The Fast Five

Tonight, when my perverse internal clock sent new brain juice in at 12:37 a.m., I thought up an interesting way to channel it. Maybe you'll play along.

First, quickly & without much thought list five 'major' life events that have happened to you.  Don't waste time deciding what others would consider major. What counts is if it was major to you. As you think of each, jot it on a scrap of paper, fold it in half, & put it off to the side as you write down the next. 

When you have all 5, mix them up a bit & draw one.  Read it.  Now, quickly & honestly say what you thought would happen as a result of this event. 

My first drawn was 'Bought house at 46.'  What I thought would happen: 'huge mortgage payments would dominate my life & define all my choices until I was 76.'

My second drawn was 'teen marriage.'  What I thought would happen:  'I'd have a marriage like my parents''

Third drawn: 'Moved to St Croix.'  What I thought: 'five years, tops.'

Fourth: 'Lost two close, young friends.'  What I thought (each time) : 'I'll never find that again.'

Fifth:  'found the love of my life.'  What I thought, 'this can't  last long at this intensity.'

The difference between what I predicted & reality is enormous...& has formed a pretty remarkable life. I mean remarkable to me. Unless you are a much more even-keeled person or a psychic, I suspect the deviations from your list will surprise you too. 

The point?  No matter what you're currently in the middle of, what you can't see over or around, you're probably guessing wrong about eventual outcomes. 

For me, that IS the point. Good night.

I wrote mine on the little cardboard boxes my new cabinet knobs were packed in.

Doggiest Days of Summer

When temperatures turn sultry & I can no longer say with a straight face, 'I don't need air conditioning at all...ever,' I start to lose momentum on my outside projects. This is generally marked by a change in perspective. Not speaking philosophically here--I change actual perspective by finding more & more tasks I can accomplish in the cooler tile floor. 

You may notice Mu looks taller in pics, simply because I'm photographing her from underneath. 

Melted Mu

Swinging a pick axe, shoveling gravel, or lifting concrete block lose their romance & I do a lot of yoga, crunches, stretches, & anything else to get fit without abandoning my beloved tile.

Here I am, looking for all the world

Like a deranged advice columnist. 

I steam the floor more regularly in the summer, leaving it clean enough for the 'floor exercises' plus other subterranean pursuits like cutting upholstery fabric. 

After season 'half time,' this will clad my From the C booth this fall. 

Inevitably at some point during the summer I have to do some personal archaeology too. I get frustrated & overwhelmed at the zillion piles of project starts, & end up putting everything away & doing an aptly off-season version of Spring Cleaning.

Making 'bamboo-wrap' gold strands for

Earrings & rings

Necklaces...in progress...on the big red

Sofa I'm still thinking about slipcovering

In a ridiculously futile effort to maintain the freshly discovered clear surfaces,  I then try to limit myself to single, or at least single digits of projects. This goal usually lasts a couple of earnest weeks before I'm knee deep in imagining again.