AW Week 5 Check-In

1. Morning pages. I did morning pages every day this week except today. Today they are going to be evening pages apparently. I finished them all but one day (when work interrupted about an inch from the bottom of the third page, I just left it that way). I'm still mostly okay with them and they help organize my day. (Today's moving of them back to the Daily Pages I said I'd be content with if that was what I did, I think is selfishness in another area rather than a tantrum. I just doubled the memory in my gaming computer and added a new video card and I played World of Warcraft for hours. Not the most productive use of my time but very very fun.)

2. Artist Date. I did. I told myself I'd go to the Japanese Gardens and I did. It was cold but pretty - pretty in ways I could not capture on film, so I took no pictures. Pretty like the cold wind against your cheek, pretty like the smell after rain, pretty like birdsong when you cannot see a bird, pretty like the spatter of rain against tile, pretty like a leaf fluttering farewell, pretty like seeing only fog where you know a whole city huddles underneath. It felt a bit like an obligation and yet I enjoyed it too; and on the way home I stopped at Powell's and I browsed. I admit I stopped to get a gift for a coworker, but I stopped and gave myself the luxury of browsing also for a bit.

This week she asks if we've taken an artist's date that felt really adventurous. Yes, but not in a good way; that one up Multnomah Gorge was an adventure but it didn't really go well. Honestly, I like doing things I like. Trying something new...I've considered at least one but I can't do that until April (I do not want to cope with possibly needing chains to drive. I simply do not.)

3. Synchronicity. I may have? At this moment I do not remember if so. I am drawing such a blank.

4. Other issues.

Poetry is flowing again, pictures are being taken. A week or two ago I bought a little candle holder for tealights that looks like a sort of asian-inspired meditating person over the holder and feels right in ways I cannot define. I have been burning vanilla-scented tealights in it because they sounded nicer than plain. They are, and they burn clear and smokeless, but sooner or later the smell (which I love!) causes me to want to sneeze. Oops. Up until then (and sometimes after) it's gorgeous, though.

And, Kara and GreenishLady have recommended salt lamps to me. I did some web searches and they look gorgeous! But expensive, with shipping. I've no idea where I might get one locally. (I gather from Kara's comment that they may be just as expensive locally - shipping presumably being why.) Still, I'm going to see if I can find them locally so I can see one to be sure I'd like it. They just may be my answer (or part of it) for work.

I'm also thinking of maybe decorating a jar or something so that you can't really see what's inside and dropping one of the silly fake tealights in there. Maybe it would look okay. But frankly I'm dubious about that. Still - I know where I want to go to check for some stuff. No idea where to look for the salt lamps and I quite want to find one now! But step by step. I'd never even known those existed until now so I am definitely more likely to find one since I am looking! (Hey, universe? I'd realllly like the chance to see a salt lamp - and be able buy it if I like it in person. Very much.)

When did I start cooking? I made garlic chicken this week too! It didn't turn out as well as the lemon chicken but that's okay, I have some ideas for next time. Tonight or tomorrow I will probably bake muffins, as the temptation to do so begins to overcome my inertia. :)