Skip to main content

Merry Monday - Time to Breathe

[caption id="attachment_4711" align="alignright" width="300"]merry_monday Image created using Bit Strips.[/caption]

I'm a little late on noticing this, but my calendar contains thoughtful statements. Indeed, my Josephine Wall fantasy calendar is stunning and thought-provoking. For August it says, "When we listen to a shell we hear the distant roaring of the sea: when a mermaid looks into one, does she see a scene from the world ashore? Whoever, wherever we are, whatever our limitations, all of us can make the effort of the will it takes to imagine an existence beyond our own."

Being without employment has forced me to breathe. It has made me see what's really important. I've seen more of my city and my friends in the last couple of weeks than I have over an entire quarter. I've seen more clearly what I have and am thankful for.

I barely looked at my calendar's beautiful fantasy scenes each month. What did I miss in the previous months because I was too busy running in a rat race?

January: "Here dwells a very different kind of unicorn: beautiful, gentle, feminine, and unfathomably mysterious. She can talk as earthly women do, or communicate through the heavenly sounds that emanate from the harp beneath her horn."

February: "Quite literally 'one with nature', the Wood Nymph or Dryad is half-human and half-plant: flowers, stems and tendrils tumble from her head instead of hair. The woodland creatures come to her because they know she is their friend."

March: "Like the bird [magpie] from which she's named , she can't resist anything that gleams or glitters. We see her here festooned in 'finds' of every kind. Kleptomaniac or collector? She really doesn't see what she does as wrong, picking up the brightly-coloured bits and pieces that people discard or lose."

April: "Borne away upon the breeze over hill and dale, content to go where they are carried: these spirits [Gossamer and Thistledown] travel light, free of fears, doubts, and anxieties. We can only envy them their carefree lives - and do our best to emulate them, difficult as that must be in the hustle and bustle of today."

May: "As the mermaid sleeps on her bed of sand and stone the ocean above her becomes a sea of dreams: she sees King Neptune guarding the gates of the great city of Atlantis with his trident. One day, she knows, she will enter within its walls and marvel at its miraculous sights and sounds."

June: "Gazing rapidly out towards the far horizon - past the shore, past the sea, past the distant ship - the maiden sees a vast white cloud billow and burgeon into a flower. We should always allow ourselves to dream of possibilities that lie beyond our reach. Who is to say where our limits will actually lie?"

And for last month...

July: "A rose and a wish of love for the lady waiting by the river bank, though she herself is as beautiful as any flower. She seems as much a part of her scene as any plant, so perfectly does she blend in against her background with her diaphanous dress, her sumptuously braided hair."

In looking back at these it has inspired some backstory for my protagonist as I hadn't fully worked out who her mother was. Now it makes perfect sense to me.

Time to get back to editing the novel with new clarity.

Ciao,
R~

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Gauntlet That Was October

I had a lot of things happen in October. I watched Frankenstein in the cemetery with friends. I had tea with a friend. I started a new sport: curling. This is really fun and I'm enjoying the level of activity it provides and all the strategic elements. I'll do a separate post on it soon. Unfortunately, soon after my first game, I came down with Covid and so did the friend who I had tea with, so I think we both caught it at the place we went to. That wasn't fun. I already posted about that. I was fortunate to be free of it in time to attend Can-Con where I took in lots of panels, saw some of the wonderful writer community, bought many new books, and volunteered to help out in the rooms. The following weekend, I went to the livestream for Danielle Allard's new album release, followed by the in person release. As part of this, she has a 6 video series that releases every Sunday on her YouTube at 1:15 PM EDT. Video number 2, Falling Into Place, is one that I feel fortunate

Under Siege

My city is under attack. I wish I was being facetious.  The so-called "freedom" convoy is here and so far this is what has transpired: 1. They parked on the war memorial. These people who call themselves patriots. This is where the Unknown Soldier rests. This is where Corporal Nathan Cirullo lost his life in October of 2014. The cars were towed, but who knows what actual repercussions they will face. 2. Later, when asked to move away from memorial, one stood and jumped on the tomb itself while others cheered.  3. Despite having port-a-potties provided for by the mayor, they've been defecating on Parliament Hill, in snowbanks, and on streets nearby.  4. Flags being flown include the Confederate flag of the United States, Trump flags, the Quebec equivalent to the Confederate flag, upside down Canada flags, regular Canada flags, Fuck Trudeau flags, libertarian flags, and ones adorned with swastikas. Yeah, this is totally about freedom rather than racism, white su

December 2023 Holidays

The drive to North Bay was pretty smooth until I was 30 minutes away and ran out of windshield washer fluid. That was the first time that ever happened to me. Luckily, about 10-15 minutes later, there was one last gas station where I could fix that. Since it's my busy season, I worked the mornings and took the afternoons and evenings to spend with family and friends. My brother stopped by with a special gift, a new ornament for the tree. My mom loved ceramic Christmas trees, so it's a perfect way to keep her with us at Christmas. His friend, Fawn, helped him get it made. She has a YouTube channel you can check out here: https://youtube.com/@thethriftyfawn After that, I visited friends in the slightly rural part of Callander, Ontario. We were having a lovely time catching up and then the evening had a surprise in store. Someone in the area had hit a small deer with their vehicle. My friend's dad skinned and gutted it in around -20C (due to the windchill) weather.