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Maggi

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https://maggimckenzie.com

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5 Things Blooming Right Now

5 Things Blooming Right Now

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Tulip magnolia

Also called saucer magnolia. Our neighbors at the entrance to our subdivision have a beautiful one.

Daffodil

Apparently this is only thing I can grow these days, using “grow” in the loosest sense of the word. They thrive on neglect and don’t mind the Bermuda grass in the flower bed. They surprise me every year. One day they’re not there, and then the next day they are.

Bradford pear

They’re almost done, and even though they are blobby little trees that break in half the first chance they get, their bright white flowers cheer me up at the end of winter.

Flowering cherry

Just now starting to flower. I’d like to do a city walk in some Nashville neighborhoods that have mature cherry trees. Or maybe go to the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival, coming up on April 13.

Eastern redbud

I spied the first redbud out running errands yesterday. The backyard of our house on Iroquois had a redbud that always seemed like it was about to keel over dead, but it flowered each spring anyway. Also, a mimosa that was full of mosquitos in summer, and my mother’s roses.

4 Ways to Quiet My Noisy Brain

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Creating Calm

I spend a lot of time on complex problem-solving during my workday. I no longer have a commute to help me disengage. I need to refresh my brain in the evening but often find myself mentally picking over a work problem. Here are things that help me disconnect.

Knitting something simple

Repetition seems to be the key. Knitting a simple pattern that I can memorize clicks off the problem-solving and clicks on the positive feedback loop–I get to watching the piece I’m knitting grow as I work. Caveats: Nice yarn is expensive; also, we all have more scarves and hats than any sane person needs.

Cooking with music

This one’s pretty obvious–everybody needs dinner, right? Adding a playlist is the critical piece for me; otherwise, I’ll brood and cook. Bonus: Music sometimes attracts teenagers to help with the cooking.

Walking, also with music

When mental calm is my goal, fresh air with a soundtrack is really effective. Music is completely absorbing for me–I can’t really make it fade into the background. I frequently hear things I’ve never noticed, even in familiar songs. Bonus: Oxygen to the brain never hurts.

Laughter

Still the best medicine to get out of my own head. Classic movies are my go-to, since present-day comedies and standup have mostly left out the funny bits. Caveats: Streaming fees and rentals currently over budget.

3 Phrases I’m Letting Go

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Words Matter

Language matters. How I talk to myself guides my actions and my attitude. Here are three phrases that get in my way.

I don’t know how

Somebody knows how, and I can get them to teach me. Or I can pay them to do it for me. I don’t have to do everything. I don’t have to know everything. But I can make things happen.

I don’t have time

If it’s important, I have time to do it. People are important. Good food is important. The vast majority of things on my phone are not. The trick is to ruthlessly remove those unimportant things, because I truly don’t have time for them. Life is short; I should spend it on what matters.  

I’ll try

Yoda had this one right. Commit, or don’t. Saying I’ll try means that I don’t know what I’m already committed to; in other words, don’t count on me.