I had to deal with my birthday since I last wrote to you.
Level 44 came with iridescent foil balloons scotch-tapped to my living room walls. I’d be lying if I told you I’ll remove them before Christmas. There was a burger picnic lunch in the car, during the pouring rain, with my kiddo. My husband hunted red velvet cupcakes down. And there were other glittery prizes that came with being another year older.
I’ve also had to deal with a lot of waiting.
For feedback. (Eventually got it.)
For responses to my text messages. (Still waiting.)
For a surgery date. (My tonsils continue to act like jerks and are making me feel blah most of the time.)
For my kid’s remote class info. (We got it, and he’s enjoying his new teacher and classmates!)
For a piece of writing to be accepted for publication. (It was rejected.)
For clarity on what to do next with a creative project that no longer excites me. (Still waiting.)
For my patience to be replenished while trying to deal with a lot of waiting all at once.
How am I coping?
I don’t know if I am.
But I know how to distract myself and expend some nervous energy to trick myself into believing that I am coping.
Here are just a few things that have been helping me do that…
I made this playlist to set the mood for my fall season. You’re welcome to listen to it, too.
These things may help you gain some perspective, like they did for me.
If you still have questions about what your privileges are, check this out. FYI, all my complaints about waiting are sponsored by my privileges.
Baking bread! So, I haven’t done this yet, but I will soon! Apparently, being offered a portion of a 150-year-old sourdough starter was all I needed to convince myself to try it.I will pick it up in a few weeks. Which means between now and then I just need to watch 3,465 more YouTube videos about baking bread to help me get over being terrified to make some.
I’m hoping to make many soups to accompany all this bread I plan to make.
While some people are craving all things pumpkin spice at this time of year, I just want to slurp some soup. As a kid, some of my best memories involve coming home after freezing our asses off at a fall fair to devour one of my mom’s many we’ll-fight-each-other-for-seconds soup. They were often a variation of a chicken soup, beef stew, ham and pea soup, or a corn beef hash soup. It didn’t really matter what it was because it was always delicious. My craving for soup lately has me searching for new recipes. Got a favourite soup recipe? Send it my way!
This recipe inspired me to make broccoli soup. I say inspired because I’m incapable of following any recipe exactly. I love to read them for ideas about flavour pairings, and to learn new cooking techniques. But I steal a little from one recipe, more from another, maybe even a third, and then use my intuition to create something that we will eat. So, good luck with that linked recipe. I don’t know how it’ll turn out for you. However, I do know it helped me make the best broccoli soup I’ve ever made. It was a hit with the adults in my household, at least!
I really want to see this movie. But I know I’m going to hurt myself and/or my husband when I try to mimic some of the warrior moves after I watch it. Babe, I apologize in advance for any hurts I inflict while I try to prove (again) that my depth perception has improved.
My love for Lynda Barry grew even deeper roots after she shared videos on Instagram of her indoor class, and everyone has a mask on! (Seeing pictures of Bill Hader masked at the Emmys also made my heart happy.) My suppressed immune system and my mental health truly appreciate seeing this kind of community care in action. Seeing properly fitted masks worn in enclosed spaces may be my new love language.
I got to blow some people’s minds while chatting about visual journaling and creativity. We laughed, we shared wisdom, and we of course made fun messes! People walked away with techniques that are helping them move past their fear, so words flow faster onto the page. They aren’t letting past criticism kept them from creating and are now making their own rules. And let’s not forget that it can be a great way to help you avoid burning out.
This creative practice is simple yet powerful! I knew exactly what a participant meant when they shared how journaling had saved their life. It’s something I’ve said myself. Even made a module in my course about it
.
Important Reminder: Registration for Exploring Creative Connection Through Visual Journaling is always open and the next bonus Zoom meeting with me is happening in October. I’ll be sending more details to enrolled students soon.
Alright, wish me luck in trying not to get stuck down an internet rabbit hole because I’m playing with the idea that I should learn to sew my own clothes. Slowly binging my way through several seasons of The Great British Sewing Bee is currently feeding this latest obsession.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
I so appreciate the waiting list, and sharing that some of the things are still in process and others have had some kind of completion. It was wonderful to my nervous system to see that on the page. And “How am I coping?
I don’t know if I am.” was the truth I needed to see outside of myself. And the permission and even joy in the distraction. Yummy. All of this - the playlist, the soup + bread explorations, childhood memories of feeling nourished, movies to watch, the wait, the celebrations, the masks as community care, all of it is utterly gorgeous. Thank you for sharing pieces of you. It was so nice to hang out for a while.