It’s been a while since I did a Scattered Life Collective post summarizing my week. And although I’m not sure Cynthia Lee, inventor of this meme, is playing this week, it matters not. Being a scattered collective means we honor our own rhythms. And my inner wisdom says I need to play.
current time: 3:00 pm on this auspicious beginning of the Chinese New Year. Gong Hay Fat Choy. Best wishes for a good and prosperous year. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar.
out the window: Oh the snow. Oh the extended cold. Oh the dreary winter that seems so endless. Sigh. Seriously I feel like I’m wintered chapped from my head to my toes. And not only my physical body, but my emotional one too. The sun is on holiday someplace warmer and has left it to us to create our own brightness. Challenge accepted!
good things:
- bright colors. I normally keep these charming felt purses from Nepal hanging from doorknobs. (Nothing is safe in this house from some dangled treasure). But this week I had to bring them up front closer so I could breathe in their color. And this was the week for the woolen fuchsia socks with the chocolate brown polka dots; the mango scarf layered with the turquoise one; the citrus acid green coffee cup I only haul out when I’m desperate; and best of all, some new juicy prismacolor markers.
- New moon wishing.
- A deliciously messy work table filled with the creative chaos of numerous projects. There are valentines being created; illustrations for a collaborative project (yes Beautiful Irene – I really AM working on them!); two necklaces in various states of assemblage; and two prototypes of books/journals I’m playing around with.
- Discovering a new word that makes me laugh with delight. Bumfuzzle. Circa 1900. Meaning “to confuse.” Good heavens, little did I know I’ve been walking around all week in a state of winter-induced bumfuzzlement. But now I know!
- Laughter wherever I can find it. And last night it was in a dream. I was lost without a clue about which direction I needed to be heading to find my way home, and a delightful woman took pity on me. She didn’t know where I was headed either, but she said she’d walk along and tell me jokes. And she did. And they were funny. But clearly they were meant to stay in the dream realm because alas, I can’t remember a single one.
reading: Curiously this week a number of publications I had tucked into my bookshelves called to me for review. Each one was a reminder that there is room in the publishing world for non-mainstream works that are wonderful heart expressions. Eye of Light by Dawn Lotten is a channeled book that includes her artwork. History & Mystery of Angels is a self-published work by Helene Lacelle and Peter Evanchuck of www.bookshandmade.com. Plus a number of chapbooks. My heart is filled and reassured. I have so many books in me clamoring to come out, and none of them are likely to pass a normalcy test. So I’m so glad to be living in a time when alternate is not only accepted but cherished.
listening: Pete Seeger of course! And I found this charming clip of a 2012 production supporting the work of Amnesty International. You blessed us Mr. Seeger.
Around and About:
- It’s not often one finds the dress of their dreams. But lo and behold, I’ve found mine. Thank you Saskia Keultjes! And now I’ve got to add gif creation to my wanna-do-that list.
- Yesterday (Jan. 30) began the annual 64-day observation of The Season for Peace and Nonviolence.
Because every life needs a dose of fuzzy delight ala Susan Chi.
And that my friends is what’s up for me. Now tag, you’re it. What has your week brought? Are you flash frozen in the midst of winter, or are you on the lookout for the first signs of spring? Found a fave new word this week or are you joining me in bumfuzzlement? Do tell – you know I love to hear. And stay tuned, tomorrow I start my next blog abecedarium. It’ll be my February of love letters.
This is wonderful. How does one join in?
I completely agree with you about nothing in the house “safe from a dangled treasure.” Why, of course. What are doorknobs for? And our link to bookshandmade – well, I know what I’m doing this evening.
LOL – I think I need a room of doors just so I have enough knobs to hang things from! I’m so glad you stopped by Linda, and I do encourage you to play in The Scattered Life Collective posting if you’re so inspired. You can read more about it and link a post at Cynthia Lee’s site Spirit Uncaged at:
http://spirituncaged.com/2014/01/31/the-scattered-life-collective-17/
I love these kinds of posts where we get to see what your day is like. I also like “bumfuzzle” and must begin using it right away.
Thanks Naomi – it really is fun to see what we’re all up to isn’t it? And I have to say “bumfuzzle” totally cracks me up. I’m totally keeping it in my toolbox for when I’m cranky – I can’t say it without bursting into a huge grin.
Oooooo, Deborah. I’m so glad you posted this week. I did, too. I love the concept and I hope to participate regularly. Be sure to add your link on Cynthia’s page.
I adore those purses and totally agree with the need for colour right now. This winter is really kicking my butt, and I am so tired of white, and black, and grey, and brown. Maybe I will crank up the heat, haul out some of my summer clothes, and wear them around the house for awhile!
LOL – oh Sarah I LOVE the idea of heat cranked up and summer wardrobe donned!
And I’m glad you did a SLC post as well – they really are fun.
Thanks for showing and telling about what the Horse brought in. I’m sure it will be a wonderful, bright and colour-filled year for all of us!
And about that Winter: Do send it over to us as we haven’t had any at all! It may be hard to imagine, but here in our tiny country on the shores of the North Sea in Europe we have hardly had any frost, let alone snow. So if we could bring on a small shift up there in the clouds or higher, we’d be glad to help you out. And then our grey and dull and muddy days can give us some of that wonderful bright whiteness that we long for. So I can see the children skating and be happy in a frosty sunlight, just before our Spring starts….
How about that? That must surely be a bumfuzzly good suggestion? LOL
And for the rest: I wish you a great Year of the Horse!
Wishing you a bright wonderful Year of the Horse as well Karin! And how fun it would be if we could do a little cloud magic and get you a dose of winter wonderland in your part of the world.
color … color … I have been missing color.
When I made my very first spiritspeak journal, it was almost totally void of color. for some reason, I felt the need for a blank slate … all the time. Color is creeping back into my own journalng practice and into spiritspeak. it’s like the faint glow of my heart beat is thawing.
Thank you for sharing this week. You are a treasure.
Oh I’m loving that thawing image Cynthia! And may your days (and journals) be awash with colors that delight you.
My goodness…I am loving those colorful woolen purses. What a delightful door adornment. Bumfuzzle is a funny word. As for old man winter, I fear we are just getting started. The beauty of the snow as it falls is peaceful…as long as you don’t have to drive in it. Here’s wishing you a terrific weekend! Aloha
Aloha hula-la! Just saying that brings a breath of tropic delight to our winter wonderland doesn’t it?! But I think you’re right, Old Man Winter seems to have packed for a very long stay this year.
I have actually SANG SONGS in my sleep. To my knowledge (& thankfully) it has only happened once that I am aware of.
I was thinking of you yesterday as I dragged out The Open Day Book. I turned to today’s page and then set it aside. Doing my One Little Word challenge this year has me scrapbooking in a different book and I may have to wait on THAT one until next year (unless of course, I run out of pages in my current altered book and need another one!) As an altered book, The Open Day Book feels like Mt. Kilimanjaro or something! LOL! But I AM taking a drawing class this year, so perhaps it could be the new home of some of my drawings? I dunno. It tempts me.
As it is, I am also doing Scattered Life Collective so it feels good to be doing something with you. I love your sweet nature, Deborah.
LOL – oh I think that’s utterly marvelous Amy – a sleep singer! I’m totally on board with you about The Open Day Book as well – so amazingly tempting and so daunting as well. Let’s not drop that baby on our toes! I’m feeling the same way about another book that’s on my reading pile – it’s a behemoth 800+ page novel (The Illuminaries). While I’m looking forward to reading it, it feels like it will require such a sustained focus I’m procrastinating beginning.