Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

Rubber Gloves

This simple item will save your hands and nails from drying and cracking.  I love the “classic” look of yellow.

Reed Diffusers

Reed diffusers are perfect for leaving a subtle scent in a room.  Now, the components are sold separately so you can put together the exact look you love paired with the perfect fragrance.

FrogTape

I was thrilled when the blue painter’s tape came out.  Double (or maybe triple) that thrill with FrogTape.  If you’re a freak when it comes to trimming, you have to try FrogTape.

Baked Lays

Baked chips have a unique texture and flavor…and I like it!

This week deals with recovering a sense of integrity as we grapple with a new self-awareness and a changing self-definition.

The readings deal with honest changes that must be made if we are going to have integrity with ourselves and recover creatively.  The last section is titled “Reading Deprivation.”  My first thought was that this was going to encourage reading.  In fact, it put forth the idea that a period of no reading is very effective for unsticking a stuck life or art.  As an avid reader, I was shocked and angered by the whole idea.  As I continued reading, Julia Cameron (the author) stated that this idea can bring up enormous rage.  I guess she was talking to me.  As much as I hated the idea, I had to give it a try because I was so resistant to it.  I would go for 5 days and see what happened.  I failed on the third day.  I’m addicted to reading and I can see how I use it to avoid other tasks.  Although I didn’t make it through 5 days on the first try, I’m scheduling a 5-day period every month for reading deprivation.  I will eventually expand this to include television deprivation… but one step at a time.

My favorite exercises were a quick writing exercise to exposed buried interests and dreams and an exercise to describe myself at eighty along with a letter from my eighty-year-old self  to myself at my current age.

When I hear the word “integrity,” I immediately think about how I relate to others.  This week has focused more on my integrity to myself.  I had to look deep and examine whether I allow the inner me to exist and express itself as the outer me.  The principle is the same whether you’re thinking of integrity towards others or towards yourself…does the inside match the outside.

Yesterday, my girlfriend Ellen and I went to Grand Rapids, Michigan to see Diana: a Celebration at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.  The exhibit was in nine galleries and featured 150 personal items, including her royal wedding dress, 28 designer dresses, family heirlooms, personal mementos and rare home movies.

Ellen and I have been Princess Diana fans since she first appeared on the scene in 1980.  We are the same age as Princess Diana and we followed her life, her style, her joys and her troubles as we lived through our own.

Ellen and I have been friends since kindergarten.  It was a special treat to experience this tribute to Princess Diana’s life and work with each other, since we’ve spent almost our whole lives together.  Princess Diana was a gift to the world.  Ellen is a precious treasure to me.

Ellen & Lori – 2011

Ellen & Lori – 1967

This story revolutionized fiction when it was written in 1847.  By revealing her heroine’s moral and psychological development, Charlotte Bronte brought an intimacy to her novel that was unprecedented.  Jane is an orphan, has a horrible childhood, is sent to a cruel boarding school, takes a job as a governess, experiences all manner of trouble and loss yet always retains her indomitable spirit.  This is a Cinderella story, but where Cinderella rescues the prince.

Set in 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad, this movie is about Vassili Zaitsev (Soviet sniper) and Major Erwin Konig (German sniper) who is dispatched to kill him.  It’s the story of two expert marksmen who must battle it out amid the incredible devastation and ruin of Stalingrad, and it chronicles the creation of a hero to strengthen the Russians and demoralize the Germans.  Based on real people and events, it’s a tense game of cat and mouse that will keep you keyed up until the last shot is fired.

.

Inspiration:

I found this plain heart box and thought it could use some dressing up.

Supplies:

Box

Old brooch (or anything you think is pretty)

Pliers (if you need to remove the pin back)

Glue (look for one that will bond the material of your brooch to the material of your box)

1.  If necessary, remove the pin back from your brooch.

2.  Glue the brooch on top of the box.  Follow the glue’s directions for best adhesion.

You’ve taken a plain box and made it into something special for your trinkets.

Tales and Tails was the first blog I read regularly and is my favorite greyhound blog.  Lilac, Blueberry, Bunny and Morgan (the German Shepherd) are the “kids” and “mom” tells about their hilarious adventures and captures life with greyhounds perfectly.  It doesn’t take long to get to know and love the entire gang.  To get you started, check out these posts, “The Usual Suspects” and “Letters to Santa – Lilac.”

I owe a debt of gratitude to Tales and Tails.  The pleasure I received from reading this blog made me want to joining the blogging world.  Thank you, Tales and Tails.  What Remains Now is here because of you.

Avon

Avon has a variety of products at reasonable prices.  What I love best about Avon…my Avon Lady.  Dorothy was my first; now Lavon is my Avon Lady.

Method Tub-N-Tile

Love the smell of this (fresh) and it actually cleans the soap scum.

O-Cel-O Cleaning Pad

These are pretty, plus cheese, egg and all those other sticky things don’t stick to the scrubby part.

Fannie May Trinidads

One word…YUM.

Recovering your sense of power is the focus this week.  The readings deal with how anger informs you and points the direction towards recovering your power; synchronicity assists you in claiming your power; and shame takes away your power.  The process of growth is also addressed. Since expressing yourself creatively can make you feel vulnerable, some rules for dealing with criticism were laid out.

There were three exercises that I found particularly informative.  First, was doing a little detective work about strengths and gifts.  This was accomplished by a free association (answer as quickly as you can without thinking the answer through) exercise of 17 questions.  I liked this because by writing down the first thing that popped into my mind,  a couple of the answers surprised me.  Next, I enjoyed listing five traits I liked in myself as a child.  Looking at myself as a child has been helpful because in many ways, that’s when I was the most “me,” before people, school and “life” put their stamp on me.  Finally,  listing three obvious rotten habits and three subtle foes was eye-opening.  My initial reaction was that I only had one or two subtle foes but on my drive to work, I thought of six more.  I guess that’s why they’re called “subtle” foes.

I’m paying a lot of attention to this week’s work because I find (like many people do) that fear is what keeps me from doing things, and it takes power to overcome that fear.

Dorothy was my Sunday School teacher, youth group leader and my first Avon Lady.  Dorothy loved kids and when you’re a kid, you know who loves kids and who doesn’t.  Dorothy spent time with me.  We talked, we laughed and we ate ice cream together.  Dorothy gave me responsibility by letting me help her with Avon, packing orders and even going on calls with her.

If you’re like Dorothy, you may be tempted to think the care and time you give to kids is nothing special, but it is.  Caring for kids is a gift not everyone has.  You are special to the kids you touch and the time you spend with them is important.  It’s never forgotten and it means a lot.  Thank you, Dorothy.