Quarantine
[Photo taken in Big Sur earlier this month by my husband.]
For a long time now I’ve prided myself on how rarely I get sick. I’ve had unexplainable health issues that drag on for months and at one time required surgery, but a common cold? The flu? HA! I’d laugh in the face of germs, viruses, and all such annoyances that require boxes of tissues, decongestants, and anti-biotics. Whenever conversations arise about how sick someone is or has been in recent months, I’d raise my chin up ever so slightly and casually remark, “Oh that’s a bummer. Me? I never get sick – haven’t been sick in years!”
Chin pointed slightly downward: Who’s laughing now, Miss Smartypants?
Indeed, I am a full week into who knows what, having gone through boxes and packs of tissues, bags of Ricola drops, and too many over the counter remedies to count, and I feel nowhere near getting rid of whatever bug has lodged itself into my skin than I did a week ago when I felt it coming on. See, my strategy has always been simple and straightforward – the instant I feel something coming on, cancel all appointments and hit the couch. Within 24 hours I feel right as rain, having scurried the little bug off somewhere else. I attempted to stick to this routine last week, but this bug is a stubborn one, and in less than 24 hours I went from feeling a slight something in my throat to barely being able to talk or swallow. And while I’ve felt better these past five days than I did the first two, whatever this is doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon.
So I am officially in quarantine, and have to reserve most of my strength to attend to Miss Tilda, who, at this exact moment, is sitting next to me moaning and groaning and pawing at me. I am beginning to learn what her different whines mean, and this one is “Play with me! Play with me! Play with me noooooooooooowwwwwwwww!” I therefore must end this entry, go park myself on the floor and try to run her around the room by making her chase a tennis ball.
Until my next entry, please send healthy vibes my way!
100 Books Project :: New South Wales
[Book #86, taken care of by Book Fairy Carol Selmeci in New South Wales, Australia.]
From Carol, sent August 3, 2010:
“I have been reading about the 100 Books Project for quite a while. I really did not understand what it was all about so I tracked back through Christine’s blog archives until finally I got the message. Wow, what a great project. What a lovely way to unite our world.
When I contacted Christine I wasn’t sure if she would deem me worthy to be a Book Fairy. I live in a very different world to Swirly’s world. I am not an artist. My life revolves around the humanitarian aspects of life. But I then figured, hey, we all have the same problems and concerns, we are all striving to make the most out of our own lives in this world, we all need to promote the care aspects for the people we share this great big world with. Of cause she would think me suitable to participate in this project, to promote good will and respect for all people. So I contacted Christine.
When I received her email telling me that I could be a Book Fairy I was just elated.
Then my parcel arrived in the mail. It looked just like I had seen on her blog, but it was real.
I live in the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney Australia.
It is a very pleasant and pretty part of our country. In parts it is rugged and grand and in other parts tranquil and settling. In the mountains we can be far away from the busy hustle of Sydney life but within one hour it is easy to commute to this major metropolis.
Before my parcel arrived I started thinking, I have this very important role to play, I need to be creative and to determine which magic place I should leave the treasured gift.
It did not take me long to determine the best place for such a cherished gift, a gift that would be able to serve its purpose in a meaningful way.
Some Book Fairies have left the gift in an exotic place for a stranger to find, so that once read the gift can leave its lasting spell. Some Book Fairies have left the gift in a specific location for a selected person whom it is felt will most benefit from its words. I decided to go with the later.
As corny as it may sound, in my eyes my two wonderful daughters would surely benefit significantly with such a shared gift. These two young ladies have provided my life with the greatest pride and joy. More than I would ever have imagined. They are caring individuals whom I am proud to say display thoughtfulness and compassion to others.
How could I not include them in this wonderful adventure.
We invited them to brunch and ‘the gift’ was left on a sofa in the sunroom in our home.
The plan is for them to enjoy the gift, to read its wisdom and then to share the gift with other friends and family. This will enable the words and messages to be shared with many people from a variety of backgrounds and lives.
This is my Book Fairy story.
Thank you for allowing me to participate in the 100 Books Project.
Carol Selmeci
Blaxland (west of Sydney)
Australia”
Thank you Carol ~ again and again ~ Thank you!!
See the entire 100 Books Gallery right here.
The Sun Never Says
Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe
Me.”
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.
~Hafiz
Five x Five Things
I have been a Five Things Slacker, it is true. Alas, perhaps that is a sign that Five Things needs to transition into a feature I post intermittently. When I am inspired to share some links, I will, but today my mission is to clear out the long list of bookmarked pages that have been sitting on my computer waiting to be posted here. I hereby present Five x Five Things…
1. Michele Mikesell (work pictured above)
5. Edizioni
10. Voices of Haiti
11. Gibbous Fashions
12. Nomads Life
13. Writers Under Siege: Voices of Freedom from Around the World
14. Spoonflower
15. Institute of You
16. Spoonful ~ Issue #3 features a little blurb from yours truly! Order it right here.
17. Beautiful Oops!
20. Nurturing Art by Rita Loyd
21. By Art We Live
22. Barefoot Artists
100 Books Project :: Des Moines
[Book #85 was part of an Ordinary Sparkling Extravaganza of Kindness from Book Fairy Tiffany Thomas in Des Moines, Iowa.]
Here is Tiffany’s story:
I was so excited about the opportunity to be a Book Fairy that I wanted to savor the experience and draw it out as long as possible. Instead of just leaving such a special book for someone to find, I decided to spend 10 days blessing someone else with an Ordinary Sparkling Moment.
Day 1: Gas station Gift Card ~ Top left photo in above image.
Day 2: Dairy Queen Gift Card, and also purchased ice cream for people behind me in line ~ Top right photo.
Day 3: Coins left at the car wash ~ Bottom left photo.
Day 4: Dryer sheets and change left at the Laundry Mat ~ Bottom right photo.
Day 5: Fantastic tip for a great waiter ~ Top left photo.
Day 6: Flowers at the nursing home for someone that needs a bit of extra sunshine ~ Center right photo.
Day 7: Lottery Tickets on a windshield ~ Bottom left photo.
Day 8: Thank you to a friend for simply being my friend ~ Top left photo
Day 9: Starbucks Gift card left with newspaper ~ Top right photo
Day 10: Ordinary Sparkling Moments book! ~ Bottom two photos
Of course this was one of my favorite tasks and I knew immediately where I was going to leave this special treasure. Not only do I consider the West End Architectural Salvage Store my heaven on earth but it was the perfect place for many other reasons. I have been truly inspired by Christine’s book and it fell into my lap at a time in my life where everything I had ever known was falling apart. I felt like one of these salvaged pieces of art. Rather than waiting for someone to purchase me and turn me into something beautiful, Christine’s words and art encourage me to blossom all on my own. I hope that some other creative soul finds this book and it inspires them to not only dream but to fulfill those dreams.
Thank you, Christine!!”
I love this story so much ~ Thank YOU Tiffany!!
Not Super Super Busy
I have been rather neglectful of this blogging space ~ not super super busy, just otherwise occupied. Getting up each morning and going about my day, spending less time focused on social media outlets and more time with things I can touch, examine up close, and sit with. After having felt for so long that I had a certain role to play, a certain job to fulfill, I have decided that all I need to do is live my life, shared what inspires me, and let that be enough. Being a positive, inspiring force in the world no longer feels like an intention I need to prove on any level ~ it is simply what I aim to do to the best of my abilities each and every day.
So what have I been doing? And what is on my horizon?
* I turned in two more chapters of my book almost two weeks before my deadline. The next chapter is due Monday, and it is almost ready to go.
* I took a journey up north to conduct an interview for an upcoming feature in Somerset Studio. Who is the featured guest? You’ll have to wait to find out.
* I submitted my first short story to three different journals.
* I posted a new entry over at Gypsy Girl’s Guide.
* I had my first official meeting for another exciting project that I’m still a long ways off from discussing in detail. This is way out of my comfort zone, so it is daunting and thrilling at the same time!
* I got to spend a blissfully long, jam-packed-with-fun weekend with my magnificent BFF.
* I read. I walked Tilda. I filled a stack of Etsy orders.
* I arranged lunch dates, Thanksgiving plans, holiday guest arrivals, and a day trip to Santa Barbara.
* I selected two writing classes at UCLA Extension, and both will begin in January.
* I came up with a new book idea.
* I crossed things off my to do list. I added many more.
On the horizon: Writing, writing, a lot of writing.
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste and experience the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
100 Books Project :: Santa Fe
[Book #83 was taken care of by Book Fairy Kelly Kilmer and her friend Krista ~ pictured above ~ in Santa Fe, New Mexico!]
Why do I love this project so much? Because it gives people the opportunity to follow their intuition, which is what the amazingly talented Kelly Kilmer did in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The entire story is right here, but here’s an excerpt to get you going:
“The nice thing about spending three hours with someone standing and walking around a cell phone store is that you can do a lot of talking with each other. I had pondered for days over where I would leave the book. I asked friends and family where they thought I should leave it. I wanted the book to go somewhere special, to be found by someone who would get it, by someone who needed it. The more Krista and I talked, the more I got this swelling sensation that I needed to give the book to Krista. Krista was the one who needed it right now more so than anyone else in Santa Fe.
I started blabbing to her about the project. I asked her if she had read the latest issue of Somerset Studio and if she had seen the article on Christine’s book project. I asked her if she had the book, if she knew Christine’s work. She said that she was familiar with her work but that she didn’t have the book. I started telling her how inspiring the book was to me and how it was one of my favorites. I told her that I thought that every artist needed a copy of it and how it had pulled me out of some dark days and made me think differently.
Krista was surprised when I asked if I could give the book to her. I explained that after our talk, I felt that she was the one who I was supposed to give the book to. I knew that as an artist, she would get it. She smiled and was extremely humble (and yet very excited) about accepting it. I suggested that when Krista was finished with the book that she could pass it on to others who she felt may benefit from reading it. After all, it is the kind of book that you gain a lot from and immediately want to share the experience with others.”
Thank you so much Kelly!!
Lately
Lately I have been much more invested in experiences that are face-to-face ~ where I can see a friend’s smile slowly emerge from deep within or reach out and hold a hand ~ rather than through connections that are only possible with my keyboard.
Lately I have been reading seven books at once ~ two literary journals, two books of poetry, one novel, one self-help, and a small book called The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron. This sounds rather chaotic, but moving between all of them over the course of a long stretch of time has been a magnificent tour of a large dance floor, each book with its own rhythm, style, and beauty.
Lately I have been practicing the art of observation, particularly in moments when I behave in a way I’m not especially proud of. Rather than judge, I observe. Rather than dive into immediate frustration in situations that I think I should be “past” (“I’ve done so much work ~ I should be over this by now!”), I try to lean into those uncomfortable feelings even more.
Lately I have been thinking quite a lot about you, dear readers, and about the mystery of finding people in the blogosphere. How do people stumble upon this space, and how do I happen to discover my favorite online treasures? Lately, as I run errands, clean my kitchen, and take Tilda for walks, I have been saying tiny prayers of gratitude for everyone that comes here and takes the time to leave a little note. You can do anything you want with your time, and you choose to come here. I am grateful beyond words.
Lately I have been recognizing how much the life I am now living makes sense, not because I set out with a Master Plan in my twenties, but because I have walked this earth with a certain kind of determination, a specific approach to my work and my well-being, and I have rarely wavered from that.
Lately I have experienced more moments when I see the light and love that unites everyone on this earth. They happen a lot when I am in my car, at a stop light, and I look around at all the people walking by. This is Los Angeles, so at one intersection on Wilshire Blvd. I might see an old man pushing a grocery cart ~ which clearly holds everything he owns in the world ~ a young woman with Ugg boots, short shorts, and big sunglasses, and a man who looks to be from India in a rush somewhere with a backpack. At every intersection and on every corner there are people from all walks of life going here and there, doing what they need to do. And in these moments, lately, I look at all of them and I remember ~ they have all been loved ~ by someone, somewhere ~ they all want to feel safe, they were all once little children with magnificent dreams for themselves.
The phrase “We are all one” has always elicited a certain resistance on my part. It always feels too pat, too simplistic. But at the end of the day, there is more connecting us than perhaps we care to acknowledge, and even though I might not be able to do anything about whatever hardships, struggles, or difficulties all these people I pass by are carrying with them, I still want to sink into the compassion I feel when we cross paths. That compassion doesn’t vanish when the light turns green and I drive onward, it stays with me, and provides a stronger foundation for the compassion I want to provide for my family.
God Just Came Near
No
One
In need of love
Can sit with my verse for
An hour
And then walk away without carrying
Golden tools,
And feeling that God
Just came
Near.
~Hafiz
What the World Needs
[Photo taken by my husband many years ago ~ not sure where.]
My husband and I had an appointment yesterday ~ one of those official, grown-up appointments where official, grown-up documents are drafted, signed, and filed. There will probably even be some sort of official, grown-up stamp or sticker applied to these documents, but that’s just a guess. During this appointment, I had to answer the question, “What do you do?” and, without hesitating, I said, “I am a writer.” I have never given that answer before. It has always been, “I am an artist,” and if the person I am talking to is interested in more details, I may or may not let it slip in that I am also a writer. Writing has always felt secondary, like the steamed milk in my coffee. It was an important part, but it wasn’t the coffee. It wasn’t the main thing.
While I’m not interested in getting hung up on titles and categories, it was an interesting experience to say “I am a writer” with such confidence, to really feel the truth of it. I have been inching my way towards my work as a writer more and more ever since I wrote Ordinary Sparkling Moments, and as I look ahead to 2011 I see a lot of wide open space that will enable me to dig deeper as a writer than ever before. The work I have been doing these past few months to clear out my calendar as much as possible is now beginning to really pay off, and I am sitting in a lovely in-between space ~ behind me I have stacks and stacks and stacks of experiences, stories, and ideas and in front of me I have wide expanses of time and space. I can now begin to take these experiences and shape them into stories, which could end up in any number of forms ~ essays, fiction, maybe even haikus.
My work has always been about inspiring others, and this work hasn’t ever been about just one thing. It has been about creating and building a greeting card business that evolved into a major licensed brand. It has been about sharing. It has been about organizing countless creative groups, classes, workshops, shows, and retreats. It has been about this blog. It has been about publishing my own book. It has been about creating heaps of artwork. It has been about contributing. It has been about what I see as a miraculous turn of events that gave me an entirely new line of licensed, inspirational products. It has been about being as supportive as I can to my family, my friends, and members of this community. It has been about giving away. It has been about exploring the world and sharing those experiences. And it has been about writing.
My number one rule for the book I am now writing ~ which will be released in about a year ~ is simple: Never sit down to work on the book from a place of anxiety or stress. In other words, if I’ve just looked at my calendar and I feel my next deadline start to wrap around my insides and squeeze, I immediately go do something else. I will not work on this book unless I am in a totally relaxed, comfortable state. And lo and behold, this book is unfolding beautifully, magically, dare I say ~ swimmingly. Clearing out my calendar and learning how to set better boundaries for myself has enabled me to do this, and I now see that it is the exact kind of practice I need for the year ahead. I have so much to write about, so much to share, so much I know in my heart will be more inspiring than anything I have ever done. And that has to come from a peaceful place. That has to spill from calm waters.
While doing a better job at managing my calendar and commitments does contribute to this calm, there is something even more fundamental at play here: Doing the work I am called to do and what most deeply feeds me ~ whether as a writer or a wife ~ is what will best serve the world and thus be the most inspiring. If I am fulfilling my needs and longings then I am fulfilling the needs and longings of the world. I am learning this in ways I never thought possible, could have never even imagined, but this truth is beginning to sink into me with ever-increasing force, and each time, I happily accept.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman
