Sunday, December 11, 2005

Week 6 - Check-In

(A wooden sign I found while shopping this week)


1. Morning Notes - I'm startled to realize I did morning notes every day this week except today. Never even thought of it till I sat down to do this check-in. I enjoy doing the notes and it's only on days off from work that I sometimes stumble--just get too busy before I know it. Not sure what "creative" luxury is, but I gave thought to what I consider personal luxuries (in order of importance): time to do what I choose; books, books, books!; nice bath soaps; French chocolates; music CD's; good stationery.

2. Artist Date - Still no artist date unless I can count the fun I had ferreting out treasures at T. J. Maxx. Actually, it was finding the sewing themed glass ornaments for my sewing pals that spurred a little creativity on my part.

3. $ynchronicity - Okay, I'm totally spooked. This week's focus is Abundance (see the sign above that I found on my T. J. Maxx outing) but the sub-text is money--how we feel about it, how to get it, what to do with it, etc.

On Sunday night last week I checked the mailbox because DH had forgotten to bring in the mail on Saturday. Therein lay a totally unexpected insurance reimbursement of $100, a little windfall I passed on to the DD who has such heavy school debt right now.

On Monday I ate lunch with an old friend (who had done The Artist's Way in the past--which totally threw me, but then this gal usually does). We discussed creativity and spirituality, and out of the blue she said, "Just before Mother died--I mean, right at the end--she blurted out, 'It's all about money!'" We both had a big laugh, but then we got kind of quiet and stared at each other for a moment.

On Tuesday my husband, who is always at a loss re: birthday and Christmas gifts for me (poor man has to come up with both at once), announced that this year my gifts would be his paying for the new computer and printer set- up I just bought. (Let me say I don't skimp on myself, and I had budgeted paying for it over the next several months.) Following Julia Cameron's advice, I promptly switched my wish list to new draperies for my bedroom (which I've redecorated in stages over the past few months, and this is the last remaining undone item). I have absolute confidence those windows will have new coverings before I know it.

On Wednesday I wrote about my birthday and in so doing, I checked out Hilda's birthday link, and guess what mine is all about: Money. And more money. I also took the day for personal care (haircut, teeth cleaning, gyno visit--my annual trip to the vet), and started on Christmas shopping. Ended up finding great bargains, mostly for myself--but heck, it's my birthday tomorrow!

On Thursday I had an almost over-abundant birthday: a delicious lunch with my daughters; a nice check from the firm I work for + a scrumptious carrot cake from a local gourmet shop; a subscription to Creative Needle magazine, a quilt wall calendar, and a gift certificate to Jo-Ann that I'll probably use for quilt books--all for inspiration; 2 mirrored fleur-de-lis ornaments to remind me of Venice and Paris for my travel-themed Christmas tree; a check from Mother, along with a New Yorker desk calendar guaranteed to make me laugh at least once a day all year long! And lots of very funny cards from very dear friends. What a nice day--and what abundance!

The week was bound to calm down after all that, and there were no other apparent incidents of $ynchronicity toward week's end. But the experiences I did have gave me much pause.


4. No other issues seemed significant to my discovery of creativity this week.

5 comments:

Rian said...

Jane Ann, I love the sign!! Yeah!

Pat/SWquilter said...

Honey, if several of us have counted trips to GoodWill as an artist's date, I think there is NO DOUBT you can consider TJ Maxx one - probably an upscale one at that!! LOL! Sounds like a fabulous week for you all in all - I hope you told your husband "thank you very much" and immediately shifted your focus to those drapes. Pretty great that he's going to cover the computer costs!

sophie said...

I agree that your hunt for the sewing-themed ornaments counts as an artist date.

Reading your check-in, I kept thinking about how in-the-flow you are--I love it.

Cathy said...

The sign is great. I might use it at the bottom of my morning pages now and then. As for synchronicity, it sounds like your week was full of synchronicity.
Happy Birthday.

Cooper Bentley said...

Thank you for writing this blog