Icy Flying Things

Well here we are ready to close out another week and I’m putting on my review cap and taking a look at what’s been up for me.  As always you’re welcome to come take a peek as well

internal landscape:  I was all over the map this week – some dips, a bit of sickness, low energy, a few moments of overwhelm, but some really good stuff as well.  I’m still feeling like I’m traveling at a different speed than most of the rest of the world, and yet this week I’m feeling much better with it.  The three helps I employed: some friends helped me reframe this; I’m really embracing this as an opportunity to continue my work with understanding there are always cycles within cycles – things happening simultaneously but it’s where we focus our awareness that creates our experience.  I’m really focusing on my own internal rhythms.  And finally, I also picked up Waverly Fitzgerald’s book Slow Time – a gem I return to again and again just to immerse myself in the remembering of how untied to the calendar we can actually be.  So yay for all those things.

good things:

• I won a place in 28 moments, an ecourse being offered by Michelle Gd.  Winning stuff is  fun and this sounds like a delightful journey.  Maybe you’ll want to play along as well.

• This week’s SoulSpace assignment was to assess our space and I found this immensely helpful. Helped me celebrate so much of what I DO love about my home and clarified a lot of what I’d like to change, and is allowing me to gently look at what’s possible given the parameters I’m working within.  All very helpful into.  And there’s been a tackling of various piles and drawers – all good things as well.

• A trip to the dental hygienist uncovered a small cavity and the dentist was able to fill it immediately, saving me a return trip.  Plus my new toothbrush is one with multi-colored bristles.  It’s not quite as awesome as the time I got a glitter handled toothbrush, but it’s definitely made me smile.

• And there was a little bit of sky magic spotted while I was walking to the dentist.  A hawk doing lazy circles.  That’s not a common sighting in my large metropolitan city, particularly in my densely populated very urban neighborhood.  Magic!

epicurean adventure:   This mixed greens lasagna is delish and easy.   And tomorrow I plan on making this cranberry orange soda bread.  Sounds like a perfect weekend treat.

turning the pages:   Two books to mention this week:

• The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero.  I quite enjoyed this one, although I’m not quite sure how to describe it.  A little gothic, with ghosts and treasure hunts, and twisty turns.  I’m giving this one a thumbs up and a floriography rating of a bouquet of Oleander (beware), Witch hazel (a spell) and Winter Cherry (deception).

• I also read They Draw and Cook: 107 Recipes Illustrated by Artists from Around the World by Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell.  While I might try a couple of the recipes I’ll definitely take a pass on the majority.  But the real treasure of the book is in the quirky illustrations and the light-heartedness of it all.  I’m going to rate this one with a Coreopsis for always cheerful.

on the playlist:   I’ve been talking a lot with friends about how the practice of simply stopping and taking a breath (or two, or five) really, really makes a difference.   So it seems appropriate Breathe by Alexi Murdoch has been spinning quite a bit here.

on the screen:  I find this 7-minute film delightful.  Done by the McLeod brothers it’s a one-second a day for a year film animation without words or plot, but based on each day’s experience.  What a fabulous practice and it’s fun to watch.

favorite word of the week:  Two faves this week:

• My cousin was mentioning the value of having an oasis of empty space amid more cluttered areas saying it provided “eye relief.”  I totally latched onto the phrase – eye relief is my new standard.  I want my world filled with only treasures and my eyes in a state of relief.  Yep.

• Evolveatorium – a made up word, but based on a concept from a sci-fi book my husband read in which machines were pitted against each other and learned to adapt and evolve.  But I’m embracing the word as a grand explanation of everything that is available to us.  Our life is one giant evolveatorium – and how much fun can we have playing?!

on the wish list:  This book Where You Are.

fabulousities, curiosities, and brain igniters:

• It’s a lot easier to appreciate icy things when we’re not experiencing the record-breaking extreme winter like we did last year.  And in that spirit, here are some fabulous things to celebrate about winter:  Ice glasses.  Rare ice halo.  Ice bouquets.

• Flying things.  Given my hawk spotting, I’m not surprised other flying magic made it onto my radar this week as well. First I have to confess that I have a great love for dirigibles – they simply delight me with the very improbableness.  So this article about “the great helium hope” totally captured my attention.
• And then there is this totally awesome flying camera – just a prototype now but I’m so hoping one makes it into my life at some point.
• Windmills are pretty fabulous things too, in my book.  And certainly we need to invest in our future with renewable energy sources.  So how awesome are these turbines powered by the tides, which when you think about it, are powered by the moon.  Moonmills!

• This  literal tarot interpretation had me snorting in laughter.  I’m sharing it in particular as a loving tip of the hat to a friend who is immersing herself in archetypal studies.  Deep work should always be balanced with laughter don’t you think?

• Troy Dugas creates fantastic art with food labels.

•  I love Mandy Steward.  She’s bright and funny and lives a well-examined life and manages to write and create art about it all.  Her zine rocks and who doesn’t want to be a member of The Secret Message society?  You probably should join as well, and then I can teach you my ultra-secret patented handshake.  But in the meantime check out this article she wrote for Annapurna Living.

•  Bridget Pilloud is doing her annual year of color posts.  They are always a treat and in addition to covering the colors in more general terms, she does 50 intuitive reads for specific colors chosen by people.  I was one of the lucky ones to have my color read by Bridget.  Curiously that particular blog post on greens/aqua seems to be MIA (at least at this moment), but the next one on yellows/oranges is up and certainly worth checking out.

And there you have it – a peek at my week.  What’s been up for you?  Have you ever thought about choosing a color for your year?  Delight in secret messages?  Have a favorite word this week?  Do tell – you know I love to hear.