My friend, we'll call her Outdoorsey, she's inspired by nature. When she's feeling down, or stuck, or lost, she hikes. Another friend, whose pretend name is Bachman, would listen to classical music. And my friend Zenmeditativenessanie (that's her real name), well, meditates. Zenly. I like to clean the kitchen. After my big, explosive day yesterday, I was a little "stuck" today, feeling antsy and lazy all at the same time, with no ideas ... nowhere to go ... and pretty blah about, you know, ... Continue Reading
Archives for April 2010
Interruptions: How the Universe Gets Your Attention
To the person who left this note inside The Writer's Notebook at the Borders in the Shops at Broadmoor center in Colorado Springs: Because of you, I'm out $18 that I would not have normally spent this afternoon. Because of you, a tall Army man looking at the Foreign Language section was startled when I let out a few sharp sobs. Because of you, I couldn't look the man behind the counter in the eye, for fear I would start blubbering and never stop. Thank you so, so, so, so much. Just know ... Continue Reading
Originality : Homemade Laundry Detergent
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." - Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV) There was this girl, right? She made an effort to dislike things that "everyone else" liked. Music in the top 10? Ugh. Fashion trends? Boooring. Oprah's Bookclub? Ohmigod you'vegottobekiddingme gag. It wasn't so much that she worked to be different - it was just that she dismissed anything that was popular. And sometimes ... sometimes secretly she liked a ... Continue Reading
Shut Your Mouth : Homemade Mouthwash
I am very lucky to have a fiance who is thoughtful ... and quiet. He chooses his words carefully, he artfully stays out of drama, and he would rather not speak when things get heated, as to avoid unnecessary confrontation. He's the silent type on a regular basis. Not me. No. I blurt. I vomit words. Somewhere in the line between being a very keen observer and a thoughtless word-vomiter is where I reside. What's worse is that I have a deep love for difficult things. I adore delving. I like ... Continue Reading
Your Unflattering Angles
At the last shoot of my brief and wildly anticlimactic modeling career, I met a photographer who nearly completely changed my mind about quitting. He was kind, caring, and funny - and I worked with him for a total of two hours. On a warm, sunny day in downtown Kansas City, as we were just setting up next to the doorway of a dilapidated old building, he pulled me aside and asked me, with friendliness in his eyes, "What are your worst angles? Where should I, to make you feel comfortable, avoid ... Continue Reading
Bravery : Washing Your Face … With Oil
Thirteen and a half years ago, in no way, shape, or form could you have convinced me that I would some day write about the wonder that is castor oil. You see, thirteen and a half years ago, I took a teaspoon of it and then gave birth to my son, rapidly, without painkillers, while he was turned around facing my back. It hurt. A lot. And I've always blamed it on castor oil. I'd like to say that taking that tiny teaspoon full of contraction-inducing slime was brave, but it wasn't. It ... Continue Reading