Today’s word comes from the gorgeous book, Dreaming My Animal Selves by Hélène Cardona which, incidentally I never would have found without the magic of the internet. I’m so glad I did because it’s a glorious book of poetry. The word I chose randomly is whimsical! Yay!
I am not sure whimsy ever got squeezed out of me in my youth. I’m fortunate to have children and friends who help keep this alive in my heart. Something I love about my city is the whimsical things that are often waiting to be found. I remember being acquainted with the Toy-Box Trio at the Seattle Art Museum and fell just a little in love with their sound. It’s common to happen upon little art installations, fairy houses, or stacked rocks in local parks. It’s lovely to live in a world where such joy waits for me stumble upon it.
Today’s quote comes from Yoko Ono. It’s more of a directive but I was drawn to it because of the word whimsical. The book it comes from, Acorn, is filled with delightful prompts that can only enrich one’s life.
Wishing Tree at Carkeek Park
Make a wish. Write it down on a piece of paper.
Fold it and tie it around a branch of a Wish Tree.
Ask your friends to do the same.
Keep wishing until the branches are covered with wishes.
Finally, I can’t think of whimsy without thinking of my fabulous friend, Rob D’Arc who makes glorious puppets for the stage as well as puppets you can take home. You can also find him at the Pike Place Market selling his puppets. The holidays are coming…
Something I have learned recently that perhaps others have always known but is a revelation to me: I don’t have to earn love. I can say no and still be lovable. I can just be me and still be lovable. Nobody has to need me for me to be lovable. I don’t have to nurture…
my days of feeding the hungry ghosts are over the men (and sometimes women) who hover on the outside wanting to steal my soul and put my spirit–my light–in a gourd to drink from when they are empty or sad or lonely no more! yes i see your pain and sorrow and yes, you are…
“illusionary barriers” taken with Canon ES 20D see it bigger There is no world “out there”. What I perceive is all alive inside of me. It is to that which I turn my attention.
The Beginnings and Ends of Shadow Today’s randomly chosen word, beginnings, comes from the achingly beautiful book, Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I got the book for my daughter and ended up reading it. I’m so glad I did. It’s the kind of story that takes your heart out, squeezes it hard, heals…
That just pulls me down into my rootedness. In the dark beauty of life. Have you been experiencing the stars this autumn? I have taken to sitting in my home alone in the dark and just watching the changing night sky. Wishing I could capture its beauty to share but knowing I can’t. That’s what I’ve come to realize about the radiance of darkness–it’s personal. Life grief. Like the moments when we first wake up in the morning and realize we’re still alive. Sublime.