That’s right, y’all … today’s post is full of puppies! This afternoon, I spent a delightful hour plus playing with a litter of six-week old miniature schnauzer puppies and I’m officially now just two weeks away from bringing one of them home with me. The litter is three boys and three girls; I know I want a girl and I thought I’d be able to choose one today, but I just couldn’t. The breeder promises that I’ll be able to make the choice when I see them in two weeks. She will narrow it down to two, and surely that will make it easier?!

Thinking about … puppy life. It’s only been seven months since we shared our home with a dog, but it’s been nearly 30 years since we shared it with an eight-week old puppy. I’m going through my October/November calendar to make sure it’s puppy-friendly, starting to research obedience training, ordering food, and planning a first visit with our vet. I’m really looking forward to that vet visit. The last time I saw Dr. Keller was the day we said good-bye to Holly and I know he’ll be just as delighted as I am to welcome another sweet little schnauzer into the family. I also have a copy of this book to pickup tomorrow (thanks to Ann Patchett’s latest lay down diaries for the recommendation).

It’s very tempting to make this whole post about puppies, but I’ll save that one for October 7.

Grateful for … re-reading, the opportunity to change my mind, and 🙂 recognizing the power of “mood reading”. Way back in January, I was thinking about re-reading Four Thousand Weeks (I first read it last November). I bought the book (the library lines were miles long) and it sat on my shelf … until this week. I still have one chapter to go, but wow. what a difference almost a year makes. and what a reminder about just how different my life felt last November when I first read the book. more to come.

I also decided, kind of spur-of-the-moment, to re-read Less, the 2018 Pulitzer-prize winner that completely underwhelmed me when I read it in early 2019. Here’s my scathing 😉 2-star review on Goodreads:

This was an entertaining story, but I had higher expectations than a finding yourself journey by a middle-aged white guy. At times it recalled Eat, Pray, Love and Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk … I’m now re-reading Lillian.

If this book hadn’t won a Pulitzer, I doubt it would’ve even come across my radar. I wish it hadn’t on both counts.

I recall that 2019 was the year I decided I was DONE reading white guys. maybe I should’ve just skipped it, but I didn’t. and now I’ve had the chance to revisit it and fall in love with Arthur Less. Ann Patchett’s influence shows up again, because Less is Lost (Greer’s follow-up to Less) is the October selection for Parnassus Books’ First Edition Club. Not kidding, I almost paused my subscription when I saw that … and then I reconsidered. I’m so glad I did. On re-read, I love Arthur Less … he’s someone I want to find a happy ending and (most important for right now) he’s someone I’d like to spend more time with. and Greer is for sure someone I’d like to meet! (It’s still not a 5-star book for me, and I’m still not at all sure what the Pulitzer folks were thinking … but I’m for sure no longer mad about it.)

Inspired by … Steve Garnaas-Holmes (always). Yesterday, he shared a piece titled Equinox

On the Equinox we trade
one hemisphere for another,
north and south, spring and fall. 
In this moment all is both light and dark,
hope and despair, good and evil.
This world, and all of life,
is an equinox,
grace lurking in every shadow,
blessing in every fall,
healing in every wound.
Judgment is confounded.
The cross prefigures every resurrection.
Day or night, fear not.
Go ahead, into the light or the dark.
The Beloved is there,
ready for you. 

___________________ 
Weather report

Mixed,
as the mass of the present moment,
pushed by the entire universe,
passes through
Expect rapidly changing conditions
with the steady rain and/or sunshine of grace 
throughout. 

His Weather reports are infrequent, and always make me pause. I feel those rapidly changing conditions, and thankfully today, the sunshine of grace (and a bit uncomfortably, the present moment being pushed … hard). I’m also loving the embrace of non-duality in his opening prayer … “The world is an equinox”

Fun … of course … is PUPPIES! you can click all these photos to see them bigger. I left them mostly uncropped to show scale. Shoes, rocks, and even twigs are big when you’re six weeks old and weigh maybe four pounds?!

Wishing you the best weekend available! xxoo.