A Hidden Well

itching to be creative AND my new glasses!

Today's Quote: "A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil--but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small silly presents every so often--just to save it from drying out completely."--Pam Brown  

I am ITCHING to do something creative!  I've been making a lot of jewelry lately, and that is satisfying, however I'm quickly running out of beads.  And quickly running out of money.  Jewelry making is an expensive hobby!  Maybe I should open up a shop on Etsy and start selling it.  The thing is, everytime I finish a piece I like it so much that I can't bring myself to part with it.  But truly, how much jewelry does one person really need?  Selling some of it is probably not a bad idea.

I've also been doing some scrapbooking, which always feels to me like a giant game of catch up.  Life just keeps on happening, and ever day's another photo opportunity.  So the photographs pile up, waiting to be scrapbooked, and I end up feeling like I'm forever behind.  Much as I like the finished products, the whole process is kind of stressful!  Also, the more I rush through the process (just to get it done), the less creative I am.

What I really feel like doing is collage making.  Not the simple kind I've done in the past, when I've made collage covered journals out of images torn from magazines.  Don't get me wrong, those are fun to make and actually look pretty cool.  But I want to try my hand at really intricate, artistic collage.  If you've seen the movie My Sister's Keeper, you'll know what I'm talking about.  The sick sister (I can't remember her name) makes these really fun, elaborate, quite beautiful collages.  That's the kind I want to try my hand at making.  I think I'd need a good chunk of time to get going with it, though, and time to myself is not something I have a lot of lately.

poem

Da Capo
by Jane Hirshfield
 
Take the used-up heart like a pebble
and throw it far out.
 
Soon there is nothing left.
Soon the last ripple exhausts itself
in the weeds.
 
Returning home, slice carrots, onions, celery.
Glaze them in oil before adding
the lentils, water, and herbs.
 
Then the roasted chestnuts, a little pepper, the salt.
Finish with goat cheese and parsley. Eat.
You may do this, I tell you, it is permitted.
Begin again the story of your life.

happy

Today is my birthday and I am happy.  Started the morning with a phone call from my Uncle Charlie, who never fails to remember my birthday, and a cheerful voice mail from Suzanne.  Also an inbox full of birthday wishes.  I made myself a special birthday mix playlist for my ipod, which I am listening to right now.  Currently playing is the song Happy, by Never Shout Never, which my son tells me is totally "emo", and much to his disliking.  But I don't care.  I think it's a fun, uplifting song.  I am sipping a hot coffee from Dunkin Donuts, an indulgence because of the cream.  And tonight I am having my favorite coca cola chocolate cake, which is delicious beyond words.  (Yeah, yeah, I'm off my diet for the day.  Who cares.  You only turn 40 once!)

I have a fabulous family and awesome friends and I feel very blessed.

duck polishing

Today's Quote: "Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."--Janis Joplin

I've lost 17 pounds so far!  I'm obviously happy about that, but if I think about it too much I quickly get frustrated because I have so much more to lose.  Seventeen pounds is like a drop in the bucket.  But still, it's something.  We finally purchased a treadmill and I just spent thirty minutes on it, which I think is decent considering it's the first real exercise I've done in well over a year.  There was a period of time when I was going to the gym four or five times a week, working out for an hour at a time.  But that was several years ago . . . when I was still in my THIRTIES!  Okay, so technically I am still in my thirties for the next three days.  On Friday I will celebrate my 40th birthday!  FORTY.  And I feel like I will officially be a full fledged grown up.  I suppose I should have felt that way at 18, or 21, or at any point in my thirties.  But nope.  For whatever reason, forty is the magic number for me.  I'm not at all depressed about it.  As I've said before, I love birthdays.  And I get to eat chocolate cake.  Mmmmmm.

Unfortuately, I have very little of interest to share.  Tomorrow morning I am going to observe Casey at school.  Parents are asked to do so several times a year, and I'm just now getting around to my first visit.  It's actually kind of cool because you sit in the teacher's office with the door closed and look through a window into the classroom.  The children in the classroom see only a mirror, so they've no idea you are watching.  So it's potentially rather interesting.  Except that the last time I went to observe, Casey literally sat and polished a brass duck for 40 minutes.  Seriously.  He could have chosen from a plethora of activities, but he opted to polish a duck.  I had to pinch myself to stay awake it was so boring.  I'm hoping there will be no duck polishing tomorrow.

Tomorrow night Chloe and I are going to the Bushnell to see The Lion King.  I bought the tickets rather impulsively.  Chloe mentioned it, then I happened to see an ad, and I thought what the heck, let's go.  I've heard it's an excellent show, and I'm happy to see just about any theatrical performance.  It's too bad I don't have even a stitch of talent, as I would love to be involved in musical theatre.  But the truth is I can't dance or carry a tune, and my flute playing a bility peaked in about 7th grade.  So alas, I am the eternal member of the audience.  Which isn't so bad.

I'm off to watch Intervention.  (Love that show.  Hope it's not a repeat!)