October Halloween Oracle Daily Draw

So I haven't updated in a long time. So much has happened this summer: gardening, an anime convention, a visit from a dear friend from back east, the desire to start up Taiko drumming, a call to volunteer for the Kuroneko Cultural Association, Hannah doing assistance work at our friends' bakery, a lovely Rocky Horror Birthday for a friend, and a wonderful birthday/Mabon for me, all sorts of things. I have lots of pictures which I want to photo dump into a post on here. But all that aside, I wanted to talk about October.

This month is so very precious and stressful to me for all the obvious reasons and for some not so obvious ones. In years past this month has been an initiator of change. I started work at the Spokesman-Review on October 9th, 2015. I began moving to Spokane at that time. In 2017 Hannah and I married, forced to re-home, went on a honeymoon, and began the home buying process. This October I want the change to be less physical and more spiritual and mental. So to get that going I'm preparing for NanoWriMo and also doing a daily card draw from the Halloween Oracle Deck. 

~MONDAY the 1st~

Skull of Flowers - phoenix energy and an understanding that sometimes things must burn/fall apart before they can come together better/newer/stronger. I've been feeling Baphomet a lot recently and written upon the deity's arms is the phrase: solve coagula. This means 'to separate' and 'to join together' and stems from the principle of Alchemy that  you cannot build something that is not, without breaking apart something that is.

~TUESDAY the 2nd~

Invisibility - the idea that being unseen can be a good thing when it comes to gathering information or doing an anonymous good deed. Also the acknowledgment that certain creatures/beings practice invisibility as a way of concealing their true selves for protection or to exhibit power or superiority. However when looking at invisibility in ourselves we should examine the intention of our hiding. If we are hiding ourselves due to fear or showing our true selves, or shyness, or unwillingness to share our gifts and talents... then that may be a case of unhealthy invisibility. For me this card means I need to continue pushing myself to explore new things and not be afraid to showcase my abilities and be proud of what I have to offer. 

Back to the Books!

Hannah and I are picking out books for each other to read as a sort of "Wifey Book Club." The book I selected for Hannah is The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia and the book she selected for me was one that she read many times as a young adult (and it is the book that got her really excited about story-telling and becoming a writer): Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I haven't read The Alchemy of Stone yet but I picked it for Hannah because it looked very much like something she would enjoy, but she picked Mara for me because she wanted to share a very important memory and piece of her past with me. I'm delighted she picked it. I had tried to read it once before and wasn't feeling it, however this time around I ate it up hungrily.

Last night I did something I haven't done in a very, very long time: I stayed up past my bedtime to read. Don't get me wrong I stay up later all the time (because I'm so responsible!) but it's usually to chit-chat with Hannah or to watch a show or something like that. It's been ages since a book has kept me up. It felt really exhilarating to get carried away by the written word again. So I didn't wait for Hannah to pick the next one. I chose one she had recommended to me a while ago: The Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix. 

This series has been on my mind for two reasons: 1)I'm excited to read this author and 2) it's called the Seventh Tower series but there are only six books. This bothers me greatly! I realize that the name is due to there being seven towers of interest in this fantasy setting. And I realize that Garth only needed six books to tell his tale. But damn. It would have felt so incredibly satisfying if there had been just one more book. That aside, I am excited to get back to reading. And then... back to writing. Gotta work my muscles, my mind, my imagination, my everything so I can start getting my brain back in the game. 

Animal Totem Talk

In recent conversation with a friend, the topic of Animal Totems came up. I was reminded a long time ago of a side conversation with someone in the past when I mentioned that I don't eat Octopuses or Squid anymore because I've recognized them as deities/totems for me. The person was shocked that I wouldn't "eat my totem" and I suppose, given the act of transubstantiation in Catholicism whereby they eat the body and blood of Christ every Sunday, that the eating of a totem might make sense. Well, I don't have to worry about eating any animal totems now since I'm no longer eating meat but I am actually very down with a little transubstantiation of my own. 

I believe in the power of symbolism (more so than the protestants who claim the break and wine to be just symbols). If I wanted to partake of my totems, whatever animals they may be, I would symbolically ingest and, therefore, truly ingest the archetypal essence of the creature into my being. For Hannah, who has a fox totem, we could eat fox shaped cookies or make an alcoholic beverage to honor the Arctic Fox or the Bat-Eared Fox. You get the gist. I don't need to put the actual matter of the totems flesh into my body to incorporate it's nutritional (spiritual) value. 

Moving on. I don't know for sure that the Octopus is my official totem as I am sometimes more in awe of it than I am relating to it on a spiritual and characteristic level (or I could be wrong - who knows!) but I know that in light of the conversation with had with our friend the other day a few fun things have happened reinforcing Hannah's totem and opening me up to, if not a totem, an animal spirit guide who has some valuable lessons to teach me. 

Animal Speak

Here's what happened: Hannah and I were telling Rachel about the Animal Speak book that had been the basis of the initial conversation and the Magical Menagerie deck fell from its shelf to the floor. We all turned to look when it dropped all we could made out was something falling - we didn't know what had caused the plunk. Later that night I discovered that it was the Animal oracle and I went, "Hmmmm," and told Hannah we needed to draw a card that night! Well we completely forgot. We are quit often  enormous dinguses (dingii?). We drew a card each the next night. These puppies had been shuffled too. So shuffled. Hannah had shuffled them the first night when they fell and then I shuffled them again. Well I drew first and got Griffin/Gryphon. Hannah drew second and *boom* she drew fox. We are going to make a small Inari shrine in the house at some point as fox has been a huge animal in Hannah's life (and, through being with Hannah, in my life as well).

So Hannah's draw made ridiculously perfect sense. Mine was a little weirder. I didn't think the Griffin was very fitting. At first. I took an online, for fun, Spirit Animal test and got Eagle. I didn't put much stock in the test, but I kept it in the back of my mind because why not? And then I started to hunker down and really think about what the Griffin meant. I am fond of Griffins and since that day I've been seeing them, or reminders of them, everywhere. In fact, that other day I saw a large pink heraldic griffin splayed across the bottom of an extra large license plate. How random? Or not. I found many pictures of griffins with the heads of Bald Eagles and felt that was a neat tie in to the previous test I'd taken. Also I found numerous sites offering pretty similar information: the Griffin is a cross between the King of Land (lion) and the King of Sky (eagle) and is known to symbolize a spiritual quest. That the Griffin is a guardian and a guide, usually as you journey a new spiritual path, or go through a particularly challenging trial. 

So I've been paying attention. I do feel that I need some guidance right now. There have been a lot of changes in my life, and new challenges. My sibling (whom I've been somewhat estranged with) is sick and dying; I'm less than two months out from getting married; my computer is broken and is going to the manufacturer for repairs; we lost a full time employee at work and are going to lose another on the 28th of this month; the house is in a perpetual state of mess; my car may or may not be road worthy enough to go to Seattle; I don't want to keep living at Valley 206 now that they are becoming a tax credit community and will have A) the authority to get rid of us at any time due to how much money I make and B) full access to my bank account information and C) they will be making us sign a year long lease in the next few months after we've been on month-to-month for almost a full year already. And it's getting darker sooner now. I can already feel my brain and body reacting to the waning summer. I'm bracing for the shit emotional time ahead but it's hard to see how everything is going to turn out at this point. And maybe that's why a Griffin jumped off the shelf for me the other night.

A while back I did a written role-play with a friend wherein our two protagonists, a married gay couple, were dealing with ghost possession as well as ancestral bloodline awakenings. It was pretty cool role-play concept and, who knows, we might revisit in the future. We both want to write novels and short stories and it could be fun to turn some of our RPs into novellas or novels. Anyway, my character in the RP (the one dealing with an awakening of his bloodline) was a Chamrosh (which is essentially what you see in the above pic). A chamrosh is a griffin with a wolf's body instead of a lion's. It is the lesser known Persian winged guardian and I spent a lot of time for that RP delving into what a griffin/chamrosh meant and what function one might serve in a story. So when griffin showed up the other night I felt a fun pang of familiarity.

Speaking of RPs, Hannah and I are finally writing one again. Just for fun and also to whet our writing chops again. I've already shared some of the beginning story that spurred her to say 'hey, let's write this out together!' It's been kind of fun to delve into these characters. Neither of them comes from what I would call a horribly tragic past or abusive situation. Both have had shitty moments as well as comfort. It's been fun throwing challenges their way, but mostly they are just a cutesy-nervous couple full of unnecessary, self-depreciating worries and woes. Kind of like most people.

In other news, I recently discovered Leo Moracchioli on Youtube. I will be purchasing a few of these fantastic covers. So far my favorites are Adele's Hello and Frozen's Let it Go. I leave you with a song for now. This started as such a focused blog post (started it a few days ago) and then more and more and more just kept happening. so here we are. Please enjoy Leo's cover.

The 'Now' and a New Challenge for October

Right now Hannah and Tsuki are watching a J-drama in the living room. It's called Good Morning Call and while I'm not really following the show much it's really interesting listening to Hannah and Tsuki bitching out the main characters, chiding them, and squealing over them. Fan-girls are so cute. 

Right now Narcisa is asleep in the Bowie room. She and I have been working on laundry for the past couple of hours but right now she's curled up on a chair snoozing to the sounds of Swedish Folk Fiddling via my phonograph. 

Right now I'm waiting for one load to finish drying and another to finish washing. Right now I'm so freaking tired.

Yesterday Hannah and I celebrated my dad's birthday. I made him a passport with five different locations on it and I tasked my father with putting 'something' from each place into his passport as a keepsake. First was Scandinavia. We went to Little Euro and had crepes and Aebelskivers and egg Florentine. It was all very delicious. Next we went to Japan (a.k.a the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden in Manito Park). It was a slight disappointment because the lawn maintenance guys were mowing and weed eating so it wasn't exactly as tranquil and meditative at the Japanese gardens are supposed to be, but overall it was a great experience. And the koi fish were adorable. After that we went to India. This one was a bit of a stretch; I had them ride the tiger (or sit next to the tiger) on the Looff Carousel downtown. Mom and dad had a good time I think. Hannah rode the tiger side-saddle and I rode the horse in front of her. Next we fed the trash goat. We have a statue outside the Carousel house, it's a metal statue of a goat with a button next to it. When pushed, the button triggers a very strong suction at the goat's mouth and the idea is that you hold up trash and the goat sucks it up and eats it. Dad and I fed the goat pieces of Inlander and other trash and then we helped a young boy and his dad feed the goat. 

These activities didn't take as long as I'd planned. The next stop was supposed to be Germany but we weren't hungry enough for dinner yet so we stopped at a Starbucks for some coffee and chill time and then went to JoAnn's to see all the things. I love their skeleton collection (cats, dogs, rats, vultures, etc.). I can't wait until Hannah and I have a real house and can deck it from top to bottom with everything Halloween. After JoAnn's we went to Das Stein Haus. It was a little different than the first time I was there but it was still good. Everyone enjoyed their food but I did learn to go during the week Mon-Thurs for the best deals. I'm keeping that in mind for the future. After Germany we were supposed to go and see a movie but mom and dad were pretty tuckered out so they headed home and Hannah and I went grocery shopping. We went a little crazy but dang we are set. Our fridge is totally stocked and we have all the fixings for some fun meals this month. 

Back to now: Hannah made fresh bread from scratch. As soon as the butter softens, we will be consuming a slice of the freshness. 

And now, looking ahead I'm thinking about working on a spell challenge for October. A friend linked me a 'spell a day' writing challenge a long time ago and I was looking through it and decided that it sounded promising for October, however I'm not going to try to write 31 spells in one month. What I'm going to do instead is make a list of fifteen spell prompts for the month of October and pull every other day. It will go like this: Day 1 - pull a prompt and write a spell. Day 2 - find/create a sacred space and perform the spell (with others or solitary, your choice). Day 3 - pull a promt and write a spell. Day 4 - perform that spell. And so on and so forth. However that leaves one odd day at the end of the month: October 31. For that day I'm going to reflect on how the spells that I've woven and worked during the month have seemed to influence my state of being or the course of events. So, for now this is the project plan. I think it would be a great way to tap into creativity and spirituality just in time for Witche's New Year. 

Today is... Sundancing Day

For August Break the prompt was 'Today is....' and so to sum up today I have a picture of Narcisa with her mouse laser light toy nestled in her fur. She's played with it a lot today and is at the "I just don't have any more fucks to give" state. I reckon that's where I'm at too. 

Work is interesting at the moment. I hope tomorrow goes a bit more smoothly. It's barely Monday and I'm ready for Thursday again (which is my Friday). Right now Hannah and I are working on getting the house all organized for some serious writing but that is taking time and a lot more energy than I seem to have lately, 

For the tarot draw today I used an oracle called: Wisdom of the Hidden Realms.This is a deck our friend Fiona gave us recently. I drew the Sun Dancers card some of the tenets of this card are as follows: Expect the best and praise it in advance. Stay positive and leave the timing up to the Divine. All things are possible now. 

I agree with the card's advice and it's good to remind myself right now of staying positive. I'm having a weird emotional roller coaster at the moment and doubting almost everything. So many of the things I'd planned for this weekend, for today... just nothing. But tomorrow's a new day and I get to work on my goals again with improved attitude and determination. I shall find some fucks to give!

August Break: My hands and Clouds

So I did manage to get my fingernails all painted different colors today. Technically this was supposed to be for yesterday but I got distracted working on the Bowie room and actually made some headway oh David's lovely little shrine. So I did two August Breaks today and a Tarot draw. First up, my hands. Behold the pasty white Scottish girl.

The second August Break was supposed to be Clouds but I went a little different direction and decided to photograph the cake my mother made for my Aunt and Uncle's 40th Wedding Anniversary and vow renewal. The cake was amazing and the ceremony was so lovely. My Aunt and Uncle were pretty much walking on clouds so... I feel this cake totally works for the prompt. (Sooo many pictures of the cake. Because cake is important!)

My aunt and uncle had their grand-kids fill this bottle with different colored sand during the ceremony to represent their growing family surrounding the rocks at the bottom (the foundation of my aunt and uncle). It was really neat. 

For tarot today I used the Stone Tarot by Alison Stone who is a fellow Graduate from Pine Manor College's Solstice Creative Writing MFA Program. She graduated before I started there. I purchased the deck the second or third time I was in Boston for school. During residencies the Solstice peeps sell books from Writer's in Residence, current and past staff, and also any publications from students past and present, so I was able to get Alison's deck right there at the school. I bought the deck for Hannah because I didn't think I was into Tarot back then. But uh... yeah, as evident by the posts this month, I rather enjoy my tarot and oracles. 

My card is the one in the upper left hand corner. The Eight of Wands: completion, haste, speed, and boldness.

So I'm not really surprised that I drew a want. I'm a little surprised that it was a repeat of the Eight of Wands that I just drew about four days ago. Obviously I need so spend some time really thinking about the meaning of this card. I think the first word says it all though: completion. I need to finish the things I started whether that is pertaining to my creativity, my home life (cleaning), or my work load and goals. I need to see things through the end and pick a project and finish it.

Update on Summer Bucket List and Playing Catch-up with Lover's Path Tarot

Hannah did an update on her summer bucket list so I figured I would do one too. Here goes:

1. Run through the sprinklers
2. Go to Silverwood (at least three times!) (gone twice)
3. Go camping
4. Star gaze
5. Be naked outside
6. Spend time in a cave
7. Camp NaNoWriMo (substituting: Enter the Geek and Sundry contest)
8. Play in Lake Coeur'd Alene
9. Eat campfire food
10. Hike Tubb's Hill
11. Paint each nail a different color
12. Read one fiction book
13. Read one writing craft book
14. Do an ephemeral art project such as body painting
15. See a waterfall
16. Do the Yoga DVD
17. Learn how to fight in the SCA
18. Go to a hot srpings
19. Test drive a car
20. Get my passport
21. Go to Canada (substituting: Go huckleberry picking)
22. Go ghost hunting
23. Go to an anime convention (substituting: Submit short story for publication)
24. Go to the Planetarium at SFCC

My tarot draw from yesterday was from The Lover's Path Tarot. While shuffling one card jumped out at me. So I kept it but also went ahead and drew one more and that was my first Major Arcana card this month. The Fool, or in this deck, Innocence. The other card that jumped out at me was coins. Again. This suit is not being subtle at all.

The start of a great journey. New ventures and risks. Innocence that allows one to be open to possibilities, and protects from difficulties. Facing fears. Trusting your heart. Optimism. Feeling protected by divine forces. (Reversed or weakly aspected: Ignoring your better instincts. Cynicism and pessimism. Distrust of the self or others. Unwillingness to make a start.)

Building of career, relationships, or home. Alchemy, or turning base energy into gold. The ability to manifest material goods or business success. Cooperating with others to construct such a venture. (Reversed or weakly aspected: Recheck plans for expansion--are they practical? Are they appropriate for your abilities? Time for a reality check from those who may be more experienced.

My feeling about the draws: firstly, I am and always will be the Fool. I have three A's in my first name. Three fools right there front and center. I tend toward leaps of faith and wildly, childishly flinging myself into the arms of the universe. Recently I made a sort of a pact with the universe. If you do A then I'll do B. And any day now I'll see if the universe really is going to do A. This could mean a lot of changes for me and I've found that the more I try to make things fit the worse they turn out. So I'm going to sit back and let what I've said come to fruition. If you do A then I'll do B. I'm anxious and eager, but I've laid my cards on the table and now I wait.  

As far at the three of coins goes, I'm not surprised that I drew yet another coin. I figure I'll get the near the entire suit by the end of this month. Three is a magic number and this month is going to be one of magic. I foresee my life being different when I enter into September. By Mabon I'll be in a different place emotionally and spiritually, perhaps even physically. I will turn my ideas and labors into gold. I will work with the tools the goddess has provided me and I will be victorious.

Busy times, an update on life in general and the Bucket List

It has been incredibly busy. My counterpart, the Hannah, has mentioned some of this business in her blog, but I wanted to recap it a little here. It's been sort of nonstop, go, go, go for a while and today being the Fourth and all I wanted to just slow things down a little and reminisce. We've sold the Jeep. Our friend has a tiny bit left to pay on it, but more than that I'm super excited for it to be alive again so that she doesn't have to keep renting Uhaul trucks to move her Kettle Korn stuff from place to place and also because I feel the Jeep is somewhat safer and more reliable than the old yellow truck that she'd been using before. So knowing she's safer makes me happy.

After selling the Jeep however, Hannah and I got a real wild hair to go and trade in the Kia but right now it just isn't going to work. We had a bit of a meltdown last Thursday about all of that. Being without my depression meds for a while certainly didn't help. On Friday we went with mom to Silverwood. I love that place. For me it is a clean slice of a different world: Victorian and elegant yet rugged and rustic. And I love all the flowers. I never noticed flowers before as much as I do now. I think being able to plant in the back yard has really changed my perspective on green things. My Kettle Korn friend calls me a Green Witch. I just might be. 

On Saturday Hannah and I went to our friend's house for soap making. Hannah made soap. I attempted to write for NaNo and ended up taking a much needed nap in a comfy as hell recliner. I worked the next morning (not too many issues) and then we returned to said friend's house for a round of gaming. I really enjoy this group of people and hope that I don't ever get too weird or obnoxious for them. I know that I often lack the 'okay you're going too far' self warning. I think as I get back on my meds properly I either won't A) be as obnoxious or B) won't worry as much about it knowing that my friends love me for who I am. 

Today I worked the Holiday at work and everything went very well except for the fact that the phones weren't working for about an hour. Even so it went very smoothly. When I got home though, I did something I regret a bit... I curled up on the bed in the bedroom and napped the fuck out of the afternoon. It wasn't particularly restful sleep but it was tremendously comforting because for the entire time that I was napping, Narcisa was right there with me. I think she knew I needed a nap companion and I think she knew I was a bit out of sorts. Tonight Hannah and I are going to watch a movie and enjoy Butter Chicken. I don't work until 8 tomorrow, which is awesome and also sucks. I love getting done at 4 but on the other hand I've been working from 7 until 5 for the past two weeks, so just doing a regular 8 hour day (with one hour for lunch) is going to be a real treat I reckon. I only have to make it through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. And then I can have some more fun this weekend. I'm trying to cram in as much fun as possible. Rest is great but going out and doing stuff, getting some Vitamin D, socializing... these things are helping me reboot for the work week more than anything right now.

Also, here is a quick update of the Bucket List for Summer of 2016: So far I've only managed to cross off camping and star gazing and one time for Silverwood. My goal for Silverwood is three. I'll be closer to that goal after this weekend though. I really do enjoy that damn park. It's incredibly nostalgic for me.

Into July with Work and Writing

Camped a weekend ago and it was marvelous. Just what I needed to get back in touch with nature. It was brief and it rained but it was lovely. This weekend started in a weird panic attack of adulting. I was supposed to go to the doctor's on Thursday but the appointment was cancelled. No big deal really except that I've been out of my meds already for a month (been cutting pills in half and skipping days here and there to keep myself somewhat normal). Also Hannah and I have been wanting to get a car and we did some serious budgeting the last few days and that resulted in crying. We will be getting a new car and we are fairly certain what type we want and from where but it will have to wait just a little while longer. That's been a huge bummer for us, but we can't do much extra right now. We're making it but not with too much wiggle room.

Yesterday Hannah and I went with my mom to Silverwood. We played in the wave pool and saw the magician, Nick Norton. That was about it. And that was pretty much perfect. She has a pass so we can go anytime we all want to this summer, so there wasn't that panicked must-cram-it-all-in-today feeling. After the park we brought home funnel cake, some coffee, and some chocolate coated espresso beans for dad. We did a belated father's day. We watched a German 'found footage' movie that kind of sucked and then went to our old favorite 'The Vicar of Dibley.'

Today I worked on some laundry and then Hannah, I and some of our friends all convened at De's house for soap making lessons. Well some of us got soap making lessons... I took a shower and then curled up in a comfy chair and tried to get a good start on Camp NaNoWriMo. I got about three sentences out and fell asleep. And snored. To which my friends reminded me that I really need to get a sleep study done because I definitely sound like I have sleep apnea. Which is one of the reasons I really wanted to have that doctor's appointment last Thursday.

Speaking of Camp NaNoWriMo (NaNo for short) I'm going to spend this month finishing and polishing my Death Man novel. It's about damn time I finished it. Once it's complete I'll work on the sequel and then, if I can, I'll pump out my Dust Bowl story. I really love that one. I think it's a bit more 'literary' in a way than Death Man but that's not why I love it so much. I'm just very centered into the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. That time period speaks to me in the same way that WWII speaks to Hannah. I'm intrigued and inspired by those that left and those that stayed and how they managed to survive such an unrelenting period. But, just like getting a new/er car, the Dust Bowl story will have to wait. For now it's nose to the grindstone at work and get Death Man done.

Tomorrow is Sunday. It's D&D night for one of my and Hannah's campaigns. I like it because it's very flexible and we just sort of schedule it when we can all make it. The next day is the 4th of July. I don't know what Hannah and I are doing for it yet. We've been invited to the family thing at my Aunt's and we've also been invited to the lake with some good friends. Those things are possibilities but not highly likely - Hannah isn't wanting to leave home for some reason. I'm working in the morning but after that we're thinking of possibly having a small cook out at home. Or maybe we'll just spend it alone, just the two of us. We could watch fireworks on YouTube and just spend that time with the kitty. Maybe we'll do card games or tarot or something. No matter what, I just want a nice, safe, and relaxing fourth.

The Summer Bucket List

Yea, all things live forever, though at times they sleep and are forgotten. 

H. Rider Haggard

Several of my friends have made summer bucket lists for this summer and Hannah and I felt it a good idea to join. I think Hannah is going to post a bucket list on her blog and while many of the items on the list are things we are planning to do together, my list does have a few different things that are 'Amanda specific.' I shall notate those with an asterisk. Because noting with an asterisk is fun.

This summer I want to do the following (in no particular order):

1. Run through the sprinklers
2. Go to Silverwood (at least three times!)
3. Go camping
4. Star gaze
5. Be naked outside
6. Spend time in a cave
7. Complete my Camp NaNoWriMo goal of 25K words
8. Play in Lake Coeur'd Alene
9. Eat campfire food
10. Hike Tubb's Hill
11. Paint each nail a different color
12. Read one fiction book
13. Read one writing craft book
14. Do an ephemeral art project such as body painting
15. See a waterfall
16. Do the Yoga DVD
17. Learn how to fight (SCA style)
18. Go to a hot srpings
19. Test drive a car
20. Get my passport
21. Go to Canada
22. Spend the night ghost hunting
23. Go to an anime convention
24. Go to the Planetarium at SCC

This list is subject to some change. Finances may or may not be available for all of these things so I might put on an alternate to certain activities. But these are the things I really want to do this summer as it stands now. These are the components of "Summer 2016." I'm hoping to have a few of these marked off the list after this weekend and the next. Some of these things I figure I'll do multiple times but they are still worthy of the list as they still take me out of the regular norm. I've been a busy person the last several years (MFA stuff, work, moving, more job stuff) and now I'm at the point where creativity and imagination are starting to stir back up. I want to live life more fully and right now the best way to jump start that is to tackle this list. 

My Chakra Shark and Failed Attempts

Follow this link to see the artist's Tumblr.

I've been getting rather frustrated with the creative challenge. Yesterday I played around with newspaper trying to make newspaper flowers, or paper roses. It didn't work very well and I ended up giving the disappointing bud to Naricisa who played with it and lost it somewhere in the dining room. Then earlier tonight, after I finished with Shrinky Dinks, I went to paint some keys with nail polish and ended up hating how they looked. I'm still not sure exactly what kind of mischief I'm going to get into with those keys but they just keep vexing me! Anyway I gave up on that venture as well. So it's not for lack of time or trying that I haven't been keeping up and I guess that's what's super frustrating. If I was just sitting on my ass and watching TV making the conscious choice not to put energy into a project then I could own that. But I am working on these projects and while I know that failure is a better teacher than success it just sort of feels like wasted time. Time I should have spent sleeping, cleaning, doing laundry, resting from my illness, or talking to Hannah or friends. 

So I just have to keep telling myself that I'm not wasting my time, because if I let myself believe that then I'll start to go crazy! Instead, I'm going to keep on pushing through this month. I did manage to finish one more project tonight. I've been wanting to do this for a while. I call it the Sharkra (chakra-shark combo). I got the little stones from our High Priestess (IEPG) and intended to use them for just such a purpose as this. So question time: I made a Sharkra sign to hang up in my cubicle at work. What did learn? I learned that stamps never come out in a straight line for me even when a use a guide paper. I also learned that tacky glue is pretty awesome. And I learned that Sharkras is not already a thing. So there, world, I invented it! It's MINE! Hahahaha! And lastly, did I complete it? Yes. And as soon as the glue dries completely I think it will look pretty neat. And I'm excited to bring it to work as my first piece of myself to go up at my desk. I plan on bringing a ton of pictures of Hannah and the kitty and my friends, but that will have to wait until I have the money to get the all printed out. 

To create the shark, I used this free silhouette template.

Day 2 of Work and Day 12 of Creative October

So work is going pretty well. I have the bus stuff pretty figured out and tomorrow, I hope, I'll be getting my bus pass so that I don't have to keep coming up with change each morning and afternoon. Goodwill Working Solutions offered to pay the first 2-4 months of my bussing for me and I'm definitely taking them up on it. The passes from work are only $25 a month instead of the usual $45 from the bus station. It's a good deal for all of us! Anyway, while I'm learning lots and lots about customer service in the circulation department, the building is still quite a mystery to me. I tend to spend my lunches on the roof terrace surrounded by gargoyles. Please enjoy some pictures from my new "lunchroom." 

The Knitting Factory is a popular place for concerts in Downtown Spokane.
It's right behind my work. See the gargoyle feet on the ledge?!

Roof parking on the building next to us. Also a pretty cathedral.

A nice view of Sprague, which is the road behind my work.

Gargoyles! And in the distance are the smokestacks attached
to a very cool restaurant that I want go to someday.

Another shot of the smokestacks as well as a view of downtown
Spokane and the horizon of the South Hill area.

A long shot of Monroe Avenue, the road leading away from my work.

A side view of the beasts. The gargoyles are nicknamed "Printing Devils"
in honor of the novices in the printing business who tended to cause problems.

As for Creative October, I'm counting the photography of the gargoyles as one project. I need three total to be caught up so here's two more and I'm golden! Second project: I made my work journal nifty and pretty. I learned that writing bus times is obnoxious and I also learned having multiple different colored pens at your disposal is pretty much the best thing in the world. Also I learned that I miss my other journal. I still have some room left in it but now I worry that it won't get filled all the way before I really attack my work one. I already did a journal entry for today in it! In purple even.

This is the information for taking alternative transport to work and how
you can win prizes for choosing to reduce your carbon footprint.

I drew all the icons I'll be using as I navigate the software for the paper.
Also I added a few fun stickers, but mostly this is my crappy insta-art.

Calendar and pay periods. I added some Captain America and Monster High.
And some My Little Pony because I couldn't resist.

HR and other contact information. In style!

Third Project: Manifestation Board. What did I learn? I learned that I apparently really need some intimacy in my future life. Also I need to write. I've been writing in my journal and blogging but that isn't really getting the big things done. I knew that I needed a break from it after graduation but it really is time to get back into gear again. I need to work on short stories and novels and keep trying to get published. I feel that the more stable job, plus the option of having my own home, will help me get some writing out eventually. I finished this project and feel pretty good about it. Had to download Paint.net to get the job done, but it was worth it.