November, 2021
So it started with a unicorn. My niece has a thing for unicorns, what little girl doesn’t these days, and I’m trying to make a dent in my stash of yarn (and every other art stash). The unicorn was a big hit, I even got status as the favorite sleep-with stuffy and the one that had to get packed for any trip. That’s like winning an Oscar or something. BUT, it turns out that polyester stuffing comes in pretty big bags, and I have no sense of how much it takes to stuff a unicorn, so there was a lot of leftovers. Which led to a lion (for a nephew), a monkey (for a professional speaker friend – there’s a story there) and a rabbit and horse that are so far homeless but adorable. At least now the stuffing is used up – the yarn stash, not so much!
These patterns, by the way, are generous freebies from Jess Huff – find her at www.jesshuff.com or on Instagram @jesshuffco.
October, 2021
Not gonna lie, I’m pretty happy I found a challenge I could see through to the end. First of all, color is my jam, so a series of color palette prompts was perfect for me. Then, the hosts Este MacLeod and Lori Siebert wisely (for me) made it an every-other-day prompt. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, helped to reinforce a daily practice habit at least for September. It even helped me get into a more regular Instagram posting habit. Here’s what my #coloricombo month looked like.
October, 2021
There is only one rule I try to follow in my mediation practice – just don’t get up. I set one parameter for myself when I sit down and that is how long I would like it to last. It doesn’t matter what that number is. It doesn’t matter what happens in my head or my body during that time. All that matters is, don’t get up. That’s it. Over time, what I have found is that it is a great muscle-builder to resist distraction.
These days, when there is profit to be made in grabbing our attention, to have the discipline to resist impulse is a gift.
Distraction is only one of the temptations to get up and give up. The other seems to be an unrealistic sense of what it means to be “good at” meditation, or how you know whether or not it is working.
As with most things, I find the simplest answer is the best. You are good at mediation if you meditate. That’s it. The idea that you aren’t good at it or it isn’t working if you mind doesn’t go blank is just as much a fiction as any other advertisement for a perfect body, perfect family, perfect home, perfect life. Just sit there. That is enough.
September, 2021
My husband and I are dedicated no-car people since we moved full-time to downtown Chicago five years ago. Unfortunately the pandemic had different ideas and rental car prices forced us to make the responsible choice and buy a car again. The good news is, it has removed the friction involved in taking spontaneous day trips. This morning the high heat and humidity backed off and we headed for the Morton Arboretum. There’s always something great in over 1700 acres at this “tree museum”, but seeking out Daniel Popper’s installation of enormous sculptures – the Human Nature series – gives a sense of destination to our wandering.
I especially liked this one. I’m drawn to labyrinths and mazes – I’ve used the term “wayfinding” to describe my approach to my consulting business for several years – and this woman actually has one carved into the inside of her brain!
September, 2021
Most of the posts here and on my Instagram til now have been art-focused, but we are all multi-dimensional, right?
I am pretty open about the fact that I meditate. In fact when I would go to conferences and conventions for my regular gig, and someone would propose an early morning group run, I would offer an early morning group sit as an alternative (no one ever took me up on it).
In 2020 and 2021, one of the things I was particularly grateful for is having formed the habit of daily meditation years ago – I’m not ever sure how many years ago, maybe 7, maybe 10.
When you meditate, it is said that you “sit” no matter what your posture, which is what we were all called to do during the COVID times – to pause even as our thoughts are racing.
There are plenty of places you can go to read about mediation – how to do it, why to do it, the mystical things that happen. That isn’t my purpose here. My purpose here is to share my experience, not my wisdom. I study up on it a little bit, but I don’t worry a lot about how it is supposed to be. For me, it is a very practical magic for any time in your public and private lives, and we can all use a little magic, so from time to time, you’ll see this different kind of post. If you like them, you can filter the feed with the search bar above, and share your email below for regular updates and some free treats.
