Daily Diversion #96: Playing Hooky

I have so  much writing and editing to do this weekend. My to-do list numbers in the dozens. Before I get the productivity ball rolling, I need to unwind. Today, this means Margaritas and silliness with my best friend. Check this space tomorrow for normal posts. Until then, I am unwinding.

Parrot on the shoulder

Parrot on the shoulder, and one of my favourite wordsmiths on my chest.

“Make your interactions with people transformational, not just transactional.”-Patti Smith

Margaritas

Margaritas

Everyday I Love You

It’s no secret that I love notebooks. They are tools of my trade, a bit old-fashioned, perhaps, but useful, evocative of an earlier time, and beautiful. I usually walk around with tiny Moleskines hidden in my purse and crumpled scraps stuffed perilously in coat or skirt pockets. Spirals of cheap school paper are stacked in the studio and by my bed. Since quantity counts, I cannot afford to be too discerning. I run through paper at an appalling pace (no need to worry, darlings, I recycle), and play a continuous game of hide and seek with the surviving notebooks. Fortunately, I came into a spot of luck back in January by winning this sexy guy:

Everyday I Love You Notebook from Smythson

Everyday I Love You Notebook from Smythson

Isn’t he divine? He originated in London and was sent to me via Austria, from the fabulously chic Nadine of The Flamboyante. The stars surely aligned when I won her December Smythson Notebook Giveaway. This match is meant to be: he’s already an important part of my creative process and is an inspiration in his own right. An unexpected bonus? I feel a lot more elegant dashing off notes on the fly. Maybe Nadine sprinkled magic dust on the notebook before mailing it off. I’ll never know.

A Photo Round-Up of Some Things My Mom Sees on Her Walk Home from Work, Part 2: Architectural Oddments

Going home for a few days gave me a welcome sense of clarity and renewed my creative determination. I’ve returned South happier, calmer, and aesthetically and intellectually richer. Until next time, Columbus. Until next time.

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 

Daily Prompt: Through the Window

Men on a roof. Bending, crouching, arms open to the sky. Hammering, drilling, sawing. Moving silhouettes on a cityscape set. Dress extras bringing atmosphere. Skyscraper backdrop with painted clouds. The foreman stands, his back to the audience. Directing the action. Immobile. Neon-vested. Empty hands in warm pockets. The workers’ raucous laughter slides through the whirring whinge of their tools. Perfectly timed. They’ve given this performance before.

Men at Work

Men at Work

My response to the Daily Prompt.

Intermezzo: Today

Today, my return to shining good health is matched watt for watt by a hearty winter sun. Both incandescent, ready for change. Strong. The renewal of the New Year met a roadblock or two, was delayed, delayed again, the delay constantly looping. Today, creativity is back, and with it hope; they are both resplendent. I’ve re-imagined the way forward, a sturdy path with many forks. It’s beautiful.

Hope is like the light in an Impressionist painting.

Hope is like the light in an Impressionist painting.