The last few weeks have felt too busy, too heavy and too much. It’s been one of those times where I might just feel like I’m coming up for air and something else comes to try to shove me down again. Not to worry, I’m hanging in there and I know this time will pass, and it’ll be smoother sailing soon.

In the meantime, there are a few things that are acting as my buoys lately, keeping me afloat in some turbulent seas.

• A throwback to my middle school self, I picked up a few new Gelly Roll pens. Remember those? Man, I used to carry around a whole rainbow of them in the pockets of my backpack. Doesn’t sound so bad 😉

• Summer often means that there’s a little bit of extra coffee left in the pot later on in the morning. Those extra sips are just what the doctor ordered.

• I’ve been watching dance competition shows with my son here and there. Seeing people throw their whole bodies and their whole beings into something they are ridiculously passionate about what they do makes me get all welled up. So You Think You Can Dance and World of Dance are our favorites.
• On the days when it’s been clear and sunny, the golden hour has been out of this world.

• A little podcast that I was super skeptical of in the first place, but has come to be one of my favorites: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. Showing my nerd stripes, here – theology and literature? Yes, please!
• These little films I make for our family. They’re just (mostly) chronological collections of clips from each month, put together with a bit of music to have that little bonus visual record of our lives. The kids love watching them almost as much as I do, and I love how they are such a time capsule. I’m a bit behind in putting them together, but every time I go on a watching binge, an editing binge is close behind.

09.2018 from alison bents on Vimeo.

01.2019 from alison bents on Vimeo.

• Lastly, these two. No matter what kind of a mood I’m in, they manage to pull me back from frustration, sadness, annoyance and get me laughing and dancing again. I tell them often, and I’ll keep on doing it, but I’m a dang lucky mama.

What’s been keeping you going lately? Maybe it’s a good book, trashy mags, walks in the woods, gardening, time with friends, podcasts, or fresh produce. I’d love to hear about that – never hurts to grow that list of joy!

All the best,
Alison