. Like an eclipse. A total eclipse is when the moon is at its perigee, the earth is at its greatest distance from the sun, and when the sun is observed near zenith. I have no idea what that means. I got the description off a science Web site, but one thing is clear: it’s rare. This eclipse never lasts more than seven minutes and 31 seconds.
Personally, I believe having it all can last longer than that. It might be a fleeting moment — drinking a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning when the light is especially bright. It might also be a few undisturbed hours with a novel I’m in love with, a three-hour lunch with my best friend, reading “Goodnight Moon” to a child, watching a Nadal-Federer match. Having it all definitely involves an ability to seize the moment, especially when it comes to sports. It can be eating in bed when you’re living on your own for the first time or the first weeks of a new job when everything is new, uncertain and a bit scary. It’s when all your senses are engaged. It’s when you feel at peace with someone you love. And that isn’t often. Loving someone and being at peace with him (or her) are two different things. Having it all are moments in life when you suspend judgment. It’s when I attain that elusive thing called peace of mind."
HERE.
Weekend Edition with Scott Simon
One of the simple pleasures I look forward to most come Saturday morning is listening to Scott Simon on NPR on my drive to the studio. His voice, eloquence and humor always make me smile as do the stories, like these two I heard this morning.
Lincoln's 272 Words, A Model Of Brevity For Modern Times
"Lincoln's words remind us at once of the brevity of life and the imperishability of humanity. The clock ticks, the calendar flips. No power exists to slow them down or manufacture more hours and years. Abe Lincoln reminds us to make our own lives count by filling the hours we have with what's worthy, kind, funny and honorable."
And this beauty. What a way to welcome the weekend.
Jaunts with The D
Photo by Aaron Leitz
Of course I am biased (since the subject of this blog is my son and I am married to the photographer) but that aside, I am obsessed with the way this dad is chronicling his adventures with his boy.
An Unmentionable Worth Mentioning
Laundry List
A few things that have made washing my sweaters, silk tops and delicates so much easier...
Eucalan wash is so hassle-free with no rinsing required! I use and love the eucalyptus one.
Also, these sweater dryers from OXO. I have two that stack neatly on top of one another.
The Glow
I've been a long time admirer of The Glow. It is such a beautiful site. I especially love the current feature on Molly Guy and her thoughts on motherhood and style.
"When it comes to being a mother, don't listen to anyone. Absolutely no one. Ignore all of it: the breastfeeding tips, the sleep-training dogma, the attachment parenting books, the wooden toys credo, food allergies hysteria, EVERYTHING. Being a mom is about developing your own style, just like anything else. Your kid is going to be complicated and tormented and amazing just like every other human being that walks this earth no matter what, so trust your instincts and drown out the noise. The only person who knows what your child needs is you."
"Since becoming a mom, I’ve really paired things down in terms of my style. I try to keep it as simple as possible. Only the basics: good jeans, good tees, a few great sweaters, a few pairs of boots. I have my ring and my bag and that’s it for accessories. Same sort of deal with interiors: invest in a good mattress, a solid neutral couch, a strong wood kitchen table. Then add little touches here and there with throws, blankets and rugs."
A New Mantra
self portrait of my son D
speak less, listen more
say less, do more
worry less, work more
ride less, walk more
eat less, chew more
start less, finish more
correct less, prevent more
blame less, forgive more
wrestle less, embrace more
compete less, cooperate more
take less, give more
have less, be more
frown less, laugh more
List Maker
I am a die hard list maker. To do lists, grocery lists, books to remember to read lists. I usually just keep a pen and notebook with me at all times but I have found something so awesome...TeuxDeux!
"TeuxDeux is a simple, designy to-do app. If you like making to-do lists, you will love TeuxDeux. The idea was to build a bare-bones, but visually compelling and highly usable to-do app: Use the browser-based TeuxDeux at work/home and then take your to-dos on the road with the iPhone app. Yay for checking things off!"
Yay is right. It is beautiful to use, update and customize to make it your own. Watch the video here.