On this day, last year, I received a very special message from someone. It was serendipitous. We hadn't spoken in 20 years. This person probably did not intend his message to have such a profound impact on me, but it did. His words, his kindness, helped me to move forward, to concentrate on finishing my dissertation and ultimately, graduate. At graduation, as I walked across the stage, I thought of him. His words gave me strength during a time in my life when all I felt was pain.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about, what I call, "slow love". I am positioning slow love as part of the slow movement. This movement is exactly how it sounds. The idea is that in a fast world, we all need to slow down -- to enjoy life, the people around us, to stop and smell the roses in a manner of speaking. Thomson (2022) supports the slow movement, suggesting: "Nothing meaningful is done quickly". I argue that the need for slow also pertains to romantic love. In order to build long-term, lasting, romantic relationships, how might we, as society, pushback against the common "fast love mentality" promoted by dating websites and apps, and move towards growing love more slowly, genuinely, and authentically?
I leave you with a classic love song that talks about the importance of taking time to love.
Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody"
Sing along optional:
Woah, my love, my darling I've hungered for your touch A long, lonely time And time goes by so slowly And time can do so much Are you still mine? I need your love I need your love God speed your love to me
Last night, I baked a healthy banana loaf. By "healthy" I mean this loaf does not contain any synthetic sugars or artificial sweeteners. It's ingredients include: flour, unsweetened coconut, a little bit of honey, and of course bananas. No eggs! It's absolutely delicious!
Have you heard of Little Free Library? This is a non-profit, free book exchange project that started in St. Paul, Minnesota. The goal of this project is to support literacy and book access. This is a growing project, with more than 100,000 Little Free Libraries in operation. Find a Little Free Library in your local area and get inspired. Find joy in reading!
I'm currently writing a journal article on consumer culture and (un)sustainable lifestyles. I cannot wait to share this work with you! Once it's published, I will post a link on my blog.
I have been trying to buy a new, foldable grocery cart for my mom for months. The requirements for the cart: sturdy, well made, and easy to push. Finally, I found one for $128. Summer miracle #2!
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark With you between my arms Barefoot on the grass Listening to our favourite song When you said you looked a mess I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it Darling, you look perfect tonight
When I go for a bike ride, I don't take a watch or a cell phone. I don't track my ride on an app. All I carry with me is a bottle of water. The purpose of doing this: to disconnect from technology and connect with nature.
The shower parts arrived in the mail. I spent the morning installing the shower parts, and the afternoon buying extra materials at Home Depot. #handywoman
Pictured Above, me sawing a tree at the cottage in October 2021. This tree was lying in the driveway, decaying. So, this tree was easy to cut. But I have sawed a lot of trees in the last few years (a lot of tree limbs).
So, I contacted the company about the shower faucet. They are sending me the replacement parts, for free (see list below)! I guess miracles really do happen.
Today, I went on a field trip to hardware stores, plumbing stores, even some plumbing and electrical supply stores. But no, I was unable to find a replacement faucet cartridge. My last ditch effort -- contacting the company who made the shower faucet. Wish me luck!
Today, the shower faucet stopped working. So, I'm watching a video on how to replace a faucet cartridge. I'm feeling very Bob Vila right now, or at least Tim Allen in Home Improvement.
