Day 255

Help with the rocks in the little yard walked up and spoke to me while I was stuffing the hydrangeas in the van. He asked if I needed help with my yard and I showed him the little yard and what I wanted to change. He is starting this morning. Here’s hoping. Eventually there will be lawn instead of weeds and rock. Today is open. Of course I’ll walk toward my 10K steps goal and find something interesting to do. 

Day 254

I checked out volunteer sites with RSVP and there was no Aha! moment. Guess I’ll have to find one on my own. Instead of looking outside, I could spend some energy on my house and yard. The bales are still producing chard, peppers, and zucchini so I can’t take them all apart yet. The little yard needs a plan. The rock moving project slowed to a stop with the enormity of what I thought I could do. I need help. 

Day 253

Wrote my December column yesterday about holidays and food and sent it in. Had a lot of conversations and connections. It was a good day. Today will start out routine and hope for new people or ideas for expanding my activities. Tracy helped my sore back and walking is fun again. So maybe the dogs will get a walk after senior center duty. I am restless for an unnamed something. I can trust that I’ll find out what that is.

Day 252

I should have bruises from Sarah! She really dug into the knots in my back. Today I feel better because of it. Housework day. I may start out walking and picking up trash. It is cold and clear so a couple of layers and a hat will be the wardrobe. I shared the Dear Darlene letter on Collective Journey and it started a discussion about relationships. Maybe others will write and share too. We used to have good writing together.

Day 251

Nice new battery in the car. Made for a slow start yesterday but it ended well. Thanks to Les Schwab’s customer service, I was only an hour late to the senior center. Today the dogs will get a walk on the lawn at Walmart and then I will make a dash inside for a few things I can’t find anywhere else. Later I get a massage with Sarah who knows all the places that need her skill. Good day coming.

Day 250

All Saints Day at church. I talked about Wendell and his silliness while we were in the choir. They sang the saints song with his “killed by a fierce wild priest” line. It was fun. I hope he knew it was happening in his memory. I didn’t walk outside yesterday and missed it. Between the rain and an energy slump, I was grounded. Today will be better. It was a good soaking rain and this morning is cool and clear.

senior News column

One day when I went into the day-room at the Surf senior apartments two women were sitting together, talking, and coloring in their adult coloring books. Later my friend Susanne called to tell me about her new coloring book that featured zentagle type designs. By now I am intrigued by the idea of adult coloring books. I looked them up on my computer and found several sites and a lot of variety. I ordered a couple for myself: one called Entangled and one called Balance that was suggested by my friend Barbara. My kitchen table holds, crayons, pens, pencils, and a good light. Now all I needed was a friend to sit and color with me. That was easy to achieve and along with cups of tea, we found a relaxing experience. Maybe it brings back memories of childhood enjoyment, a rainy afternoon spent coloring companionably and quietly with a good friend.

Christian themed adult coloring books are many and varied from stained glass windows to psalms, to stories and expressions of joy. Coloring could easily move to creating one’s own drawing and coloring.

I already liked to zentangle and decided to draw my own coloring pages with pens and pencils. It seemed like the natural next step to coloring in a book. All it takes is paper and imagination to create interesting designs. Zentangle instruction is also available on line. Once the basics are learned, it’s open to original drawing. I enjoyed sharing the how-to part with my friends. It is easy to fill a page with the designs and then fill the spaces with color. 

From coloring books to creating coloring pages led to exploring drawing in other ways. I found drawing instruction on line. There are free classes offered and the materials are already around from the coloring fun. All it takes is paper and tools such as pencils and pens. Now I had the opportunity to make use of my creative ideas and explore right here at my kitchen table. There are drawing classes at the community college and that is another way to be inspired. Those classes would offer more choices of materials and methods of putting ideas on paper. Once I took  lessons with children at the art gallery. I was able to try out watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, pastels and the kids didn’t mind. It’s always time to get creative. All it takes is desire.

Day 249

Hello November. Into the tunnel of dark hours. Turned the clocks before I went to bed. The dark mornings don’t bother me. It’s the early dark that makes me want to go to bed. Two months and then the light minutes come back. Orchid care and church are my agenda. Depending on the weather, I hope to get out for a walk. The house needs attention and so does my restless spirit. Routine is comfortable but not satisfying or stimulating.