In the flow . . . .

Viparita Karani is a yoga pose, where you lay flat on the floor with your butt against the wall and your legs straight up against the wall. It is wonderful for lower back pain. I used to do this pose all the time, and somehow lost it, then I saw the name for it on a yoga chart. As soon as I wrote down the name, the pose came back into the front of my consciousness. So now, I am doing it again. No more back pain. When the timing is right, the inspiration comes. and I'll share a little secret here -- now that I've journaled about this pose, I will never forget it again. That's one example how journaling can truly help you in life.
"There is an art to wandering. If I have a destination, a plan – an objective – I've lost the ability to find serendipity. I am on a quest, not a ramble. I search for the Holy Grail of particularity and miss the chalice freely offered, filled and overflowing." --Cathy Johnson

upcoming:

Yesterday I went downtown to scope out Strange Grounds Coffee on Broadway, where I will have a table at a craft fair. Oh la la. I had the best breakfast ever, sausage and egg with grilled onions, sour cream, and avocado! Low carb, too. and the coffee . . . just magnificent. I now have a new special spot for journaling out in the world, and plan on making this a frequent outing. Working in your journal in a creative atmosphere is really a treat, give yourself an early holiday gift and try it! "Grace emerges in the ebb and flow, not just the flow. The waning reveals a different kind of blessing than the waxing. But whether it's our time to ferment in the valley of shadows or rise up singing in the sun-splashed meadow, fresh power to transform ourselves is always on the way. Our suffering won't last, nor will our triumph. Without fail, life will deliver the creative energy we need to change into the new thing we must become." --Rob Brezsny

And the holidays begin. . .

So it begins. I got the dog a Xmas sweater, and hung lots of blue lights on the house, two things that cheered me up.
I somewhat love the holidays, the cooking and gathering, the shopping and wrapping, the lists of cards to mail.
But it is stressful, the parties or non-parties, the wondering if I need to leave the mailperson a tip, the family members who are too far away to see, and others who show up. So this year I am going to look for the magic. Some wonderful hot chocolate and a good movie on TV. I am working with my thoughts to keep everything positive, and when the negative comes along, I gently remind it that it needs to keep on its way, and not start a loop in my head.

And working in my journal does always help me to remember this.
So as the days get shorter, and colder, and the chores pile up, I will stop and breathe, work a bit in my journal, look out the window at the falling leaves, and connect with the beauty that is always in eyesight if you look for it.

"To finish the moment, to find the journey's end in every step of the road, to live in the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stormy weather

Sandy, the hurricane, ripped up my beloved Jersey Shore. A friend of my son's boss said her beach house was gone. Totally disappeared into the sea.
Not even a wooden board left as a memento!
As we come to that infamous date 12/21/12 I think we are all noticing some tumult and chaos in our lives and relationships, and certainly the news has been a bit horrific, and worth not paying as much attention to as we are tempted to do.
I am considering all this in my journal, exploring it, separating myself a bit from the chaos, and trying to let the storm blow over.
You?
 
"Things that matter most must never be
at the mercy of things that matter least." --Goethe

Design work

I have some book design work which is keeping me busy, but my journal is patiently awaiting my attention, and you will be the first to know when I update; stay tuned for some eraser carving, as well!
 "The dark thought, the same, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each guest has been sent as a guide from beyond." --Rumi