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.
I am back from five days off hiding in the woods at my uncle’s place.
It feels kind of weird to be here. But good. Weird-good.
And now it’s Friday. So we chicken.
The hard stuff
Sleep magic disappearing.
Usually when I’m at Svevo’s I do nothing but sleep.
Naps happen all day long, with much early-going-to-bed and luxurious dreaming under the covers, with the rain tap-tap-tap-tapping on the skylights.
This time I didn’t sleep. Maybe I couldn’t sleep. Not really sure.
Partly I didn’t want to and partly I forgot how.
So lots of empty hours in bed, not asleep and not ready to be awake.
But sleep magic is connected to other kinds of magic..
It turns out that all those other things I look forward to about these visits are related to being well-rested.
The amazing air and the gorgeous trees were still there, but the effect was not the same.
Usually I feel unbelievably refreshed, peaceful, at ease, clear-headed, energized, hopeful and full of purpose.
This time everything was heavy, lethargic and full of fog. Probably because of the not sleeping.
Adaptation.
Adaptation is our first quarterly theme at the Kitchen Table this year, and my people are really struggling with it, for the most part.
So I got to go through that too this week, with many experiences being different than I had imagined.
Including realizing that the reason I had gone to the woods wasn’t going to happen, and that this was the time to discover what the new reason was.
And then again with our local Roller Derby league having gone through changes that result in three of Portland’s teams being evenly matched, with our team left at an absurd disadvantage.
It’s been super interesting.
The monsters, they are loud.
We are crazy behind on a number of projects, thanks to all hell breaking loose while we were renovating two of our websites.
The external pressure is loud, but the internal pressure is so much worse.
Spent most of this week in monster negotiations.
The good stuff
Being gone.
And not just being gone, but being in the best place.
Even sleepless and headachey, I’d still rather be at my uncle’s than just about anywhere.
The pace is slow, the fire is warm, the conversation is lively, and I get to spend time with my uncle, who is just about the most wise, admirable and sovereign person ever.
We cooked delicious food on the wood-burning stove, roasted hazelnuts, invented stories and generally had a marvelous time.
Going for walks in the woods with the dogs..
So beautiful!
I went on holiday and nothing broke.
This is always a good reminder.
Regaining the love for something that wasn’t working.
At some point during the sleeplessness, I thought:
This is burn-out. This is what they mean. It’s all burnt. Out.
But then I watched the blackened husks of the old thing fall away, and I remembered why I love what I love and how I love it and what it feels like to love it.
Something came back. Except that it was new.
And this was good.
Getting things done.
At a pace that was sometimes glacial, but still without forcing.
Movement. Timing. Patience. Courage. Rest.
I’m piecing things together and this is also good.
Being cared for.
Having the gentleman friend to make me tea and tuck me in makes things better, even when they’re hard.
Dogs!
Obviously I’m not allowed to have dogs because I know myself and we all know exactly what would happen, which is this: *
This blog would cease to be the front door of my company and would instantly turn into a photo gallery of dog pictures, and the occasional incomprehensible amusing-only-to-me dog-related story.
Really, I wouldn’t write actual posts here ever again, and all you’d see would be scribbled notes saying schmoo schmoo schmooo look how cuuuuuuute they are when they do this and how good they are when they do that oh who’s a good boy now.
* Actually, there are dozens of reasons for why I can’t have a dog, but this one might as well stand in for all of them.
Anyway, getting to play with Bobby and Gus is always one of the highlights of visiting.
All the great results from Rally.
Last week’s Rally (Rally!) was so astoundingly great, and I am still processing many of the neat things I learned.
Plus reading about the breakthroughs, insights and new projects of the Rallions this week has been marvelous.
I am super excited for the one starting Monday. If you haven’t signed up for that one, there may still be a spot open. I’m pretty sure that February is full, though, so either talk the First Mate into letting you in, or grab a spot for March.
Rally! I love Rally so much I can hardly stand it.
And … playing live at the meme beach house it’s the Fake Band of the Week!
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’s band, inspired by a pair of dueling corner store Dari Marts (gah, it hurts just to type it) is a local musical act, known in these parts as:
Sad Illiterate Cow.
They’ll be here all night!
Guess what, though? It turns out that it’s actually just one guy.
Lovely things I read this week.
The book City of Thieves, by David Benioff.
It’s not exactly HSP-friendly, but I found completely enthralling and un-put-downable. Loved!
This post by Jesse on vacationing in the scenic doldrums (some beautiful destuckifying).
Some notes on expressions from Lackadaisy. This page is so fascinating that I keep returning to it and finding new and wondrous things.
This site of extremely literal captions for New Yorker cartoons is the funniest and most awesome thing.
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 day and a restful weekend-ing.
And a happy week to come. Shabbat shalom.
Follow
Errghhh – adaptation…
When my stepson was five I gave him a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast instead of his usual toast and he broke down and WEPT!
Me: What? I thought you LIKED oatmeal?!?
Him: *sob, sob* – I do, but, but…
Me: But what honey?
Him: It… it… it’s just not what I was expeeeectiiiinngg…. *more sobbing*
Yes, adaptation.
Chickening…
Hard
– Facing up to stuff and asking for help
– Tired tired tired. Physically. Of old stuff.
– So many things I want to be doing. #prioritisingthingsisnotmystrongpoint
– Falling off my sovereignty horse. Bump.
– Bills keep on coming. Money keeps on going. YAWN
Good
+ My husband makes me laugh. Everyday. Deliberately. With custom made bad jokes that he doesn’t even think are slightly funny. <3
+ After asking for help – getting it. Help to get some movement on a couple of very stuck work projects. Help to get some of the cobwebby feeling off me.
+ I keep getting back on my sovereignty horse. Good on me.
+ Occupational Therapy is going to help. #HOPE!!
+ Getting organised and crossing things off the "To Do list" (quick where is Metaphor Mouse!). Movement, energy circulating, de/re-construction etc.
Chicken!!
xx
The Hard:
-Having my week long cold be capped off by some intestinal bug. Anything that causes me to fear something as wonderful as food should be punished severely.
-Iguanas flying in my face. Me begging them to let me take them to bed one at a time. They are LOUD.
-Monsters. Yes, I know they love me. I wish they would shut the $@*^ up.
The Good:
+After being alerted to a local job ad, I got the chutzpah to revamp my resume (we’re talking “Eye of the Tiger” here, folks) and e-mail a cover letter out, despite the ‘helpful’ monsters trying to make me stop.
+I now have an interview with a local art gallery with possibility of representation. I’ll find out how it all works out in approximately three hours. 🙂
Totally surprised by today being Friday, even though I knew it would be.
The Hard
Finding out I need a visa for Brazil and having to leave the island before I got to visit the indigenous textile group to see them making pieces.
Getting to the embassy after having spent one full day traveling and another gathering things like passport size photos and printouts of my flight schedules to find that I may not get my visa in time for my flight on Monday.
Waiting. Still waiting to find out.
Knowing that if I had gotten my guide book sooner I could have avoided all of this.
I have four posts in my head, and haven’t been able to write any of them. Mostly when I sit down, I just want to sleep.
The Good
Even if I have to wait till next week for the visa, my flight is changeable. Not really my doing, but was the only kind of ticket available when I finally decided to buy.
Having wonderful friends who make over the top bonuses for my first freebie e-course that officially ended for the first group last week.
I’m about to cross the equator for the first time. Wheeeeeee!
Finding my path in bits and pieces and gathering them along the way, putting them together.
Knowing that even when I have problems, my life is still amazing. Feeling it in my body.
Finally seeing women in traditional clothing again. Something about the combination of traditional clothing and an urban setting makes me feel like the world will be okay. That people are strong and we can be who we are wherever we are.
Friday again already? Ok.
The hard.
– I applied for a show in October. On the application it said returning vendors needed to apply by Oct 1 or they’d be considered new vendors. After I applied the woman running the show emailed me and said she was still waiting for last year’s vendors to apply. (?) I emailed her a month later and asked about the status. She was still waiting for last year’s vendors to apply. I emailed her again a week ago to ask again. A few days ago she replied to say they’re full. And to apply this sept for next year’s show. And that she wasn’t going to hound the previous vendors again because it had been a real pain and next year they’d have to apply by a certain date and she’d have to figure out a way to indicate that on the application form. Seriously?
The good.
+ I got accepted to two other shows.
+ Whoever stole my shoes last week returned them this week. I’m locking them in my desk at night now.
+ I dyed my hair purple! I love it!
+ I got a like-new used spinning wheel off of craigslist. It rocks. And now I’ll be able to teach spinning classes.
+ Since I increased the dosage of the migraine drug, it *may* actually be working. Too soon to tell.
Chicken!
Hard:
-Tired! Not going to bed early enough because of RUSH-RUSH
– Ominous persistent thoughts about mom’s health-foreshadows that have come true in the past
– Not knowing what to do next(or at all!) with TAB
Good:
-Have put my sovereign foot down on the overscheduling and it’s beginning to work
-My garden is growing and seeds are sprouting
-When I slowed down and took a break – had a brilliant idea for new TAB thing 🙂
-Lots of birds, even hummingbirds, at the feeders
Wait, isn’t that my blog? *she giggles* Really, there is nothing better than walks in the woods with dogs. I could use one myself.
Hard:
Sleep. Clearly, since I am writing this chicken at dark o’clock. The pup is waking me up 2x a night to go outside and it is difficult to adjust.
It is becoming hard to deny the reality that the pup is aging. Maybe he does have years left. Maybe he does not. Adaptation. It is difficult.
Things not working, or else working slowly. Hard to say.
A difficult thought/idea – which may or may not be true, but it’s full of hardness.
Good:
I am knitting!
VisualsSpeak is the coolest thing.
My new card set is my favorite one ever.
Somehow spending much less money without even realizing it. Lovely.
Sunshine.
Good people and things.
Hugs to everyone for the hard and cheers for the good.
Hi, sweet peas! Happy chicken day!
@Havi, Uncle Svevo’s home sounds like my heaven. When you talked about cooking on the wood-burning stove, I melted.
@Riin: Purple hair! Love love love (and glad you’re loving it).
The Hard:
-Was very sleepy last night, but couldn’t sleep. Weird.
-It seems like everyone I know is going on diets. This makes me feel really sad.
-Having trouble letting people have their stuff. It’s really really hard.
-My partner is sick, and I don’t know where to buy her the special orange-pineapple juice that makes her feel better.
The Good:
-I’ve been doing lots of internal work on myself and my business, and it’s become apparent this week that this is all giving off the right energy. Plus, I’ve having lots more ideas on how to infuse things with love and brightness and coziness.
-Fabeku’s post about his dentist made me so happy and also gave me lots of great business-love ideas (see above).
-I just found out that a wonderful friend will be making a surprise visit to NYC this weekend.
-I’m really exploring the art of the pause, and Havi, your post on pausing just deepened that practice. I’m splashing around in the land of pause. Paws!
-I’m working on mindfulness intensively, and I’ve found a supportive community that’s really helping me feel supported and able to ask questions related to that.
-It’s Friday. Yay!
A happy weekend to all.
Every once in a while, I feel like everyone’s doing the phoenix thing. Rising from ashes, you know? All the time. It’s like…a pattern that sits over everything else…and you can see different people hitting it at different times.
But then I think…oh you’re just making things fit into your own view of the world again, Emily.
At any rate, yay for the falling-away of the burnt husk. And for new-old love.
Hard:
-The permanent shoeprint that is on me from the same shoe being thrown over and over again. It was thrown again this week. I keep adapting my response, but still haven’t come up with the one that can prevent the throwing of the shoe. (This time? I thought non-response would work. Nope.) And once the shoe is thrown I have a really hard time not wallowing in the hurt I feel.
-Got the bill from the Little Bird’s ER visit. (Oh, she’s fine. Nothing to worry about there.) Yowza! Why again do I pay hundreds of dollars a month for insurance? I’m genuinely starting to wonder.
-Loudy McLoud in the office next door is making it hard to concentrate. His random shouts of various offensive swears (and believe me, it takes quite a bit to offend me) have become overwhelming. Building mgr came and talked to them about it, but I’ve noticed no change in noise level or swearing.
Good:
-I had time to play with dye and wool and yarn every day. Always fun.
-Without trying, my newish blog is growing its readership. (Not by much, mind. Just, from 4 people a day to something more like 15…)
-My motivation to Do Things has returned. Causing me to wonder if I will always struggle in the whirlpool when it is draining away, or if I’ll learn to accept that these things are cyclical. It’s a pleasant wondering for now.
-Coyotes howling overnight at Full Wolf Moon. Spooky, but powerful.
There is something I simply must do.
I just have to say Moo!
Because I can’t write it,
Or anything like it.
‘Cuz I’m a
Sad, Illiterate Cow!
(and I’m just one guy)
My apologies. It was way worse when I sang it in my head.
Cluck.
The Hard: Anxiety. Bad sleep. Everything hurt. Everything took 4x longer than it should. The replacement printer took 3 days to get working even though it was the exact same model. Thinkin’ I’d check myself into a mental hospital if only I was assured that I’d be in the same ward with Hurley and Libby from Lost. And it got COLD again. I didn’t give it permission for that.
The Good: I have help with a Big New Project! And I’m all enthused and happy about said project. I’m so overwhelmed by that particular good that I can’t think of any others, but that’s ok because it is VERY GOOD! Yay.
And..OMG I just remembered I have an interview to do today and I am TOTALLY unprepared and ok, bye! Cluck.
I would love a dog, too. A Golden Doodle would be great, they are soooo cute and the name is just great. And it is not as f…ing huge as the dog in the New Yorker Cartoon.
Thanks for the book recommendation, I have already ordered it because I can do with an unputdownable book.
The hard:
– Worries about husband.
– Tired, tired, tired and still being awake for a couple of hours at some point every night.
– Have been dragging around a cold for days that is not really there and not really disappearing.
– Red nose and dark circles under my eyes due to above, hate this combination.
– Festival preparations are becoming madness.
The good:
– Husband back home, health issues not as bad as expected and for once he is giving himself a proper break and actually looking after himself.
– Getting stuff done.
– Loving the job despite the crazy workload.
– A stunning premiere.
– This weekend will be purely a – PAWS, including sauna and steam bath.
Ooh, I would like some of the things coming back only they’re new thing. That would be good. I know that feeling, but it’s not here.
My week had hard bits.
Lots of running up agains faceless companies who don’t understand and don’t seem interested in what I need. That psuedo-personable jovial-blokey tone in their advertising and copy is getting really really annoying. If you’re so friendly and approachable, why are you such d—s to me about my issue? Bastards.
I was completely out of cheese on Monday. Had to give myself the day off. Much monsterage ensued: so much undone! So much that needs to be done right now!
There was also good though.
On my day off I walked for a long long way to get to the yarnshop. I got yarn! It’s super soft and squooshy. So glad I decided to learned how to knit. Now I have places to walk to when I need a day off. And also, I can knit.
I went to my new drawing class and it rocked. It’s figure drawing, but with movement. We drew the model while she was dancing. We even drew music. It was nuts. And I actually talked to the people instead of being all introverted and antisocial. Full points for me!
I had a useful conversation with my “you cannot have time off ever” monster. We agreed to experiment more with this “off day” concept. Monstertalking is still surprisingly effective, I like that about it.
Hello to all the chickeneers!
Wow. I think I love that literal New Yorker site more than anything I’ve seen in weeks. Friggin’ genius. And even better, the domain name is themonkeysyouordered.com. Love it.
This week’s hard:
– Learning that I’m one of many who were scammed out of merchandise by an out-of-state consignment shop.
– Ongoing family drama. Or perhaps that should be [jazzhands]Drama!![/jazzhands].
– This awful freezing cold.
This week’s good:
– The amazing community that has grown up around this scam situation and those affected by it, and recognizing that I am not the only one. And not having it completely rattle my innate trust of other people too much.
– Taking the opportunity to reevaluate and rework some of my policies and procedures around consignment.
– Finally getting the kick in the ass I needed to get some of my new stuff listed in my Etsy shop.
– Being able to be a hero for one of my clients and taking on a rush project to help them out of a bind because I had planned other things well enough to have the time in my schedule.
Happy Friday, Chickeneers!
A long walk in the woods sounds perfect right now. Tomorrow’s plan is a riverside hike, which might be close enough.
The hard:
* No more very sick kitten, as of Sunday. Sweet letters from his regular vet and the emergency clinic that remind me of how sad this feels. Telling people I need a break from various projects while I grieve.
* Hiking boot insoles that gave out when I still had two miles left to go. Very sore feet.
The good:
* Hiking! In Forest Park, when everything was flooding and there were giant streams and waterfalls everywhere.
* Friends.
The hard:
Upping and moving country once again… this is bought some unexpected things like
-Not having any phone credit to message people and tell them thanks
-Not double checking email addresses for contacting people again
-Missing last minute hugs
-Jet lag
-Moving my life into bags, then carrying said bags through 3 different countries. Silly heavy bags.
The good:
-Having a lovely new place to stay that has breakfast.
-New opportunities to meet people, that has already happened
-Catching up with old friends
-Feeling smart for coming back to play in London again
-Having plans that are sneaky, fun, cunning and quite fox like in the morning sun.
and
– Appropriation of Havi’s thought exercise that starts at the end of the year and planing steps backwards so as to have a loving, joy filled, play time plan of awesome and boots.
Hey all! Sounds like many of us had sleep issues this week…
The Hard:
-Staying up a bit too late a few nights (which is normally impossible for me, since I have a strict internal clock, resulting in a bad ripple effect of tired and cranky.
-Depressed and anxious. No two ways around it; that’s what it is. Maybe PMS-related, maybe not. Just no pleasure and lots of despair.
-Having to tell new doc abbreviated versions of traumas and hurts in order to get new prescription. There’s often a fall-out after that, since it’s like reminding myself of all my pain, with no processing of said pain.
The Good:
+Bf was great about listening to my angst. It was helpful to feel validated and just to be heard.
+Journaled a couple of times this week, which started the process of processing, which is so sorely needed.
+Came up with good ideas for helping stave off depression (more exercise, more activities, less TV).
+Collaboration with coworkers helped me feel connected and part of something.
+Lots of fiction reading has been so great.
+Tropical vacation is booked!
What a week – I’m sure it should qualify as it’s own month or something.
The hard:
– the ill – and how ill. Utterly draining and miserable, and rather poor timing too.
– the ill related mood crash half-way through the week. Ugh.
– getting frustrated at not skin stuff not working, and it being made all the worse by my mood
The good:
– Seeing my tattooist today and yes – I was totally right to wait to see her, she is just exactly who I was hoping would do my tattoos and her ideas seem incredible.
– Finally finding someone who will help me with my industry analysis – again they seem like just the person I was hoping for
– Knowing that there are plenty of people who care if I’m ill
– My mummy making me food and buying me flowers to cheer me
– Reading my first Neil Gaiman book and discovering it’s the book version of a TV series I particularly loved as a teenager
– Horrible post-viral mood clearing up. Yay.
Hope you all have lovely weekends. 🙂
Happy update on my last chicken:
I wanted to teach more — and it is happening!
[ ] planning new classes in San Francisco
[ ] seeing new possibilities and partnerships, near and far
[ ] going to Portland in 2 weeks where I get to guest teach at the lovely Danielle’s Somaphile Movement Studio!
[ ] and teach a Master Class and teacher training workshop in Tigard!
@Havi, oh goodness, I’ve been mentioned in a chicken! That always tickles me pink 🙂 Though I’m sorry to hear you are vacationing in this place too, and hope you get what you need to figure it out.
@Katheryn, I feel this way exactly! I too was completely surprised by Friday, even though I knew it was coming.
@Claire, your stepson’s toast meltdown 1) reminds me of my little girl who does an identical thing sometimes, but doesn’t yet have the words to tell us about it, and 2) made me laugh!
the Hard
– Navigating these doldrums with my Discomfort, who I still haven’t managed to really sit down and talk to. Further conversations are probably necessary, though I’m kind of scared of her because she seems really annoyed by my presence on the ship, so far.
– Trying to ignore the weather and wear the Coat I Like instead of the Coat That Keeps Me Warm didn’t really work so well. In total denial that it’s not Spring yet.
the Good
+ Going to see my friend’s play last night, and also hanging out with my best friend, who is going to give birth to a baby ANY SECOND which is so exciting.
+ Getting out of the office for lots of meetings actually resulted in more work getting done, rather than less. I’m stumped as to how that worked but trying not to question it too much 🙂
+ This general feeling of wellbeing and peace dwelling in my mind right now. Feeling like maybe some things I was really confused and heartsore about have kind of worked themselves out nicely.
+ The most amazing thing: setting an intention about internet time one day actually led to FOLLOWTHROUGH. Oh goodness this was a revelation.
Kisses and grins to everyone, and happy Friday!
@Audrey: I’m so sorry. Losing a pet is so, so hard.
@Kim: Congratulations! Quite a lineup!
My hard:
* close friends breaking up after more than 20 years together. Scary and sad on so many levels.
* other friends contending with health / finance issues
* learning curve near gave me an ulcer this week
* crowded by iguanas; out of cocktail napkins
My good:
* introducing several of my favorite people to each other over a really lovely dinner. And a side-chat with more friends who happened to show up at the same restaurant while we were there.
* I’m in currently in first place in a tennis predictions contest. It won’t last, but I’m usually so out of the running by this point that I’m going to bask in this for all it’s worth. 😉
* several people getting in touch
* several Twitter-poetry acceptances
* ulcer averted
* filed my sales tax return on time. And my Postman of Awesome caught the fact that I’d forgotten to put a stamp on the envelope
* North African music at the kosher bakery down the street, and snickerdoodle cupcakes too. I love my neighborhood SO MUCH.
Wishing everyone help with the hard and good progress with their gwishes.
It’s Friday! Yay. Time for the Chicken:
The Hard:
The first meeting of my proposal working group triggered all sorts of monsters. I didn’t have enough juice to negotiate, so I just sort of kept them in check for the week.
Then my prospective-new-roommate called and guess what? She’s not moving in after all! Hooray for only a couple of weeks to keep my rent from doubling! This triggered most of the monsters that hadn’t already been called into action by the proposal working group. My breathing is speeding up just writing about it.
The Happy:
My Very Personal Ad for a semi-affordable ticket to Lahore, Pakistan is looking good! I posted to some friends on FB, and they gave me great tips. I’m starting to get excited about probably being able to attend my friend’s wedding.
I emailed the other member of the proposal working group and we agreed that we are now no longer in a proposal working group, we are Playing in the Sandbox. Digging, building, frolicking, shovels & colorful plastic pails, etc. This is immeasurably better, and we are both excited.
So, when we actually went to Play in the Sandbox I had a breakthrough! Still need to work though some stuff, but I’m feeling good about what I came up with. Hooray!
Hard:
-Really lethargic today. Even chickening feels like such an effort, but I really want to do it!
-Driving on snow and ice. Scary.
-Major emotional (hormonal?) meltdown on Tuesday evening.
-Some frustrations with my daughter.
-Need to figure out where my next tuition payment is coming from, fast. Argh.
Good:
+Still thrilled with my involvement in Candide. It’s so much fun, and so satisfying!
+Encouraging email from my adviser.
+Propane delivery! We have heat and cooking fuel again, just in time for this weekend’s expected cold snap.
+Went to a concert with one of my sweeties last Saturday, and have a dinner date with my other sweetie tomorrow.
+Had some marvelous moments of sovereignty, in several different contexts.
Great fake band! I think the words “Sad Illiterate Cow” would sound especially good in a British accent. And now I’m imagining Innumerate Sheep — no wonder they need someone else to count them! Except that it might be just one guy, so counting him wouldn’t take very long.
Happy weekending, all!
Ooh Chicken!
The Good!
10 pounds gone! Wheeeeee! I’m shedding this weight like it’s my bridesmaid’s dress. ; )
Snow day! Light fluffy snow and my apt. neighbors left it all for me me me! I got to shovel the whole drive way and get a nice workout.
New tank tops. <3 my lululemon.
New clients! I polished up the "perfect client" profile and they've been coming in droves! Only the right ones, never the wrong ones. Plus if the wrong ones did come, I know where to send them to find the right attorney.
Clean dishes.
Warm house.
Organic fruit and veggie delivery.
Fun new highlights in my hair. Not sure if I'll keep them, but we'll see.
Going out with friends tonight. Yay!
Was back on the yoga mat yesterday. Feeling good today.
The Hard Stuff:
– incessant rain makes me grumpy
– Wonder Nanny is on vacation next week, so I have no childcare
– I have a persistent cough, which is no fun
– I am worried about a friend who’s in a tight spot
– my cultural directory project is way behind – boo!
The Good Stuff:
– Crafting my Life is going really well – yay!
– my 2-year-old said “I love you mommy” for the first time
– I sense lots of good things on the horizon for my husband
– cats are hilarious
– the days are getting longer
– I have awesome leftovers on hand for lunch
Happy Chicken!
Aw man, I love this place.
@Jesse – it was very funny and very… accurate. Hubby and I have been wailing “it’s not what I was expeeeecting” at appropriate moments for ten years now. Classic!
Hi-ho fellow chickeneers, wishing you all you need for the hard and good revels in the good.
xx
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Sad Illiterate Cow.
Sad Illiterate..
MOOOOO!
Not just Illiterate, but Interrupting too (the interrupting cow was my nephew’s favorite joke)
Hard:
Car died Tuesday night while Marty was at class. In the pouring rain. The night before his CPA exam in Columbus. The mechanic is slammed and we are not sure when he can fix it.
Being sort of in the middle of feuding friends, though one friend doesn’t realize I know he’s feuding with the other friend. That makes some of it harder, having to read what he’s posting on FaceBook.
Feeling twitchy.
Good:
DD#2 was willing to let us borrow her car.
My local pastor friend is also willing to let us borrow her car. We may have to take her up on it next week.
Being open and honest with my friend helped both of us realize that someone else was throwing shoes and neither of us was crazy.
PlayDoh play date!
I launched my new blog (soft launch) on Sunday.
This week’s snow happened with good timing for us not needing to be out on the road.
Despite not having written my VPA for a new wacky sidekick, I do believe I have my new wacky sidekick. 🙂
Yoga helps with the twitchy.
Marty fixed our sink! We can has faucet!
Happy weekend everyone!
Havi, that’s so great! You’re all set for when you’re ready to move on from The Fluent Self.
DOG BLOG!!!!!
ruff!
I do that sometimes — forget how to sleep.
It makes everything in my life feel really pretty horrible. Plus I have no brain, and I quite like having a brain. Plus I am mean and I lose even more details than usual.
So pat pat pat, is all I’ve got for ya.
Hello, this is your lurking French satellite (rarely seen so many Claires in one place!)
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because that was its ritual. Sorry if you’ve seen it a thousand times, it only dawned on me this week. When I started reading this blog last fall I though I didn’t have rituals (only habits, several of them I’d probably rather shake off) and I didn’t even *like* them. I started paying more attention. Looks like I was wrong all along (I had it mixed up with my need for a moderate flow of newness), but I’m nowhere near “done for now” sorting through it all, much less replacing a few “suffered” habits with just as few mindful rituals.
But I’m savoring the ride! And the view through your many little colored windows, so to speak.
typo: read “thought” instead of “though”…
Wait! That *is* my blog. (No, really. Dogs. And cats. And some yarn. Maybe plants. Sometimes, robots.)
What was Very Hard but turned out Right: Transforming very necessary, negative, and inappropriate, feedback to something compassionate and useful and positive – all before I opened my mouth. (It took a day and half to work through but not so long it caused the recipient any stress.)
The Good:
Dog Blog 😉 Many walks in the woods. (I am not gloating – the moon was full and gorgeous and we took advantage of it.) I love this part of my life. My dog also ages and this is sad; but she is good and happy.
The Knitting – I don’t understand it, but I’m going along. The good is that I’m o.k. with just going along.
The hard was good. Hard but good. (It’s been worth working on.) Delighted that I noticed in the moment the problem with what I was going to say. Delighted that I knew how to transform the words. Delighted watching the change and how the practice of these things takes hold and gets easier.
An idea: that may work for an annoying problem. Simple (maybe) solution – if it works. #hopeful
Cheers Chickeneers!
Hello my darling’s!!!
xx
Ooo
The Hard
Just weirdness at the cubicle.
Hard feeling an outsider all of the time.
B being strange with me. Pulling faces when I speak as if I am being unclear rather remarkably on those days when there aint nothing wrong with the way that I speak.
Frustrated. Unexpressed pissoffness.
Beginning to forget that I have lots of experiences of being really quite liked at places I work.
The peer pressure thing and not responding to it.
I don;t wanna go clubbing. I’m 37 and I really don’t want to feel I have to do anything for god sake. Team building? Really?? Where the hell did she read that was a necessity for godsake?
lonely. isolated Unprotected.ra ra ra.
Really disliking getting up early in the morning’s.
Not being able to observe this feeling response when I’m in it or the words that go round in my head around how I feel. Tapping Leila? Hmmmm?
The Good
Awareness that I cannot do the cubicle job, come home, write and create and leave out any bodily practise anymore. Gently starting to wiggle, stretch, reconnect.
A little Shiva Nata. Reminding me of Laban. Loving the whole concept really.
Sensing that I need to keep slowing down and trusting.
Noticing that trust has got me this far (and so incidentally has not trusting if that makes sense)and I am allowed to have time off from creating to being.
So I need to allow myself to take even longer with things. Products websites doodles reading. Back to a regular body based practise. However little. It’s a start/. (this sounds like a vpa!)
Having an amazing meet up with my More To Life Than Shoes participant. Loving the fact that I get the opportunity to watch someone follow their instincts and tune out all the external noises. Delicious. Inspired.
Happy that she accepted my offer to lead us through some super simple relaxation/meditation stuff and it’s so damn effective and straightforward and unfussy. Yayyyy!
Feeling so grounded and clear as I lead us thru our session thanks to all the meditation stuff I do. Lovely!!!
My own ongoing meditation gorgeousness helping me to know that a lot of the hard above won’t last forever.
Meditation gorgeousness helping me to come back to my centre when I feel poked at. Also helps me to recognise that even amongst all the weird, bad stuff, we rub up along together quite well together a lot of the time.
Looking forward to trying out Reiki training tomorrow!
Having had at least three days where I worked more solidly on my producty stuff and developing a more consistent structured way of working.
FInally getting the very basic software I needed at home to support me.Yayyy!
Loving playing with my new camera. Amazing and some very generous feedback from people.
Thanks and apologies for the length of this comment again!
Keesesss
L
Adaptation – I need me some of that!
This week – opposite of last week.
The Hard:
Sick. + More Sick.
Work Travel + Sick.
Not in My Own Bed + Sick.
Airplane + Ear Infection. (omgworstpain)
Trying not to cough on the big-wig customer types.
The Good:
Getting hit on even though I’m practically made of snot.
My boss forbidding me from coming to work Friday.
The fastest doctor’s appointment ever.
Nicest doctor I’ve seen yet at Kaiser.
Actually finding a source of the problem.
Cough syrup with codeine. 🙂
The last 10 seconds of the last episode of season 8 of the xfiles.(me <—- nerd )