oh, little bird!

Clothes Swap!

My first ever clothes swap was a great success, thanks to lots of help and the great spirits of participants. (Would love to show the 'people pics' here, but don't want assume folks want themselves published). Purple pumps, gold gloves, a square dancing frock and lots (lots) more, accompanied by by Babel Gilberto on my laptop. The first of many more swaps, I hope!

Recipe for homemade Koogle

1 small store-brand jar of natural, crunchy peanut butter

1 jar of "red" jam and or jelly, as desired

1 eating utensil, preferably a spoon, but a fork will do in a pinch.

Ohh, wow. I just finished adding the final touches to my last lecture of the semester, as well as the final exam.  And like Gretl, the littlest Von Trapp I ask myself "why don't I feel bettah?" Because I am looking for work, and not feeling terribly optimistic about it, and trying to keep those niggling self-doubts at bay. I wish I found job hunting and reaching out to people enjoyable! A challenge!, but I don't, not really. Not overall.

Anyway, I resorted to my tried and true feeling kind of bummed thing, and slathered my weary soul with P&J, sans bread. The good thing is that I didn't actually enjoy it much. I think that's progress! And if it isn't, I'll take it anyway....

Crafty Behaviour

I take a lot of satisfaction in finding discarded furniture, hauling it home, and refinishing it. (Well, maybe not the hauling home part, which can be a bit, er, challenging without a car). I was thinking last night about the fact that I am generally a bit disappointed when the projects are completed; I guess what they say about the process being more important than the finished product is true. It's pretty exciting to choose paint swatches, then tape them up where you can see them in the changing light. Pretty soon some shades grow on you faster than others - you choose one, change your mind, change your mind again...I love this stuff!

In any case, here are two bedside tables I found and carried home, and one lamp that spent years biding time in someone's basement before it was handed to me. The fancy shade is from Home Depot!

Next piece, whatever it is, will likely be Chinese red....yup, red...

 

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could...

 

some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense."

                                                                            - Emerson.

A wrinkly, stained, folded-paper version of this (I think wonderful) quote is tacked to my fridge. I have often thought about why I love it so much, and I think it boils down to a couple of things. First, the overall suggestion - or gift - of showing compassion to oneself. I don't know about you, but I don't always find that terribly easy. Next, how that gentle little bird of a message hops on your forearm for a moment, and before you can become all dreamy and stuck on the sweetness of it, pecks you with a "now, carry on!" Carry on, forget your screw-ups, real or perceived, and move on, one foot in front of the other, it's all just fine.

And so I am back, again. I am not always certain I have anything important to say, which I think is what keeps me away, but here I am. Many months later, one break-up and one-move later, less 2/3 of what I owned before and by design, taking an entrepreneurial class for women, back in the town where I grew up. So many changes, but so much familiar stuff, too, in my physical surroundings and also in me. (Wherever you go, there you are, right?)

So I let Emerson and squeeky Buddah - pictured kicking off his new day in the kitchen of my old apartment - give me a gentle push into this new chapter.

Carry on, my friends!