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You are here: Home / Thinking / What Have You Been Thinking About Lately?

What Have You Been Thinking About Lately?

July 19, 2017 By Jodi

Lavender at sunset in Devon, England
I don't need to mention how long it's been since I posted or how badly I feel about that—I'm sure those things are obvious. I've had lots of ideas for posts and zero time to write them out: we were in England for a week, visiting family; two days after we returned, we hosted family for a week. And then we had a couple major-minor (I can't tell the difference these days) crises regarding details for our relocation—our daycare provider canceled on us less than a month before the boys were supposed to begin, and then we realized less than three weeks before the move that we hadn't booked movers!). It is no exaggeration to say that every single free moment I've had has been spent attending to these and other details, if not folding laundry or sorting through all our possessions, and sometimes even showering.

I suppose the good news is that time must go on, and at some point this difficult and overwhelming period will be over (if only to leave us at the doorstep of another difficult and overwhelming period of repatriation and settling in).

In lieu of a comprehensive post about something in particular, this one is just a short check-in to say hello and I miss you! and share a few things I'm thinking about.
Watersmeet, Devon, EnglandAugust at Watersmeet, Devon, EnglandBoys in the river at Watersmeet Boys eating ice cream I just read this piece about kids and dirt and felt totally vindicated. We are absolutely not a sterile household and don't worry all that much about dirt and germs, and now science, and a new book, backs us up. I was on a ferry in the Stockholm archipelago with the kids a couple years ago, when Leif was still crawling, and an older couple watched me follow Leif around the boat for a few minutes and then looked at me and said, approvingly, "He's going to have a strong immune system!" They were right, though I can't say for sure whether it's because he may have licked the table legs... 😉

Lavender in Devon, England Lavender in Devon, EnglandI've fallen in love with lavender lately. The plant itself and the scent. I have this luxurious L'Occitane Hand Cream, which I find heavenly and indulgent. When we were in England, I spent an evening photographing all the lavender plants around my in-laws' garden, an outing that was also heavenly and indulgent. I read a beautiful essay years ago about a man searching for the exact lavender scent his father used to wear, and that essay left me intrigued by lavender, where previously I'd dismissed it as too feminine. The scent of that hand cream is perfect, almost masculine and musky.

Flower at sunset in Devon, England Flowers in the wall in Devon
We've had a great time in Sweden and we are sad to leave, even though we are excited to be moving to the Pacific Northwest. It's a stressful and sad time right now, dealing with both the logistics of the move and the mixed feelings of leaving such a beautiful home and city. A friend here in Sweden was consoling me earlier this evening, reminding me that we'll meet interesting people and do exciting things in our new home, and she's right (thanks Lotta!). But in that very moment, I realized that true friends aren't replaceable. That's what's so great about friends, that your particular connection with any one person is so unique, and that each relationship speaks to and brings out different aspects of self, that you can never quite replace a friend who isn't there anymore. There's no doubt I'll make new friends, and there's no doubt that I'll miss tremendously the ones we're leaving in Stockholm.

Boys running through the orchard in Devon

I loved watching the boys run through the orchard at my in-laws' house in Devon.

Leif running through the orchard in Devon
I found the response to my previous post so engaging and thoughtful. I got several responses on my personal Facebook page (did you know you can follow Dear Sabrina on FB?) as well as in my inbox. There are so many stories and so many perspectives, and I hope to start sharing them here on Dear Sabrina once we get settled into our new home (so sometime around 2018, right?). If you have a story about in/fertility, miscarriage, birth, post-partum depression, or even the decision NOT to have children that you'd like to share, please do!

What have you been thinking about lately? I don't know when I'll get a chance to post again, so I'd love to hear what YOU are thinking about these days!

All photos by me.

In case you haven't heard, we're moving. Some other stuff to read while I'm not posting here.

Filed Under: Family, Friendship, Natural Beauty, Thinking Tagged With: devon, england, flowers, friends, friendship, lavender, summer

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About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

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Someone turned 4 this week. We gave her a super fu Someone turned 4 this week. We gave her a super fun Fuji Instax camera and I’m loving the mementos lying around the house. And did I mention that my *baby* is 4?! Life, man. Just keeps happening.
Weekend escape to the coast. South of Yachats. Weekend escape to the coast. South of Yachats.
Morning couch snuggles with our newest housemates. Morning couch snuggles with our newest housemates.
My wine did this yesterday. Is this a bad sign? My wine did this yesterday. Is this a bad sign?
How an evening should be. How an evening should be.
So the other night I was drinking a margarita by t So the other night I was drinking a margarita by the fireside and reading the Girls Night In newsletter. At the end they asked readers to respond it a question, so I did. (A bit tipsy, mind you). Apparently they liked my response, and they shared it with their IG community (just a cool 134k followers), and I have been over the moon with the response. The comments have been a treasure to read. Thanks, @girlsnightinclub, for what you do and the community you’ve created.
Glorious time at the coast today. Our first trip t Glorious time at the coast today. Our first trip to Seal Beach. Somehow everything was perfect about it and we ran around and tidepooled and flew kites and rearranged driftwood and rocks and ran in and out of the waves for hours.
We did the thing where you go to a place and there We did the thing where you go to a place and there’s stuff on the ground. 3 out of 5 had fun. 1 out of 5 denies having had fun, despite having had fun. 1 out of 5 wore THIN COTTON PANTS despite many better options and much advice to the contrary and was miserable the whole time and thus did not have fun.
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