Planning Day is something I’ve been doing for the past several New Year’s, although I just formally found it named by Jamie Ridler Studios. It’s a day to contemplate and review and dream, looking forward to the next year and, well, planning! I don’t have a formal process for my Planning Day. It’s just a compilation of thought prompts, journal questions, and daydreaming. Here, I’ll share my resources so you can develop your own guidebook for next year.
This year, I’ll start with her “Celebrate the Season that Was” and “Imagine the Season Ahead” worksheets to get into a good headspace by reviewing the year I’ve had and projecting forward as things put into action this year continue to influence my future. I’m also going to use her “My Focus Journal” worksheets to be more specific about what’s important to me, and how I want to focus on those areas.
I’m not sure that it’s still available for download anywhere online, so let me share the steps with you. You’ll miss out on the beautiful illustrations and instruction details, but you’ll also get the point!
I’ve done this twice already, and when I re-read them it does amaze me how many things in it have come to pass. I’m not great at setting goals, breaking them into action steps, and revisiting them blah blah blah. But writing a narrative that includes all the details I dream about, from where I live to what kind of soap is in my shower, really sticks in my memory and I find myself referring to it as a guide. Will this opportunity/choice/decision put me in that story?
These are the main tools I'll use as I daydream my way through looking ahead into next year. May the new year be merry and bright for all of you, too!
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Ahh, it's in the air... eh, you know all the cliches. Actually, for me, it's in my lips! Last week, in the middle of the day, suddenly I knew the season had shifted and WHERE IS ALL MY LIP STUFF?? All summer I was finding assorted Burt's Bee's Peppermint and Bloomsburg Fair Maple Syrup lip balms (anybody going to the fair? Will you pick me up a new Maple Syrup balm, up the aisle to the left of the main gate?) and tossing them into the dish on my dresser, wondering where they all came from, happily forgetting the desperation I would feel when first I needed them again. And then snap! The need was at work, the lip balms were at home, and I realized autumn had arrived. Last night was the Autumnal Equinox, so I included a little essential oil and Autumn Intention observance in pilates classes yesterday and today. We sniffed Black Spruce and/or Sweet Orange, and I posed some questions during class such as: * What have you been sowing all summer, that you can harvest now? * What are you missing, that you can look for, or forage for? * What do you appreciate? * What do you long for? * What do you want to purge or cut away this season? What won't store well over the winter? * After Samhain/Halloween, we're done with the harvest. What kind of energy do you want to take into the rest of the season until Winter Solstice in December? * What do you want this Autumn? Another thing that comes with Autumn besides chapped lips and intentions are colds. Yucky, cold, drippy colds. Sheesh. But there are lots of things you can do to help move them along:
So harvest up the last of your tomatoes, pull out your ankle boots and long sleeved t-shirts, and let's welcome our next season. I'm sure there will be some warm days ahead to say goodbye to Summer, but there are pumpkin whoopie pies and fresh apple cider (spiked with a little caramel vodka!) waiting for me. Welcome, Autumn! Summer smells better after you've gotten pool water up your nose.
I've just discovered this fact, although I'm positive I used to know it when I was a kid so I suppose I just re-discovered it. Suddenly the air smells sweeter, not just with cut grass or flowers, but with summer. There's really no describing it, you have to go out and try it for yourself. This is one of those magical experiences that make you totally Present and Grateful for a moment. Really, just try it. Tonight I went outside during my favorite time of day- the gloaming, when "there's hardly no day, nor hardly no night. There's things half in shadow, and halfway in light."
I thought about to-do lists, and things I want to write to you, and about how wonderful it is to be able to pull a few weeds and talk to bunny rabbits and catch a lightning bug and just sit in the perfect, summer air. There's a perfect man-in-the-moon crescent in the sky with a haze around him, promising a perfectly miserable day tomorrow with the Northeast trifecta, Hazy, Hot and Humid. And there's good red wine and cool water waiting inside, and fans and open windows glorying in each breeze. So tonight I wish you peace and coolness. There's time enough for writing meaningful things, tomorrow. Spring is such an exciting time! Officially it’s not Spring yet- the equinox is still a few weeks away. There are lots of signs everywhere of its impending arrival, though. Suddenly birds are chirping in the mornings, the sun is noticeably stronger, and the tips of the Crabapple tree next to my pilates studio are reddening. I’m feeling the stirrings of movement in my soul and psyche as everything around me perks up. Some people like Jenna at Cold Antler Farm in upstate NY call Spring “The Season of Mud”, and I see why. Not only does the ground get muddy from freezing and thawing and bouts of rain and probably more snow, but so does a lot of me. Our immune systems come under attack again in Spring, with extra "output" from sinuses to contend with, and feeling sluggish can impair how well we can fight off germs. Suddenly I’m grateful for the impulse that made me put up several quarts of Fire’d Tonic at the end of January, so it’s ready now! The Philadelphia Flower show just closed, and that is a sure sign of Spring for me. I was taught that when you come back from the flower show with itchy garden fingers, it’s the perfect time to prune your Lavender. The last few years the Lavender has been under snow, though, so there’s still no plant work available for a frustrated gardener. Here are some Flower Show pics: Fortunately this area is graced with many wild, weedy Spring greens that are as excited for the season as I am, and I’m betting I’ll see a few popping up as the snow melts this week. Chickweed and Pennsylvania Cress are usually first, and will be shortly followed by Dandelion, Purslane, Dead Nettle, Clovers, and Ground Ivy. I love the flavor of apple cider vinegar steeped with these early greens, it’s so fresh and bright. They’re also fun to just nibble on, after so many months of fresh plant deprivation, and they find their way into many dishes simply because they’re finally available and so vibrantly green. I’m doing a Spring Greens Weed Walk with Manderley Farm next month to introduce people to these great early plants. I tried to schedule it for late March, hoping against hope that it would be warm enough, but Eliza assured me that we’d disappoint everyone if we could only show them a half dozen very early plants, and that waiting a few more weeks is best. I believe her, but if wishes were horses…well, then I’d be Eliza! Another thing I’m trying to pay attention to is the TCM element associated with Spring, Wood, and its impacts on my world. My 5 Elements teacher Dory Ellen Fish told us that the emotions of Wood include anger and frustration, and their direction is “out” (as compared to Fire’s “up”), which can lead to Road Rage. I’ve been noticing more literal and metaphorical Road Rage in me as I want to move forward and am stymied by obstacles outside my Circle of Influence, so I’ve been practicing techniques to diffuse that including Deepak Chopra meditations. His next free 21-day challenge begins March 16. I’ve noticed that this Spring desire to move forward does not smoothly increase as the days lengthen. It happens in fits and starts, and doesn’t always match the activities and obligations I have planned for that day. A friend said the same thing a different way- all her friends are starting to issue invites to have lunch here, visit there, come over for dinner, try that winery, check out this new place, and she’s not ready to leave the house that often. For her, Winter isn’t quite over yet, and she’s not ready to emerge. I’ve been noticing a similar thing in me- some days I just don’t want to de-hibernate, and others I’m raring to go as soon as I wake up. And when I push myself on the days when I’m feeling quiet and grey and unmotivated, I really suffer after. Brain fog, fatigue, lethargy, even muscle soreness- yes, caffeine can get me going again, but there’s something in respecting my limits and needs that feels good.
All in all this is quite a transitional season, which seems ironic since it’s heralded by an equinox- a moment when the planet is in balance, when all angles with the sun are equal. Well, Mother Earth may be balanced on her poles, but I’m not! So here are my 5 steps to keep the Spring transition as comfortable as possible: 1. Keep immune boosting remedies on hand like Fire’d Tonic, Elderberry Syrup, Echinacea Tincture, and Garlic Honey to fight the onslaught of new colds and flus that will inevitably attack us. 2. Pay attention to eating instincts. It can sometimes be hard to eat the warming foods that sustained me through Winter when the days warm up even a little, yet I haven’t fully transitioned out of needing extra digestive warmth yet. Allow for a mixed menu in Spring, with some heavier dishes and some lighter, and listen to your body to decided on each meal. 3. Take time for contemplation. As the world revs up around me, meditation, writing, exercising, or one of my favorites- knitting while listening to an audiobook, all help keep me from being overwhelmed. If I jump headlong into the frenzy of Spring, I lose steam quickly and can even come to resent the loss of my Winter calm found during my hibernating- not a good feeling to move forward with! 4. Get more sleep. Winter is generally a more restful time for me, as I work at stationary tasks rather than running errands when driving or even parking is an issue. As the snow clears and all my deferred tasks come due, my days become busier and I expend more energy and time on them, which can lead me to work later hours finishing my regular tasks too. Making my sleep a priority is hard, but benefit far outweighs the sense of inconvenience and guilt that sometimes creeps in. 5. Go outside and get some Spring on your hands. Play in the melting snow, pick a few new shoots to decorate your home, watch and listen to the birds, and revel in the sun on your face. Physically connecting to the season will help you move along with it. I love finding the first leaves poking up from the melting snow and trying to guess what they'll be- Daffodils? Crocus? Snowdrops? Whichever, it's Life and it's Green. Yesterday was Groundhog Day, as well as Imbolc. The ancient Celtic holiday features the same observances- a spirit of nature makes a prediction about how much winter we have left, because- and here’s the GOOD NEWS- we’re halfway to Spring! We’re officially on the upslope now. Of course, this means that we’re also in the time of Winter when we get our coldest and snowiest weather here in PA. I have to say, though, I’m almost getting used to it. Last night was incredibly windy and about 19 degrees, and that was no more uncomfortable than a pre-dawn Christmastime walk to the train station had been, when I realized that 30 degrees really didn’t feel all that bad anymore. While I’m enjoying wallowing in the last throes of hibernation, it is time to announce that CSA season has arrived. It’s true, the window of opportunity to sign up for fresh food grown in local good earth, is open NOW. It seems crazy, but farmers are already seeding spring crops in their greenhouses. Let me tell you about a few of my favorites. In the Philly suburbs area, Pennypack Farms is a familiar and well-run option. You probably already know someone (if you live here, that is) that uses Pennypack. They have a variety of share sizes, 2 locations for pickup, and a fabulous herb garden at their Maple Glen farm besides. Their setup is simple- you choose from the pickup day and location options at the beginning of the season so farmers know how much to harvest on each day. Show up anytime they are open on your day, and check out the list of options posted. There may be limits on certain items (one head of broccoli per person, for example) and there may be required taking, should there be an over-abundance of a crop. Bring a bag, weigh out your choices, check off that you arrived on the register, and poof! Fresh vegetables from that very farm in your possession. They also offer extras like fruit, meat, dairy and egg shares, in addition to the vegetables. I have belonged to their Highlands Farm site for both summer and winter shares, although they have discontinued the winter share there due to the trouble of keeping the long, narrow, gravel, hilly drive open. (The Highlands is a preserved estate on Skippack Pike west of Butler Pike.) I split the share with a Pennypack member, and we emailed each other what we had chosen, because we didn’t arrive together and weren’t supposed to choose more than that week’s limits. This setup was a little onerous, but the choices were generous and in summer they frequently had ‘seconds’ bins we could pick through for extras, which I liked because I could try one of something without needing to take a full share of it. Next, I joined the Red Earth Farm CSA with a friend. They are based in Berks County PA, and have a great system for sharing. Each week you log into their website and choose your items. We’d email each other with our choices, reminding the other to pick her half. Red Earth Farm also offers many extra types of shares as well, and you can purchase additional items through their site. My friend and I got a few extra cases of tomatoes and canned them together! When you sign up, you choose your location. The nearest site for us was a private home in Ambler, which received the farm’s deliveries on Wednesdays. One of us would drive over, transfer our bin contents to a bag, and make arrangements to drop off the other’s bag. We live 5 minutes from each other so that was no problem. This was by far my favorite CSA I’ve tried (there have been a few other not worth mentioning too). Unfortunately, Ambler has become very inconvenient for both of us, which is a real shame. I’m very biased and strongly urge everyone in the area to try Red Earth Farm this summer, by which I mean sign up NOW! I think there’s only a few weeks left. Now I’m trying out a service called Door to Door Organics. They also have an online ordering system, and options to purchase all sorts of other items, as well as an area to choose items you hate (like onions in my case!), or items you really love. You choose from several box sizes, whether you want fruit, veggies, or a mix of them, and weekly or bi-weekly delivery. You can also leave a message for delivery instructions to make sure everything is protected from weather, animals, neighbors, etc. Each week you log in to see the contents of your next box, and they try to accommodate your love/hate list. You can substitute up to 5 of the items, purchase extras, or even skip a delivery very easily. I just received my 3rd box this morning. The quality of everything I’ve gotten has been great so far, though the quantity has been sometimes disappointing. Not everything is local either, although items that are get labeled as such on the order page. I was pleased to see that “1” banana unit is really 2 fruits, same with potatoes, acorn squash, and a few other items. But the kale bunch had about 5 stalks in it, and this time I got a blood orange that is scarcely bigger than a golf ball. I suppose I will soon learn what’s what when ordering, and when I did the math on each week it is a little cheaper than either Pennypack or Red Earth Farm so smaller items are to be expected. I’m using the service to force myself into fresh food, fruit, and variety during the winter, and I expect I’ll switch to an all fruit, bi-weekly box in summer when I can shop at the local Lansdale farmer’s market more. It’s really a great market and I got there often last year, so that’s no burden. Also, if you sign up with them using this link, I'll get a discount on my next order for inviting you! (If it doesn't work, email me and I'll send you a new invite. Thanks!) Really, though, I encourage you to try any of these ideas, or any of the ones near you. Try doing a search on LocalHarvest.org to see what’s nearby. You get really fresh stuff, support local farmers, and don’t have to go to the grocery store as often (or am I the only one who thinks that's a win-win-WIN?!) And if anyone wants to host a Red Earth Farm pick up site in the Lansdale/Montgomeryville/Collegeville area, DO IT! I’ll be the first to sign up. If last winter taught me anything, it was the virtue of being prepared. For the first time I have a car that’s not great in snow, and we had a record-breaking season. Our area experienced several ice storms that wrecked the power lines. Cabin fever became a reality for people who had never heard of it. And I got a parking ticket for parking in a snow emergency route, something I didn’t know existed! So here are the top 11 things I am doing to prepare this year, plus my favorite cold-weather tip. Feel free to add your own ideas and modify these to suit. 1. Get on your township or borough’s email list. They should send out notices to keep you informed of things like road closures and snow emergencies. 2. Stock up on at least 3 days worth of water, and easy to eat food like canned goods and dried fruit. If the power goes out and you hunker down for a little, you don’t want to be at the store with all the other crazies. 3. Stock a shoebox with candles, matches, batteries, flashlights, and other power-outage essentials. This way you don’t have to hunt for everything when you need it. My box also has individually wrapped antibacterial wipe samples and personal wipe samples, just in case. 4. Pack a bag with a thick sweater, extra socks, a hat, gloves, and a power bar or two, and put it in your car trunk. If my car gets stuck, I can layer up and save gas by not running my car as much, until I’m found. Keep a car charger for your phone and a heavy blanket in your car as well. 5. I wear contacts, so I carry my glasses and a case full of solution with me. My vision is so bad that I’d be helpless if something happened to my contacts. 6. Shop after-Halloween sales and pick up glow-in-the-dark necklaces. You can loop them on your car’s bumper or windshield wipers to stay visible if you’re stuck after dark. 7. Shop end-of-winter sales and pick up some instant hand and foot warmers to keep in your car, and your power-outage shoebox. 8. Don’t leave your house without a full water bottle. And don’t drink it just for fun! 9. Invest in a rechargeable flashlight, that sits in a charger and automatically turns on when the power goes out. This fall I bought this pair (affiliate link.) 10. Invest in a crank-operated radio/flashlight/USB charger for your storm box, and another for your car. 11. Plan for your favorite hunker-down treat. If you’re going to be stuck at home for a little while, you might as well enjoy it! I will be reading Jack London stories in fluffy socks wrapped in a fluffy blanket on my couch, sipping my new favorite adult beverage, Snap (made from a PA Dutch gingersnap recipe!) and bourbon. Come and get me, Winter! Oh! And here’s my favorite tip- use the cold to your advantage. Last year, many of my pilates clients lost power for several days, some almost a week, after a bad ice storm. Most of them have since gotten emergency generators, but at the time I heard lots of laments about ruined food from freezers and fridges thawing. But, hey guys, it’s 12 degrees outside, with 3 feet of snow on the ground. If you toss your stuff out in the snow, it will stay cold! Specifically, anything on top of the snow will freeze to the air temperature, and anything buried in the snow will stay at it’s current temp- snow is a great insulator. So dig a hole for the milk just outside your door, and put your frozen things on the back porch or in an unheated shed. (This is also a great place to store the holiday leftovers.) Special thanks to Jenna at Cold Antler Farm for her vlog on this topic, and to many of her commenters too. Also, special thanks to my mom and her trusty hurricane box. For continuing tips and ideas, follow my Storm Ready Pinterest board! What a month.
The first weekend was the Mid Atlantic Women's Herbal Conference. All day under tents and clearing skies in the rolling hills of Kempton PA. The second was one of the final days with Linda Shanahan in this year's Herbs Through the Seasons class. Another day outside, sunny and breezy at the Barefoot Gardens farm. Also in there was a very warm pre-dawn jaunt around town to watch the full moon eclipse. There's a post about that, that somehow won't copy into this here blog writer. Hopefully more on that soon, but suffice to say now that it was an opening experience. And this weekend- Antlerstock! TWO days of outside fun. I cut down a tree (OK, not all by myself, but still. A tree!) I threw an axe and hit the target (sort of), learned how to make soap, what I had done wrong with my sourdough bread way back when I had a starter, and beekeeping and goat keeping and archery basics. We talked emergency and storm preparedness, harnessing a draft horse, pig and rabbit raising, and first aid salve making. And those are only the goings-on I got to see. I missed out on processing wool from sheep to spindle, chainsaw basics, food preservation and frugal eating, and who knows what else. It was too much for one person, and not nearly enough! We had rain and sun and wind and mud and a Merlin cake (not the Merlin you're thinking, if you don't know Jenna!) We had great teachers and interested students and good, warm, kind people eager to share their own experiences. I came home with books and soap and new friends and new ideas. This month has fed my soul. If you haven't had a multitude of soul-nourishment experiences heaped at you recently, I highly recommend it. In fact, I insist on it. What a great time. What a delightful way to spend a day with friends- First, my first ever Aerial Yoga class (NONE of these pics are of me! But these are some of the poses we did. All images link to their original sources:) Then, breakfast on the porch Now, reading/knitting/resting on the house's screened porch with a light rain dripping around us, soon to turn into a late lunch and window shopping, and maybe some Grotto's Pizza (it's the World's Best Pizza, I have the holey, 20 year old t-shirt to prove it!) to round out the night.
THIS is my idea of a perfect vacation day! Some people like the excitement of new adventures, some like the convenience of hotel rooms you don't have to clean yourself, some want more great outdoors and less walls, some want tall buildings, taxi cabs, theaters, museums, and world famous restaurants. It's all good! Just find what truly relaxes your soul, and DO THAT. SOON. |
Fun Fact: I'm an herbalist and a movement coach. Not a doctor, or a pharmacist, and not pretending to be one on TV.
This is a public space, so my writing reflects my experiences and I try to stay general enough so it might relate to you. This does not constitute medical advice, and I encourage you to discuss concerns with your doctor. Remember, however, that the final say in your wellness decisions are always yours- you have the power to choose, you are the boss of you. And, some of my posts may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I'll earn a few cents. Thank you for supporting my work. This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition. Working with us is not a guarantee of any results. Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted. Categories
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