Jo’s Story

On my nightstand you will find …

A mugful of pens, my journal, and Robin Jenkins’ “The Changeling”.

A podcast I am listening to is

Pádraig Ó Tuama “Poetry Unbound”.

A book that has changed my life (other than the Bible) is

Oh so many books change my life little by little, maybe some more dramatically feel that way at time of first reading, but here are two very significant ones for me in recent reading: Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic: creative living beyond fear”, a stunning and unconventional take on the creative process; and Frank Ostaseski’s “The Five Invitations: discovering what death can teach us about living fully”, a deeply helpful companion in a time of grieving.

A TV show I binge watch

Truly, none. I don’t have a tv and seldom do much tv viewing on laptop. Nearest thing to binges would be TED Talks.

I follow — on—

I follow nobody on anything because I am joyfully holding out on my Instagram-free, Twitter-free, app-free existence. And I have the delight of an art room in my home…

Music that lifts my mood is­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Tracy Chapman.

One thing I have learned about myself over the last few weeks is

With much more virtual activity on the go, I need all the more to keep my bodysoul alive with a deliberate focus on physicality – rain, mud, muscle exertion, hands-on art, breathing…