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.
Seriously? 59 Wednesdays?
Let’s do this one a bit differently.
Item! Post No. 59 in a sometimes-on-a-Wednesday series that is occasionally delightful and, more often, both a cause and a cure for Internet Hangover.
Item! Things that are sweet.
I was following an assortment of rabbit holes, and wound up on some completely gorgeous food blogs.
Because last week’s fix of Ezra Pound Cake was not enough, apparently.
And yes, I get that it’s odd for someone who doesn’t eat meat or sugar to spend time on food blogs drooling over pictures of things she doesn’t want and can’t have.
But there’s just something about the presentation and the pretty.
So. My latest obsession is Kylie and Adriana’s Thin Crust Deep Dish.
I like that they self-identify in lists. Oh how I love lists.
The writing is terrific. The pictures are stunning. Plus slug mud pies and lavender-scented strawberry jam.
- “fried eggs
- homemade mayonnaise
- roasted kale
- anything in a wine sauce
- blackberry kefir”
And through them I also ended up at on a bunch of other sites, my favorite of which was this beautiful and entertaining romp of a recipe for ice cream flower pot worm things.
The pictures! The phrase “Oreo topsoil”! Joy.
Adriana and Kylie are @TCrustDDish on Twitter.
Item! Things I’m brunching that are exciting.
Aside from the monster coloring book that was just announced, big things are … well, brewing for the Playground Fun Brewing project.
The biggest right now is a non-retreat. A 4+ day thing in Portland of Punk Rock Shivanauttery.
It’s brain-changing destuckification and it’s awesome and considerably less expensive than my regular retreats.
With music from the Playlist of Inappropriateness. So be warned. There will be Old Turkish Lady yoga too, just to mix things up.
I just told some people yesterday and right now there are seven seats left.
Seriously. The fun and the breakthroughs. Will be epic. Here’s the page with all the details.
Item! Things other people are brunching that are exciting.
Naomi Dunford, love of my life, abuser of my duck’s reputation and general sayer-of-inappropriate-things, is also doing a thing that probably rocks.
I say probably because (disclosure):
- I
am kind of lazyhave been getting really into my napping thing - I have not actually read the sales page for her class yet so I do not know what it is about other than that it helps with money drama.
- But I do know about money drama and how it is not fun and makes for intense stuckification.
- And that Naomi’s probably not charging enough.
- And that any class whose alternate title is ” What Kind Of A Moron Pees On Their Own Boot?” has to be pretty entertaining.
She’s @IttyBiz on Twitter.
Item! Lists.
I adore naming things.
As you know from my Metaphor Mouse posts. And my Fake Band of the Week in the Friday Chickens. And from the fact that my blog has its own glossary (The Glossary: it makes your hair all shiny!).
And from that time we named the moons. And then we named the rain too.
Well. I have been naming my lists.
Specifically lists of iguanas (things that I don’t really feel like doing) and Chickens (reports on things I’m working on).
Actually, this has kind of inspired a trend at our Kitchen Table program of people giving their lists wonderful, silly, inspiring names. And if they ever give me permission I might reprint some of those brilliant titles here.
But in the meantime, I was just enjoying this list of some of my lists:
- Six impossible iguanas before brunch? With extra ketchup?
- Oh this iguana needs a fancypants HAT box!
- Watch out, this iguana is putting on the rhinestone gloves
- Metaphor Mouse, meet Iguana and Chicken.
- “I’d gladly pay you Toozday for a (veggie) Iguanaburger today” chicken
- Crazed Iguana Bedrest Chicken
- Havi’s Cranky 45 Minute Iguana (Doesn’t Like The Monday)
- Havi’s monster wonders why even bother chicken
- Zen chicken is not feeling very zen
- Mapping chicken (not a chicken map though because that would be weird)
- Havi spotted doing the macarena with a Crazed Iguana. Reports to follow!
- Stuckified iguanability: I am baby steps mcgee
- Havi’s shivanautical roller derby writing iguana crap crap crap
- Havi’s chicken crosses the road and makes a pass at an iguana
Yes.
I get that it shouldn’t make it easier to get stuff done just because you gave your list of things-in-progress a funny name. But it does.
Item! Three things I’m working on this week.
From my journal.
- Saying no so lovingly and graciously that it doesn’t feel like there is something being lost on either side.
- Recognizing how hard it is for me to trust that this time will be different than last time.
- Using Shiva Nata to untangle an old narrative that interprets situations as betrayal when they aren’t.
And that’s my week.
Item! Comments! Here’s what I want this time:
- Things you’re thinking about.
- Good names for lists! Like George. Or Stella. Or Baby Steps McGee.
- What you would like to know, if anything, in a class/program/thing about writing Very Personal Ads
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. But a balmy one if you’re Claire. See you tomorrow.
Follow
Charming.
Now I have to spend all the money I make on jam supplies.
Thanks.
😉
.-= Naomi Dunford´s last post … Money! Or, What Kind Of A Moron Pees On Their Own Boot?* =-.
ooh a class on writing VPAs!
My first question would be how to give yourself permission to even think about asking. Because I still get stuck there.
How to be brave with the ask, it seems that everyone wants to have success with their thing that looks very similar to my thing and I end up feeling like “well everyone else has already asked, there isn’t any more to go around.” I do believe I saw that mentioned in the Monster Coloring Book page. That Monster shows up a lot when I try to compose a VPA.
How to be specific (which goes with brave) because how can you get what you want if the person/deity/universe you are asking isn’t clear on what you want.
How to keep track of what you’ve asked for so you know if/when you got an answer. Maybe something about diving into “big, long term asks” and “happen in shorter term asks”. This may belong in a section of the “Book of You”.
And I am thinking about how pretty it is out and my trip this afternoon to drop off art, and my Blick list for Saturday’s trip to Columbus for my cousin’s wedding (and Blick trip 😉 And of course cake, because it’s my birthday 🙂
.-= Andi´s last post … Books in Bloom =-.
Havi, Monster Coloring Book, Fun Brewing, Punk Rock Shivanauttery Non-Retreat…oh happy week! 🙂
Things I’m thinking about today: Choice, and…Elegance as a central organizing principle. For my life. For my business. Defining elegance in its scientific and mathematical sense: as that which is both necessary and sufficient.
So I’m practicing making choices by asking: Is this the most elegant path? Is it necessary? Is it sufficient?
Then there are those choices that have such an inevitability about them that the questions become moot.
Is reading your blog first thing this morning necessary? Yes! Is it sufficient? Not quite, but it’s a Very Good Start to my elegant day. 🙂
Love, Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … Life Unfolding =-.
oh and one other thing about the VPA, how to not feel greedy for asking?
.-= Andi´s last post … Books in Bloom =-.
On VPA’s: I’m okay with the idea of asking. It’s just that I imagine all these scary consequences on the other side of the ask. Sort of worrying about shoes being thrown at me, but also like not being sure whether there will be ground under you when you land after jumping. Any ideas for making the ask itself feel a little safer?
On lists: Mmmm, lists. My favorite, right up there with schedules. I have a list on my computer titled “Matters of State,” but I was having issues with that list because, being digital, it never ended. So at least for now, I have gone back to paper. Because you can only write so much on a piece of paper. And you get to have a party when you reach the end of it.
And now that I have been inspired to think of it, it occurs to me that pieces of paper can all have their own interesting names depending on what I feel like calling them that day. Like “Puttery Tidbits (of Doom).” Or “Choose Your Own Adventure and Please Remember the Compass This Time.” Or “Caution: Wednesday. Handle With Care.” Or “Piece of Paper Packs a Peck of Pretty Pickles” (for that list with especially thorny bits on it).
I’m probably far too amused by this. But I don’t mind. Thanks for the idea!
For a metaphorical enchantress, my lists would be an index of spells or a potions ingredients list ^_^
And though I’ve no specific questions, i’m looking forward to the brunch of the VPA thing. like, REALLY looking forward to it. Despite being in the UK and thus likely unable to attend =( Dependant on it’s type/style.
I loved your list names and yay for having so many wonderful things in your week 🙂
~Rose
.-= Rose´s last post … Feeling Right: An Inspired VPA =-.
I didn’t get a chance to say so yesterday but I danced all around the living room due to the large amount of happy the Monster Colouring Book caused, yet again. Yum, so much happy and excitement.
I’m totally gonna snag one as soon as the Great Migration is finished and we’re settled into our new nest.
And I love the list names! What a super fantastic idea.
Thinking about: this marathon roller-coaster of PhD preliminary exam projects that I’ve been working on, and how fear and hope are walking hand in hand, buying each other cotton candy and getting all sticky together.
I think Uncle Lister is a nice name for a list — but I also love Baby Steps McGee. And Stella. Stelllaaaaa!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … When the going gets tough… =-.
Whoo-boy – I’m working myself up to a gracious no, too. It’s hard. Hugging you in the hard.
.-= Suzyn´s last post … New Pattern: Trellis Cup Cozy =-.
I’ll have to work on finding cool names for my lists, though I really like Laura’s idea of a Munchies Inventory. Yours are fabulously awesome and inspiring too!
Things I’m thinking about:
– the group of people I met last night and got interested into learning Shiva Nata, and the next steps I have to take now (finding a date for the first class that’d work for most of them, deciding if I’m doing that first class for free or not, etc.)
– the plane ticket I have to buy because I’m going to Portland next month – squeeeeeeeee!
.-= Josiane´s last post … Middle of the night musings =-.
Damn it, Havi, why do you have to go and be all inspiring and compelling and hilarious when I have to pack (strike that) *enchant*my*magical*treasure*chest* and plan (strike that) *cast*magical*spells* for my upcoming workshop in NYC?!!
Couldn’t you wait to be inspiring and compelling and hilarious until I have TIME for it?
Feh!
.-= Melissa Dinwiddie´s last post … A Peek Inside My Brain While I Problem-Solve =-.
@Josiane – you’re coming to Portland! And teaching Shiva Nata! HOORAY.
@Kat – Stelllaaaaa! Exactly. Thank you.
@Beth + Andi – these questions are terrific, exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Awesome. Thanks!
@Naomi – I can’t wait to read your Stories Of An Obsessive Jam Supplies Collector blog. That will be the best.
Oh, you sweet, sweet Portland-dweller. I am exuberant that you’re enjoying TCDD. Wahoo for lists (and oreo topsoil, baby).
.-= Kylie´s last post … spring has sprung =-.