Weekend Retreat

I spent Friday night into Saturday at the annual Officers' Retreat for my church.  As an Elder, for three years now I have traveled the almost-two-hour road to the Golden Inn in Avalon, New Jersey, to attend budget meetings, prayer circles, and devotions, not to mention "mandatory fun" in the hotel bar with my fellow Elders and Deacons.

The getaway offers a change of venue, a change of pace, and a change of volume (no little girl voices for 24 hours!).

This year, the overarching theme of our brief retreat was "Making Connections and Being Connected."  Our pastor, Bill, pointed out that the greatest gift God gives us is Christ in each of us.  And Christ is in us in order for us to reach out and touch others.  Bill said that is why it is so meaningfuless when people say, "I'm spiritual, but not religious."  We are not simply spirits.  We are bodies, and as Christians we are the Body of Christ.  At the end of one session, he challenged us to consider:  How can I be with people in intentional ways?

At "mandatory fun" that evening, I had the opportunity to chat with a number of different people, but I spent most of the evening in a deep, personal conversation with one person.  Mealtimes brought opportunities to talk with people I had either not spoken to in awhile, or had not talked with in meaningful ways before.  Before leaving to drive home, I walked down to the beach with two other women, where we walked and talked and collected shells and driftwood together.  The journey to and from New Jersey gave me time to talk about all kinds of topics with the two women carpooling with me.  What a wonderful opportunity to connect and BE with people in intentional ways!

Blogging, too, though not the same as face-to-face interactions, gives me opportunities for intentional connections with people.  Lately, I've been just a little down-hearted at the slow-down in blog traffic, and not hearing from some of the readers who used to comment often on my posts.  But the connections I continue to make by visiting new blogs, and by hearing from those who take the time to comment, and by continuing to participate in swaps (and even now an art journal round-robin!) are valuable in quality if not numerous in quantity. 

What am I doing this for, anyway?  An in-box with a certain quota of comments, too many for me to respond to individually by email or even fully process before my next post?  Nope.  I am doing this for exactly the results I am getting now:  an opportunity to share what is going on in my life, with an emphasis on my creative explorations and development (which gives me an opportunity to think about and process it for myself); building relationships with a handful of amazing and like-minded women in different countries; finding projects and swaps and courses and challenges to continue my growth as an artist and a crafter.

It was both fun and helpful to find the theme of the annual retreat relevant to my online pursuits and my current train of thought!

The Year in Books

I've been reading a number of New Year's blog posts wherein the writers share their lists of books they plan to read over the course of 2013.  I've never thought to plan my reading ahead of time, and at first I balked at the thought of that seemingly impossible task.  I have hundreds of books in my home that I have yet to read (I attend way too many library books sales where the books go for 50 cents or a dollar!), and I have pages of lists of books I want to check out at the library.  I pick up titles on a whim, and leave them behind for awhile if they don't grab my attention.  Sometimes I read magazines to the exclusion of books for months at a time.  How could I possibly commit?

And yet, I couldn't leave behind this delightful idea of planning my reading, of selecting some titles that I want to be sure to "get to" over the course of this year!  So yesterday I scanned my shelves and pulled together a reading list for 2013.  Here's what I have in mind:

1.  MONTHLY READINGS: 

I have a number of titles that are chronicles of the writer's/artist's everyday life...a kind of Book of Days for each month of the year.  This month, I will read the "January" section of each of these books, and I will progress through the monthly sections, finishing all three at the end of the year.

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady was written by Edith Holden in 1906 when she was 25 years old.  In it are reproductions of her notebook of nature notes, recorded month by month, including drawings, paintings, quotations, and notations on the weather, flora, and fauna of the village of Olton, England:

Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year:  Mid-Atlantic, by Scott Weidensaul:  I picked this up at a library book sale.  It is a month by month guide to natural events in the area where I live.  It doesn't have the artistic element of the other two selections here, and is much more informational and scientific. 

When Wanderers Cease to Roam:  A Traveler’s Journal of Staying Put, by Vivian Swift:  After a lifetime of travel, Swift settles onto Long Island Sound, and keeps a travel-style journal filled with watercolors and drawings, nature notes, quotations, and other observations about her daily activities.  I've always thought it would be fun to create a daily journal of my everyday life that treats each day like I'm on a vacation and my everyday home like it's a travel destination.  Swift's book might give me some ideas!

 

2. NOVELS

A Page Out of Life, by Kathleen Reid:  A scrapbooking novel, purchased for 50 cents at a library book sale.  Sounds like a "light read" about a group of scrapbooking friends who come to rely on each other during the circumstances of their lives.

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larson:  I started this book last year, but only got to page 45; this time I intend to finish it!  The story is about the twelve-year-old genius cartographer T.S. Spivet.  His hand-drawn maps and other notebook notations in the margin make it a fascinating and different approach to writing a novel.

Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende:  This book has been on my shelves for a long time, and I want to finally read it.  I’ve enjoyed other books by Allende, and had an opportunity to hear her speak in person many years ago.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson:  I may be the only person in the world who hasn’t read this series yet.  I borrowed a copy of this one from my mom, and am looking forward to finally finding out what all the fuss was about!

Specimen Days, by Michael Cunningham:  I read his novel The Hours years ago, and really enjoyed it.  This one has been on my shelf for a while, and needs finally to be read. 

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, by E. L. Konigsburg:  I have loved this author since I was a kid, and had to pick up this book when I saw it at a library book sale.  It is considered a YA (Young Adult) novel. 

3.  WRITING

Writer-Mama:  How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, by Christina Katz:  I began this book last year, but didn’t finish it.  Now's the time!  I'm not yet sure how writing will figure into my long-term plans; I'm still working out how to balance all of my creative interests!

4.  CHILD-REARING

Siblings Without Rivalry, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish:  This book is a classic in the field of child-rearing, and with two girls close in age, I thought it merited a reading when I found a copy at a library sale.

Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids, by Dr. Kara E. Powell and Dr. Chap Clark:  The authors help parents encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. That’s what I want for my girls!

What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know, by E.D. Hirsch, Jr:  This series has been around for awhile, and I thought it was timely to pick up a copy when I saw it at a library sale.  It is filled with facts, stories, paintings, rhymes, etc. that Hirsch thinks kids should be exposed to by the end of kindergarten.  That’s where my older daughter is headed this next school year!

5. ART/CRAFTING

Drawn to Nature: Through the Journals of Clare Walker Leslie, by Clare Walker Leslie: I’ve looked at other books on keeping nature journals by Leslie, and I'm still determined to try to keep a nature journal someday!

How To Sell Your Crafts Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Sales on Etsy and Beyond, by Derrick Sutton: My mother got me this book for Christmas, and it will help me with the launch of my Etsy shop this year.

The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals, by Sue Bleiweiss:  My step-mother got me this book for Christmas.  I've already looked through much of it and found much inspiration, and I want to continue to take more time with it and wring out all its benefits.

Daring Adventures in Paint:  Find Your Flow, Trust Your Path, and Discover Your Authentic Voice, by Mati Rose McDonough:  I purchased this book last year, but never fully explored it.  It appears beautiful and inspiring.

Raw Art Journaling:  Making Meaning, Making Art, by Quinn McDonald:  I won a signed copy of her book last year, looked through all of it, and even did some of the exercises, but feel that I didn’t really get out of it all that I can, so Iwant to explore it further.

Making an Impression:  Designing and Creating Artful Stamps, by Geninne D. Zlatkis:  I used the first few pages of this book to carve my very first rubberstamps, but have not even looked through the rest to see the other projects and techniques she shares.

6.  RELIGION/INSPIRATION

One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp:  I started this at the end of 2012, and need to finish it.  I may be inspired to keep my own list of 1000 gifts!

What Happens When Women Say Yes to God:  Experiencing Life in Extraordinary Ways, by Lysa TerKeurst:  I purchased this book from ChristianBook.com, a great source of religious and inspirational books. 

Know What You Believe:  Connecting Faith and Truth, by Paul E. Little:  This book studies what the Bible actually says about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, man and sin, salvation, the church, etc. 

Help Thanks Wow:  The Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott:  I bought this when Lamott came to a nearby church to give a reading.  I love her work, and wanted to add this tiny little book to my ever-growing Lamott library!

7.  OTHER NONFICTION

Keys to the Kitchen:  The Essential Reference for Becoming a More Accomplished, Adventurous Cook, by Aida Mollenkamp:  I just bought this book, and like what I’ve looked at so far.  Her “take” on fresh, whole, sustainable foods is in line with my cooking and eating goals.  She includes chapters on what to buy, where to buy it, how to store it, and how to prepare it.  She also has a large section of recipes, and tips to take me past cooking directly by a recipe, which she calls “cooking from the hip” or “riffing.”

Happier at Home:  Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life, by Gretchen Rubin:  I recently ordered this book, and haven't yet received it.  This is her follow-up to The Happiness Project, which I really enjoyed in 2010.  She is apparently applying her Happiness Project approach to her own home, which I thought would be a very relevant read for me, for whom homemaking is my career. 

*********************************

Somehow, dividing these 25 book titles into categories makes the reading list look more manageable to me.  It also doesn't look so daunting when I place all the books together on the shelf next to my favorite reading spot on the couch:

I should be able to get through all these in 2013, don't you think?

I'll keep you posted!

***************************************

 

By the way, this is my 300th blog post! 

Thank you for being a part of this on-going creative, community-building endeavor!

 

***************************************

 

My Word for the Year

Happy New Year!

I am continuing the tradition of choosing a Word for the Year for the third year in a row.  I love the idea of choosing a single word that frames or pulls together all of my resolutions.  I've never done much with my chosen word, but it definitely comes to mind throughout the year.  My word for this year has already influenced my art journaling, so I am thinking that it will be even more on my mind than my words from the past.

Without further ado, my word for the year is:  SIMPLICITY.

I decided on my word toward the end of December, and fleshed out my thoughts about it in the car on the way to my mother's house in Kentucky for Christmas. 

When people think of the word "simplicity," I'm pretty sure that it calls to mind living out in the country, raising chickens for fresh eggs, cooking dinner on a wood stove, and hanging laundry on the clothesline to dry.  As nice as that all sounds, it isn't practical for my circumstances.

Here is what I have in mind when I think of SIMIPLICITY for the new year:

1.  Get it done! 

I have a bad habit of making simple things more complicated than they need to be.  I once postponed making a phone call about a financial situation for two years.  When I finally made the call, it took me five minutes, and there was no follow up that had to be done.  Do you have any idea how much mental and emotional energy was given to that stupid phone call?  I will not fall victim to this type of procrastination this year.  I will finish tasks as they come up, and finish projects that I've started.

To that end, I have made a list of all kinds of projects that I have started and things that I've purchased supplies for but never made any progress with.  I am going to try to finish at least one a month, alongside all of the new projects I have in mind.  It may take more than a year to finish all these unfinished things, but eventually it will be done!

2.  Use it up!

I would like to stop doing so much shopping, and focus on using the supplies and materials that I already have.  I want to do projects in the books, magazines, and files that I already have, instead of always buying more, more, more sources for ideas.  I am committing myself to "shop" in my own home, resisting the lure of the craft stores.  After all, take a look at all the things I already have to work with in my art space:

Seriously, I do NOT need to buy another art book for awhile...and this isn't even all of them!

Can you say, Stop buying tape!!

I think there are probably some things in here that I could use this year instead of going shopping again!

Both resolution #1 and resolution #2 will help to cut the clutter around here.

3.  Make it natural!

Over the past year, I have been working hard to replace products in my home that have toxic ingredients with more healthful options.  This process has affected products related to cooking, cleaning, health, and beauty.  It is not, in itself, a simple process, but I love the simplicity of products that have ingredients that are more natural and actually pronounceable.  I am horrified by the toxicity that is so easily accepted by both the government (who should probably be regulating such things) and we consumers who provide a ready market for it.  Why are we paying money to put these things in our bodies?  But all of that is stuff for another post.  Suffice it to say, that in my quest for SIMPLICITY I will continue to seek more simple, natural, and safe products for my home. 

An early art journal page, focused on my Word for the Year.  I made a little book within a book.

4.  Do everything in love! 

I can't tell you how many times I have run across this verse from I Corinthians 16:14 in the past week, confirming its place among my resolutions.  In the midst of focusing on myself with these resolutions, I want to be sure to find ways to help others, and to act in love in all of my interactions. 

One of my first art journal pages of the year

So, there you have it!  A run-down of my resolutions for 2013, all encompassed by the theme of SIMPLICITY.  As I said before, I look forward to all that 2013 will bring, and I welcome your company as I find out! 

Sometimes a journal page can be SIMPLE!