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.
What a week.
Big hellos to all the Chickeneers of the High Seas (that’s a Lucy-ism).
And let’s do this.
The hard stuff
Two weeks to get the Playground ready!
So the Playground opens in two weeks! Gah! Not ready!
We still need a floor.
So this is going to be pretty entertaining.
It’s kind of like that moment when the dress rehearsal sucks but you know that by opening night things are going to rock. Because they have to.
Please laugh hysterically with me.
Not getting the good news we’re still hoping for.
What about now? Nope.
Ummm …. not yet? REALLY? What about now?
This watched pot really needs to start boiling.
Back to my trusting the timing of things practice. How’s that going?
People I love being moody and sad.
So hard.
A dose of writer’s block.
Yes, I know that several thousand people read every single word that goes up here, but it still weirds me out when people I know in real life mention stuff going on for me that I’ve talked about here.
And then I clam up and have nothing to say. And it sucks.
Hurt shoulder.
Ow.
The good stuff
Derby! Hell yeah!
So Rose City’s Wheels of Justice did beat Rat City.
Sanctioned bout. Final score 124:24.
This is the third time I’ve watched our Portland girls beat Seattle. But Rat City has been undefeated this year (not anymore, baby), and this time we were vying for national ranking, people.
And now that Selma and I sponsor one of the Portland teams, we’re even more obsessive and obnoxious about derby than before.
So it was crazy stressful.
Luckily Dana‘s husband and Cairene both showed up to scream their heads off with me and Selma.
And something worked because whooooooooooooooooooo!
Being at my favorite uncle’s house in the woods.
Even though he wasn’t there.
And then he came back!
Yay!
Being with my uncle is like going to sovereignty camp.
He lives his life exactly the way he wants to and doesn’t apologize for it. He manages to be sweet and gentle to everyone and still not let anyone push him around.
I admire him tremendously. And being around him is good for me.
Everything being sweet and cozy and perfect.
In the woods. Rain beating down on the skylights. My gentleman friend napping. Gus thumping his tail by the fire.
Drinking tea. Writing.
Heaven.
Shavuot!
Yes, we have a holiday that involves eating dairy.
Which is kind of my favorite thing to do anyway.
But when you’re knee deep in goat-milk yogurt and blintzes, life is good.
If this were Twitter, I’d hashtag this entry with something like #yayjews.
Playground stuff.
The Playground!
We have pirate monkey meditation cushions being made!
We have paint picked out!
Extreme excitements!
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?
Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks.
They’re playing The Living Room this weekend.
Except that 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
Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks! Woohoo! I’d go see ’em. And the Playground! I’m picturing it in my head. And it looks mighty fine already.
The Hard:
Guilt and pain for my mom, who had surgery. Wanting to be there. Guilt for not being there. The realization that even if I could afford to be there, that wouldn’t make things all better anyway. And just generally trying to feel all these feelings instead of hiding them in the attic.
Day job. Whoa. People freaking out when it’s not necessary or helpful to do so. And trouble focusing due to thinking about my mom.
The Good:
My photos are going to be on display at a food market this weekend. I still can’t quite comprehend it, but it feels very exciting, nonetheless.
I’m photographing my first paid portrait session this weekend. I have so many ideas, and I know it’s going to be playful and creative and colorful.
I’m taking Monday off work, which means a three day weekend! Wow! There’s relaxation in my future.
A glorrrrious weekend to all.
.-= Kylie´s last post … the ultimate nineties rock playlist =-.
The hard:
not so much really. This weekend was a bit hectic what with house stuff and an orchestra performance to navigate, but really-not bad.
The good:
+Lots of fun watching my son shine this week. First orchestra performance, and lead in the class play. He rocked both and I was a proud mama. Now the big stuff is done and we can all relax a bit.
+Lots of things that seemed stuck or hard are not seeming that way this week. This is a good thing. For instance…
+Blog posting… it is happening. I’d been a bit stuck, so this is very good news. Some credit goes to the Monster Coloring Book for sure.
+Impromptu workshop was a blast- with follow-up class to be held this week. This could get to be a habit.
+Slowly biggifying. After talking with Naomi, I started a fanpage for the biz. Hope this will be another fun place for hanging out with people.
Happy Friday to all and happy dairy holiday!
#yayjews
Boo for pots that don’t boil!
Yay for Derby! Apparently it’s taking off here…
phew what a week.
The Hard
New times at work. We had a three day team meeting at a hotel this week. A lot to talk about and a lot of change, much of it very challenging to my values. It’s making me think deeply about where I am and what I’m doing.
Worrying about next week: the europeans are coming….
The Good
Under pressure to articulate my response to some of those challenges to my values, I found myself suddenly very coherent and calm. *pleased!*
this weekend, my good friend Sharn is marrying his partner Kate. Very exciting, I love a good wedding.
The sun’s come out too. brilliant!
Happy, peaceful and sunny weekends to all of you,
Lucy xxx
.-= Lucy´s last post … Two Days of Articulating Your Most Dearly Held Beliefs Is Exhausting =-.
Friday and chicken! What a week…
Hard:
My friends’ war-veteran son took his own life on Wednesday. He’d struggled with PTSD and suffered such anguish since he returned from Iraq a few years ago. He was brave, and kind–a sensitive, beautiful young man.
Good:
Healing Internet Hangover class! We had our second class this week. People are wearing their crowns, and experiencing big shifts in how they relate to themselves, and to the internet. 🙂
My friend Irene is coming over to help me pack this afternoon.
I had two massages this week! Giving myself lots of support as moving day draws nearer…Just three more weeks!
Have a beautiful weekend, everyone. Hugs for all that’s hard in your lives, and celebrating all the goodness with you.
Love, Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … In the Center of my Crown… =-.
The Hard:
I’m tired from traveling and teaching in Chicago. So so tired. And there’s so much to do. And what I want to do is curl up with a book and nap and read and nap and read and nap.
The Good:
One of my lost cat clients made his way home.
I had a completely awesome and wonderful experience teaching my workshop on practical intuition, connecting to the unconscious and chakra work. I met these awesome folks who are making such a difference in the world.
My twin brother asked his lovely partner to marry him. She said yes. He bought her a vintage 1940s ring. They are going to be married in my parents’ back yard, which is where they met. We are so pleased that Angela is going to be an official member of our family. She has been in our hearts for years.
My sweetheart told me he wanted bean burritos at our wedding, if we were to do such a thing, which made me laugh.
In fact, he’s made me laugh so many times this week.
My 19-year-old asked me to finish his “Mother” tattoo design. I’ve had mixed feelings about it, but it turned out so beautifully cool that I’m okay with it.
So much good. So much good.
Havi- I am so thankful to you for having this good and hard Friday chicken thing, because it makes me deeply aware and thankful for all the good.
.-= Bridget´s last post … Tonglen: Getting the Small-T Truth Out =-.
I love Friday Chicken!
I do it even when I don’t do it.
Hard:
— getting things totally done and off of the ground (just one, tiny product!) is crazy-making slow. Committing to continue to stay in process, meet self where self is, and find the funny in all of the fumbles of doing something for the first time.
— I need more alone time and less time doing what I think other people want me to do in order to make them happy.
[This means (1) staying in the process of remembering that another’s happiness is SO important, but not my responsibility (even if I freaking wanted it to be) and (2) staying in my own business by scheduling alone time (to remember what my needs are, and then meet them).]
— should I apply for the June retreat?!?! (both good and hard!) and what if it sells out! which it will!
Only reason not to: have a wedding in south Georgia the day after it ends… AND there is one in November which is better for my schedule… I DON’t KNOW!
Good!
— I used destuckfication to be more productive! I am a sucker for LOVING it when stuff works the way it’s supposed to. Hooray, next step boxes and thanks, Havi!
— I moved recently and FINALLY found THE BEST ashram EVER, ahhhhhh. I feel like a new man.
— I am doing the Blueprint Marketing thingie that Sonia offers and it’s FUN.
— Apparently, Fun is my #1 career satisfaction criteria. I love that!
Thanks for sharing and doing cool stuff, Havi. I appreciate you.
Yesterday’s post is also the best lil’ boost for me to put my small but I just need to do it product out there. Someone is waiting for help!
To helping and good health 😉
Laurie
.-= Laurie´s last post … Hey, Laurie — why do you do weight loss stuff? =-.
Yay on Playgrounds and Pirate Monkey Meditation pillows!
Hard:
Ug. MIL passed away Saturday night unexpectedly after three months of insanity and moving her to a new place to live. Too hard.
Realizing that the thing I thought was my thing – dream coaching – is not the thing. Surely, my thing will fill me with delight even if there is also loads of terror and monsters running around. Yes? No delight. Just a complete shut down of anything remotely resembling delight. I’d have even accepted halflight in place of delight. So no, not my thing.
Still eating more ramen than any other food substance. Oh for some frosted flakes!
Good:
Light at end of tunnel…tho it’s a long tunnel…toward being able to eat frosted flakes and make some fish!
Realizing how very happy I feel when I write and draw – even tho I’m learning to draw – and further realizing that THAT might be my thing and. Wait for it. Delight. Warm fuzzies. And flowing. YES! (Why I could even WRITE about dreaming!)
Oh, this week.
The hard:
* Budget stuff. Still feel like I’m running at the edge. But it’s getting better.
* Emotional stuff. More detail on the Burnout post, but suffice it to say I’m still really exhausted and feeling like I have no reserves. Again, running at the edge.
* Timing stuff. I have a week until Holly goes off to Europe for two weeks, and a week and a day until I drop my son off with my parents (who will then deliver him to his mother) and don’t see him again until August. The first week of June is going to be lonely.
The good:
* OMG I got my first two Real Clients and now Betty has shut up. The E-junkie emails came in and she said, “Oh. So you’re not just playing around on the internet. Okay then.” And I haven’t had any doubt since then that I’m running a Real Business.
* I’ve been working very hard on separating Business Me from Relaxation Me. I feel like I have to be On all the time, and I’m working on establishing boundaries so that I can feel free to relax without being anxious that I’m not Getting Things Done.
♥ to all!
.-= Chris Anthony´s last post … What is delight? =-.
The hard:
Hmmm, trying to figure out where to put our soon-to-be-new Siberian pup…indoors/outdoors?
And dealing with the general anxiety of being responsible for another life.
The good:
Yay! We’re getting a puppy!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Thanks for another delightful post Havi.
Hola Chickening Compadres!
I must say, Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks is totally my favourite band name so far.
This week in Kailand~
The Hard:
~Someone smashed in the passenger side window of our car and stole our GPS.
~I shut my thumb in the door of the car we’re borrowing when I was trying to get out to pet a stray kitty. The commotion made the kitty run away and I didn’t get to pet it at all.
~My fiance has to work a 13 hour shift today as well as working Saturday and Sunday. Gross.
~I’m sick. Again. that’s the fourth time in last five months.
~Panic attacks, triggers and crying fits – oh my.
The Good:
~It’s only going to cost 220 dollars to have the car’s window fixed today sometime.
~I got to wake up with my fiance this morning before he went off for his crazy shift.
~I’m doing pretty well at learning PHP so I can code nifty WordPress themes.
~I was asked out on a date with this super cute girl to a nifty pottery-painting place. Funfunfun!
Happy Friday!
Hello, Friday!
The hard:
-Sad, sad news on Sunday. It took all the joy of finally finishing things out of me (I think it was worse because I got the news not three or four hours after I was celebrating all that…). Hard to get the week started.
-I am tired. And there is no break in sight because the next Big Thing starts Monday. Yikes.
-Progress is not happening as fast as I wanted it to. Some of my expectations are turning out to be too high. Blech.
-It’s raining. Very uncooperative of it.
The good:
-Slow progress is better than no progress, and I feel like I’m doing as well as I can right now.
-I might be able to sneak a half hour nap or something this afternoon. Or declare myself “sick” (of working) and go to bed extra early.
-It will be sunny again soon, I am sure.
-Dog with twitchy feet and smiling in her sleep. Awwwwww.
I hope everyone’s weekend is marvelous!
Hugs all around for the hard and excited happiness for the good.
@Chris – Nice! I bet Betty feels really relieved. And I bet you feel relieved to not have to interact with her on this one. Good for you. YAY.
@Lucy – yeah I heard the London derby team is kicking all kinds of ass. Or arse, if we’re talking Brit derby.
@Laurie – kiss!
@Bridget – wow that is a lot of good. So much happy. Yay for the wedding. How beautiful.
@Kylie – I LOVE your photos!
Everyone, I adore you. Thank you. Seriously, Friday is so great because the chicken makes me happy.
Chris – congratulations! 🙂
I may have some hysterical laughter of my own…
Although all, in all, this week has been more good than hard.
Hard:
-day job. Feeling like a depersonalised robot, because that’s how we get treated – and the stress this inevitably causes.
– getting into full blown perfectionist control freak mode and deciding that as well as getting uni work done for the Looming Deadline, that it was somehow necessary to take on several other tasks this week and do them all perfectly. Obviously this did not end well.
– Falling through my boundaries
Good:
– taking last night to eat delicious Indian food, talk to my mum and watch a brilliant film with a bottle of cider. Amazing.
– meeting some interesting people through work.
– progress on work for the Looming Deadline, including getting a load done of Wednesday after I finished stressing out about needing to do everything perfectly, and by yesterday. Feeling quietly (and realisitically) confident that this is all going to get done
– deciding that my cousin in going to visit us and we’re going to go play crazy golf
– realising that perhaps the two grown men involved in this could pull their weight in organising too and that it is not in face all my responsibility
– summer. being able to sit on the beach without shivering. Amazing!
Happy Day Chickeners!!
Glad to hear about all the good going ’round!
The Hard
-Exams in two weeks. So not ready. Panic Panic Panic, “Hello Anxiety, you’re sitting in my seat…”
-Painful Knees = not being doing my physio [it hurts] which in turn, keeps them hurting.
-This old Laptop from 2000 crashes when i try to open lecture notes. lecture notes I need for.. you know, my exams. -sigh-
The Good
-Friends 🙂
-A day in the woods on obstacle courses! Whee zip wire!
-A beltaded Pagan celebration – dancing barefoot under the stars makes everything better
-The shower is fixed!!!! After 8 weeks without it working.
-Housemate went to japan and the house was clean and quiet and nice for 3 days =)
Happy Friday everyone.
.-= Rose´s last post … VPA # 3 – The Patience of Patterns =-.
Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!
Pirate monkey meditation cushions?
That actually made me bounce in my chair. Bounce!
The Hard
– tooth ouchiness that ranged from deep aches to searing head-on-fire pain
– pain meds for the aforementioned tooth ouchiness that left me feely dope-ey and drool-ey much of the week
– getting way less done than I wanted due to the dope-ey and the drool-ey
– this morning’s oral surgery for the tooth ouchiness
The Good
– now that the surgery’s over, once I heal there will be no more mouth ack (yay!)
– so many great ideas streaming in this week, stuff that really, really excites me
– being able to get some amazing recording time in the studio this week, between the dope-ey and the drool-ey
– giving myself permission to ease up on the to-do list and to be as ok as I could be with where I was this week
– seeing someone I care about being really, really happy about new goodness in their life
Good vibes for everyone’s hard. Lots of yays for everyone’s good.
.-= Fabeku Fatunmise´s last post … A Game Of Go Fish =-.
We have a three day weekend here and I totally forgot it was Chickening Day. It’s kind of like when you wake up and think it’s Monday and then remember it’s Sunday and things feel so fabulous for a moment!
The hard:
– Big fight with the boyfriend, over, of all things, not picking up toilet paper (wtf? right?) and three days of silence…with lots of self reflection on who’s stuff is who’s here…and sometimes being successful and other times just being sad
– Feeling conflicted about a certain sybling who seems to get to live under completely different set of expectations than me, resentment and then surprize and confusion over my resentment…mmm, lots to think about there
– It’s cold. Cold and overcast. Almost comically so.
The good:
– Three day weekend! Yay! Plus, most of my work is finished up so I actually get to relax for it!
– Forgiveness. Feeling hurt and terrified but still being able to reach out and identify that others were hurting and forgive them for how they had acted (because they were in pain, even if they still don’t realize that fully) and wow, five years ago I would never have been able to go there, at all…
– The boyfriend being totally cool and not expecting me to go to the upteeth family meal this month so I get to be home in bed in my pajamas. Thank goodness!
– Wrote a small article for my alumni magazine and the editor was very flattering about it. Many warm fuzzies.
Happy Friday Chickeneers!
Back to the Chicken!
The hard:
– Potentially having a WHOLE LOT GOING ON. Which means the potential to be overwhelmed by life.
– Shared some plans with a friend today who started warning me of all the ways it could go wrong, when I really needed some support for my tiny sweet thing. Hadn’t realized I needed that until she didn’t provide it, though, so it was a good (ugh) teaching moment.
– Not finding the time to fit in practice sessions for massage school.
– Crack-crazy interview this week that left me with a big big headache.
The good:
– well, first of all, how hard it was to come up with some hard!
– Beautiful weather in the middle of cold, rainy weather.
– Getting (mostly) enough sleep.
– Spending time with lovely friends who understand that I can’t invest a lot of time and energy into socializing right now, and so are willing to come to me and eat meals made at home together.
– crack-crazy interview! I was totally able to recognize that this was not going to work for me, and not go down the rabbit hole of convincing myself that it COULD work just because I’m anxious to make a change.
– also the way the crack-crazy interview opened me up to the possibility of another amazing opportunity that came up the next day.
– making shifts and changes in some difficult relationships.
Wishing a beautiful restful weekend to you Havi, and to all the chickeneers, Beloved Lurkers, and…I feel like I’m leaving someone out, so if that doesn’t cover it, YOU, too!
Oh, yes, the period of not-writing following an interaction between some people we know in real life and our blog… I can relate: my out-laws have discovered my blog some time last month. They apparently had the intention to send me a nice little note about it, but I think my gentleman friend told them it was better for them to just not do it. I love him.
Hysterically laughing with you, and spraying a healthy dose of “come on, good news, show up already!” magical spray. {hugs}
The hard this week:
– busy, busy, busy, doing more, running behind, catching up
– tired (no wonder why!)
The good:
– testing awesome recipes for my friend’s upcoming cookbook
– small, though significant, steps forward – yay!
– a major shift in my Shiva Nata practice – big YAY!
.-= Josiane´s last post … Middle of the night musings =-.
Cluckity Cluck!
The Hard:
Getting the ashes back from the vet.
Ghost-Dog that keeps waking me up, barking in the night.
Spouse’s workplace is in crisis. Again.
Not getting responses from the helper mice I wanted to recruit.
The Good:
Getting the ashes back from the vet, in a lovely little box with her name on it. Very sweet.
Ghost-Dog keeps barking in my head, which is kind of cool.
Circus Funding!!
Many Circus insights, including a NAMING. Yay naming!
Joining “The Right Brained Business Plan” e-course. It totally rocks!!
Finally hearing back from the helper mice – they will be slow, but there. YAY!!!
Being so excited I’m running out of exclamation marks and need to buy them in bulk!!!!
Happy Chicken.
Only two weeks to the Playground? How exciting!
The Hard
My grandad dying quite suddenly last Friday and not being able to get up to the funeral on Thursday.
Still not knowing how I should make money & wondering if I’ll ever be well enough to even attempt it.
Having to choose tiles and paint colours for the bathroom – finding it stressful.
Money woes.
The Good
That my grandad was at peace at the end. Although it’s very sad, his passing is a blessing because he had dementia and could have gone on for years slowly deteriorating, which I know he didn’t want.
Still not out of my CFS crash but I’m starting to feel a teeny-tiny bit better (got my fingers and toes crossed)
My best friend coming to visit for three days – not long enough but it was wonderful to see her.
Going to the local hot tub place with my best friend and having an awesome relaxing time.
Having a great massage.
Reading two amazing books about the role of textiles in World War Two – wow, what incredible times our grandparents lived through!
My blog getting on a list of 75 Top Art Blogs – at number 75, which I think is very funny. Hey, someone has to come last!
Getting some gardening & some art done.
The weather finally getting warmer.
.-= Kirsty Hall´s last post … A Collection of Random Things =-.
I’m terribly envious of all your Camp Biggification people! Ironically I have to biggify some more before I can spend that kind of money on that kind of notice. Or, um, on anything, really. But I’m working on it!
The Hard
– Pollen pollen sicky allergy bleh all freakin’ week. It was a little better yesterday, but today the wind has picked up and so have my symptoms. Bleh.
– Tummy also acting up, partially due to pollen postnasal drippy bleh.
– Zombie brainz wot.
– Tons of cleaning & rearranging to do to accommodate new bookshelves, for which I have zero energy, so my house is all cluttery and meh.
The Good
+ I sold a painting! So awesome.
+ My April/May Kiva donation is up to $96, and I have almost enough lurking in my Paypal account to cover it without having to pull from a bank account.
+ Some of my old bookshelves have come back to me, and I may actually have space for all my books.
+ Crappy weather makes cuddly kittehs.
+ Went to SF with on Saturday and had a great time.
+ Washed bedding yesterday and my bed smells like Bounce and it’s awesome.
+ Am generally keeping up with worky stuff despite pollen zombie brainz.
+ Have drawn or painted or something really regularly since starting the Daily Art Posts at Antemortem Arts, and am pleased. Also full of ideas. Woo.
.-= Amy Crook´s last post … How I Almost Threw Away $400 =-.
Ah, yes, Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks. Remember that time when Professor Glum sat in on lead pipe?
Hard:
– Bone-tired a lot of the time.
– I saw something happening that felt wrong to me, and I wanted to speak up about it, but was afraid of the confrontation. Then I spent the rest of the evening feeling ashamed.
– Dancing with my patterns, and they keep stepping on my toes, dagnabbit. Ow.
Hard but also good:
-+ My preschool music gig ended for the school year two weeks earlier than I expected. Boo for lost income, yay for found time.
Good:
+ My class in NYC last weekend was fabulous, and I also enjoyed the adventure of traveling alone. Lots of solitude to savor; lots of unfamiliar sights to captivate my imagination.
+ …
–Is that really all the good I can think of? Has my week really been that blah! Good heavens, I think perhaps it has. All righty, then, time for a glorrrrrious weekend! Much love to everyone here!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … Bypassing perfectionism =-.
Oh, the Pirate Monkey Meditation pillows make me smile so very much.
The Hard:
-bummed for a somewhat-less-than-stellar con this weekend (low sales, eh)
-tummy troubles that really just need to go away for a while
-postponing a Kitchen Day with a friend due to her father-in-law’s health
-not being able to be with a long-ago friend on her birthday because of some 3rd party schtuff from 10 years ago and still being sad-monkey about it
The Good:
-finally finished a script I’d been tussling with for weeks, yay progress!
-craving light, fresh foods
-a custom cocktail ordered
-being able to sleep in tomorrow
-delivery of my new phone with all its new bells & whistles
-learning that Build-a-Bear has Build-a-Monkeys, planning it as a reward for something yet to be names
-Mom’s happier mood now that she’s taking steps to fix an icky medical issue
.-= Scraps´s last post … Little Tile Steps =-.
Hard
– When will this mortgage application process END?!
– Someone dear to me has had Work Weirdness, and it has been hard to see them so stressed and not be able to DO anything to make it better
– Feeling Stuck around my Future Brilliant Career
– Mountains of laundry!
– Sooo tired
– Pining for Shiva Nata DVD – not knowing how long it takes to get to the UK from Over There
Good
+ My first Real Blog Post – by which I mean Made Me Concerned About Being Judged For Being Rubbish
+ And I tweeted the url
+ Business advisor meeting set up to Officially Discuss my Being A Business Person
+ Recovery from Horrible Throat/Sinus Thing From Hell
+ Our garden is getting sorted out
+ Mountains of laundry! – now down to one basket
+ Reiki works
+ Pining for the Shiva Nata DVD means every time I see the postie walk up our drive, I get all excited, which is excellent practice for when it actually arrives
+ Not having murdered my mother’s plants, which I am watering while she’s away (except I didn’t because I was so ill, and thank goodness they revived when I pulled their heads off and watered their pots) – you have no idea of the relief
er – sorry – forgot to add the …
*Hangs head in shame*
*Is swallowed up by Earth*
I would totally go see Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks! Even if he’s just one guy! Great name.
The Hard
Still working through blocks so I can write without the thought of writing paralyzing me. Monster Manual and Coloring Book really, really helping.
Finding Chicago Protestant events to post on Examiner.com. You just about have to contact each, individual church to find out what’s going on. Ugh.
The Good
Due to much yoga and swimming, I am feeling so good. I am also very happy and content (except for the writing thing).
Printer’s Row Book Fair is in 3 weeks! Woot! Parents-in-law coming for it, which means mucho cleaning! Yikes! (That part may be should be under The Hard.)
Writing Morning Pages consistently and have decided to go thru The Artist’s Way again. If you’re interested in partnering up, let me know: shawna (at) shawnaatteberry (dot) com. I’m starting week 1 this weekend.
After almost 4 years of marriage (our anniversary is the 26th), My Hubby still looks at me all lovey-dovey and like he can’t believe I’m a part of his life. That’s really, really, really good stuff.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … Women and Fiction: Writing the World Right =-.
I need an uncle/aunt/someone who’s like sovereignty camp. So happy about the Playground, and esp about the monkey pirate meditation pillows.
Chickening in on a Friday–woot!
The Hard
-The waiting for today’s doctor’s visit
-Doctors taking pieces of my body to be checked for cancer. Ouch.
-Having to wait 1 week for biopsy results
-Natural fixes for health issues didn’t work and actually made things worse
-Lack o’ focus at work
-Grumpy hubby
-Watching my girl be so upset about changes at her dad’s house, and knowing that I cannot fix any of it for her
-New ferret friend to be adopted has gotten really sick so we can’t adopt her. Sad all around
The Good
+The wait is over and the biopsy is done
+Pharmaceuticals for pain, for anxiety and for stopping the problem
+Supportive boss
+Found a great intern for the summer. Great!
+Acupuncture appointment this afternoon
+NO PLANS this weekend except 1 photo gig, and that’s fun so it doesn’t count
Hugs to all for their Hard and Yay for the Good!
.-= lynn @ human, being´s last post … On Crones and Monster Museums and Stews of Healing =-.
Wow, so many chickeners! I love it.
Havi, so great to hear the Playground happenings. Congrats!
Here’s my rundown.
The Hard:
-Boring day job and office politics.
-Sadness re: anniversary of father’s passing and my parents not being around during an important time in my life.
The Good:
(It’s almost hard to think of the good because I’m still on…)
+Graduation High! I got hooded today and made it official that I’m a doctor. Far more thrilling than I expected. Glad I decided to do the ceremony.
+Deciding how to proceed at day job, including creative approaches and ways to sneak in my own work.
+Selected an academic journal to publish to.
+Making cards and taking pictures for scrapbooking.
The hard:
Having a product/class launch sequence take too long and mess up our launch time line. I don’t like technology this week. Or last week. And maybe not next week.
The good:
Having a dad who is slowly re-wiring my entire house. Because a girl can never have too many outlets.
– Staunch supporter of the Rat City Roller Girls
.-= Mikelann Valterra´s last post … Why the Law of Attraction may not be working for you =-.
Hooray for the Playground taking shape! It WILL all come together in the next 2 weeks!
I’m going to start with the good for a change:
The Good:
+ Awesome day at the spa with my friend last weekend and a 4 hour nap with one of the kitties
+ Leg press machine finally arrived today at the retirement center! 5 residents have already tried it out!
+ Legal agreements are finally progressing on the project I’ve been working on since March
+ One of my students was asked to stay on at her internship for extra experience even though she has met the requirement for contact hours
+ Excellent meeting regarding collaboration cross-campus between my graduate program and the athletic teams for EKG screenings. Win-Win for both sides!
+ Saw a dear friend who I have not seen in many months at the gym this morning!
+ Picked up my poster for the conference that is in less than 2 weeks
+ Got to Traders Joe’s, etc. so I have food in the house again!
+ Snuggly kitties made getting up at 4:30am the last for days much more bearable
The Hard:
– Lack of sleep due to excessive work & school commitments
– Uncertainty over new instructor for doctoral program
– Losing points on my last assignment for the previous doctoral class – I’m used to getting perfect scores. While I still have an “A”, I’m frustrated with myself that I wasn’t able to put more time into this particular project as it relates to my dissertation. But I was completely in survival mode during that class – I had nothing left to give.
– Moving my office within the next week. I’m not a packrat, but there still is a lot of stuff that has accumulated over the past 14 years. It will be disruptive.
Hm. I always find the chicken kind of challenging to even think about. My memory and my keeping-track-of-what’s-going-on-with-me is quite poor and it’s kind of a “should” for me and… ack, stuff.
So. Poor, incomplete chicken from me.
The Hard
-Period of doom. Serious pain and icky.
-Feeling icky. Not feeling able to shower. More icky. Ick. Etc.
-Hard, weird conversation with my mother.
-Tired. Oh, so tired and cranky.
-Post-vacation blues.
The Good
-I cooked dinner one night this week.
-I did (most of) a load of laundry.
-I had a Day Of Getting Shit Done and it was pretty cool.
-I had a good singing lesson.
-I joined a choir.
There we go! That’s a chicken. 😀
.-= Lucy Viret´s last post … People who rock: Havi Brooks. =-.
Hi fellow Chickeners!
I LOVE Colonel Gustard and the Candlesticks! Playground! YAY!!
Wow what a hard week. But there have been a few good things, too…
* We had to put our old lady cat down on Monday. It was time, she was in pain and very sick, but it hurts.
* I had an audit with the unemployment commission wherein I got to pretend to be a competent adult. Went well, but hard.
* Dear friend probably losing her job – they told her she can stay employed IF she moves to a Support *help desk* position instead of the Sales position she’s held for years and is good at.
*My bellydance class didn’t get enough students this session to go forward. This means no steady income other than unemployment insurance, however small right now.
* My blog is apparently down. As of sometime this afternoon. It worked 2 hours ago! I am now annoyed.
The good:
* I designed a quiz.
* Despite everything I’ve managed to pull a bunch of stuff together for the business, and have several leads that look really promising.
* I can rest for the weekend.
* I have chocolate. 😀
* Because of the class failing to make, I have more time to concentrate on improving MY technique, and working with my heart-sister on her routine.
the hard:
getting confused between “things are hard” and “i live in the hard and i’m never getting out”.
a major dose of teacher’s block, which is like writers’ block except in front of 100+students
no place to go for shavuot. shavuot by myself. shavuot after gum surgery. sucky. very, very sucky.
either running out of energy for my daily life, or else, and maybe worse/ harder: maybe i’m just putting too much focus on to the negative/ hard. so it gets bigger. so i get more frustrated. and that’s hard.
the good:
acupuncture.
the weekend.
hot tea.
a good life coaching session on jealousy that got me thinking.
lots of things looping around: trusting, timing, patience. looking for a way to find the blessings inside the loops.
The Hard:
Back to work after a much needed vacation week.
(I loved sleeping in and the ease of not having to do anything. Need more of that.)
Outing my new blog. Havi a year ago you told me to just do it. Since I put it up I keep questioning myself, you know…monsters. They say “it’s not good enough.” “Do this- don’t do that.” Blah, blah, blah!
Body aches. Not really sure what they are about.
The Good:
New blog up and running!
Easy week at work even though I had the prior week off.
Vacation week got me to catch up with blog reading and fun having!
Sending Playground finishing good vibes and
wishing you all great weekend fun!
.-= Stacy´s last post … Dreaming of empty buildings, food and community =-.
Hello lovelies
I am being a VERY bad chickeneer and not reading anyone’s chickens.
BAD.
I just wanted to say that I totally get the thing about people in my REAL LIFE knowing what’s going on because they read it on Twitter/blog.
Gak.
Silly, but true.
(Today’s one: ‘Yeah, we know you want to move to Canada…’
Whuh?
Oh.
Oh, yeah.)
.-= Andrew Lightheart´s last post … The Impact-Intention Trap =-.
Oh pirate monkey meditation cushions! And somehow I see the paint being a calming seaglass blue.
Hard:
Sewing machine jamming up on me Thursday afternoon when I was in the middle of the last piece that is due tomorrow. Had to walk away before I totally went medieval on it.
Still working through stuff with DH.
Ran into an art group friend at the store. She said our mutual friend has lost the use of her arms and is starting to lose her voice. I haven’t been to see her since December. I don’t do illness well. Hard.
Roof leak by corner of living room is back. Grr.
Good:
Slept on the problem with the machine Thursday night. Went into the studio and kept repeating my spell “Calm” (which I didn’t realize was such a thing until your post earlier this week, but I’ve been using that word for a time now). Three movies later and the piece was finished and ready for binding and sleeve. 🙂
Half a movie (Romeo and Juliet, Baz Luhrman version) to get the binding and sleeve on.
The weeklong sick finally resolved itself.
Saw my friend on Wednesday and had a nice talk with him.
Made my deadline with a day to spare!
.-= Andi´s last post … A Little Bit High, A Little Bit Low =-.
havi – 2 weeks til playground opening! wow! so excited {and totally exhausted for you}
the hard:
my cat died unexpectedly.
my cat’s surviving brother is mourning.
so are me and my mister.
nitetime work obligations.
either the worst allergies EVER or a cold
the good:
love, love and more love from my people – big and small, in person and online – about my kitty.
love from my surviving kitty and my mister.
school open house = end of school year
short lived cold (or worst allergies ever – still can’t decide)
yoga
finally signing up for google reader (sometimes i like to do things the hard way. what can i say?)
fluent self and havi for the daily, weekly, monthly dose of free therapy
.-= Tami´s last post … Saturday Senses =-.
I am really late for the chicken but never mind. I missed you all the past couple of weeks.
The hard:
-Coming back from India almost a week earlier than planned because India just isn’t a place that my HSP side can cope with, way too much noise, dirt, excruciating heat. It was an overkill of everything.
– The whole decision process about going back and spending quite a bit of money on changing the flight dates.
– Fear of being on planes, throwing up on the plane and being overwhelmingly exhausted after coming home.
– Crisis about having turned 40.
The good:
– A new entry for the Book of Me will be sth. like “My dear L., when you go on holiday, go to a quiet place and avoid too much traveling around”.
– Seeing friends in Dubai.
– Being with husband.
– Meeting and clicking with new people.
There is more to add but I am just too tired.
trailing in…
hard:
* deadline whooshing past me
* missing friends this p.m. because of said deadline
* discovering I dropped the ball on something else
* managing only one walk
* feeling groggy more often than not
* personal demon-badgers badgering away
* roof leaks. Ugh. I have had quite enough of water coming into my house.
good:
* unsolicited and unexpected compliments (physical, professional, _and_ playing-around)
* fresh work on deck
* I adore my job. Things like endnote #666 being a citation for a Bible verse — glee!
* eggs scrambled with garlicky eggplant
* water situation much improved here in Nashville. Meaning I can take baths again! (It’s ridiculous how much smarter I feel with clean hair, but I _do_.)
Clucks of affection and best wishes to everyone here. xxoo
.-= Ribbons´s last post … 20 questions meme (what triggered an accidental love letter to FAKE) =-.
@Leocadia – I just turned 40 myself. I hear you on the hard. *sends commiserations and congratulations to us both*
.-= Mechaieh´s last post … il y a un temps pour toute affaire sous les cieux… =-.
Hello fellows! Thanks for having me : ) beaming…
Hard:
– more bad financial news
– the mounting chaos that is laundry and house ‘stuff’
– realizing I can be very short and snipey with my son and there is no good reason for it
– struggling to be present at the J – O – B while I have swirling visions of a better existence doing what I love but still not sure how and kinda going cuckoo about it
Good:
– discovered this blog through the clickety-click of the mouse…Forever thrilled and greatly appreciative. Somebody out there is a self-proclaimed HSP, sarcastic, creative and loving…beaming again
PS Shiva Nata – freaking awesome and I am gonna be all over that like an epileptic octopus yo!
– the bad financial news is not so bad that my quality of life will be significantly diminished
– went for an amazing run yesterday oceanside wind sweat and triumph
– healthy and aware and full of love and spirit
– son beautiful son
– inspired to write and be me
t h a n k y o u
.-= Elana´s last post … Run fat girl run =-.
@ Mechaieh: Lovely, thank you and for sharing the 40th hard (that automatically turns it to 20)!
belated this week!
the hard:
– thumb still broken. still typing one-and-a-half-handed (hence lack of caps 🙂 ). still getting frustrated by inability to do things! (cycle, open jars, wash up…)
– difficult lack-of-connection stuff going on with close friend.
– work kinda not really happening the way I would like (lack of motivation issues combined with fact that typing is hard right now!).
– big personal decision hanging over me right now.
– couple of story rejections.
the good:
– sunshine!
– lovely Saturday hanging out with partner; lovely Sunday visiting friends.
– difficult but important & ultimtely v rewarding conversation with one partner on sat evening.
– working on communication stuff with other partner & had tough but actually-connecting conversation with him this morning.
– deadlines are being made even if work feels sucky.
– have Plan for finishing the novel.
– have been generating interesting article ideas.
– got rejected story back out the door. and hey, all writers get rejections, right? It’s part of the process.
and sunshine again today 🙂
.-= Juliet´s last post … gah =-.
Helllllo! My first time playing!
The Hard:
-being sick
-trying to acknowledge that I’m sick and taking it easy.
-feeling guilty that I took *two whole hours* off work.
-not having seen any of my friends for ages and feeling lonely but not feeling like socialising at the same time.
-it’s getting so cold here! even colder than I normally like.
The Good:
+I get to knit and crochet lots of warm things!
+I have a massive stash of yarn so I don’t have to spend money that I’m saving for my holiday to be able to knit/crochet something.
+I’m in love with baking at the moment!
+I also love soup!
+my sea monkeys are growing and healthy!
+This game is fun and I don’t care if I’ve put a whacky name up the top, that I’ve over-used the exclamation mark and it’s Tuesday not Friday!
xx Katie