Well, here I am, stuck in the post-holiday doldrums. I’m seeing gray skies day after day after day. It can make me feel like the person in this photo, only I’m still in my pajamas wearing my horrible slippers.
Nothing for it but to come up with things to do. In case you’re feeling like I am, here’s a list of some things you might consider: something to do, something to read, something to watch, and something to eat. I apologize in advance for offering the something- to -eat thing, as it is highly addictive.
Something to READ:
For me, poetry is a quick fix for all kinds of things. It lifts me up, it calms me down, it offers me things to look at more deeply, and to appreciate. My friend and writing sister, Lee Woodman, has just released her lastest -Scape book of poetry, called SOULSCAPES. This is an inquiry into the spiritual, and is one of those slim volumes you might very well keep by the bedside to dip into every night or every morning—or both.
You can get it from the publisher:
https://shantiarts.co/uploads/files/vwxyz/WOODMAN_SOULSCAPES.html
Or from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Soulscapes-Lee-Woodman/dp/1962082202/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Lee+Woodman+Soulscapes&qid=1702770215&sr=8-1
Something to DO:
Did you read Marja Mills’ excellent THE MOCKINGBIRD NEXT DOOR about living next to Harper Lee? Not only is Marja a great writer, she’s a great teacher: smart, gentle, inspiring and supportive. She’s teaching another memoir class on line, and if you’ve ever wanted to write about your life, here’s a good way to start. In case you didn’t know, you are a star-spangled individual, full interesting and meaningful things to share, if only with yourself.
https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/course/writing-courses/memoir-writing-level-one-getting-started-0
Something to WATCH:
I just saw a movie called PAST LIVES, and was absolutely entranced by it. It’s about roads not taken, specifically in relationships, and it’s raw and gentle and funny and sad and something I think almost anyone can relate to. You can watch it at home, too! Check out the trailer and see what you think.
Something to EAT: Okay, so Trader Joe’s, that temptress disguised as a grocery store, had one of their cute “Try This” signs up one day for chips and dip, so what could I do? I bought the Pub Cheese in Cheddar Horseradish flavor and then, because they suggested I pair the cheese with elote -flavored corn chip dippers, I bought those, too. Then, in a brilliant strategic move, I put the bag of groceries on the passenger seat so that I could sample a chip with dip on the way home. ONE chip. When I got home, there were hardly any chips left and the dip was half gone. You know how your dog looks when he’s done something wrong? That’s how I looked as I skulked into my house. Remember the Lay’s potato chip commercial that said, “Bet you can’t eat just one”? Well, ditto.
Thank you for the encouragement about writing a memoir. I’ve been keeping a journal since I was 12 (I’m now 65) and although it’s spotty in some places and somewhat mundane in others, I have embarked on a project of adding photos and other memorabilia to it and typing it into my computer. I hope someday my kids might enjoy it. If nothing else, they will learn things about me that I’m sure they never knew.
In the meantime, I am enjoying revisiting my memories.
We ARE all unique individuals and have unique stories.
I laughed out loud at your Trader Joe's remarks. And about eating just one chip on the way home LOLOLOL. Exactly why I skipped going to TJs yesterday on my way home from the DeKalb Farmers Market. Both are in downtown Atlanta or thereabouts and if I'm going to drive that far, I might as well hit them both. Somehow I was strong enough to say NO, YOU KNOW YOU ONLY WILL BUY THE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED!