Check-In Week 6.

This week hasn't felt as dramatic or full of issues as last week. A quiet week, with some thinking going on about the Blog over the past few days. I haven't told anyone at all in my life that I have a blog. Strange? In ways, I think it's like finding it easier to read my poetry to a roomful of strangers than to read when one person, or a couple of close friends ask me to. Shyness hits with people I know rather than strangers. It's especially on my mind because my sister is going to be visiting over the next few days, and part of me is inclined to "come out" to her, and I'm not sure about it. I really admire the people who obviously have their blog just integrated into their entire life. I stumbled into this without really knowing how comfortable it might be (or uncomfortable) in terms of privacy and exposure, and am still ambivalent about the whole thing. Anyone else finding this to be a dilemna for them?

That was probably part of the answer to question 4, although it's specifically about the Blog, rather than AW process, so maybe I need to be checking on 5 questions, with the 5th being any issues on the Blog process?

(1) - Morning Pages 7/7. Have I used them to think about creative luxury? I don't know. I write, and I mostly forget what I filled those 3 pages with. Yes, this morning I was bemoaning the excessive cost of one of my dreams, and looking at alternative ways of getting the same thing. Beyond that, not sure about this question.

(2) Artist Date? Phew, by the skin of my teeth (early this evening), I got in an Artist Date. Went to see Chicken Little, and really enjoyed it. I resisted the temptation to change my mind and go to a grown-up movie, and the temptation to invite a young friend along. It was great fun. I didn't get to the pottery-painting place - although I did try. It was full up all week because the schools were closed for mid-term and lots of Mums were occupying the little darlings with creative play. Next week, when they're all back at school, I will bring my sister there, and we'll both paint something. (Yes, I will have a date alone, too) Have I thought of doing two? Well, that was the plan for last week, but it didn't quite come off. I'm just glad I did one.

(3) Synchronicity? Some small things, but interesting, too. More about timing than anything, like being tapped on the shoulder as a reminder of small but important things. For instance:
- I went to the grocery store, and there was a dear friend standing at the fruit stall with a mango in her hand! - Well, after my pineapple experience, I just felt like I was being told "Yes, go on, take it" - Tomorrow's breakfast will be a mango, raspberry, banana smoothie!
- Reading the task about dumping tatty clothes, I thought "Oh, well, I dumped 4 bags in weeks 4 and 5. I've nothing tatty left", then I glanced at my sleeve. Yes, the cuff of my old favourite cream cotton jumper was gone ragged, but it's cosy... I like it... all the excuses to hold onto it came up. But there was nothing for it. When I took it off that night, instead of the laundry basket, I dumped it! Liberation!
- One of the blogs I enjoy a lot is Lorianne's. Last week, she announced she was coming to Ireland for a weekend. I felt a strong urge to suggest she go visit Glendalough, but then felt that was bossy, so I didn't, and I kept thinking, if she stays in the city, she'll miss someplace she really should visit... Well, she did get there, and posted beautiful pictures and anamazing post about the monuments there. I think this just reminded me to trust and follow those intuitions.
- Linked into the Money theme, the chapter said to say Yes to freebies, and I wondered how often do freebies come my way? - Well this week, a few times. I was at a volounteer meeting during the week, and was told we were being paid expenses for attending, - just like that! Then, later in the week, I had a call from a woman who works in the local Arts Centre, and in the course of conversation, she offered me two free tickets for tomorrow night's concert of middle-eastern music (which I love). See? Freebies are out there.

(4) Other Issues. Maybe this is more of that shyness, but I know I didn't do the 5 postcards task last time around either, and this time, I pulled out a pack of cards, got the addresses of two people I'd like to get in touch with, and thought about another 3. OK. 5 names. Yes. And I couldn't write the cards. It's only tonight it becomes clear what this is. It's a feeling that to write to a friend because someone told me to do it seems artificial, false, and to write to five all at once - a BATCH of friendship... even more false. I realise what I could be comfortable with is sending one a week, making a practice of it weekly, so that is what I will be doing.

This week, for some reason, the abundance theme really centred around food for me. There is the fruit, of course, and on Friday, there was a marathon cooking-session for the freezer. Stew, soup, ratatouille... chop, stir, simmer, mmmm. I didn't go gather rocks, but appreciated those I have on my kitchen window-sill. The weather was so rotten, there was very little other than rain-sodden leaves, and precious few flowers I would have picked ( the little just-emerging baby daffodils? No!), so I just appreciated those where they are, too. In their pots outside my kitchen window.

I can't believe there are 6 weeks past. In some ways it's like I'm just getting into the swing, and in others, maybe I'm slacking off, losing momentum, coasting. There isn't the same sense of excitement I felt in the initial phase, but here I am. And as I was preaching last week, maybe there is stuff happening under the surface. Yeah.