Desk and Journals - 7

Well, well, some progress has been made.
This past week I'd settled in for a quick 15 minute stint on the giant pile of mysteries and a bit over two hours later (yes, I was in The Flow....), well, The Space Was Empty. Where there's been Chaos now was a Zen-like Void. The old wood appeared. A dust cloth appeared also - and woo hoo - a magnificent large hollow clean space came into being.

This was not a baby step. This was a giant stride - at least in my eyes. I left it empty until the next day - and occasionally opened the door  - just for the Joy of knowing this part of the Challenge was Completed. When YOU complete a Task or Challenge or Mission please allow yourself a bit of Pleasure in the Having Done. Don't go immediately to the next item on the list. Have a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of beer and simply gaze at your accomplishment. Remember this. "This, too, shall pass."

So what of the papers???? Well. Armed with an awl, ruler, foam core, needle, waxed linen thread, and such, I've begun making more Junk Drawer Journals. They are not perfect. Some are not pretty. All are somewhat useful, and each one has been a bit of fun to create. In fact, I don't feel much like making Real Art right now. Or finish with taxes.... It's pleasant to sort and punch and stitch and embellish these little nothings of reuse/recycle.
There are twenty journals so far. One's been put to use. One's been given to a friend. Others await their missions.

They hold Potential. Ideas. Sketches. Quotes. Grand Schemes. A child's first scribble. The birth of a novel. That's the magic of the blank page - no matter the size. In fact, the smallness and scrapiness of those volumes might just leave a person feeling less worried about ruining a beautiful and "precious" JOURNAL. I'll bring some along to art fairs - to give to those folks who say "I WANT to draw, but - " Heck, here's little sketchbook. "I want to write, but - ". Heck, here's a little notebook. No excuse now, right?  Write. Draw. Enjoy your new bit of Personal Potential. It's only paper - and a bit of waxed thread. But it could change your life.... (If you'd like one let me know.)

On to the rest of Groundhog's Day. May yours be Happy. The squirrel in the patio seems to be enjoying it - we would do well to follow its example!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Adventures?

Adventures? Mixed emotions. I admire The Adventurers - great and small, but do not feel part of their gang.

I read books about rock climbers, but am too chicken to make phone calls.
I know folks who run marathons. I walk three miles every now and then.
I've seen the tiny boats in which single sailors have crossed huge oceans. I don't feel comfortable in a snug rowboat on calm Lily Lake.
I watch documentary films on world travelers. I have driven alone, in one day, to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Yippee-yi-o.

Some folks FEAR the blank piece of paper. I do not. Here be Adventures!

How people are brave enough to attempt and complete their adventures is always interesting. Daughter, Tara, has been to Japan twice. Loved it. Son, Tyler, took off for Ireland on his own shortly after his twenty-second birthday. Loved it. I fear ordering a plane ticket to Anywhere. But I can now address crowds with little reservation. Fear and shyness have their levels.....

Life remains mysterious. My head is still ringing/feeling like there's  high-speed drill inside. This is it's own Adventure, and soon the trek will be a year in - with no destination in sight. Some days are Bad. Most days are Standable. Many people have given much advise. Some things I've acted on, some things are written down - still to be considered.

But, ever onward. No Adventures scheduled for today. Prepping for some indoor shows and boutiques.  There are a few phone calls to be made. Buck up. Thousands, millions? of people spend their whole days making phone calls. It is what they DO. You scribble bears on paper. You try to make people laugh and consider. You do not paint or maintain those poles that keep our cell phones working. You do not have to float on a tether to repair things in outer-space. You do not have to spend the most of a year in a submarine or on high alert in a war zone. Quit bitching! Have some Fun! Get a massage! Pat people on the back! Suggest ways that folks can enjoy creating! O.K? O.K.

Life is O.K. Hoping your is O.K., too. And as full of adventure as you choose.
On to The Grand Adventure -
Sue

Guinea Pigs

Once upon a time daughter Tara brought home Gingersnap the Best Guinea Pig in the Whole World. He lived a pretty good (we think) seven years with us. Romaine lettuce and green peppers and dandilions (and kibble) fueled his day. We all cried when he died, and he is buried in an oak cuspidor in our flower garden....



Sam and Max came later and left sooner. Such is fate.
We are pig-less at present, and this is OK. Maybe some day we will share our floors and vegetables with others.

Now we buy salad fixings for only us humans. But Gingersnap's excited whistles when he heard us bringing in the grocery bags are forever in the memory. And we have giant soft spots in our hearts for his furry chirping fun.

I miss bringing in that first Spring dandilion for the contented chomping. An odd tradition but a traditional none-the-less. Thanks, pigs, for sharing some time with us. And teaching us to eat more veggies...

Fare-thee-well,

Sue