Time of Indolence

Months ago, a friend had shared a photo from the book, Still: the art of noticing by Mary Jo Hoffman. I was intrigued, so immediately put it on hold. I finally arrived recently and I have been enjoying looking through. The photographs are stunning. 

One thing I've found interesting, though, is that in one section, she has decided the year into two week spans. I think this is genius. First, because I think we humans have difficulty with moving through larger slabs of time. Currently, for instance, I'm feeling as though summer is endless and I have been fantasizing about twenty degree weather. (True story.) But the idea of breaking summer up into smaller bits feels more manageable. For instance, the author call the period between July 17 and August 7 as the "Time of Indolence". This seems about right to me, especially with another heat wave heading out way. When it is unbearably hit, indolence is about all one can manage. But then, on August 8, comes the "Time of Ripening", marking when all those things growing in the garden become ripe enough to eat. A really good tomato is something to look forward to. I'm not sure I agree with all her titles, but I love the idea. And getting through two weeks of it feels manageable. 

The other thing I think is helpful about thinking of the year this way is that it helps us pay attention more closely. If we think of times of blossoms or greening or migrations, it helps us to notice the thing being named. It creates a deeper sense of awareness. 

And really, check this book out because it's really gorgeous. Here are a couple of examples. 

Her use of color, texture, and pattern is really interesting. 

And if we're talking color, texture, and pattern, here are a couple more 'frog in pond plants' photos. I'm a little obsessed with stopping by the pond every time I'm outside and finding all the frogs.