#3goodthinks

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today. I'm back. 🌱 My daughter, her husband, and my grandson came to visit. They left today. We were able to give them an old cast-iron stove, so once they install it, they’ll be able to heat with wood and save a lot of money. 🌱 My brother from the U.S. came to visit. He left for the airport today—I hope he has a safe flight home. We only see each other once every many years. 🌱 A hearty soup made with lentils, pumpkin, seaweed, and garlic.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today 🌱 Morning at work: urgent collaboration among teams to help homeless children. 🌱 An afternoon briefing for the volunteer de-escalation big team. 🌱 A large demonstration with thousands of people against the government’s takeover of public media. My wife and son were there, and I was wearing an orange volunteer vest.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today 🌱 It’s definitely fall. With beautiful fall colors, fog, and rain. 🌱 Long naps, rest, food. Potato pancakes, Hokkaido pumpkin soup, and red lentils. 🌱 Even though we’re having some issues with our home internet connection, and even though my provider is telling me I’ve used up my mobile data, I still have a connection—albeit a slow one. A miracle.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things—not today. Because I’m simply too tired to write them all down. 🌱 A weekend training session for teachers, from which I returned on Sunday. 🌱 A gathering with my Protestant friends tonight to discuss economic stagnation. 🌱 A gathering with friends from the Zen sangha over tea and a meal.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 A preventive doctor’s visit. It looks like I’m in good health. 🌱 My client and I are standing on the riverbank, watching the ducks and muskrats for a long time as they glide through a layer of fallen yellow leaves on the water’s surface. 🌱 Group meditation practice; my spot is to the right of the altar, with to the statues of Buddha and the bodhisattvas.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Mushroom goulash for lunch. With chili. 🌱 A conversation with a client who needed some support. 🌱 An event at the tea house—an introduction to Zen meditation for the public—where the attendees asked some really good questions.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 I went biking in the woods to pick mushrooms. There are lots of mushrooms growing right now, so I didn’t have to look very hard. 🌱 A session with my therapist—a few minor connection issues, but it worked out well in the end. 🌱 A goulash made with mushrooms, vegetables, fried onions, and dried red peppers. And garlic, of course.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Fixed the gasket on the garden pump. 🌱 Fixed the jammed lock on my apartment door. I basically had to force my way through the lock—without causing any damage—just by following the instructions my locksmith friend gave me over the phone. It worked. 🌱 A thick and hearty soup made with vegetables, chickpea broth, fried onions, and red lentils. I had some broth left over from making hummus, so I had to put it to good use.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 A community gathering where I teach homeless people how to facilitate community gatherings. 🌱 Potatoes with hummus. Lately, I’ve mainly been wondering if I have anything to eat and if I’ll have time to eat. So far, so good. 🌱 It’s Friday. I’m going to soak in a hot bath with a book.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Team supervision at work. We discussed a specific approach that would improve safety and looked for ways to tackle the team’s burnout. 🌱 A professional consultation with an addiction specialist – on how to support clients who are dependent on alcohol whilst helping them to keep a roof over their heads within the community. 🌱 My wife bought an emergency supply of water.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Donating plasma at the blood transfusion centre. They’ve got some lovely hummus there for vegans to top up their energy. 🌱 An unexpected need to help the team, even though I’m not working today – but it was a great help. 🌱 A meeting of the city’s Mutual Support Network. Important information, good discussions.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 I’m drinking strong, cheap black tea from Turkey, grown in Azerbaijan. 🌱 I’ve soaked some chickpeas so I can make hummus tomorrow. 🌱 Otherwise, I’m just relaxing, lying about, reading and chatting with my wife.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 I had a long sleep. And then I’ve been drinking Gaivan Korean green tea all day – a Buddhist nun gave it to me and a friend brought it all the way from the other side of the world. 🌱 Fried patties made from brown and red lentils – basically like falafel – which I’m frying in a pan. They turned out well. 🌱 I’ve been doing nothing all day; I’m far too tired. I’m reading and watching a film – Next Sohee.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 When I got back from holiday, I found that my colleagues had covered my desk with dry leaves, put a sign saying ‘Welcome to the forest’ on my monitor, and hung up my photo everywhere, framed with chillies and bearing the caption ‘I’m on fire for a good cause’. I suppose they must like me 😆 🌱 I got to the library just before closing time, but I managed to borrow some good books. 🌱 Baked potatoes with onions and garlic at home. And hot bath.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 We managed to get the train to visit our daughter in the neighbouring county, despite power cuts and a delayed service. 🌱 A walk with the family, carrying our little grandson on my front in a baby carrier. 🌱 Lots of good food and a relaxing time.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 I received tremendous support from the team. I never would have thought it was possible. I'm deeply moved. 🌱 Lots of work done - very tired, but a good feeling. 🌱 A shared Zen meditation practice, powerful chants, new people, a pleasant get-together over tea.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Visiting a former neighbour and fixing her light switch. 🌱 Sitting down and chatting with the family. 🌱 Praying together with my wife, because not everything is good and we have some concerns.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 A long lie-in this morning. A really long one. A rare treat. And then a nice cup of morning tea. 🌱 Rest, food, reading. Bean paste on bread. Dogwood berries pickled like olives from last year. 🌱 Sitting with my laptop and posting photos on Mastodon.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 Picking cranberries for a meal and heather flowers for tea in the mountain forest, for my wife. 🌱 Saying goodbye to the log cabin in the mountains – we’ve had a lovely time here, and we’ll keep coming back as long as I’ve got the strength to climb the trail up to this height. No car can take me up here. 🌱 A long descent along the path down into the valley, where we can catch a bus. We managed everything comfortably and without rushing.

#3goodthinks #ThreeGoodThings Three good things today: 🌱 In the inclement weather, we’re drinking tea in a mountain cabin and having a chat. 🌱 When the weather is better, we chop wood for heating in the mountain spruce forest. The dry trees will serve us and any other visitors well. 🌱 When the weather is lovely, we head up to the mountain ridge. We travel light, carrying only water, food and a change of clothes in case the weather changes. We leave our heavy kit in the log cabin.