A good day: laughs, flowers, running
This video on Youtube completely made my day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw
I've watched it at least 20 times. (Thanks Soos!!!) That plus a nice run this morning... listened to Bobby McFerrin and then Eva Cassidy. Mmmmmmmm ahhhhhhhhh. I wish my knees could run for the whole day but it was great out there.
What else. Oh, I read an article in the WSJ last Saturday about arranging flowers that changed my life. Boom. Seriously. I've been doing things all wrong. Even supermarket bouquets can look great. It's a 1-2-3 thing. You have one type of flower for the basic body, then a wow element (like branches, or big focal flowers) and then a finishing smaller texture. You cut each stem to a different length, with the #3 the shortest of all, nestled in. So I did an arrangement for my house that is cream and pink alstromeria, copper beech branches that are just budding, and mauve small mums. It's amazing! Looks so professional. I took the big stargazer lilies that came in the bouquet and put them in a vase of their own... simple, airy... and put it in the bathroom. Beautiful! (I can get a link to the website later if anyone wants it.)
Time to myself. And then a little meeting with someone at church about a worship service we're creating for Sunday around the book group we led on The Sacred Art of Listening. One of the parts of the service is a Time for All Ages, and I am going to sit with the kids and talk about how so many good things in our lives are about ART and PRACTICE. We practice soccer, piano, even how to blow bubbles or tie our shoes. People practice yoga for their whole lives, and doctors and lawyers practice their professions. It means we're never perfect, but we keep trying. We know that we will be doing something good when we take on a practice. Listening to other people is an art, a practice. I think this is a good thing for kids to hear.
I resisted the urge to do any "work work" today. It was time for me. As I said to my beloved Number 9, I finally evolved above the reptilian resentment of anyone who has their act together, used my cerebellum, and took better care of myself! WOO HOOO!
(And that dog video... I'm NOT kidding...)
xoxoxo Sarah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw
I've watched it at least 20 times. (Thanks Soos!!!) That plus a nice run this morning... listened to Bobby McFerrin and then Eva Cassidy. Mmmmmmmm ahhhhhhhhh. I wish my knees could run for the whole day but it was great out there.
What else. Oh, I read an article in the WSJ last Saturday about arranging flowers that changed my life. Boom. Seriously. I've been doing things all wrong. Even supermarket bouquets can look great. It's a 1-2-3 thing. You have one type of flower for the basic body, then a wow element (like branches, or big focal flowers) and then a finishing smaller texture. You cut each stem to a different length, with the #3 the shortest of all, nestled in. So I did an arrangement for my house that is cream and pink alstromeria, copper beech branches that are just budding, and mauve small mums. It's amazing! Looks so professional. I took the big stargazer lilies that came in the bouquet and put them in a vase of their own... simple, airy... and put it in the bathroom. Beautiful! (I can get a link to the website later if anyone wants it.)
Time to myself. And then a little meeting with someone at church about a worship service we're creating for Sunday around the book group we led on The Sacred Art of Listening. One of the parts of the service is a Time for All Ages, and I am going to sit with the kids and talk about how so many good things in our lives are about ART and PRACTICE. We practice soccer, piano, even how to blow bubbles or tie our shoes. People practice yoga for their whole lives, and doctors and lawyers practice their professions. It means we're never perfect, but we keep trying. We know that we will be doing something good when we take on a practice. Listening to other people is an art, a practice. I think this is a good thing for kids to hear.
I resisted the urge to do any "work work" today. It was time for me. As I said to my beloved Number 9, I finally evolved above the reptilian resentment of anyone who has their act together, used my cerebellum, and took better care of myself! WOO HOOO!
(And that dog video... I'm NOT kidding...)
xoxoxo Sarah
Replies
...here\'s what I can\'t figure out...it is obviously so true about the oxygen for ourselves first thing......obvious...so......why is it so hard to be self-caring?
maybe that\'s where your idea of practice is so brilliant...maybe self care is a practice....and I\'ll bet most women stay in the novice stage too long!
loved your journal, am smiling....love to you and hugs....
LOVE that youtube video! I\'ve watched it 3 times already and posted on Twitter and Facebook (plus emailing to a friend).
What a fabulous day for you ~ I can hear the ebullience in your tone! I have been tweaking grocery store bouquets for decades and come up with pretty nice bouquets ~ but I love these suggestions! Thanks!
So great that you took the entire day for YOU and resisted the urge to do work-work!
Love and happy hugs ~ Debbie
\"you\'re beautiful as you feeeeeeeeeeeeel!\"
There YOU are ... hence the list!
Way to pay YOU first.
OOO \'RAH!!!
I LOVE flower arranging! A book that influenced me a lot was on French flower arranging and what you did sounds tres francais! Mixing textures! Varying heights, In this book they had succulents along with flowers, branches of all kinds. (even those brussel sprout things on a branch), really neat book. When I worked in display, I couldn\'t wait for the flower order to come in!
Glad you had a non work work day too. Gladder still that you could enjoy it!
Yes, that video! So cute!
What I am looking forward to is nest building, finally! I was in what they call \"Fresh Market\" here today, like an upscale Whole Foods, wanted so much to buy sunflowers!! But for a hotel room? : (. I\'m getting closer to finding my dream bungalow, gonna see one tomorrow in the section of Sarasota that I LOVE.
As for listening, I need to cultivate that and am well aware of it. I tend to anticipate what the person is going to say next. Why do I do that? And tend to self refer what I hear (like I just did). I am, at least conscious of it, and that\'s a start. Listening is very much an art, something you have to cultivate and tweak often!
So better days for us, let\'s hope so!
LOVE,
Soos
P.S. I can imgine Twinkie driven to total distraction being teased like that! He does that when I\'m eating something he thinks is delicious. Whines, barks, stomps his feet! He made me give him quite a bit of a lemon square (from that store) today, just was TOO demanding! (But they are so sweet.)
Art and Practice... I like that, Sarah. So delighted you truly honored yourself with a day just for you. It is so easy to give a piece of ourselves to everyone and then we wonder why we feel so hollow, so fragmented and exhausted... Not you today... it was the Full Monty in all her glory and thank you for the flower arranging tip too. :) Awww... feeling the inner glow from you today. Lots of love, Joanie
The \'art\' and \'practice\' thing does make one wonder (how oblique!) if there is an art to grieving. And if we are practicing the art of.... what? Life?
So Wonderful to give yourself a GIFT - the gift of yourself - being alone to soak up your own spirit - do those rejuvenating things that are so important to your overall well-being. The Art of Listening is indeed a process - one that most people believe they have mastered - but sadly most have not - more practice, needed. Love that you are going to be with the kids and give your wisdom over to them - such generosity of spirit. Of course, I know that\'s just who you are. Thank you Sarah...Suzzanne
Hi Sarah, I will check out that video and now I am all excited to do some flower arranging. I have come to love flowers since Eddie passed and the irony of that was the summer after Eddie passed our condo association said we could plant outside our own units so now I have a garden. I think the life and the beauty is what draws me to the gardening. So happy to hear you are nurturing yourself as best you can. Love to you and Andy, Linda
My brother has a great quote...I say it to myself all the time...\"We are human beings, not human doings.\" I don\'t know who said it but, it means so much, doesn\'t it? The time we take to just \"be\" is just as, if not more important than the time we spend in \"doing\". I am so glad you had a \"being\" day!
So glad you took a day to pamper yourself and stuck to your guns about the work work, sending you hugs and prayers! Lynette