Sunday, November 25, 2012

freeing adventure


happy fall feet

It has been a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, after a bit of a rocky start on Wednesday when I ran into some roadblocks in obtaining some essential food items for the weekend. I guess in past years I've gone earlier in the week, but I was completely blindsided by the insane parking lot and hour-long line to pick up a HoneyBaked ham and turkey breast - only to discover there were no turkey breasts left. I did track one down on the other side of town, so all was not lost, and I even got some good audiobook listening in. Still, it rattled me.

But we had a delightful Thanksgiving Day, complete with lots of fresh produce from our farmers - such a treat! There's something very relaxing about just spending a day fixing one dish after another, with plenty of time for a nap. And then eating all of that delicious food with my sweetie!

A fun thing about my volunteer gig with the Contributor is that my shift is on Friday afternoon, so this was the third year that I was lucky enough to spend the day after Thanksgiving serving my community, which is something I'm very thankful for. And you'll be happy to hear that everyone we spoke with had enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving meal, whether they're currently or formerly homeless.

Yesterday was the second time that a dear friend from work and I have offered a holiday drop-in craft program on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's so fun to see people of all ages making art together. We call it a "craft buffet" and just put out all kinds of supplies - jingle bells, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom poms, felt, cloth, papers, stamps, stickers, magazines to cut up, glue, glue sticks, tape, crayons, markers, coloring pages, etc. You should see the amazing things people make! This year we partnered with Turnip Green Creative Reuse and I even pulled some things out of my closet, so I'm hoping it got folks thinking about making things as gifts for the holidays and repurposing things they might find in their own homes.

So having been able to experience pampering, service, and creativity this weekend, I woke up this morning aching to get out in nature for a bit. I'm so lucky to live near a beautiful park and it was a gorgeous morning for a walk. There's something so powerful for me about the feeling of walking on a trail. It helps me get back into balance. My mind stops racing and enjoys taking in the sights and sounds. My feet love walking on the earth.

berries

favorite spot

sun and bales

pink leaf

I've also been enjoying wonderful birthday gifts this weekend: Moonrise Kingdom and A Monk in the Inner City (thanks Dad and Katie) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Pema Chodron's Coming Closer to Ourselves (thanks Mom and Steve)!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

stuck adventure


fuzzy legs

(Photo of my legs by my dear nephew, Tobin)

Sorry for the silence from over here, but I find I'm a bit stuck on the blog front. On the living front there's been lots of activity - a fun trip to see dear family, birthdays, reading and enjoying lots of amazing input from the universe - but when I try to figure out how to express it in a post here, it's eluding me. I guess it's all too big to be summed up - no one heading captures it all.

Fall has traditionally been a hard time for me. I really dread the short days. But lately I've started to see the gift it offers, the invitation to slow down and bring one's energy inward, to take stock of the year's activity and perhaps set an intention for the new year. It can be a time to treasure the more subtle pleasures of life and I must admit I'm ready for that.

One of the lovely gifts this fall has brought to me is Anne Lamott's newest book: Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. What a jewel - small and packed with classic Annie goodness. And here's a video that dear Camille shared with me - with Cheryl Strayed no less! And one exciting tidbit is that Ms. Strayed (aka Sugar!) is going to be at the library this spring. Truly my cup runneth over!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

wayne adventure


This was a Wayne-filled week! On Wednesday, I had the great good fortune to attend a day-long creative summit - Nash-Up: Remixing Nashville's Arts, Culture and Creative Future. The keynote speaker was artist Wayne White, who I hadn't realized was from Nashville. You may know him from his work on Pee-wee's Playhouse, or the new documentary about him: Beauty Is Embarrassing.



And on Thursday I received the following video in my email, about Wayne Walden - one of my absolute favorite Contributor vendors. See if you can make it through without getting at least a little teary. What a dear man.



And let's throw in another favorite Wayne! Wayne Muller's message of enough is one that always inspires me. Enjoy!



What's showing up in your world these days?