The Artist’s Way – Week 2 Check-in!

Was Week 2 a struggle for anyone else? Maybe it was just because of all the goings-on in our household right now…

My family was in town for the first time in 4 years! We were all together under one roof! It was great to have them with us.

{Picture courtesy of Katharine G. Smith Photography}

We had a lot of catching up to do, lots of food to eat, movies to watch… It was sad to see them go yesterday, and my sister today. The time never seems long enough, I think…

I had my artist date today. I wasn’t sure what to do… So I ended up driving to a local nursery/landscaping company to check out their plants and shrubs.

It was lovely being outside and brushing up on the names of things… Sedum, vibernum, weigela…

I had the place all to myself and the gentleman working was happy to answer my questions, but gave me plenty of room to poke around.

I ended up choosing this pink coneflower – I’ve always loved coneflowers. And this one’s name was Pow Wow – I just couldn’t resist!

I still had plenty of time, and wanted to spend some time reading… So I ended up taking a road I’ve never taken (yes, it felt adventurous. Ha!)

So, this might sound nerdy, but I really like our health food store, and most of the time I’m rushing in and out for something in particular and I have the kids with me. So I wanted to walk around and see if I could find anything new and interesting.

I never realized the huge selection of spices they have – now I know where to go to find some of the more exotic spices I need… Northern Michigan grocery stores don’t have a great selection, I’m afraid… (see my curry post!) So there I was sniffing spices I’d never smelled…

Hey – I was experiencing and sensing. I was obeying Julia Cameron’s instructions. 🙂

Then I took my Kombucha and pepitas outside to read my book for a little bit…

I rarely get to read more than a page or two at a time, so this was awesome!!

I’m reading The Sweet By and By by Todd Johnson. This book. I will be so sad when it’s over. Here’s the amazon.com description:

Meet five North Carolina women who are about to change the way you think about friendship. For Rhonda, a gritty, fun-loving hairdresser in tight jeans, the sights and smells of Ridgecrest Nursing Center are depressing. But before she can change her mind about working there, two residents glue themselves to her: Margaret, droll and whip-smart, with a will of iron that never fails her even when her body does, and Bernice, an avid country music fan who is rarely lucid. Together with Lorraine, their church-going, God-questioning nurse, and her daughter, April, bright and ambitious, they lock arms in courage and humor for a journey that speaks to us all—of how we live and die, of how we love and forgive.

Read it. You’ll love it. Then we can talk about how much we all love it. <sigh>

As for my morning pages – there was one day – Friday, when I only got one page written before I had to get ready and dash out the door for a meeting… Other than that – going strong!

Tasks, on the other hand… need to do some more.

I hear week 3 might bring out some angst, so take care of yourself! Get plenty of sleep and quiet reflection time if you can.

How about you? Can’t wait to hear how your Artist’s Way journey is going!