 Dear Friends,
Remember the plum tree I told you all about? Yeah, the plums are all gone, consumed by the deer, birds, the dirt, some runny jam in jars in my kitchen and the memories of a delicious plum torte courtesy of New York Times recipes. Next year…next year I’ll be mentally prepared to do more with this unexpected bounty that lives in my front yard, but this year a few jars of runny jam are all I have left. When I moved into my house back in November I was curious about the difference in my front lawn, with the tree side growing greener and thicker, and the non-tree side less thick and lush….it was the beginnings of winter and not mowing season anymore, but I could still see a difference. It only took me a few weeks of squishing plums, bird and deer poop into the ground while mowing my lawn to realize that the grass is thicker, greener and more lush because it gets more nutrients and fertilization. Same is true in life, right? Those areas in our lives where we’re willing to put in the work, where we’re willing to to inject time and care, to cultivate deeper connection…those are the areas in our lives that can grow and thrive. Spaces where we pay less attention or ignore often do not end up growing and thriving and end up in a place of stagnation. My dear friend, I hope this week you can see the areas in your life where maybe you need or want to inject a little more time and care and put in the work so they can grow and thrive. And that other side of my lawn? Well, I’m pretty sure it’s not going to get fertilized any time soon, because as it turns out, that’s not something I’m willing to put the work into. Have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista
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 *Photo Credit Barbara Thurlow Dear Friends,
In a cage match between a big old dove and 7 tiny sparrows, I’m pretty sure the dove would win out of sheer stubbornness and a deep unwillingness to move. I have this bird feeder attached to my studio window, and all day long my cat and I are delighted by the various birds that come to visit. Downy woodpeckers, big old blue jays, doves, house finches, a plethora of sparrows, cat birds, red-bellied woodpeckers and cardinals are some of the many who land on my window. It’s fun to notice the bird's tendencies...the blue jay almost always gets the whole birdfeeder to itself, the house finches almost always come in a pair, the sparrows come in a big group and oftentimes fight with the dove, but never fight with the blue jay. Some birds come for a quick nibble and fly away, while others plop themselves down like they own the place. All the while my cat lunges at them, hoping that this time he won’t have a pane of glass in his way…spoiler alert, he always does. It’s a little thing, this bird feeder, a small delight, but one that helps me feel joy and grounding when the world feels increasingly overwhelming. My dear friend, the world sometimes feels overwhelming, right? And while we can’t and shouldn’t always decouple ourselves from the overwhelm, I think finding those small delights that help us find joy and grounding are essential in times of overwhelm. Have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista  The Summer Day
—Mary Oliver Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean-- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-- who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?  Dear Friends,
I was telling you about my plum tree bursting with fruit last week, and the new perspective it gave me…which is all true and good, but that whole blog post on perspective last week didn’t actually start with an overly abundant plum tree or a deer. Last week I was having a dilemma…and I didn’t know what to do about it. I went back and forth, mulling over what I should do, with zero clearer perspective on this particular issue. So I reached out to a friend…a friend with whom I knew had experienced this exact same dilemma, but on the other side of it. I needed her perspective and wisdom, I needed to see things from her side instead of my own, because I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own. And, my friends, she didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear, but she did tell me what I needed to hear. She gave me that perspective I needed for this particular place and time. Sometimes we just can’t get that perspective on our own, but if we’re willing to reach out, stay curious and open, and listen to the wisdom of those around us, sometimes we can get that perspective we need. And while that plum tree is still bursting with plums, in addition to plums both moldering in my yard and feeding some very grateful deer, slowly by slowly we’re making some of those plums into jam. Have an amazing week, my friend. Love Krista |
Hi, I'm Krista!Krista Mason is a movement instructor based in Washington DC. She founded an online strength, yoga and movement studio, teaches group classes, hosts both local and overseas retreats, hangs out with private clients, and absolutely loves the work she gets to do. Archives
October 2025
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