5am
Too good to be true, another 5. French press, open windows, check weather. It looks like things will be cooling down finally.
6:30
2nd cup of coffee and my toast. Pray, meditate, journal.
7am
Take my walk and do my watering. Summer has been brutal to my garden. Ran into my friend that will soon be my neighbor.
9am
Back inside and eating my oats and typing here. Reading your comments and realizing that I too will be sad when this series is over. It's not easy doing this everyday but I wonder if I can write more often? These posts did not really rely on lots of photos and "new" ideas. I just wrote what I did and you liked it. So hmmmm...
12pm
Made a quick salad of spinach, figs and walnuts. The dressing is equal parts balsamic vinegar and honey or agave.
1:30
Meeting with a good friend. The past 2 months I've been helping her decorate her home. It's almost finished and then I'll take pictures and share them in a blog post of its own. We are meeting today to discuss photos for a gallery wall.
4pm
TMZ. I have no idea why I like this show so much but Larry and I used to watch it and laugh while I made dinner. I guess it's just a happy thing.
5:30
Hands on restorative yoga. This class is everything. It's regular restorative yoga, which in case you don't know, is a yoga practice that puts you in relaxing poses and you are supported with props like bolsters, blankets and blocks. It's so relaxing. But this class is even better bc when you are in your resting pose they have trained cranial sacral massage therapists that work on you. I had never had cranial sacral massage before. I highly recommend it bc it's so healing. Here is more info on it. Brought a change of clothes to meet friends afterward.
7pm
Meet friends, laugh, cry the usual...💖
9pm
Back home and do my bath routine and a little reading before lights out.
Daily Total - $0
*Saturday Morning Bonus*
I would just like to say that this week of writing my routine has been a real eye opener for me. Before I wrote this I almost thought I was in a rut but now I see it's more of a rhythm and that is soothing to me. I also see how important my blog is to me. I'm able to do this from my home and what a gift that is. Without you of course this blog is nothing. It's your suggestions and encouragement that have kept it going for 10 years now. It's been a labor of love and while I've thought many times of closing it, I'm glad I stuck it out because it is a huge comfort to me. I also love that I can just click on past years and see the progress of the garden or decline in some cases. It is a diary of my life, not all of it but a good portion. Again, thank you so much for all your comments and emails and I apologize if I have not answered each one. So I'll see you soon! x
A lovely post...
ReplyDeleteMy goodness your friend has purchased a fabulous heritage home! Love the kitchen.
Your decorating project sounds like fun. I remember you helped a friend decorate on a budget a few years ago. You’ve got an eye for details...it’s another one of your talents.
I know I will miss your daily posts...I always enjoy reading your blog. When I see a post I smile...you have a gift Janet and I am grateful that you keep sharing with us.
XO
Just wanted to drop a quick note of thanks for continuing to write. I also wanted to make an observation that you clearly have a lovely community of friends locally supporting you taking the time check in, share a meal and a chat. It is so important in times of grief. It is a great reminder to me that we can think about who we have in our local community and reach out to for a walk, tea or a meal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous week! Thank you for sharing a portion of your life with us. Look forward to "seeing" you again soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty new reader of your blog, and I too have really enjoyed this series. You inspire me to try and get back to my own blog and keep it simple like this. It's been ages since I wrote on my Cattail Cottage blog! You have great style, and I love that your friends are there for you.
ReplyDeleteI have read your blog for a number of years and I am de-lurking to tell you how much I love your posts. I have learned so much from reading them. Simple but not stark is such a hard balance! Sometimes when I can't sleep I think about how peaceful your home looks (I hope that doesn't sound creepy - not my intention at all!)
ReplyDeleteIt's been a delight to share your week. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteHave so enjoyed your sharing of your week with us! Your friend's home is gorgeous! Hope she will be very happy there. How nice you will have her nearby!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janet, for continuing to keep your blog going! It is my very favorite of the few that I follow. Wishing you continued peace, serenity & healing through the weeks ahead! Katie from Huntington Beach
This blog series has been so inspiring to me! We live in a world that is always pushing us to do more, buy more, have more. I love the idea of a simpler pace, and time spent appreciating all we have. Thank you for sharing. I do hope you will continue!
ReplyDeleteAmen to all of the above. I don't follow many blogs anymore either. Yours has always been special. Thanks for the Week in the life of Janet.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I've read your blog from the beginning so I feel like I 'know' you and we are friends. Routines are a source of comfort during difficult times; I know I count on mine. It grounds me. Thank you for so generously sharing your days with me. xo
ReplyDeleteThe restorative yoga with cranial massage sounds heavenly, but your time with friends is also restorative. The people you can both laugh & cry with are very special indeed.
ReplyDeleteYour days do have a beautiful rhythm, which I'm not sure I can ever achieve. Even your posts with minimal pictures are beautiful...don't put too much pressure on yourself to make each post over the top special. It reminds me of books I have read that more or less follow a person's ordinary life. I find those are my favorite ones.
But in the end, you should do what is comfortable to you. You shouldn't add extra pressure to yourself, especially now. But remember that we love the beauty of an ordinary day...
Anita ~ the cabin on the creek
...all is grace!
Janet, you hit the nail on the head with "I just wrote what I did and you liked it"
ReplyDeleteAnd, that captures what you and the Gardener's Cottage are all about . . . being genuine.
Thank you for your diligence to see thru this commitment.
I like that - a rhythm rather than rut. That is the perfect word. What you're doing gives shape to your day and keeps you moving but in your own way. Thanks for this series. I know you've heard it before - whatever you're willing and able to share we're all happy to read about. You offer sense, ideas, and food for thought with each post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour blog posts have been soothing to me! Almost everything in life can be improved by the way you frame it. "It's not a rut, it's a routine." I'll spend time thinking about this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank your for sharing your week. You do seem to have a lovely rhythm. It makes me want to slow down. It's nice that you spend time with friends. You have a good balance of alone time and time with others.
ReplyDeleteThe house your friend is buying is beautiful. But at this stage in life (I'm a little older than you) I'd take yours any day. It's also beautiful and so cozy--just the right amount of space for one or two.
I'm so glad you are still writing. I can't even remember when I started reading your blog, but it was my first and has always been my favorite. PLease continue. Hugs to you!
I agree with KatWB. I'm younger but prefer your home to your friend's, as impressive as it is. I really don't want to spend more time, money and mental/physical energy than I have to have a comfortable home. And I consider myself a homebody!
DeleteYour approach to life is inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
Such a special series --- a favorite!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to read that you're enjoying your blog, and that you didn't stop writing! Oh, I would have been sad if you had. Nothing you write has to be over the top special for me to be interested. Maybe I enjoy your blog so much because I can relate...I'm retired, I love simplicity, gardening, cleaning, organizing, budgeting. And, I guess that's no surprise...we like to relate to what we read about. I'm also inspired by things I don't enjoy that much, like cooking or meal planning; so, for that I thank you. I love that you can earn a little money from your blog, too. Even though you're enjoying it, it's nice to have some income from it. Thank you for the effort you put into this, Janet. It's definitely appreciated! xo
ReplyDeleteSomehow I read it on September 1 that you were doing this for the month of September. Darn!!! This has been such a treat. Your simplicity has such a classy level to it. It's rich and deep and thoughtful, mindful. Thank you for putting such effort into this week. It feels like the advent calendar "house" we put out every December and get to open one door each night and get the little treat ❤️
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your blog this week...I have lost my husband and it is so helpful to see how others continue on their journey, finding a new "norm". Love the first photo of Kimberly Crest......we lived near you on Grand View Drive in a lovely older home before moving out of state. I think I cried every day the first year after we left as I missed Redlands so much....our beautiful home, walking in Prospect Park, summers at the bowl, U of R events, and our wonderful circle of friends. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this series, I just binged read it. I have never tried ezekial bread, I've always wanted to. I'll have to get a loaf the next time I'm at my local health food store. I bought a refurbished vitamix blender a couple of years ago when you did a post on it. It has changed my life. Love the blog. Blessings to you
ReplyDeleteBernadette
Your journal this week kept me reminded me of the beauty and blessings of a self-created routine of daily life. I was reminded of how much I love my home and garden and all the little tasks that help me feel serene. I'll start a new week with renewed mindfulness. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm new here. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blog posts :)
ReplyDeleteThank you again, Janet, for detailing the quiet rhythm of your life this week. I discovered your blog last year and immediately read every single thing you'd written up to then. I was so afraid we'd lose you when you lost Larry. It's a blessing to me that you're continuing to write your thoughts, your habits and rituals with us. I have lost my way a little this summer through some family events and am working my way back to being myself re-recreated. I'm so very charmed by your serenity (which I know is not a 24/7 feeling for anybody) and aspire to take the time to think, pray, write, dress, eat and walk back into peace again. I can't remember what year it was that you said you'd decided to lose 15 pounds and so you did. I decided that too this year (on your example) and lost 10 pounds as the year progressed. My summer has been chaotic and sad and I'm so blessed that you are continuing to lead the way forward. Baby steps take us where we're going, even though it's slow and often discouraging. I told my husband that I'm guilting of reading Janet instead of the Bible some days. It's almost true. Be blessed, Janet. You are a blessing. xo karen
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, I have enjoyed reading this series but at the same time I know it is difficult to keep a log every day. However, it would be great to hear from you often. I looked at your friend's house...wow what a beauty! I think that is a steal for $850k...the prior owners must have poured a lot of money into the remodel. Love the kitchen and the bathrooms. Look forward to the post of your decorating skills for your other friend.
ReplyDeleteLinda
xo
I was also going to say how lucky you are to have such a beautiful house to visit (although I love yours more) and your friend is lucky to have such a glorious home. A house like this in my neck of the woods would be more like $3-5 million. xo karen
ReplyDeleteThank you Janet for continuing this blog and this lovely "daily" series. I discovered your blog shortly after you started it and it's been on my reading list ever since. I used to live in Redlands but moved 2 years ago and your blog keeps me connected in a way as I miss it so much, so thank YOU!! Any topic you choose to write on is always inspirational, (even when there are no photos) and I've gone back many times to look up recipes or for design ideas. It's obvious you write from the heart, without pretense, and that's what's so appealing I think. Be blessed xo
ReplyDeleteI like your house better. More space = more work + more worries + more expenses.
ReplyDeleteDo you make your own ezekiel bread? It is not something I find here, though we have mouth-wateringly delicious bread. My newly vegetarian kid is asking for it.
Any massage is healing, no? Sometimes, at my village gym class, we take the foam balls and use them to massage each other. I immediately turn into a wet noodle. I once had one of those clothes-on massages in Central Park in New York; I was so relaxed by it I could barely talk or walk afterward. I think I drooled.
Wonderful, Janet! I so enjoyed and looked forward to these daily posts! I find all of your writings and beautiful photographs to be a soothing respite from the chaos of our world. I thank you for bringing us along as you face this difficult journey of grief and recreating your life. May God bless you and give you His peace.
ReplyDeleteReading of the gentle rhythms of your days has been so soothing. So interesting, huh? We've never met, yet connecting with your patterns of quiet nourishment of body and soul has made me mindful.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Is that your garden in the first photo? It is gorgeous. And speaking of gorgeous...your friend's new home! One of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteHere in northern IL, our weather has been quite cool the past few days. But starting tomorrow and then next few days, the heat is coming back into the high 80's - low 90's. I honestly don't mind. I love summer.
Thank you for sharing tidbits of your days with us.
Janet. Your the best
DeleteHi Janet. It scares me when i hear you suggest that mayby you Will fold this blog
ReplyDeleteI hope not. I know it must be annoying sometimes but we all love it. You are an honest and good writer. BTW when you show $0 spent at the end of your day are you not using yoga or dinner plans w friends as an expense? Just curious
i should have been more clear on that. i pay for a full year of yoga in november each month so i don't make payments throughout the year. larrys friend took me to lunch and treated me. the other lunch out with my grandaughter i paid for. the other times i met with friends we met at each others homes. we actually rarely go to restaurants. maybe once or twice a month. x
DeleteLoved this series! So sad it's over!
ReplyDeleteHello Janet1 This as a wonderful series which i completely enjoyed. Simple days bring great lessons and your routine shows the ease of life which I endeavor to have. Would love it if you were to continue to share every now and then. It would help pull me back to focus. Thank you and be well.
ReplyDeleteDay 7 already? Too soon! Like all the others, I have thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into your days. "The less I do, the better I feel," is my new mantra.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this series. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your world. I hope you will continue with the blog; it's inspirational, educational, and uplifting. My fig tree right now has so much fruit, and this post just gave me another idea on how to incorporate it into my meals.
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on this series as I have been out of the county for nearly two weeks. My travels gave me many new experiences but I am so happy to be home now, back to my own simple routines. You have helped me be more grateful for what I have. I am looking forward to reading and rereading this series. thanks Janet.
ReplyDeleteDarby
Oh my! I could read these every day. This is so soothing and inspirational. I want to achieve a similar lifestyle. I so appreciate your sharing this with us! Carol M
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your blog. I love the pace and agree it is so soothing and inspirational. Even when you just post a picture of a corner of your home and a brief post it is so thought provoking. Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I also love blogging and love to share my little stories about my short trips in and around Melbourne. Living in such a beautiful home with garden full of greens all around far from the hustle bustle of city life has its own charm. Love the pictures of your home and garden you have shared. Keep sharing.
ReplyDelete