Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.
And you get to join in if you feel like it.
Last week’s intentional non-emergency-breakdown vacation was way less fun than either imagined or predicted.
So we started over. Me, my duck and my gentleman friend.
Off to the woods to visit my favorite uncle and hibernate!
The hard stuff
So. Much. Tired.
Since last week’s not-at-all-relaxing vacation was all about the sleeplessness, this week was all about the schleepy.
And the recovery.
Which was good but it did involve being in a foggy daze for a while.
Stiff.
And achey.
And making creaky sounds. It’s a hard, hard day when a yoga teacher can’t touch her toes but has to be all yoga about it and meet herself where she is.
Stupid mindfulness! Be less annoying!
There was grumbling. And laughter. But also a lot of grumbling.
Being away.
I missed you guys.
Sunday.
There was so much I wanted to do!
Wonderful friends visiting from out of town. Getting the Monster Coloring Book finished. Walking around Portland in the sun!
And I was so worn out that none of it could happen and instead I had to stay in bed all day.
The good stuff
Bed, glorious bed! So many sleeps!
Not only did I get my five-hour marathon-Sunday-afternoon nap-of-bliss, but the entire week was pure, sweet convalescence.
Seclusion. Quiet. Surrounded by trees and covered in mounds of blankets. Listening to the rain beat on the skylights.
Bed at nine. Slept for eleven hours each night and then napped during the day.
Dreaming of everything and nothing.
And no one made me feel bad about it. Not even my monsters.
Yup. We were all on board with the sleeping.
And it was divine.
Napping.
I know I can’t stop talking about this but ohmygod.
What a brilliant invention. Sleeping! In the middle of the day!
It’s the most genius thing EVER.
Making all my Shivanautical epiphanies show up that much faster.
Writing.
My schedule was basically journal-nap-journal.
I wrote out my problems. Wrote out my wonderings. Wrote out my wants. Wrote out my questions.
Writing and sleeping. Best. Vacation. Ever.
A visit to Eugene.
I have the best memories from Eugene.
It was sweet to be back for a few hours.
Svevo!
My uncle Svevo (remember him?) is my favorite person in the world.
He is so wise and so kind and so wonderfully, reassuringly kooky. Being around him is good for my soul.
We walk in the woods and drink tea from cedar boughs.
Doing lots of delicious nothing.
Walking to the garden.
Walking to the creek.
Looking out the windows.
Scritching the cats and playing with the dogs.
Reading. More tea. Back to bed.
Evenings.
Svevo and my gentleman friend and I do yoga on the floor with the cats.
We cook food on the wood stove.
We talk about writing and business and creativity.
Svevo tells us stories about the woods and my grandparents and playing tennis with Gregory Peck in Switzerland.
And I didn’t bring my computer.
It was perfect.
And now it’s time to come home.
Which is kind of sad. But also good.
We get to go to Roller Derby tomorrow and watch Guns N Rollers (the team I sponsor — tagline: “Blood, Sweat and Queers!”) play the Breakneck Betties.
We get to come back to Hoppy House.
And I get to return to my beloved Pirate Ship and run things again.
And see you again!
And … playing live at the meme beach house!
Yes, that’s a Stuism too.
My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”
This week?
The Gustronics.
Though really, it’s actually just one guy.
That’s it for me …
And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.
Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?
And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious weekend. And a happy week to come.
Follow
You make me happy, and remind me that life doesn’t have to be full of faking it to look normal. Sleeping is sort of fun, isn’t it? ::decides to do more of that::
Havi, I wanted to applaud you for taking a vacation without your computer. Missing your posts got me reading through the archives and finding some marvelous stuff. Couldn’t have done it without you! 🙂 Er, obviously, since you wrote it all, but you know what I mean. Anyhow, thank you! You are helping people even when you don’t post 🙂
Can I still chicken if I haven’t in a while?
Hard stuff:
– Lousy headache
– Getting slimed at what I thought was a safe place
– Being in denial about getting slimed causing crabbiness/short temper and tension with my sweetie
– Anxiety in anticipation of a much-awaited conference (featuring several renditions of the I’m-not-good-enough blues)
Good stuff:
+ Enormous realization about the connection between the headache and the sliming
+ Realizing a limit I had and respecting it
+ Huge amounts of care and support from my sweetie
+ Incredibly wonderful classes at the conference
+ Above-and-beyond kindness and attention from my sewing guru
+ Standing up for myself in a way that felt good (could it be a small taste of sovereignty? Is that what it tastes like? If so, yum.)
+ Budding feelings of safety and community at the conference
+ Hope that those feelings might continue on into real life after it’s over
+ Started doing shiva nata again
+ Having a shiva nata buddy
+ Cookies!
.-= Darcy´s last post … Books: Educating Esme and Teach with Your Heart =-.
Hee hee, for a minute there I thought I was reading SARK with all the napping 😉 I am so glad you had a great restful week, it sounds wonderful and is a good model for the rest of us. 🙂
This week was *so* long. How long was it? (sorry, too much staying up past bedtime to watch Johnny Carson when I was a kid)
The hard:
I only sold one piece at yesterday’s event. I worked so hard. I was very disappointed. And sad.
Not so much sleeping this week. Even though it’s spring break, Marty started working for the census on Wednesday and of course it is basketball season so we are up til 12:30 watching the games Thursday nights.
Resistance at doing the dishes and making dinner. Can I have a break already?
The good:
Riding over with the women and getting to talk about stuff with them was good. I can see some collaborations in the future.
My work is gorgeous and I am very happy with it. I did a mock set up to see how it would work at the event and it looks professional and colorful.
I’m pretty sure price wasn’t an issue yesterday, since no-one looked at the prices of the work before they didn’t buy it. I think that they weren’t expecting to have an opportunity to spend money. The organizer of the event must have fallen down on that part of the program.
More homemade hummus! I cooked the chickpeas in the crockpot yesterday so I could make tasty hummus when I got home.
Passover marshmallows are in the shop. I’m celebrating early 🙂
Little tiny easels at JoAnn helped the little canvases look mahvelous.
Marty started with the census this week. And the program that’s helping him finish his degree is also helping to fix our car.
My new work. 😀 Planning a huge Etsy update on Sunday.
Looking forward to some shleep here over the weekend. Have a good one, y’all! 😀
.-= Andi´s last post … Almost There =-.
Ah Eugene, Oregon. Home of my Bachelor’s degree. Home for 15 years. Yeah, I’m a duck. Quack. I’ve got some sweet memories of that town, too. 😛
Shleep is good. Wish we’d gotten more this week.
The Hard…
* The EO’s cell phone going off at 1:30 am on Wednesday because things had broken at his work. On 3 hours sleep he was gone until 4 pm the next day. 🙁 It’s been on and off ever since. Sleep? What’s that?
* Our old lady cat is officially in hospice care at home now. The possible miracle isn’t justifiable, so now we focus on making her comfortable and happy for the next month or so. 🙁 Crying. Lots of crying. And scritches. Those are good.
*Not getting a lot done because of doctors appointments, vet appointments, and general running around.
*locking myself out of my car on a day when I had to get to rehearsal before the EO got home.
The Good
*Dance class. I ALWAYS feel better when I’m teaching these wonderful women! (and being taught BY them!)
*Figuring out, I think, how to do video tutorials. This is going to take my thing in a new direction! Yay!
*The weather was GOOD on the day I locked myself out of my car. and I left the passenger window cracked, and with perseverance and the death of my walking stick (probably better that I found that flaw BEFORE I tried to carve it!) I managed to weasel my keys down a tomato stake and up to the crack in the window. Success! Drama, but success!
*Performance last Saturday – with people telling us they only came to the show to see US. And other people asking us how we’re going to top it next year. Yippee– ouch. 🙂 And the other performers were fantastic, so I got to enjoy watching some wonderful dance as well. Oh! And I also WON one of the doorprizes! Good evening all around. 🙂
.-= Romilly´s last post … Jacobean Stumpwork – Step 6 =-.
Mmm, naps and sleep and writing. That sounds fabulous!
This week in Kailand~
The Hard:
~Panic Mice nibbling at my decisions.
~Going to see the therapist without my fiance for the first time.
~The warm weather we had going away and being replaced with snow.
~My fiance getting sick for a couple of days.
~Migration Yuck.
~Having nightmares.
The Good:
~Finding the perfect nest (personal ads are so full of win).
~Applying and being accepted to move in to said perfect nest!
~Scooping up the Panic Mice and translating the decisions into Micenese.
~Getting to take care of my fiance until he got better.
~Making more Migration Plans to lessen the Yuck.
~Eating Chinese for dinner.
~Finally getting some better sleep with less nightmares.
The Hard:
Feeling so under the grey cloud for months. Not even feeling well enough to Chicken.
Being sick for a month and capping it all off with getting sick again.
Hormonal nuttiness – rollercoaster in such a bad way. Can anyone say dungeon?
Work. – sigh.
J man’s job uncertainty.
Blog uncertainty.
Birthdays = bittersweet.
The Good:
Medication for hormonal nuttiness is working super fast and helping me find my way from under the grey cloud.
Not being sick anymore!
Spring break starts today!
Having more energy than I’ve had in months (started feeling it yesterday – goodbye funk!)
Lots of birthday yogas – focus on balance in all ways – with excellent yogi friends.
.-= Tami´s last post … Yoga+Music(notquite)365 – Day 75 – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood by Neko Case – The Recipe Edition! =-.
Oh Havi, heaven for you. I’m so glad you got to relax and sleep and gather yourself together. I’ve never had a vacation but I recognize when folks need them and you sure did. Yay you!
Sleep…oh heaven. Yessssss. More Zzzzzzzzzz needed.
The Hard: OMG hubby and I both out of work, no income for weeks now, reserves gone, food pantry level freaking out. Living on the street, freak out.
Not sleeping well. Mind on hyper-drive. Monster mash is starting to kick my butt and brain and heart.
I’m fearful.
Did I mention the Freaking Out?!
The good: Much prosperity lined up and ready to roll in but taking too long to get here. Good because it will be wonderful. Hard because constant delaying. BAH!
Awesome friend helping out.
Aieeeeeee!
Journal-nap-journal — oh, that sounds heavenly. I wonder if I can approach my academic writing projects in that way this weekend…
Hard:
-Projects going more slowly than I’d hoped, so I continue to quietly worry that I won’t make my deadline.
-Began feeling unwell somewhere in the middle of the week, and don’t feel able to give myself permission to take a sick day.
-My voice is hoarse, and I can’t sing properly. That makes it hard to work with my clients, and cuts me off from a primary source of comfort and personal power. Plus, every time my voice goes away, some part of me becomes scared that it will never come back. Argh!
Good:
+Lots of bonding and cozy closeness with my daughter.
+I’ve been working on the school stuff daily; I am not in avoidance mode, and that is huge. Plus, I have carved out time over the next four days in which I can really focus on this stuff, and do my very best to get it done.
+I’m very grateful for this Fluent Self space, and for all the support and teaching that I have found here. If I start to freak out this weekend, I know I’ll have some resources.
Wishing you a happy homecoming to Hoppy House, Havi, and wishing everyone a lovely weekend!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … An open letter, from me to me =-.
Naps are made in heaven–I’m so happy you’ve had a whole week of rest, writing, more rest, sleep, and naps, Havi!
This week has been lovely.
The construction work at my next-door neighbor’s house is finally over, the roar of heavy machinery silenced. I can hear the seagulls again, and the chitter-scree of eagles.
Taught a wonderful class on Wednesday. Wrote a blog post in honor of my brilliant students, who are cooking up stews of utter delectability.
Dreaming up a new Thing to teach this summer, and a workshop collaboration in NYC this fall.
Read poetry at Michele Woodward’s virtual 50th birthday party. Jen Louden, Pam Slim and Patti Digh were there too. There was virtual cake!
Had an hour-long heart-to-heart conversation with my #1 son. 🙂
Have a beautiful weekend, everyone. Hugs for the hard, and celebrating the good with you.
Love, Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … Making Stew: Onions, Om, and The Creative Journey =-.
A computer break plus naps. It is just what we all need.
The Hard:
-Coming back to work after a 3 day weekend that was less restful than planned. Not enough schleep.
-Missing the Pacific Northwest and its rain.
-Stuckness around how to take myself where I want to go in life.
The Good:
-My sweet, kind, funny girlfriend made me laugh like crazy.
-We had a day of rain, and it almost felt like I was in the Pacific Northwest.
-Down to Earth phone talk with sweet and wonderful friend in Chicago.
-Wrote two blog posts this week! For me, that’s a lot! Yay!
-Good session with my coach that led to breakthroughs and a new path regarding money.
-Re-committing to getting sugar out of my life, and the yummy honey-sweetened coconut oil/chocolate/peanut butter fudge that resulted.
-Having this space to come to when I’m freaking out, which, coincidentally, is much like snuggling under a blanket in the rainy Northwest.
Wishing everyone a weekend full of naps, writing, and raindrops on skylights.
.-= Kylie´s last post … failing well =-.
Welcome back from what sounds like the bestest vacation ever. Sleeping and sleeping and journaling and tea and yoga with a favorite uncle and gentleman friend sound wonderful.
This has been a strange week.
Hard:
-Still with the crudz, which seem to be throwing a party in my lungs, which results in the morning cleanup every day. Don’t like. Must evict these jerks.
-My significant person is back to the grump-funk.
-Numbness. Recognizing the numbness and more not liking it.
Good:
-Recognizing the numbness, and realizing that it might be more effective to sit with the “bad” feeling instead of pushing it away.
-Big a-ha moment (born of feeling the feeling…guilt) wherein I realized that the grump-funk is not my stuff. Second a-ha wherein I realized that whether I do a thing for me or don’t do a thing for me (in order to placate the grumpy-funky one), the grump-funk does not go away. If I am going to be damned if I do, and damned if I don’t, well then, I might as well do it, yes? It was a hard realization to come to, but very freeing.
-Right after the a-ha for me, a solution to the grumpy-funky one’s main big problem popped into my head. I told him about it, and for once, my idea was not poopooed but celebrated with much excitement and gratitude, which left me looking around, saying, “Am I in the right house?” But in a good way.
-Those bright white crocuses with the electric orange stamens.
-The red-winged blackbirds, thugs of the bird-world, have returned.
Overall, a revelatory week. Spring has me stirring. Deep down color, color, color and movement coalescing into form. I feel right at the edge of that moment where everything just bursts into bloom again. There’s an interesting tension to it. I want to reach for it, but then no. Everything tells me to be patient. So I sit suspended, waiting for the whisper to turn into a roar. “Sit with this,” the old lady reminds me again. So I’m sitting.
Happy weekend fellow chickeneers!
.-= Emily´s last post … Creative Every Day, Part 12: The Crudz Version =-.
Oh Eugene. I once wanted to go to grad school there. Well okay I still do. So do trees teach grad school because where you went sounds way better.
Also yay for the recognition and space to take an emergency vacation because of the crappy and planned non-emergency vacation.
Sooo it has been a few weeks since my last participation in the
Duck(Hi Selma)GooseChicken.Ooomph – the hard
– getting unexpected, unplanned & unpaid vacation from the stuff I do where other people control and pay me aka my JOB
– freaking out about it
– taking what felt like soooomuuuchtiiiime to process the freakout (2 days outside a freakout, feels like a year inside one)
– worry about money and the commitments I made for it before I even had it
– avoiding the process that has previously been helpful in dealing w/ my other stuffs and having it all collide in one big week of whoop ass
Kowabunga – the good
– getting that vacation reminded me that my JOB is really their JOB and as such, is truly ephemeral specific to me, as they can give it to whomever they please and I need to remember to treat any income from said JOB exactly that way
– appreciation for the fact that it was vacation of the non-permanent kind
– acknowledging the fact that I had emotions and helpfully expressed, processed and other wise dealt with them in the moment
– The Thing! getting closer and clearer because I could focus all day on it for multiple days in a row
– friends and family who support me no matter what
Ode to all Chickeneers of the Havi Seas
Congrats on the 5-hour-marathon-Sunday nap! Completely fabulous. One nice thing about living in South America is that you’re almost considered strange if you don’t completely waste every Sunday just laying around doing nothing. . . Viva la siesta!
The hard:
– Codependence monster getting all feisty and trying to make me responsible for every one else’s emotions and behaviors during the week
– Knowing it was my monster and still feeling all the anxiety anyway!
– Having drama with my boyfriend’s family because we have be living here while our apartment is repaired
– There is A LOT of mold in my apartment from the extensive water damage . . . and I mean funky, crazy mold of the sort that looks like it could develop a consciousness, colonize our planet and enslave us all
The good:
– Workers are supposedly coming next week to deal with our mold (and carpets! and walls!)
– Made progress on my Spanish language website/blog/thing
– I’ve had lots opportunities to practice consciously separating my stuff from other people’s stuff
– Some work is coming in . . .finally
Wishing everyone a wonderful mold-less weekend filled with indulgent, puffy-down-comforter, rain on the windowpanes naps! 🙂
Yay, for naps! Let me say that I totally and utterly support the sleepz. 😀 And getting to read through a backlog of Fluent Selfs after I haven’t checked in a while.
This has been a crazy week:
The Hard:
-Allergies. Suck.
-Minor personality scuffles with my boss at the day job. Normally it’s smooth sailing, every once in a while some wind comes through and makes waves. That’s life.
-Moving and future plans inch closer. I hate moving.
The Good:
-The party I hosted last weekend was a grand success.
-I have a Thing! that I’m getting underway. If it goes well, it should harness my artsy, yarny side and also be a tidy side business. I’m also excited that this will provide an opportunity to take more from the business side of Fluent Self – I was drawn more towards the personal growth side from the beginning, but now I can come a little more into the middle and inner rings instead of just chilling on the outside ring. Exciting.
Welcome back, Havi! Missed your posts.
The Hard:
– Feeling a bit of isolation and sadness that friends are at such busy stage of life (child-rearing, careers)
– Frustration at job, where I can only do so much to excel (hmm, maybe I can do more than I think…interesting.)
– Major cramping and overall gastro issues due to eating bad food
The Good:
+ 3-day weekend! lying on the couch with my dog watching TV and recovering from said illness
+ gardening is beginning! so much growth and life everywhere, esp if you look closely
+ loving my life with my gentleman friend – feeling more at home than ever
+ starting to think about writing again now that the diss is done – yay!
Mm. What a delicious week for you Havi. The sleep bank loves daily deposits. I learned to nap, hard, when I was really sick a few years back. I never really had the hang of it before then. It’s an artform for sure.
This week’s hard:
– Lots of crying about my thing. Sobbing, late night, “where is this coming from?!” crying. Ugh.
– Feeling tired for no good reason.
– Gluten allergy……………. No!!! Oh… geez.
– Doing some self-care (midday hot tubbing) that I couldn’t let myself enjoy because it brought up all kinds of judgement about time and shoulds and stuff. *sigh* Again.
This week’s greatness:
– Realized that maybe I DO know what I’m doing when it comes to my thing. YES!
– Started my website. Yay! And it was A LOT easier than I expected. I’m actually getting to use my art degree for work! That feels absolutely miraculous.
– A sweet friend made the insightful comment that “Action leads to clarity, which leads to more action…” It was the perfect reframe for success/failure. A huge DOUBLE WOW for me. Thank the world for friends.
– Went to a late night Monday night concert! Did I mention it was on a MONDAY! Ha! And there was lots of jumping, dancing, joyful singing in mass. Such beauty and bounciness.
And I am grateful for this space as well. *Handing out daffodils to each of you for the weekend.* 🙂
Yay for lots of sleeping and fun with you uncle! I’m not play The Hard and The Good today because today is my birthday! And for today it’s All Good Chickeners!
I’m 40 as of 10:06 a.m., and My Mommy called and made my day. My Hubby woke me up with kisses and wishing me a Happy Birthday. The Cat just wanted to be fed. I’ve had a nice lazy morning, and I have decided I will do what I want today. What is the point of being self-employed if you can’t enjoy your birthday? Which means, instead of working on all the non-fictiony stuff I’ve been working on lately–I’m going to work on fiction today! Because it’s been forever since I wrote any fiction, and I want to!
Tonight The Hubby and I are getting together with a friend at a favorite place and celebrating with wine and all sorts of wonderful cheeses, cured meats, sauteed mushrooms, and incredible applewood smoked bacon.
I also got my book review that needed to be done, DONE! Yay! And well on my way back on the right track with The Damn Book Proposal that I’m going to finish, damnit!
It is a beautiful sunny day here in Chicago, and I am loving all of the sunshine pouring through my windows. The maid service came earlier this week, so I have a clean house, so no housework today! (That is a bday gift in and of itself.)
Oh, oh, oh, I just remembered the Matisse exhibit is open at The Art Institute. I could go look at all the wonderful Matisse paintings and write poems or stories about them! My fellow Chickeners, I think we have a birthday outing!
OK I’m off. I should take a shower before any outings, since no one is going to appreciate a smelly birthday girl. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … Book Review: After You Believe by N. T. Wright =-.
I’m jealous of anyone who can take a nap longer than half an hour; I get sooooooo groggy if I go any longer than that. So, next time any of you take one, sleep a little extra for me so I can live vicariously through you.
This week’s hard:
– SHOES. Combat boots, really. From several directions, and unexpected ones at that.
– Spending a whole lot of the last two days in WTF?!?!?!? mode.
– Wasting a whole lot of time on a potential client who flaked — all while knowing from the outset that there was a high potential for flakage. Own damn fault, there.
– Family drama.
This week’s good:
– Had a very lovely long weekend away with my sweetie. Much needed by both of us. And we got to see baby horses up close!
– One small bit of family drama resolved in a way that, while not ideal, at least isn’t going to make things worse.
– Wonderful customers, returning and first-time, in both businesses, who shower me with compliments and love and refer their friends and just generally make my studio and my office happy places.
– Wonderful, laughter-filled dinner with girlfriends last night.
Your uncle Svevo sounds like a really wonderful person, and what you say here about the time you’ve spent with him this past week reminds me that it would be nice to find a way to spend more quality time with the really wonderful persons who are part of my life.
The hard this week:
– A client from hell has been driving me crazy for months now, and he was at it again yesterday. Aaaaargh! I can’t wait for that project to be over.
– I discussed a potential new project with a new client and things seemed fine, but I went at it the wrong way and it put me in a very very uncomfortable position. Hard.
The good this week:
– Having fun with my gentleman friend coming up with silly ideas that would help us avoid clients from hell – those ideas involved a question on our contact form asking “Are you a shitty client from hell?” and either adding a lie detector plug-in to the answer field, or infecting the potential client with an honesty virus before they can answer.
– Having Elizabeth the Bee be so sweet to me that I’ve renamed her, in my mind, Elizabeth the Best. 🙂
And we’re off in a few minutes on a whirlwing of a day trip during which I may get to meet a Twitter friend. Yay!
.-= Josiane´s last post … Middle of the night musings =-.
Ahoy chickeneers!
Hardly any hard this week, hurrah!
Good
* My newest tutoring client wants more tutoring and says I’ve been doing a great job. Love!
* My dentist said my teeth look great.
* Hiking in wildflower country.
* Short week and long weekend at the beach with my sweetie.
.-= Barbara J Carter´s last post … The Wildflowers of Wind Wolves Preserve =-.
Naps without guilt from anyone, including monsters?! I think I’ve had one of those in the last year. Luckily it was recently so hopefully there will be more.
The hard:
*low-quality sleep nights due to my husband’s discomfort from shoulder surgery that results in much fidgeting and groaning. I told him if he won’t take his Vicodin so he can sleep I will take it for him.
*anxiety spiking; waking up with tight jaw last few mornings
The good:
*unexpectedly big tax refund=a new MacBook Pro for me. Whee!
*stolen 45 minutes with my 20-month old nephew yesterday; there was swinging and giggling and cuddling. . .mmmmm
having a professional (our accountant)treat me like a *professional entrepreneur even though my ittybiz is still a baby
Naps without guilt from anyone, including monsters?! I think I’ve had one of those in the last year. Luckily it was recently so hopefully there will be more.
The hard:
*low-quality sleep nights due to my husband’s discomfort from shoulder surgery that results in much fidgeting and groaning. I told him if he won’t take his Vicodin so he can sleep I will take it for him.
*anxiety spiking; waking up with tight jaw last few mornings
The good:
*unexpectedly big tax refund=a new MacBook Pro for me. Whee!
*stolen 45 minutes with my 20-month old nephew yesterday; there was swinging and giggling and cuddling. . .mmmmm
*having a professional (our accountant)treat me like a professional entrepreneur even though my ittybiz is still a baby
Tons of sleep and spending time with a couple awesome folks sounds like an awesome vacation to me. Good on ya.
Hard:
Dealing with customer service. Time consuming, stressful, frustrating and now we’re at the stage where they mostly don’t see the things wrong that I do. Which, to me, means they will have trouble fixing them. Grr. The c.s. guy is pleasant enough in correspondence but clearly pursuing a no refund/discount agenda.
As thoroughly as I understood my answer is “Yes, I absolutely want to be there!” having overcome multiple fears, concerns & misgivings, I noticed after 2 more days of searching flights online I still hadn’t booked a plane ticket. Because it would be completely financially irresponsible. And even if I threw financial caution to the wind and went as cheaply (or thereabouts) as I could, I would be physically wrecked by the ~15+ hours of travel each way within 4 or 5 days. Disappointing.
Dealing with both these things kept me very distracted so I don’t feel I accomplished much.
Good:
Realized sketching, as long as it’s of something I’m looking at, is meditative and calming for me.
Though it’s cold today, I can see patches of blue sky.
Went for a ride to check out the sheep farm. Walked onto a small airstrip and photographed a bunch of parked piper cubs and the like.
.-= claire´s last post … Life of Art SitRep #7 =-.
The hard:
– feeling insanely, insanely tired and virusy and miserable
– deciding to sign up to a dating site, having the payment go wrong so I have to call up tomorrow morning, and being ignored
– being ignored by other people
– deciding that I want to drop out of my MA but worrying about if I’m going to get stiffed for all the fees
– losing my work security card
The good:
– feeling like I know what I’m doing at work
– spending the weekend getting to know family members I actually like
just two little things about you, Havi:
Good:
It sounds utterly delicious, sleep and time and Svevo and being and more sleep and that delicous thing when you stretch your legs down into the cool smooth sheets and know there’s nothing that has to be done, nothing that needs to be done, everything is enough exactly as it is, and letting go into that warm safe sleep. I’m really happy you had such a delicious time.
Hard:
I missed you, though, Havi! 🙂 I kept coming by hoping for something new… I did poke around lots in the archives, found some wonderful things… but still, I missed you!
But I’m happy that you had so much delicious restorative restfulness.
There was other stuff in my week, hard and good. And some of the hard was certainly harder than missing you, and some of the good was admittedly better than you… but your being on delicious vacation did show me how very much I’m coming to love you, and cherish you, even though I only discovered Fluent Self a few months ago. Thank you for being you, and for sharing you with us, and yay you for taking time and restoration to make sure that what you share can be real and happy and genuine and loving.
But I do gotta say I’m glad you’re back. 🙂
11 hours of sleep plus daytime naps, that sounds marvellous. I should do this over the weekend.
The hard:
– My husband’s godfather died recently. We spent three days at what used to be his home for 50 years, helping his brother to de-clutter the apartment. His godfather had been a keeper and collector and his weirdest collection consisted of about 700 juice and syrup bottles, some almost 30 years old, some untouched, some opened. We poured the contents of these bottles down the drain, drove the bottles to the dump, together with 50 very big boxes of paper stuff. What he had spent decades on we just got rid of within three days – this felt very weird.
– Not being able to enjoy the sun because of the above.
The good:
– Doing this with my husband. It was lots of work but it was a special experience that I am glad we shared.
– Sun, spring. Being able to sit outside at least briefly every day.
– Evenings with friends and their children.
– Coming through and briefly visiting and getting an impression of two very pretty towns we hadn’t been to before.
– Going to a pretty expensive restaurant with overwhelmingly exquisite food as a treat after the three days.
Whoo. Chickeneers.
It’s good to be back.
@Leocadia – wow, that is really quite a week. You must be glad to be at the end of it.
@Darcy – yay sovereignty. A taste is a very good thing. And I’m sorry you got slimed. That sucks.
@Shawna – happy birthday sweetie! And a happy happy year. Eat some cheese for me and see Matisse!
@Christine – nice! MacBook Pro! Instead of taxes! That is absolutely perfect. Made me happy to read.
@Lori – oh no for the shoes. Combat boots?! At sweet you? I disapprove! That is no fun at all. Sending love and hoping it gets better.
@LaShae – you are AWESOME. And I hope trees do teach grad school because I want in!
@everyone – I adore you all, really and truly. Happy weekending to all Chickeneers! Aren’t we missing some people? Lucy? Casey? Andrew? Who else?
KISSES
The hard:
-Whirlwind traveling this weekend and next weekend. Accompanying exhaustion and mild feelings of dread. Ick.
-My schedule gets more busy next week (in the midst of aforementioned traveling). Feeling unprepared for that. Ick.
-Starting to get a little discouraged on the VPA thing, and not being able to do much about it due to next item. Ick.
-Being unexpectedly stuck in limbo about where I’m going to be this summer, and not being able to resolve it… stressful because the limbo must end by Monday. Frustrating because it was supposed to end by today. Ick.
The good:
-I have an interesting book awaiting me at the library. Yay!
-Bubble baths. All kinds of wonderful. Someday these will be a regular part of my life, but right now they’re a rare event made possible by traveling and staying at hotels. Hurrah!
-Picnic supper with fresh mozzarella, baguette, and clementines. Yum!
-Going to bed ridiculously early tonight (admittedly, it’s because I have to get up ridiculously early tomorrow, but I haven’t processed that part yet!). Mmmmmm….
I’m glad you’ve gotten some rest. Happy happy Friday!
Skritching cats, looking out windows, naps – favorite things of mine. Sounds like you had some deliciousness. May it continue for you!
The very good: Talking to your Kitchen Table this week. Really enjoyed it, especially the interactions. Truly, thank you so much for the opportunity.
The seemingly endlessly hard: Wanting to build Luminous Heart without continually slamming into a wall of exhaustion. I stepped back from everything this past month looking for that space that’s engaged yet sustainable. Haven’t found it yet.
I feel like a child playing double dutch jump rope, watching and gaging when to step in. So far, every time I do I trip.
Thanks for being here. Sending love, Mahala
.-= Mahala Mazerov´s last post … Develop Self Compassion: Meditation instructions for working with the breath =-.
ugh. you guys! I am so ready for things to SETTLE. please universe? thanks.
The Hard this week:
my gentleman friend and I missing each other something fierce while he is away.
not getting the recovery/settle out/head clearing time I thought I would.
moving.
Getting robbed. Last night some asshole busted out the back window of my gentleman friend’s car. He took my big backpack full of clothes and my favorite shoes. UGH!! So, have to deal with getting the window fixed, and since it is not my car or my insurance it has been quite a hassle. Also, I lost a bunch of clothes and shoes and because i’m moving, I am not sure what all is gone. Plus, it was my best traveling bag. the one I want to take to Paris when I finally get to go, the one I want to trek through Asia with… oh well. it is just a bag, but a dang expensive one I’ll have a hard time replacing! JERK!
The Good:
not having to deal with work on top of all the rest of this craziness in my world right now.
moving. I feel so much more at ease here, much more home and MAN do I need some of that security right now.
Gracious friends willing to let me vent
my gentleman friend will be home sooner rather than later and that is GREAT news!
I went to the closest Buffalo Exchange after I discovered the busted car window, and sure enough the asshole thief was in that morning selling my shoes. I got my two most expensive/rare pairs back! Also, the police now have a name, physical description and probably fake address of the jerk.
so lets all spread some hugs for the hard and cozy cups of tea. Cheers for the good and a big frustrated fist shake at the universe for all the chaos!!
yay, NAPS! I am so glad you got a restful time after all, Havi. A quick tiny chicken…
Hard: Being sick, recovering from ten day ‘vacation’, overwhelm at house still in winter mode. Not spring yet…
Good: Monsters hushing while I too slept tons… maybe our monsters were at a convention together!
Acupuncture and naps are helping me get better. Off for another nap.
xxooxxooxxooxxoo
Late to the chicken this week. Ugh. Story of my life lately.
Ah, naps! Sounds glorious, Havi. You inspired me and I took a 2 hour nap this morning instead of working on grading tests. Of course, now I have guilt because the tests would be done today like I told the students. And everything else will back up because of it. UGH.
The Hard:
– Trying to catch up (in vain) from losing so my time to school at the end of last week and the weekend.
– Lack of sleep. Insomnia one night for no apparent reason. Hasn’t happened in a long time. Still sucks.
– Weird pain/swelling in right foot. Making walking difficult. WTF? I don’t remember dropping anything on it nor kicking anyone.
The Good:
– My presentation went well despite my perceived lack of preparation! Had a full room, plenty of audience interaction and questions afterwards!
– Managed to pull off being prepared for class Wednesday night (same day as the presentation) thanks to some terrific materials on a university’s medical website.
– New sweaters in bright spring colors! On sale and they fit!
– Date night with hubby tonight! It has been a long time, too long.
– Daffodils blooming!
Hugs & refreshing naps to all!
Geez, I really can write better and with proper grammar than my last post indicates. Must be my keyboard. Sleep deprivation couldn’t have anything to do with it.
Ooh! Me too, me too! I LOVE checking in!
Greetings everyone, from a Fluent Self newbie (and insta-fan).
The Hard:
– Feeling overwhelmed by: my finances, my business, and generally by how much I want and how far away it all feels
– Not nearly enough sleep. Nor early-enough bedtimes. (Oh, how I relate to the sleep thing…)
– I finally sent an email to my ex-bf, explaining clearly and neutrally why no, I do not want to be friends, and felt immense sadness about closing the door.
The Good:
– I realized that my sadness after sending the email above was *not* because it had been a mistake, but because I was sad, which is part of the process, and only to be expected.
– I claimed a new identity and job title this week! This is a BIG DEAL. I am now officially a Renaissance Woman (it even says so on my new business cards).
– I’m figuring out what this new job title *means*, and ways to consolidate my various identities/jobs into one.
– I figured out some policies and procedures for maintaining optimal happiness (specifically: it is important that I make sure I get out to do something fun and *social* at *least* every third night), and…
-…even better, I actually *followed* them (and got out for something fun and social *more* than every third night)!
– I noticed The Comparison Trap rearing its ugly head, but *nipped it in the bud* by reminding myself that they are they, and I am I, and being *myself* is the best thing I can do.
– Also turned the rearing of The Comparison Trap’s head into a *positive* by starting a blog post about it (yay!)
– I *wrote* and *posted* something *every* *day* (yay!)
– Someone commented on my blog (yay!)
– My ex-ex-bf sent a really supportive email, with a cool suggestion for my blog, and helping me follow my evolving Bliss and create the life I really, really want.
– I made art last weekend, AND today (though that doesn’t really count for *this* week’s Chicken… but I’m still going to celebrate it).
– Ooh, and a couple of really fun DATES! I’m back to being The Dating Queen, but…
-…I’m *enjoying* being single, and am turning my Dating Queendom into a fun thing to write about, and…
-…I even *forgot* to check my online dating account for days at a time, because I was having so much fun *creating*!
– I discovered the Fluent Self, Havi and Selma! (Okay, that may have been the week before, but I’m still celebrating it!)
Happy weekend to all!
.-= Melissa´s last post … Weekly Review #1: Overwhelmed and Grateful =-.