It May Be February But I’m No Smellfungus

I’ve missed doing a weekly post about what’s been up in my world and what I’m loving, so today I’m returning to that practice.  And as part of the meanderings through my world this week elephants and Lakshmi made appearances.  So what better time to share this favorite vintage image of both:

internal landscape:  I can say one thing about this week, and February in general – it’s been an odd mishmash.  It always strikes me as hilarious when a month can both feel eternal (oh snow and ice, when wilt thou melt?!) and flashing by in an instant (oh projects, why is there not enough time to lavish thee with the loving attention you so deserve?!)  Overall I’ve had this sense of confusion, as though I can’t quite put my finger on what I did yesterday or three days ago or way back in January.   It feels like some of my known roadmarkers have gone missing, and this is getting expressed in some amusing ways.  For instance, our regular mail carrier has been off for three weeks.  During that time we’ve not had mail delivered three times and all the other days have been varying substitute carriers, some of which are clearly doing our route after they’ve completed their own regular route.  So we had a couple days where mail has been delivered by flashlight late at night; another time very early in the morning and later followed by a regular daily delivery.  And each day is a surprise.  And that’s pretty much what my internal landscape feels like.  Some days feeling that way is more delightful than others.

good things: 

• Let me just say a glockenspiel has entered my life. I have no musical talent and no training whatsoever but who cares.  It’s a glockenspiel!  What’s not to love about that?!
• An incredible week of dreams, and an incredible insight. And when pantograph drawing tools, talking toes, beautiful Japanese paper parasols, Ganesh, and pneumatic tubes appear in my nighttime theatre I most definitely call it a good week.
• I received several really kind and unexpected messages this week that simply broke my heart open with delight. And this totally proves my point about love letters – they DO make a difference.
• I know a lot of places celebrate Fat Tuesday with pancakes, but here in Chicago a plethora of Paczkis make their appearance. These filled bits of fried dough go by a lot of names, and when JFK made his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” comment, this was the double meaning.

epicurean adventure:  I may have missed out on pancakes on  Tuesday, but I’ve got this Cinnamon Dutch Baby on the menu.  Because breakfast for dinner is always the best.

turning the pages:   I am seriously behind in my reading and have no finished books to report on.  But apparently I’m in one of those periods where I have a larger number than usual books in the process of being read.  Seems my attention is jumpy and my focus short.

on the playlist:   I can’t seem to get enough of this acapella of Bob Marley’s Could You Be Loved?

favorite word of the week: 

Smellfungus (n.): a perpetual pessimist; fault-finder; disagreeable curmudgeon.  Based on the name of an 18^th century character in a novel.

project I’m loving to support:    I’d like to see this documentary film about elephants made.

on the wish list: 

• Ganesh and Lakshmi and beautiful aquamarine – oh my!
•  And while I’m wishing, perhaps I could have a peony painted wall too.

fabulousities, curiosities, and brain igniters:

• The winter deficit of flowers has me dreaming, and how I’d love to walk into a building a see this installation by Rebecca Lewis Law

• I have a hard time understanding why functional objects have to be plain boring. Norway clearly understands how to create a fabulous passport.  And this is yet another reason why my love of the Nordic countries continues to grow.

• I’m not sure if this has been widely seen or not, but I certainly think it should be – Oliver Sack’s piece on learning he has terminal cancer. I believe passionately that our society’s general taboo about discussing death and dying is a significant shortcoming that inhibits our understanding that every aspect in the cycle of our lives is sacred.

 And I can’t help but think about Khalil Gibran’s brilliant admonition:

 “Between what is said and not meant

And what is meant and not said

Most of love is lost.”

• This week a friend told me she felt like she was on a tightrope trying to balance between two points and feeling like she was going to fall. I’ve been thinking about how in many ways this February has felt like that to me – the crossing point between winter’s beginning and ending.  And my feet seem to be stuck on the rope, perhaps frozen along with the rest of me.  But then I found this delightful article about a whole village of Russian tightrope walkers and suddenly I saw the humor and the potential.  Time to dismiss the smellfungus attitude.  No reason we can’t all attend a metaphorical tightrope walking class.

• Pink animals rock – I dare you not to agree.

And there you have it – a peek into what’s been holding court in my brain cells this week.  What about you?  What delights are you invoking to help you through this longest short month?  What have you been dreaming about?  What appeals more to your inner adventurer:  tightrope walker or passport designer?  What favorite word has been rolling off your tongue this week?  Do tell – you know I love to hear.