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I’ve Got to Stop There Someday

How many times have you driven by a business that called out to you, and you answered, “I’ve got to stop there someday!”

Taking Time for Yourself

Yesterday was my ‘someday’. Inglenook Antiques was the business. I consider it to be this week’s Artist Date with myself. This concept goes hand-in-hand with writing my Morning Pages. An Artist Date is something you do that gives you joy. According to author, Julia Cameron, the originator, there are just two rules:

  • You must go alone
  • Do it once a week, every week

Antique Shops are a Weakness for Me

I’ve never spent large sums of money in them, but I usually leave with something in hand.

Yesterday’s visit was an example of following my intuition. After all, it wasn’t convenient to stop. I had mozzarella and chicken breasts from a grocery stop after my morning walk at Bok Tower Gardens. But the parking was shaded and my groceries were kept cool in my everpresent cooler.

Before I reached the front door of the cozy, historic house, Robin, the owner, cracked open the door as if to say, “Yes, we’re open.“

Synchronicity Abounds

Synchronicity – the simultaneous occurrence of events, which appear significantly related, but have no discernible casual connection. This definition of synchronicity encompasses my visit to Inglenook Antiques.

Blue Ridge Southern PotteriesI walked through the door and turned right, where a small room was my first find – a wall filled with Blue Ridge Southern Potteries dinnerware. This is the largest collection I’ve ever seen. My personal connection is from my grandmother. She collected these plates during the 1940’s for ten cents each from the local Woolworth Five and Dime store. I loved the beautiful flowers on the hand-painted plates when I would visit her for a traditional Swedish afternoon coffee and sweet. She would fill a coffee cup half full of evaporated milk and pour some coffee and sugar in it for me. She always had homemade Pepparkakor, Swedish ginger cookies, stashed in the freezer to accompany the coffee.

As I wandered through, I was drawn to talk to Robin about her collection of Blue Ridge dinnerware. She told the story of her grandmother’s one plate used to soothe her when she was home sick. The beautiful, hand-painted petunia on a plate, placed with the love of her mother on a tray, filled with comforting morsels of food to settle her tummy.

Every new subject that came up in our conversation brought more similarities; commonality to Wasilla, Alaska, the Czech Republic, family with the same first name, studying biology in college. The list seemed endless.

A Few More Finds

During our conversation, I mentioned that I like white plates too. Robin pulled out two different styles. Now I have three Wedgwood Cream on Cream dinner plates with an embossed grape design and two Czech salad plates, also with a grape leaf design.

Finally, she led me to a large assortment of wooden boxes. I chose a miniature Lane cedar chest. Robin told me they were given to high school graduates by the local furniture store, Badcock, during the 70’s. It must have been after 1971, because I missed receiving one. Perhaps, it was waiting for me to find it at Inglenook Antiques.

Choose to Listen

The next time you hear the voice in your head say, “I’ve got to stop there someday,” choose to listen and act on it. Perhaps you will make a new friend, find the perfect gift, or experience the simple joy of synchronicity.

I’d love to hear from you, in the comments or signup for my newsletter and we can have a weekly conversation.

Warmly,
Dawn

Writing Morning Pages Opens Up Creativity

Today, I returned to writing morning pages. Finally, I picked up one of the spiral journals on my bookshelf, plucked a pen off my desk and wrote.

My first morning pages started over thirty years ago when I was introduced to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It is one of the tools she uses to open up creativity.

What are Morning Pages?

The idea is very simple. Each morning, before you do anything else, take pen in hand and write on paper. The standard for how much to write is three pages or thirty minutes. The only requirement is physical writing.

At first, you might not know what to write. That’s okay. If you’re stuck, write “I don’t know what to write. This is stupid.” Continue writing these two sentences. As if by magic, your words change to release whatever needs to come out. Maybe the emotions release. Perhaps, a new idea may emerge.

There is no wrong way to do morning pages. Furthermore, don’t worry about syntax, punctuation or spelling. Above all, just write.

How Might This Work?

The physical task of moving the hand allows the brain to slowly unwind. It seems like expressing your thoughts on paper is basic therapy. Moreover, it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.

Morning pages are private. They are not shared. When you’ve filled up your first notebook or journal you choose what you do with it.

    • Store it
    • Burn it
    • Shred it
    • Physically tear it up

Start Today

Why not give writing morning pages a try? Do you have an empty notebook lying around the house? Any writing instrument will do; pen, pencil, marker. Start writing morning pages and watch your creativity soar.

For me, today’s morning pages made me feel so much calmer, I didn’t stress over publishing this page much later than usual. Ahhhh.

Helpful Resources

As I composed this article, I remembered the scores of young people who were not given the joy of learning cursive writing in school. If you want to learn how to master this creative style of writing, here are a few of the many helpful sources online. Most noteworthy, the first link is full of more resources at the end of the article.

On a personal note, thank you, kind reader, Donna M., for emailing me the link in the last item above. The world needs more teachers like you.

Have an enjoyable, safe Labor Day weekend, enjoying the vestiges of summer and looking forward to fall.

Warmly,
Dawn

Three Ways to Find Joy in Life

Sharing these three ways to find joy in life was prompted by a recent, sweaty morning, trimming my zinnias in my garden. It reminded me of one of my most unexpected joyful moments nine years ago during a mundane walk from the light rail station to work.

1 – Bring Joy With You

On the weekends I spent hours in my Colorado flower garden. It was sometimes hard to leave it Monday morning as I started my commute to downtown Denver.

Why not bring my garden with me? I started picking flowers Sunday afternoon from my garden. I had the perfect container to keep them in – one of those big plastic mugs from a stay in the hospital.

2 – Share Your Joy

As the light rail car gently swayed left and right, I would close my eyes, and inhale the fragrance of flowers. Instantly, I was transported back to my garden, removing spent blossoms, trimming away overgrowth, until the jarring computer voice announced the Auraria / Colfax station.

Auraria / Colfax Station
Auraria / Colfax Light Rail Station

Opening my eyes, I gathered my belongings and caught another commuter smiling at me. They were enjoying the flowers too. Some even asked me questions as we stood in the aisle, waiting for the doors to open.

“Did you grow those?”
“I’ve never seen a flower like that. What is it?”

A simple container of flowers gave many of us a few moments to escape the Monday morning blues before we arrived at work.

3 – Give Your Joy Away

After I exited the train at the Auraria Station, I hurried to the pedestrian crossing at busy West Colfax Ave. Once safely across, my only other consideration was a decision on which street to take along Cherry Creek. Often, I sized up the current homeless man on each corner and how to avoid them, changing my pace to catch the light, or turning along Speer Blvd. In contrast, the hapless drivers, stranded by red lights had their own methods of dealing with their discomfort. Most looked straight ahead, but usually at least one car would roll down their window just enough to dangle a few bills and try to hide their embarrassment through half smiles. These interchanges were anything but joyful.

For myself, I sometimes gave them fast food gift cards rather than money. But my full bouquet of daisies gave me an idea. Why not give away a flower?

“Would you like one of my flowers?” I asked as I stood at Colfax and Speer.

He looked confused at first. Then a broad smile spread across his face. He held up his forefinger in the universal symbol for “Wait just a minute.” I watched him run a few yards to his knapsack hidden beneath a shrub at the edge of the Burger King parking lot. He returned quickly with a bottle half full of water and held it out for me to place the daisy in it. Then he proudly carried his makeshift vase and flower with him as he canvassed the faces of drivers for someone willing to part with a few dollars.

For me, I carried the image of his smile all day. It magnified the joy my vase of flowers brought me, sitting on my desk.

How Can You Find Joy This Week?

This article shows how a love of flowers can bring joy in multiple ways by taking one step at a time. Are you willing to take a chance and explore three ways to find joy in your life this week?

  • Make a list of things that bring you joy.
  • Consider how you can share that joy with others.
  • Is it possible to go to the next level and give some of your joy away?

I’d love to hear from you, either with a comment below or send me an email.

Joyfully,
Dawn