* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

 

From the time I wrote my post about Merle Haggard on Thursday afternoon, and today during the early afternoon, I had two of those Twilight Zoney happenings... otherwise known as those incidents of Cosmic Encouragement (thanks again to Connie's comment in an April 2010 blog post of mine!)

For now, I'm not going to share what happened, but please don't think it was something so magnificent or weird or bad. I just don't have the time and the mental strength to write about it properly. (I've been de-cluttering my home office this evening like the Tasmanian Devil!)

What does any of this have to do with Nostalgic Sunday?

Memories and Writing...and Following My Bliss

 

 

I'll be back soon, but for now I want to urge all of you to follow your bliss. The first time I heard the poem below, it was from a new writer friend and mentor...and it was a life-changing moment,

 

"If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.

I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.”

-- Joseph Campbell

 

~~~



 

* NEW THOUGHTS ON FOLLOWING MY BLISS *

Last week I had one of those moments where a thought just popped into my head and made perfect sense. I was in bed, trying to go to sleep, but my brain had other ideas...ha ha! Get it...my brain had other "ideas"!? (Sorry for the groaner, but I'm still going pretty much on lots of coffee and a lack of Zzzzs... due to working three full days and three half days last week.)

So...the thought that popped into my head was all about "following your bliss"... and isn't that what my blog and I are all about?! You've seen the following poem on my side bar:

"Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.”
-- Joseph Campbell

 

Both of my part-time jobs just happened to come along, when I wasn't even looking!

"...you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open..."
 
And yes, both jobs are rewarding and fun, and yes I'm following my bliss!

And then a powerful thought: Stop worrying about whether I'm writing or not writing...Enjoy where I am at this moment, and the writing will come.

~~~

 

When my friend, Robin Theiss, first told me about Joseph Campbell's quote, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately felt like those words had been written especially for me. I still find it very powerful every time I read it. 

 

I hope all of you are following your bliss, but if you aren't, please give it a try.

 

Wishing you all a beautiful, blissful 2nd week of December!



 

 

A horse drawn carriage on Main Street in old St. Charles, Mo.
This was taken in December of 2009.



* FOLLOWING MY BLISS *

The past few days have been stressful and tiring, and yet also joyful and exhilarating. I guess that's "normal" when moving to a new home, especially when downsizing. 

How much can I throw away? What can be given to Goodwill? What do I absolutely have to take with me? Within a week, though, The Ronald and I (and Vern, of course!) will be living in our delightful, little condo, beginning a new adventure. Life never fails to surprise me.

~~~

 

As Vern and I strolled along during one of our walks yesterday, he with his nose down, sniffing and zig-zagging,

 

 

I thought about the direction my writing is headed. Although I'm definitely working on the sequel to my memoir, it's been slow going, and I'll be putting it on the back burner for a while. I want to focus on a different idea that keeps coming back to me:

 

 

a humorous and hopefully laugh-out-loud funny book about men: how they drive us crazy, the idiotic things they sometimes say and/or do, etc. The title will be Men Ought to Be a Four-Letter Word. (which is also one of the chapters in my memoir, inspired by The Ronald!)

 

I'm not sure where this particular road will take me, but my writing is about the journey, and I have to follow my bliss. (The following words are extremely meaningful to me. Thank you again, Robin Theiss.)

 

one of my favorite walking trails (2009)

 

"Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else." - Joseph Campbell

 

 

 

* I would love to know everyone's thoughts and/or advice. Please leave comments! *

 

 



* A LITTLE DECORATING, A LITTLE CLEANING, AND A JOB! *

A Little Decorating....

 

As you can see, the kitchen in our townhouse has definitely not been updated lately. It has the old wood grain countertops, old kitchen cabinets, and a white tile backsplash over the sink. The renters before us painted some of the walls red, which I don't dislike, and have actually come to embrace.

 

Months ago I decided I was going to put black and red "scrolly" stickers on the tile to give it a little umph. I found the black ones at Hobby Lobby but searched everywhere in stores and online for similar ones in red. I could not find any.

 

 

I came across other designs that I thought might work,

but it's too long and way too boring of a story, so here is the finale. Ta Da!

I just added those very few red squares to give it some red color and

 I think I did okay in achieving the Umph. What do you think?

 

Oh, and how do you like the tiny lights I put under the cabinets? It looks so pretty in the evening when they are the only lights on in the kitchen.

 

~~~

 

A Little Cleaning....

I don't have any photos to share, at this moment of any cleaning I've been doing. More on that later.... J

~~~

 

And, A Job......



 

Have I mentioned I'd been "semi" job hunting the past couple of months? Full-time or part-time, hopefully close to home. I wasn't being very picky, and yet it appeared that either I was too old, or didn't have the skills for much of anything! Depressing! So, just when I decided to forget about it, a job came along.

 

 

 

Isn't that how things usually happen?! It's like my favorite quote/personal mantra by Joseph Campbell:

 

"I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."

 

For now, I'll just say this. It's part-time. I start tomorrow. It's close to home. And, I'm a bit nervous! Wish me luck, and I'll report back soon!

 

~~~

 

* I'd like to welcome my newest follower: Sandi of Dandelion Tea. Hello Sandi! I hope you always enjoy what you read and see. Thank you very much! *

 

* My Head's a Spinnin'! *

This past week I've spent most of my time gearing up for the arrival of my memoir. 

(Is it possible for me to reread that sentence too many times?) 

I'm attempting to stay cool, calm, and collected...and not use an inordinate amount of explanation points, but.....Wow! It has been a long journey! I keep envisioning the following scene:

My doorbell rings. Vern gets excited, starts barking, and runs to the front door. When I get there, I turn the knob, open the door....and there stands the UPS guy...with a large box addressed to me and he needs my signature. 

From there the scene has different variations: 

1) If The Ronald is home, we both open the box and stare at the wondrous sight. 

2) If he isn't home, I tell myself I must wait until he gets home, so he can share the moment with me.

3) Then reality hits. I know I'll pull and tear and gnaw at that box like a ravenous beast until it's open.

From that point, I've imagined several scenarios, so when it actually happens, I'll definitely share it.

My blog last Sunday was about doors, keys, and door knobs, and how I find them beautiful and meaningful. The following words by Joseph Campbell are so fitting for today's post, and every time I read them, I swear I get chills.....in that good kind of way.

“Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.” 

Joseph Campbell

In addition to the usual ways of selling books, I have lots of other marketing plans & ideas in that area, and THAT'S why "my head's a spinnin'!" There are so many helpful sites and blogs online, it can really get overwhelming, but with having a plan, schedules, date books, calendars, etc., I'll be just fine. 

Follow your bliss!