Monthly Archives:May 2011

Checking in for the Artist’s Way challenge – week 4.

It’s been an interesting week at work – which plays into my thoughts and emotions for this challenge. We’ve had drama, crises, blow-ups and even a few “normal” hours/days tossed in there.

Or maybe I’m just reacting to such things differently. Opening myself up more.

6 of 7 morning pages completed for the week. Missed Sunday be- okay, I was gonna give an excuse here, but no excuses necessary. I missed one day out of 7 so I’m going to cut myself some slack and say “atta-girl”!

Have been working through some stuff in the pages – interesting how that works. I notice that I am dreaming and remembering the dreams on an almost nightly basis. Some of them are bizarre – or seem to be. My mind is trying to tell me something.

Artist’s Date: took several hours Saturday to participate in a designing challenge from a dishcloth group at ravelry.com. Drew my signature moose, then began to graph it. After graphing it, I wrote the pattern out (a challenge in itself) and then did a test knit.

A bit too big for a dishcloth so re-graphed and am now doing a test knit on that pattern. It’s a work in progress – something I’ve not tried to do before. I gave myself permission to try – to fail – and to try again. So all in all a pretty good week.

Have begun reading chapter 5.

This week’s 100 Word Challenge is Starved. What follows is my take on that challenge.
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In late October a blanket of white settles over my hometown, Alaska. As far as the eye can see nothing but white. Even animals take on white as camouflage; snowshoe hares and ptarmigan, for example.

Winds cause the unmentionable stuff to skitter across roadways in hypnotic dance, occasionally causing temporary blindness in those without sunglasses.

Is it any wonder that when the first dandie appears my color starved soul delights? My neighbors do their yearly battle with potions and mowers while I bend down, pick a golden yellow flower and hold it to my granddaughter’s chin.

“Do you like butter?”

Time for the weekly Artist’s Way check-in. It’s been an interesting week with stress, a work evaluation, writing, and even some fun thrown in. As I read through this week’s chapter and completed my morning pages – and then went about my normal work week I found even more comparisons and parallels.

Isn’t life a funny critter?

So – for the check-in.

Morning Pages: yup – all 7 days. wtg moosie!

Artist’s Date: the picture above was taken during my date – my own time to do something just for me. I took part in a volunteer orientation and tour of the cabins in Old Towne Kenai. I’ll be helping lead tourists through the cabins this summer.

The only days I have available are Saturdays, and only one was left in June after everyone else got to the calendar before me. (durn my polite “after you’s”)
🙂
But I imagine I will get to help out a couple more times in July through Labor Day when they close for the season.

This is only the second year the cabins have been in their present spot. It was quite an undertaking for the Kenai Historical Society to ready them to move – then move and get settled into their new homes. More on that later as I learn more of the history of the cabins themselves.

No special discoveries this week. I was able to get some really good sleep a couple of nights – even dreamed and remembered the dreams one of those nights. Some self care was in play.

Butterflies again came into play this week – received a card one day which had a butterfly/woman drawing on the front. It is now taped into my journal for that day.

Then Saturday at our fave coffee shop daughter and I were busily writing away when a song came on the radio. She started singing the words and I was struck again – “we all have wings” were the words. Apparently it is a song by INXS called Never Tear Us Apart.

Synchronicity – gotta love it. On to week 4.

This week’s 100 Word Challenge by Velvet Verbosity is CHASM.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock.

Martha closed her eyes and turned her face upward as she sang. This was one of her favorite hymns.

Not long ago bawdy tunes fell from Martha’s lips as she faced Friday night crowds. They flocked to hear her and ogle her clothes. Garish colors, lots of cleavage and thigh were the talk of the club.

Still Martha felt something was missing in her life.

Then a Man crossed the chasm that was her heart, healed her soul and claimed her as His own. Today she sings for Him alone.