Sunday, June 2, 2019

An Auspicious Beginning



I spent the day catering to myself.

I slept late.

I read.

I did my Morning Pages. I've been doing them for a few years now, three long-hand written notebook pages. Stream-of-consciousness. I found this practice online. It's the idea of Julia Cameron from the iconic book, the Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I am just reading the book, now. The other main practice she advocates is the Artist's Date. Morning Pages are a daily practice. Artist Dates are a weekly practice. Today became my official first.

I prepared like a "real" date. I showered, styled my hair, put in my earrings.

Lunch was at Red Lobster. A Grand Patron Margarita, Caesar Salad, Cheddar Bay® Biscuits, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Garlic-Grilled Sea Scallops, and the best asparagus I've had in ages. I read while I ate because I wanted. The biscuits, yummy as always, were perfect for soaking up all of the garlicky butter sauce.

My waiter, Jeffrey, had a british accent. I dropped a lettuce leaf from my salad on my breast and he never batted an eye.

After lunch, I went to Boundary Creek Park, my parents' favorite walking space. I took off my shoes, walked across the cool and prickly grass. There was a continuous breeze, soft and the same temperature as my skin so I felt like it was a part of me. I read.

The rumble of thunder (and jets and dump trucks on the highway nearby) along with a flash rainstorm chased me home.

And I found a penny, face up. Score!

Books read today:

the Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - Julia Cameron

Less - Andrew Sean Greer

At the Far End of Nowhere - Christine Davis Merriman

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within - Natalie Goldberg

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Stop! - Look. See. Notice.

I get to and from most places, like work or the grocery store, on auto-pilot.

This week, I'm going to look for stop signs.

I'm not even sure what they look like. Are they six-sided or eight-sided? They're red. Is there an outline around the edges? I think the word STOP is all in caps and white.

Is there one at the mouth of my street?

How many are there, between here and there?

When and where was the first stop sign created? What do stop signs look like in other countries?