V is for Victory

I've been wondering what I'd use for V. Today "victory" seems right. Not because I won something but because I finished something. Maybe not in as grand a style as I would have liked, but because I tried to set aside so much personal judging.

This project was inspired by an essay by Patti Digh - - and an invitation for artists to create cards for possible use in an upcoming book of her essays.

It's one thing to do a greeting card or an envelope for a friend, but this sort of thing had me undone. Especially when I looked at the cards that others were creating and actually posting (!) ahead of time. My first thought was "I am so out of my league." But, you know what? I continued and just submitting something felt good. Here are three attempts -- there were more but they never made prime time.















The quote that kept me going actually came from Patti's blog too:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel only. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open..." -Martha Graham

I want to read that everyday.

U is for Unsolved

One thing I enjoy is solving problems, finding a solution, a new approach, etc., so when I have a problem I can't solve, it drives me crazy. That's what's happening with my eyes. For over two months now, my eyes have been reacting to something and no one can figure out what it is. Today I look like a white faced, red-eyed raccoon. My skin looks pasty compared to the birthmark red circles that surround my eyes. It's all I can do to keep from putting some concealer on them. And when I pass a mirror -- oh my. And in a day or so (I hope) it'll be almost back to normal again. At least that's been the pattern. I started keeping a detailed food diary yesterday and hope a pattern will appear. Forget the internet medical doctors. They can scare the bejeezas out of you. According to some of the descriptions, this could be one of several multisyllabic illnesses and none of them are good.

So much for this. I just want to get past this alphabet thing.

T is for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week. Usually this is a week of people coming home, people going home, or just people coming and going. This year it's different. No one's coming and I'm not going. At first, I thought it was going to be sort of sad -- just two people on thanksgiving day, but right now, the idea isn't bothering me. It feels good to have the prospect of wondering how I'll fill my day rather than having every minute planned and wondering how I'm going to fit in the rest of my list. It's been a crazy 60+ days for me. The good news is I didn't crater.

In this Thanksgiving week, I will definitely count my blessings. More and more, I'm aware of the magic in my life. It's good to have the time to actually breathe it in.

Here's to a bountiful Thanksgiving week.