A somewhat goofy mini-collection of stuff I’ve been reading, stuff I’ve been thinking about and oh, some completely random crap.
Basically the stuff that never gets mentioned here because I’m not the kind of person who can just make some teeny little point. Not into the whole brevity thing, as the Dude would say.
Actually, I’m under the strict compulsion to write ten pages about anything on my mind. So this is me. Practicing brevity.
So. Selma and I are back.
Back from teaching a week of Destuckification Retreat in California, followed by four delicious days of recovery, which basically consisted of imitating harbor seals.
You’d think I wouldn’t have any Items (Item!) but you’d be wrong. I have all kinds of things that I was Itemizing.
Item! Post No. 52 in a semi-ongoing Wednesday series that kind of surprises me each time it happens.
Item! Best epiphany ever? Possibly. Definitely best blog post title ever.
Maartje has clearly been doing her Shiva Nata because she is zooming with the hot buttered epiphanies.
This completely charming, thoughtful post about the Hierophant, capital-P Patterns and her own relationship with money is a wonderful read.
Also she mentions me, so extra points. 🙂
“I’ve done you wrong, poor archetype!
It’s one of those truisms, that the thing you hate is the thing you need. I dislike truisms, but this time it’s, well, true.
But I know what you look like now, pattern. I know which face of the Hierophant you use to try to get me scrambling for safety.
And I know the solution to a locked door: remember that I’ve got my own keys, and use them.”
She’s @martieu on Twitter.
Item! Observations.
A quiet piece that was just the thing I needed to read at the moment I read it.
“You look down when necessary to avoid a nasty chunk of sidewalk or the errant pile of poo, your injured ankle begging for attention, but you don’t look too long, lest you seem weak. Don’t limp. Don’t appear vulnerable.”
She’s @casey_cole on Twitter.
Item! How to swear in Cornish!
Up a storm!
So. This is kind of … not safe for work.
Unless you work in my old bar.
But it’s cursing. In Cornish. And boy you can say all sorts of dirty things in Cornish.
There’s almost nothing I can quote here, but I did find this one sort of safe one:
“Ny synsav anodho favenn goeg = I don’t care an empty bean”
Apparently.
Got to this via the lovely Kate who is @tangokate on Twitter.
Item! Are you in Seattle?
Because you should be.
Amy from Barefoot Phoenix — who is lovely, by the way — is doing a 90 minute class on how to give an amazing massage without hurting yourself or wearing yourself out in the process.
So you have all the magic touch skills but you can still be really smart and cautious and knowledgeable.
You can go Saturday, February 13th at 5:00 pm or Sunday the 14th at 1:00 pm.
Affordable and awesome. If I were in Seattle I’d be there in a second.
She’s @barefootphoenix on Twitter.
Item! This post is called potluck. And it made me cry.
I love you, BHJ.
“… the meat devouring drug addicts liked to tease the straight edge vegans. The straight edge vegans thought the meat devouring drug addicts were uncivilized and ridiculous.
It was a war. But still. The kind of war made out of love.
All of them were broke, so me and Jenna would have them over for a potluck on Wednesday nights. We just avoided topics like drugs and animals and things went fine.”
Potluck.
You can always count on him for the good stuff.
He’s @wwbhjd on Twitter.
Item! It really is just one guy.
So you know how every Friday we do a thing called a Chicken and there’s always a Fake Band Of The Week who is just one guy?
This band is four guys (five?) who are just one guy.
Via Dick Carlson who is @techherding on Twitter.
Item! Iguanaccountability works even when it shouldn’t.
Also, Virginia Ruth is a rockstar.
That’s what the post is called. And yes, accurate description. Rock-star status confirmed.
“Dancing and singing in the kitchen is one of those things that make me feel super-hot and wish someone was around to see how adorable I am. Possibly the hotness is all in my head, though, so it might be a good thing no one ever is. (Kneading bread while Nina Simone sings the blues, though… that is plainly and undisputably hot. I should make bread soon.”
Nice!
Plus she used my iguanaccountability and it did cool things.
She’s @lirelyn on Twitter — go say hi to her!
Item! Floors and foundations. Good stuff.
Victoria’s teaching a business-growing program called Floors and Foundations.
It’s a ten month thing, and it looks amazing. I’ve met Victoria (twice!) and she’s good people. Plus she has a big fat brain and a very kind heart. So consider this a warm recommendation of pretty much anything she does.
She’s @victoriashmoria on Twitter.
Item! Update from the land of the Peculiar & Hilarious Shivanauts!
The “peculiar and hilarious” thing comes from Melynda’s sweet bit about Butterfly Wishes.
I kind of did a mini-collection of Shivanautical posts.
Casey (@casey_cole) wrote about being off-balance.
Holly (@HollyMarieHill) wrote about her stuck being a bear.
Eric (he’s @ericnormand) wrote about the relationship between internal noise and internal information.
Elizabeth (@elizabethhalt) wrote about motivation and how her stuckified About page accidentally wrote itself.
Oh, and read this one too. From an anonymous new Shivanaut.
And — when Havi says get lost she means get completely lost, I think, because I was floating on a log in the ocean a million miles from shore with how wrong I was doing it and had the best day afterwards.
Item! Comments! Here’s what I want this time:
- Things you’re thinking about.
- Some kind of ritual for my new weekly Pirate Council (because pirate queens don’t go to “meetings” (bleargh) — that would be awesome.
My commitment.
I am committed to giving time and thought to the things that people say. Even though asking for what I want still feels awkward for me, I’m just going to remind myself that this is a thing I’m practicing.
That is all.
Happy reading.
And happy Blustery Windsday. Unless you’re Claire, in which case you may have a balmy one. See you all tomorrow for non-Itemized regular old posties.
ok- on the ritual thing–
totally kooky and mixed traditions, etc…
But I started to envision eye patches (pirates you know?) and then I remembered the african greeting that goes something like “I see you–you are seen”
So there is something in there about making eye connections in a goofy but respectful way that says -we are here and ready to roll with the waves.
(Probably should stick with my day job, huh?)
.-= Pearl Mattenson´s last post … 2.1.10 =-.
Things I am thinking: wow, it is too early in the morning, and I wish my job could combine the way I love it with not having to get up this early.
This does not seem to be happening anytime soon, but I find my body adjusting to getting up this early pretty easily. It used to be a real pain and difficult, but now staying in bed is more a case of “but it’s cold out there, and it is warm in here” rather than “nooooooooo, I will die if you wrench me out into the world at this hour”.
Pirate Raiding-and-Looting Council? Pirate Plunder Council? Booty-Counting?
Like Rebecca I too am thinking about how much I hate waking up far too early. In my case, because I couldn’t get back to sleep. Today it was 4:30am which is ridiculous enough, but yesterday I awoke at 1:30am and simply could not get back to sleep. Hello insomnia, old friend. I hope you’re not staying long.
.-= Barbara J Carter´s last post … The 2010 Los Angeles Art Show =-.
Things I’m thinking about:
Still working on this finding ways to write for a living thing…small steps at the moment but little opportunities keep popping up..
I’m thinking about the game of chess I’m having with Luke (@littleletters) via the twitter bar.
Luke has a great little blog about letters and letter writing – http://littleletters.com – and happened to write a post about chess and how some people liked to have games of chess via letter. So you know, you’re sitting eating your breakfast and opening your mail and out pops a postcard and all it says is ‘Queen to Knight 4’ or something equally poetic.
I knew that some of the great masters of chess were give to this sort of behaviour and I liked the idea that Luke and I might not exchange moves for months and then I’d receive a letter from a hotel in Kiev with a new move enclosed or I might write to him from my apartment in Paris (you see how I’m making this sound really romantic and black and white filmy).
So instead we are taking the 21st Century route. We both have chess programmes on our laptops. We tweet each other moves.
What I love is the sense of a game existing in space, connecting me and Luke, that we are both thinking about and which is causing us to plot against each other. It forces me to think really carefully about my next move. It’s meditative and helps distract me from work stress. And the best bit is that we’ve never met. The *Awesomeness* of twitter.
A Pirate Council ritual. How about a rousing joint “Aaaaarrrrrrr Jim Lad” before anyone is allowed to speak?
.-= Lucy´s last post … #Twitterchess Continues =-.
Luke’s site http://www.littleletters.com
.-= Lucy´s last post … #Twitterchess Continues =-.
Ritual for your Pirate Council: what about a pirate-y version of the talking stick from Girl Scout camp? Except that in your case it would be some kind of sceptre, since you are the Pirate Queen. Whoever holds the stick has the floor. If people talk, the sceptre-holder stands up and does a dance with the stick until they stop talking.
Really, this is the best I could come up with today. At least it’s the most productive thing I’ve been able to do so far, anywhere.
Things I’m thinking about: family. How we were not really talking and listening for a long time, but now we are, and it feels weird and strange, but we are practicing to really talk now, after all these years.
Pirate Council ritual: I am imagining some kind of “Ahoy! Sails up! Heading east! The winds are favorable!” goofiness. With everyone getting noisy and silly and having a good laugh, and then quieting down and taking out their bounty to count it.
The only thing I can come up with for starting the Pirate Council is “Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.” Then start passing the bottle around. 😉
I’m thinking I need to go read Elizabeth’s post because I need to rewrite my About page which totally sucks. I also need to update ye olde resume, which I hate. I cannot tell you all the stuck I have on this one. But I need some freelance gigs (writing/editing/proofing) for additional income because of a very stupid financial decision I made earlier this week (smart decisions in other areas, but I really should have waited before committing). So all sorts of stuck and ickiness on “selling myself.” Eeeewwwww.
The book proposal is going well, and I have posts for the blog covered. That feels very, very good.
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … Bishop-Abbess and Homemaker: St. Brigid of Kildare =-.
@ Lucy, I just have to say how wonderful your response here was. Chess via Twitter. Twitterchess! How wonderful! Thanks for sharing…
Pirate Council non-meetings seem like they should involve gold coins, eye patches, and a parrot who either moderates or is the scribe.
Thanks for the BHJ post… I thought he was lost forever. Such good stuff…
Oh, I made a bed for my monster (he hasn’t been sleeping well… is keeping us both up). Will let you know how it works =)
Lots of love!!
.-= Michelle Marlahan´s last post … Dork Dancing, Check! =-.
I’m having a snow day today. I spent the morning continuing to be a harbor seal, and have been playing with my daughter this afternoon — letting her put on far too much makeup, because really, what better time?
I can imagine a Pirate Council meeting kicking off with everyone yelling, “Arrrrr!” a lot, rather like the way I’ve heard you lead group yawns and funny face-making. Then, at the Council’s conclusion, you could pass out snacks to everyone while calling out, “Pieces of eight!”
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … In which I am a secret agent of change =-.
What I’m thinking about right now: spontaneity, play, and improvisation.
If I were to run a Pirate Council gathering, I’d want to create a pirate-themed starting ritual and closing ritual. Maybe talking in pirate-speak for the whole meeting would be distracting.
I’d begin with “opening a cask o’ grog” and filling everyone’s tankards. As I filled each one, I’d mention something about what they’ve done that week that I had appreciated, like, “Drink up, First Mate, good job swabbing the decks this week!” (OK, I’d also mention something they’d actually done). Then I’d have everyone take a swig and bang their tankards on the table with a hearty “ARRR!” to commence the meeting.
To close, more grog and a toast to the next week’s bounty.
You could even do this over Skype or similar. People could be swigging their coffee, nobody would have to know.
Really, I think that any meeting that centers on swigging grog is going to be a fine one.
Arrr!
How about “The Plank” for your weekly pirate thing? I know, sounds stressful but it’s not because the plank is for ideas, not people. As in, which ideas get to come on board and which get tossed to the crocodiles (or to a lovely sandy beach so someone else might find them, if you prefer).
Wasn’t quite balmy at around 30 degrees here, but I sure am grateful that it wasn’t windy as I hung out my window to take some snowy photographs. 🙂
.-= claire´s last post … Sketchbook, page 1 =-.
Love the swearing in Cornish!
I’m Cornish, live in Cornwall (UK) and swearing in Cornish was probably the last thing I expected to see on your blog, Havi! Love it!
xxx
@Pearl Mattenson – I drew in a deep breath as I read I see you – you are seen . This is the second time it has appeared in conversation in less than a week.
@Sarah –
If my meetings at the corporate rob had started like that man oh man I might have gone to them But wait, then I might still have a corporate rob.
Filled tankards – such a lovely thought.
@Claire – Love the idea plank. May have to repurpose that into another metaphor for my mastermind.
Things I am thinking about this week – tons and tones. Someone heard me sing on Sunday (I don’t sing much anymore in front of people) and for the last 3 days there have been songs just showing up in my head, along with melodies. That’s nice.
Connecting with people which I did all weekend and it felt good but I also noticed a disconnecting in myself – so… not sure about that.
And starting my New Year on my birthday instead of the prescribed 1st day of a Gregorian calendar.
Also The Starter Kit – which necessitates thinking about getting a DVD player or a new computer hmmmmm ambivalent about either.
I second Sarah’s tankard-banging as a way to start off the meeting, and wanted to add a little ritual of my own. I used to do this in a business I ran with a friend that was more knight-themed, but I think it could serve a Pirate Queen very well:
We had a little wooden chest with a lock. Every meeting, we would solemnly open up the little wooden chest and everyone would put in one of the golden Sacagawea coins. It had this nice feeling of solidarity about it. It was a really small amount of money, but it made this satisfying clink and we had this treasure chest that everyone felt very protective about. At the end of every business season, we went and bought a couple of really great bottles of wine and had a tasting. The clerk got used to us coming in every few months and plunking down a big bag full of about $150 in gold coins. You could do it with anything, really, doesn’t have to be gold coins, but gold coins does seem fitting for a pirate queen.
I also highly recommend finishing every meeting with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw
It is impossible not to feel happy during the Way, Hay part.
@Tei- that song is totally going to be my next shivanata background music!!!!
.-= Pearl Mattenson´s last post … 2.1.10 =-.
My only idea is the “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”. But, if you like rum, that might not be a bad thing to add to pirate councils!
Also liking the gold coins and plank for ideas ideas ..
.-= Elizabeth´s last post … on wings of song =-.
Sword fights, rum and Johnny Depp? I think I may want to be a pirate now….
I’m thinking about how I drank too much wine last night and how I’d really like to get some rest and not have heartburn anymore. Bad wine, bad.
Also thinking about how good it felt to actually teach my first class and how with all the build up it felt a lot like traveling. Plan, plan, plan – filled with anxiety and worry. Then the day arrives and it’s all totally fine.
Thinking about how excited I am to see my favorite singer this weekend and how much I don’t care about the Super Bowl.
.-= Tami´s last post … Yoga+Music365 (day34) – Human Like a House by The Finches – My First Class Edition =-.
These are GREAT ideas. Love love love.
@Tami – oh I’m so glad the class went well. I’d meant to comment on your blog and tell you about all the stress dreams and nightmares I had when I first started teaching yoga a gazillion years ago.
Oh, the irony. It hurt so much. So relieved to find out it was a “thing”. And then pow you’re a yoga teacher and all is good.
@Elizabeth – oh totally. I’m not so into the rum, but let it be noted that my gentleman friend have already transitioned into calling it Drunk Pirate Council.
And it’s taking place in a bar. And we’ve already stopped saying things like “let’s have a meeting” and started saying “let’s talk about that at Drunk Pirate Council”.
Which ROCKS.
Kisses all around. Missed you guys lots. Yay. Items. Yay.
I’m thinking about the fact that maybe I should stop fighting the idea that I may already be doing my thing, and if I stop fighting the idea that it is my thing, then all the great work WINS I can see coming my way like cresting waves reaching for the shore will not feel so scary.
And I’m thinking that Drunk Pirate Council is exactly perfect, as long as there is no plank involved.
.-= lynn @ human, being´s last post … Random Tuesday Thoughts =-.
Things I am thinking about: that I am going on holiday on Sunday! (To Barcelona, by sleeper train.) That I got lots of things done during the at-home part of my week (Mon-Wed), & now have 3 busy days of teaching not-at-home, which are all going to go well, yes. (Even though it is raining right now & I teach cycling & thus have to be out in the rain.) That I have been doing Shiva Nata every morning this week (just for a few minutes, but that is a start!) & that feels like a good thing.
Pirate Council rituals could involve cookies. Cookies are always good (I’m not sure how piratical they are; but they’re good).
.-= Juliet´s last post … link collection =-.
@ Dawn
glad you enjoyed it, jump in.. i think we should have a network of twitterchessers.
i would very much like to attend a meeting of the drunk pirate council. i have always wanted one of those nice piratey coats.. and a tri-corn hat.
meanwhile @ Jo – i met a really fantastic group of young people from cornwall a few years ago. they were lobbying government to protect the teaching of Cornish in Cornish schools. they wanted the same protection for Cornish that exists for Welsh.
and yes, definitely the last thing i expected to see here too!
but of course it links to the pirateyness – arrrrrhhhh
L x
.-= Lucy´s last post … #Twitterchess Continues =-.
Item!
As I was browsing the intertube for my latest exploring obsession, dyeing yarn, I found this wonderful person making goblins out of wool. I present you: Kasey Sorsby / Tanglewoodthicket. She is on
Etsy, twitter, Ravelry and has a wonderful, wonderful flickr photostream. Enjoy!