#02172023

[theunstuffedpepper]

I find myself having lots of little moments of gratitude today. I’m now a week away from returning to work after just about 7 months off. What!!? The looming transition has me rethinking my lifestyle and the habits I’ve fallen into while navigating the postpartum experience this time around. I’m making some positive changes for myself and my health and I can feel the changes slowly giving me more energy and optimism.

I went to my first yoga class in a LONG time last weekend! It was humbling, uplifting, enjoyable. I’m so stiff, y’all. I’ve been realizing the connection between emotional/mental and physical health in a personal way — seeing connections throughout my life — and that was another fine example of it. My lower back is absolutely killing me these last few days and I’ve gotta keep working my way back to better back health. Yoga will be a part of that, whether it’s in the fitness studio or at home.

Feeling grateful for little things like hot showers, cups of tea, under eye masks, an organized pantry, a family walk in the snow this morning (despite very whiny children in tow), and the energy to do the annoying cleaning tasks today that I don’t normally do. (Like, do you guys wipe the front of your cabinets often, or only when you’re repulsed and shocked by them, like me??)

Here’s to caring for ourselves a bit more gently sometimes.

#momblr #self care #gratitude #02172023

[snapthistiger]

exercise 02172023

bike ride to the gym

3 x 10 lat pull

3 x 10 tricep press

3 x 5 dip

30 minutes on the step mill

bike ride home

the gym workers received Hershey kisses

Happy Friday!

top left = helped install a toilet for an older couple that i know from church. we were originally scheduled for 930am and then we were delayed until 1230pm. my first time doing an install so i learned a few things. i was able to lift the old and new toilet without extraordinary effort thanks to exercising often.

bottom = boiled seafood place was advertising with this young girl in a crawfish costume. she was kind enough to pose for me.

hope you have a peaceful evening..

#exercise #fitblr #rfm

[originalbydondria]

Whip It Good

So last week I posted this: Discipline often feels very much so like work or oppression sometimes. It is the doing of something consistently and "no matter what."

And I meant it. See, when I used to seek out writing advice and tried to get help or inspiration ( 😉 ) on how in the hell to do this thing in the midst of the mess and expense of not having enough resources to do this full time, I came up wanting. Because between all of the lines I found, I saw the privileges that supported the endeavor and none of myself as a Black woman represented. So here I am, a whisper in that Google search...

Discipline in what you want to do sometimes feel like an added weight on top all you have to do. Now of course, like most things you get to choose for you, it feels great once you get into the flow of things. In fact, in spite of my previous post, sometimes discipline can lead into a flow of inspiration. That intentional, set aside, focused time, tells the Muse exactly where to meet you, and sometimes Sis does in fact show up. And it is great and wonderful.

But sometimes discipline and consistency is so rigid, it becomes a motion. A checked off to do. But the product of that time comes out rougher than rough, if anything comes at all, if it'll even be enough to fix later with the Muse's help. That is the problem I have with the discipline and consistency conversation and with how so often what gets left out is the fact that creation is a MENTAL exercise. And just like if you are trying to run your personal best mile, that s*** is hard to even WALK if you have some kind of injury.

I read somewhere that a lot of mental health issues could actually be improved if a person had more money (resources) to deal with all the necessities in their life. And let's be real - there is a lot of truth to that. Now I am not saying the folks behind the articles I read didn't have any financial or mental or whatever issues, however, there were ways to tell that they had what they needed very easefully taken care of so those things were not a mental drain so they could focus on the creative work.

Which is how I came to the conclusion of the only thing that could be done in Carrying. But what I will add to that and to this notion of discipline is that sometimes you need to stop everything. Oooh no, then that isn't consistency. Hush. Take the nap. Take the day off. Do nothing or do something else. Skip a day. Cheat the diet. Whatever. Because if you make regular time for that and regular time to do what you want right along side with doing what you must, is that not discipline too?

D. Ondria

02172023

#ecosystem of creatives #african american writers #blackgirlmagic #african american authors #originalbydondria #black creatives #black women writers #black writers #creative writing #original by d ondria

[tbattung]

Napa-Yountville Food Trip. 02172023 #napa #winecountry #yountville

[yamamesu]

02172023

[theluxuriansecret]

Dear Diary 02172023

1:12 pm

I can't believe this but I have covid. A perfect time to get it because I have 5 days off from school but what the actual fuck LMAOOO. Like im sick. I can't say that I've never gotten covid anymore, thats so foul.

Anyway, here are some updates. I finally got a job that'll give me 20 hrs YAYYYYY. One thing off my list complete. I need to start studying for my exams coming up so that I can go those A's. Really want to get my grades and gpa up because i'm really considering going to grad school. I know, thats fucking crazy but yeah.

I don't know recently I've been feeling like everything really works out for me and when i crash and have all those existential crisis' like (which will continue to happen) but in the end I'm okay. We need our lows to have highs ! There needs to be balance, every thing is okay.

[yirangkimart]

02172023

제발 잠좀 그만 설치고 싶다.

10시에 누웠는데 눈뜨니까 12시 반이네…