Dabbling

I promise I won't just keep blabbing on and on about myself (or maybe I will, considering its a blog and all), but ai, ai, ai! A combination of a family visit, having the kiddos home full time and a major case of the hormones this week has completely kicked my creative arse. So, I thought I'd share these things with you, and see if they might resonate with you too. So without further ado:

5 Things I’m Dabbling In, am Curious About, and Trying out Just for Kicks and Grins:

Meditating:

This is something that kind of weirded me out forever. I come from a very traditional Christian background, and anything that smacked of “woo” was definitely frowned upon. But actually, most, if not all spiritual traditions have a strong foundation in meditation, in stillness, and contemplation. As you know, I went to a meditation retreat a few weeks ago, and it felt like coming home. You know that feeling of satisfaction when you slide the right puzzle pieces together and it thumps in together just right? Yeah, its like that. Its more challenging than you’d imagine, “just” sitting there breathing. But its changing me in many mysterious ways. I’m more calm, much more centered. I didn’t even really know what “centered” meant before, I just chalked it up to another “woo” word. But centered is good. Very, very good. As in, the opposite of scattered. I've just joined a local meditation group, and I'm happy to have found it.

Veganism:

I’m coining a phrase: Non-militant Vegan. That’s me. Which means cheating allowed. For now anyway. I have to approach any major change with the tiniest babysteps, and I have to allow myself to “cheat” at any time. Otherwise, I know I won’t try. For the last several years, I’ve started to have more and more weird, wonky health symptoms, digestive stuff, and I won’t get into the details, lest it be TMI, and we don’t know each other that well yet. After reading “The Kind Diet” , and loving it, I decided to try to reboot my system by eating super clean for 2 weeks. And what do you know? It totally worked. I feel really good, tummy issues gone, BAM. Now I’m a bit puzzled about what to do. Not sure if I want to ask my family to join me, but I don’t really want to cook a separate meal for myself all the time either. Hmmm…(advice welcome!)

Morning Pages:

This is something I’ve done in the past, and I always love it when I’m doing it, then eventually I stop for whatever reason. The wonderful, and always inspiring Julia Cameron recommends writing 3 long hand pages of writing first thing in the morning, a “brain dump” as she calls it. It is totally helping me keep the creative wheels spinning, and gives me room to pray, whine, hope and ruminate all over the page. Oh, and Moleskine. Best. Journal. Evah!


Twitter: I know, I know, I’m totally late to this party train. I’m amazed at how many amazingly awesome people are just right there to connect with, and I’m not talking about the famous ones. I’m talking about YOU, and all the other sparkly and brilliant people doing amazing things in their ordinary lives. I’m having fun connecting with my new tribe.

Anais Nin: Holy Moly! How did I miss her all these years? Yes, she's a complete and total liar, an unabashed lover of love, and “rules” be damned , but boy howdy do I ever like her. She’s just totally herself without apology. How very refreshing! And OH! The writing! Swoon.

Tell me, tell me, what is interesting you these days? What are you playing around with? How are you stretching your wings?