Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Monday, November 21, 2011

Where have I been?

I've been writing a poem a day, that's where I've been. I'll resurface with a post after November is over, sweetings!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Stop-Doing List

I love the idea of a Stop-Doing List. I am the sort of person that can get pulled in many different directions, losing focus and energy. My plan is to observe my life, noticing over time what to add to this list, hopefully having something comprehensive by the end of the year. Thus far, I have the following items/topics on my Stop Doing List:

1. Checking my email and Facebook accounts multiple times a day

This is pretty much a no-brainer, but if I'm not paying close enough attention, I can spend an extraordinary amount of time checking my email and Facebook accounts during the day. I especially notice that this is a time-sink in the morning before work.

2. Maintaining/investing in relationships that are not reciprocal

It's been an interesting year, one that has included a lot of changes in my behaviors and habits surrounding my relationships to others. With those shifts, relationships that were less than healthy, less than reciprocal, less than fulfilling have fallen to the wayside, and that seems natural and right and still, a little sad. It's been an eye-opener to realize that some relationships don't thrive, that my effort alone cannot/should not sustain unhealthy behavior patterns, and that a two-way street is really my most comfortable route when it comes to choosing companions, friends, and acquaintances. It's time to really put my money where my mouth is and only put my focus on positive, sustaining relationships that make me feel nourished and positive about life.

3. Eating foods that make me sick

I've been struggling with a lot of allergies lately, and I'm starting to suspect that a food allergy might be the culprit. Over the next few months, I'm going to attempt to weed out two main allergens that I suspect are contributing to my physical misery, dairy and wheat. I use the word "attempt" because we are in the High Holy Season of Butter and Baked Goods from now until January 1st. I'm not going to make myself miserable attempting some sort of full-on dietary conversion before the first of 2012, but I am going to take steps toward eating foods that I know will help me to feel energized and won't exacerbate my asthma and eczema.

I'm sure I'll add more items to the list, but this seems like a good start. Have you ever thought of making a Stop-Doing List? Can you name off a few things that would be on that list? If so, share your list in the comments!

NoPoeMo

It's officially NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month...but I'm not participating, as I have no desire to write a novel this year.

Instead, I'm going rogue and doing my own thang with my poetry club. We call it NoPoeMo, or November Poetry Month. We've accepted the challenge to write one poem a day, each day during the month of November. The poems don't have to be good, and we're not allowed to edit them during the month of November. At the end of the month, I should have 30 rough drafts of poems, which sounds pretty flippin' sweet to me.

What creative pursuits have you been pursuing lately? Tell me in the comments!