My husband and I have just begun reading "Draw Close together (first week). We tend to really chew on things and take time to process. So, a discussion topic listed as Day 1 may take us a couple of days to discuss and ponder.

Just wondering if anyone else here has had the chance to read the book?

My husband and I started reading through Draw Close recently. Its funny because we have also started Nature Journal Drawing. So we are attempting both at night! New RC!

The other night my husband asked if I wanted to draw. I said "yeah, draw close." He laughed. Its like one of those Amelia Bedilia thought bubbles! (If you''ve read Amelia Bedelia!)

We'd attended a class at the Audobon Society. There is a naturalist in our area who does this class and fields trips and also has You Tube Videos to learn from. google: John Muir Laws

It wasn't long ago when my husband did not seem engaged or you might say he can be withdrawn of overly focused on work or hobbies. Me too. Its easy to feel you know everything about one another and so on.

but like the book Draw Close and nature drawing you re-engage and renew how you see the world and one another.

I like that.

Last weekend we went on a little hike. Brought our journal stuff. Sat on this lake and watched the birds do their thing and attempted to draw them. It felt really magical to do this together. The drawing is yet wonky but that's OK.

Anyway, we'd work on our drawings. Talk about observations. Give encouragements. Eat snacks and so on. When we got home we looked up things we'd observe that we had gotten curious about. Like why does the pelican have that big bump on his beak?

Thanks Grace!

Yep- my husband and I love to chew on this...to build upon the "we". We also have another book which prompts us to journal.

So my husband and I really enjoy chewing on topics that build our relationship. It's definitely interesting to share and understand our different points of view.

I was actually surprised that during one of the readings we were doing how adverse my husband was to the emotional need for an attractive spouse.

Not in the context that I should/should not find him attractive. But that he feels it is rather sexist for a man to have that need for a wife.

I have been aware of marriagebuilders concepts for many years (when I was trying to work on my first marriage). So I have a better understanding of Harley's stance and why this makes it into the top ten emotional needs.

My husband and I had a great discussion on bringing the general needs and developing discussions around our individual emotional needs...needless to say, right now I fulfill his need for an attractive spouse ...but I also understand that it is my desire to be attractive for him. I just know that my efforts to make love bank deposit sit in other areas currently...so that is my focus and how I choose to love my husband.

Really enjoying this book. It is rather basic- but gives room for discussion and sharing

He might react differently to that emotional need if you were not already meeting it so well for him. Markos used to tell me that he did not have a high need for an Attractive Spouse, until I pointed out to him how unhappy he would he would be if I dramatically changed my appearance -- such as cutting my long hair short, dying it blond, and getting a dark tan. I was meeting this EN so well that he just didn't think about it.

And this is not just a man's emotional need. I also have a high need for an attractive spouse, as do a lot of women. It makes lovebank deposits for markos to look a certain way for me.

Having a high emotional need for an Attractive Spouse is not any more sexists than saying that sex makes lovebank deposits for the majority of men, or that most women have a high need for affection.

I completely agree Prisca. That's exactly what my husband and I discussed. As basic and common-sense Dr Harley's concepts are...it's interesting how diverse things are when we put them into action as the messy people we are... truly loving the sharing this book brings about!