I just watched the kids in my neighborhood walking to school and then home again.

How quickly we can become consumed with doing once again, with trying to get things done instead of letting things happen. Instead of watching the world with an open eye. I've started to get into a daily sketching routine when I go for my coffee, I sit chatting with friends and doodling all the while. It reminds me to slow down and pay attention to my surroundings a little, when so much of my day it seems is spent inside my head. I recently heard the title of an old Mae West film, "Every Day's a Holiday", and decided to adopt it as my new slogan. I just like the idea of waking up to that perception every morning. But I know that even holidays have their painful moments. Especially for me as I crave adventure & fight change (usually simultaneously). Adventure cannot exist without change. A wise person once described adventure as 'discomfort in retrospect' (I don't know who wrote this). I have it painted on an old piece of wood at the entrance to my house. It usually garners smiles from new visitors, but it serves as a little reminder to me every time I leave my comfort zone. It says to me, "It's o.k. to experience discomfort." So often I spend a lot of energy trying to not be uncomfortable, fighting anything I don't like in an effort to feel good. Why is it that we expect this, it is not the natural state of being. There will be many days when we are tired, cranky, fearful, constipated, overstimulated, headachy, bloated, teary, frustrated, forgetful or even sad. These are all 'natural' states of being too. I would like to learn to embrace them just as much as the so called "good" states, (content, blissful, relaxed, rested, calm, grateful). It think this is why I love reading really good fiction and film. It tends to allow all states of being to be what they are, beautiful and valid, no matter how painful.

some films I saw recently that are examples of this...
Thirteen Conversations about one thing
Happy Times
Invincible (some acting issues with this one but an interesting oral story that has been handed down over many generations. I'd like to explore more of Werner Herzog's films.)

I was very surprised when the spine on my latest moleskine journal broke last week, cracked right open! I thought they were virtually indestructable, (did I fill it too full? I was tamer than usual with this version.) Luckily Wendy gave me a beautiful, sturdy leatherbound journal for X-mas. It is good for me to try new journal formats. The cover on this one is very padded and soft, with an imprinted texture that causes me to rub it unconsciously. Yikes, I'm a journal junkie.

Lovely links (I seemed to be drawn to all things toy)...
Mr. Werewolf
My Paper Crane (yes to stuffed toast!)
Paper Toys
Biro-Web
if you haven't heard, Danny Gregory has a fantastic new blog!

I must gear up now to go to the mail. Luckily I am equipped.