Writing bag, blog award, etc.

To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. -Truman Capote

I hope that your weekend was quite lovely. My was lovely and restful.
This weekend, I finished reading a book called the Wednesday Sisters.
It was a lovely book about a group of women coming to voice through writing.
It is set against the backdrop of social change.

After reading the book,  I decided to create a little writing bag to grab and take with outside or to my kitchen table(whichever). I have been wanting to write more and this novel planted a little fire in my belly. The truth is there little excuse not to be scribbling a little each day. It makes me feel good, it's a good use of the mind and I have a ton of empty notebooks begging to be used. So, I decided to gather my supplies and dedicate a bag to the venture. My writing bag is simple. It includes:
*A notebook
*Some inspiring pictures
* Chap stick
* Note cards
*Little box for pencils, pens, note-cards,etc.
*Something to drink

Do you have a writing bag or ritual?
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Thanks to Grace over at the Wild Pomegranate, for giving me this lovely blog award.

I having such a hard time choosing who to pass it to. I think each of you deserve it. So, many good blogs. Instead, I'm going to shout out about some blogs I'm loving lately. 1)Lovely and Imperfect 2)A Certain Simplicity 3)Rach.Mad.Love . Check them out and enjoy!

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P.S. I'm looking for some good fiction books. Do you have any recommendations?

Have a sweet day.

Small Pleasures:My Blue Yoga Mat

If you bring forth what is within you, what youbring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what iswithin you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.  Gospel of Thomas.

I wrote my first yoga poem a few years ago. 

It was about doing yoga on my blue mat 

in the center of my kitchen.

 At the time, I lived in a sweet

apartment in a very small town. There was one yoga studio and I

think it had closed down. At the time, I was living hand to mouth and

really had no resources to go to a yoga class, anyways. So, for two years my yoga consisted of

home practice, videos from the library, sequences from yoga magazines and conversations with the two yogis I knew in town.  

It was in that time, in that kitchen, on that blue mat, yoga got practical and personal for me.

At heart, I am practical person and I know that I would not have survived that two years of extrememe finacial insecurity and isolation without that little blue mat{and my friends, esp. J.}. 

The thing is a mat is an intimate object. It won't come to life but you bring your life to the mat and let it dance there. I've fallen apart on that mat, cried, meditated, done Pilates, lent it out, etc. It has withstood a lot of use, misuse and neglect. Despite it all, it still folds and supports me. I could not ask for more.

So, I wrote a ode to that mat, to that that moment because it centered my life.

I no longer have the poem. I think I tossed it away in a fit of cleaning but the feeling of gratitude remains in me. 

What small pleasure is centering you, these days?

What I already know

"We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be." — May Sarton

Yesterday was a strange day. I felt a little lost. I went outside for a little walk and reading to clear my mind. Then I got down to writing. In writing, I found myself(for the moment). There were many strong emotions flowing through my body but underneath it all was love. Even in times of fear, heartbreak or uncertainty  there it stands. Love comes in many forms. Lately, for me love is about paying attention to this life. It's about cradling goodness close and not turning from heartache.Today, I want to remind myself of what I already know.

-It's okay to be happy.
-It's good to wander.
-Honor your feelings.
-Passion is needed.
-Practice feeds your life.
-Turning cartwheels keeps you playful.
-Red shoes + sun = adventure.

-Ask for help.
-Cheering for others can cheer you up.
-Love comes in many forms.
-Kindness can change the world.
-Write like it matters because it does.
-If you know it your bones, it just might be true.
-Be awesome.
-You are never alone.

What do you need to remind yourself of today?

Digging In

"Tending our stories mean that our lives must open if we are to live in the mystery;our ways of hiding, no matter how subtle, must relax open if we are to be"- Mark Nepo

Finally, the sun is out! I am trying to capture this Kentucky spring in all its deliciousness.
Truthfully, I love the trees around these part. Every time, I've think I've seen the best one and then another one appears even more beautiful.
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These past few weeks have been intense. I feel like I am going in ten directions. In order, to effectively do things I need to have a mind that is not rash and full of compassion.
One meditation that helps cultivate compassion for ourselves is a loving kindness mediation. Every teacher teaches it a little different but the gist is the same. This is a good version.
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I've check out Grub:Ideas for An Urban Organic Kitchen from the library and am feeling inspired. I got to try out a few things on my friend Nat when she came for  a visit. Currently, trying to "finding a non-sweet buttermilk squash recipes. Any ideas? What's your favorite cookbook or recipe?
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Thanks for your suggestions about cultivating an attitude of enough in your life. I am going to try the gratitude journal. I might make it into a one sentence journal.

Happy Day!

Small Pleasures: Homestuff

Design is an opportunity to continue telling the story, not just to sum everything up.— Tate Linden

I am one of those people who spends a lot of time gawking at home goods. I can spend hours pouring over a west elm catalog or cruising for the perfect mug.

In theory, it really does not matter what we have in our home but in practice, it matters. It matters a lot. I am all for simple, beautiful and practical things. If it has been re-purposed {by yours truly} all the better!

Alas, sometimes window, shopping is one of my favorite modes of inspiration.
The other day, I was on etsy and ran across a few things that I could easily imagine in my apartment. Sadly, my wallet does not agree. Le sigh!

This look teapot would be nice to have for teatime. 

Gathering friends and family around this table seems like a good idea.

A long day's work deserves a towel like this.

Truth be told, I am sucker for a nice set of windows. My current apartment has three large windows in the living area. The windows look out onto a "field"/playground and they look under a few lovely trees. Those trees are some of my favorite things in the whole world. I can keep time and seasons by them. Plus,  I love sitting at the table working or having tea with someone and looking out into that wonder.  

What's your favorite thing about your home(besides the sweet people who occupy it with you)?

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Everything doesn't have to be new. You can always use what you have{or what someone else doesn't want} in new ways.

For some cool upcyling clothes ideas check here.

100 amazing upcyling ideas here.

A good definition of upcycling here.

A good article about design from my sheros, bell hooks

 Have a sweet day!

Living in Enough

 I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle." — Thich Nhat Hanh

Lately, I have been thinking about how to cultivate compassion and gratitude in my life. I have been feeling a little whiny and ragged. So, I am embarking on this project to notice my life.

One of the ruts, I have fallen into lately is a mix of disinterest and acedia. Acedia is state of listlessness with spiritual overtones. Personally, my acedia is often prompted when I feel in competition with myself and the "ideal" me. When I am in this trance, nothing is enough, everything is full of lack and reaping of dissatisfaction.

The truth is I don't think my life is very exciting but it is very rich and full of goodness. I sometimes forget that as I hurry from one "BIG" thing to the next. I am losing sight of the small things that support me. It is like I am so busy chasing life, that I can't live it.

There is a trick that I learned from Julie Cameron about getting small.  In the Artist's Way Cameron writes, "The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." So, one of the most effective ways of dealing with disinterest is to cultivate interest one breath at a time. 

Getting small cultivates our love for our lives. Noticing what is and being grateful is a blessing. So many times we want more and we don't recognize we have enough. Enough is not a lack. Something in our culture tells us that we need more than enough to be okay. Not true. So, I on a quest to pay attention, to celebrate this ordinary life and live it with my eyes wide  (well, as wide as they can be).

Eventually, I want to greet my acedia with kindness and acceptance. Right now, I am avoiding it or pretending like is does not exist. Acting this way literally splits my mind and disengages me from life. It is no wonder that I am feeling so disconnected. However,  there is no reason to judge or blame, all we have is this moment. That's why meditation and yoga{and the Psalms} are so important. Not because they provide an escape but they give you tools to work with the mind.Truthfully, whatever arises can be but underneath it all is enough.

What are your thoughts on having enough?

Untitled

Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends.  ~Virginia Woolf

Just a saying a quick hello. I hope this Monday is treating you well. I was planning on writing about my camping trip but the words would not flow. It happens. Anyway, I am posting a page from my camping "scrapbook". I hope you enjoy it.

 My good friend Nat. is coming to visit me for the week. Thus,I have to go make me apartment friendly for other people. I will catch you around here later.  Peace.

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This sound drawing makes me happy.
This blog has lot of great articles but I like this one, especially.
A really sweet yoga blog here.

Inspiration: Noticing Passion

Ignoring your passion is like dying a slow death…Passion whispers to you through your feelings, beckoning you toward your highest good. Pay attention to what makes you feel energized, connected, stimulated- what gives you your juice. Do what you love, give it back in the form of service, and you will do more than succeed. You will triumph.

Oprah Winfrey 

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Lately, I am inspired lately by many things:

-I am obsessed with all things food-related.  Food blogs, pretty cookbooks, food memoirs, cooking...not sure where this has come from but I like it. It just make me feel alive and deeply connected to my life and other people.

- Fresh avocados and tomatoes(see the note above). PARTY in the Mouth!

-Birds in trees. Such an ordinary combination but it makes me so happy. There are so many finches hopping around these days that I am undone with glee. Love the finches.

-Simple yoga routines. I think they get to the heart of the matter, really fast. I've been loving routines that feature lots of  hip openers lately.This DVD has a great hip opening sequence.

-This post about waking big, this post about letting things grow, this post about feminism/compassion and this post on growing up.Super inspiring stuff, I tell you.

-Scribbling outside in my  favorite notebook with a some tea in my cup. {my version of this mug was thrifted}

-Kind-hearted people. They never go out of style and always inspire me to live better, deeper and with an open heart. Thank you!



What's playing on your inspiration station?

Small Pleasures: A Summer List

*This post has been republished due to the blogger platform crash.

I think it is technically still spring but it is starting to feel a lot like summer.
Summer is often one of the few times that I have the focus and energy to really get cooking in life and on the stove. Here's my summer list(as of today).

-Try out a few recipes this summer from my favorite cookbooks
-Get outside a lot.
- Find a new job and apt
-Get rid/donate over 1/2 of my stuff
-Make a pair of denim cut-offs
-Do some form of yoga everyday
-Plant some micro-greens
-Avoid kissing Frogs
-Knit a shawl or bag. Can't decided. A bag may be more doable with my skill level
-Eat fresh peaches from the farmer's market
-Consume fried green tomatoes and ice tea together and without apology
-See what I can reasonably do on my life list
-Read like it's going out of style. I have a a huge stack of books waiting for my nose to be poked in them
-Can something. I have all these mason jars, I should put them to use
-Take one picture every day, as a way of noticing and cultivating appreciation
-Dance a little, summer is great for that

What's on your summer list?
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I am super excited, I won a stack of photos from one of my favorite bloggers.Yes, I am downright thrilled.

I'm dreaming about the day I can have one of these.  I am thinking it would be much easier to buy a window farm than make my own. Just sayin.

Have you been to ABC creativity? Andrea has some sweet things cooking. I love her journaling ideas.

My current favorite pose: Threading the Needle.

Walking in this World

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.  ~Henry David Thoreau

I have such great memories of walking the Piney Woods of East Texas with my grandmother. Often, we would follow a patch of woods until we stumbled upon a creek. Then we would sit a spell or pull out our fishing poles and try for a catfish. These city walks are bit different but they still have the same elements of movement, stillness and communion.

Walking has always provided me with a space to grapple with thoughts. Lately, some of my resistance to my yoga mat has been rising. This resistance is a teachable moment.

Sometimes, I think I take things too seriously. I have been on this road before when I am making things way too, serious. This tends to leave me feeling dry and disappointed. Moreover, I tend in these moments to be making an idol of activity.  Sometimes, I think doing something will make me okay. So, I stress myself to be the best at it. My spirit know this routine and is resistance to following that path again.

I have to not try so hard to embody an ideal. Instead, I need to accept that I am not a sage but a mere mortal.  It's okay not to have an ideal practice.

One foot in front of the other, these truths rise. I can not grasp at perfection. I have to loosen my grip and greet this moment with an open hand.

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In other news, I am obsessed with taking pics. I use to be a yearbook nerd back in the day. So, all this picture taking is making me super happy. Yeah!

I want to see this movie.

I think I am going to try to make this soon. It will check off one item on my life list.

Have a sweet Monday!

photos taken with hipstamatic and edited with labelbox and dipstic

Curious Life: Scenes from the Week

Curiosity is little more than another name for Hope.-Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare

This was a super sweet week. Thought, I would display some of my favorite pics from the week.  Most of these were taken around town and at a local yarn shop.

This weekend one of my good friends is coming into town. I will be joining her and my Lexvegas Man bestie for a little celebration.

Personally,  I hope there will be a lot of homemade sangria consumed to sing in the weekend. I am sure there will be lots of stories to tell and hearts to bare. Truthfully,  I am blessed when it comes to friends{online and off}.

 I hope you have a lovely weekend!


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A few weeks ago, I made this. It was incredible.
I am currently knitting a scrubber based on a pattern from here.
I've been into back bends these past few days. They are good for opening your heart. I can't seem to get enough of this one.
I am wondering at what age, do you stop getting little crushes? Hopefully, never.

P.S. The little itty bitty sock was done by my friend T. That's the proud owner's hand displaying her work.

Thursday Love

"It's good to be just plain happy, it's a little better to know that you're happy; but to understand that you're happy and to know why and how and still be happy, be happy in the being and the knowing, well that is beyond happiness, that is bliss." — Henry Miller

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Finally, I haphazardly knitted a cozy for my mason jar. Hopefully, people will stop asking if there's moonshine in my mason. No, it isn't...in case you were wondering.

I am soooooo excited about this meditation cycle. If you are interested in meditation and self- renewal, you should join. Many people think meditation is about not thinking and that is not true. We are always thinking. Meditation is about not getting attached to those thoughts and catching yourself when you leave the present moment and returning back to your breathe(or mantra, etc). For some basic instruction, see here.

One of my favorite yoginis is on the new yoga journal.

Last night, I heard the most amazing podcast from Sounds True. It featured writer Natalie Goldberg. Hands down, Writing Down the Bones is one the best books that I have ever read and reread. The seeds of meditation and yoga were planted in my heart from this book.

Of course, the best thing was spending time with my Texas bestie knitting. T. I love love love you!!


What/who are you loving today?

Small Pleasures: Music

Image by Jeff Howard via Flickr

Music is the poetry of the air.  -Richter

Music is my life vein. I really can not imagine life with it. I use to have a secret fantasy of being a singer but I really am a little umm... tone death when it comes to my own singing. However, that has not hindered my love of music. Music has been a great companion to me over the years.  It has opened me to many things and people. It is funny how simple things like lyrics and melody can crawl across hearts and time and unite us.


Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Donna De Lory. Thankfully, no one lives with me or they would want to break my ipod.Anyway, Donna De Lory reminds me of Madonna{another one of my favs}, with a touch of soul. I actually like to listen to her on my commute to and from work. So relaxing but up-tempo. A version of my favorite song is here.

Also, I am enjoying to this song by Goapele. Her Change It All is one of my favorite albums of all time. The album is political, hopeful and catchy...love it.

Below is another current favorite by A Fine Frenzy.  I've been listening to this song a lot. Maybe, a little too, much. There is a time for everything isn't there? Plus, I am sucker for a piano.




Who are you listening to these days?


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This site is all about giving voice and ending street harassment.
Another reason to move to west coast.
One of my New favorites is over here.

pic

(IN)Sights

Lately, a certain word has been floating around. It has pipped my attention. I am not certain what I will do with this word: relig-ish but it speaks deeply to what my life is trying to articulate.

It is always risky to be unorthodox. However, as any pilgrim knows there is time and place for everything-tradition and rebellion.

At the heart of it, it's about living. I mean really living, not going through the motions, not following your neighbor but radically opening to what is real.

It makes me happy to know that other people are traveling this road, too.
I think it is true, we are never alone. We just need to remember to light our love, so others can find us.

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Spending way too much time looking here.
It's really quite lovely over here!
Breakfast never looked so pretty.

P.S. The photos above are from this weekend. I think they sum things up nicely.

This Kind of Life

World peace begins inside you-literally. In your body and mind. -Alica Silverstone.

Lately, I have not had much yoga talk on the blog. Honestly, I have been doing a fair amount of it in my daily life but I don't really have words for it.

All I know is:
*When I do twists, my eyes flood with tears,
*That when my heart aches, I like to lay in child's pose,
*That nothing makes me happier than doing a few rounds of king pigeon.
*Sitting in stillness makes me grateful.
*That I hope that I can offer and partake in the lessons of space, breath and love each day.
*That I have so much desire for a kinder world for us all. That I hope that by letting peace bubble up in me that I can in turn inspire that in others.
*How we live matters. It matter much more than what we profess to believe.

What's on your heart lately?

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I love this list about happiness.
The idea of Community Chalkboards
Oh and this cool musical concept