Wednesday, April 29, 2015

EVERY LIVING THING . . .

DROOPY
PERKY
 It's easy to become oblivious to other living things, when the primary creature in the world, ME, takes so much of my focus.

Then . . . blink . . . and perspective returns. Need comes in all sizes, shapes, and degrees of visibility. Although I might be focused on my own life, something very close by could be silently screaming, "Help!" Will I notice in time?

And here's a visual. In case anyone is thinking water doesn't make a difference, here's pictures of before and after. Same plant, one hour apart. It pays off to look up and out.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Saturday Night Griever--NOT

Bach and the cello
As I continue to reinvent my life as a single person, Saturday nights remain one of the most challenging times. Sure, I can always find a movie, a concert, a play, or other event to attend, but sometimes I want to stay home. I like home. The problem is that Aloneness (a good thing) can easily become Loneliness (not a good thing). Keeping my mind occupied, so it doesn't slip into a pity party, is a big challenge.

Hayden and the string quartet
This weekend I had an idea. I dragged out the watercolors, pens, and paper--then put on a CD. As I listened to Pablo Casals play Bach's Cello Suites, I let my paintbrush move to the music. The result was a handful of notecards useful for any number of occasions. Several hours flew by and I had something to show for them. It was fun and totally preoccupied me in a creative way. It was a great Saturday night.

Sunday I tried again because it was so much fun. I listened to a Hayden string quartet (Opus 2, No. 5 in D major) with colored pencils in hand, and if my son hadn't called me and mentioned the time of day, I would have missed my dinner engagement.