Saturday, July 20, 2013

Simple Pleasures on Sunny Days

I spent the afternoon outdoors. Laying out under the sun and trying to keep from burning my new tattoo. The bugs didn’t bother me - I was too well hidden in the tall grass beside our house. Yarrow napped long and peaceful in front of the fan and Seth did practical, Saturday-afternoon projects, but I just worshiped the sun, the warm earth, and the quiet all around. I’m preparing for August. The month I turn thirty and the month I’ve set aside for retreat and reflection.



In preparation, I’m working to get my days running smoothly (smoother anyway). Waking before my alarm most mornings and replacing coffee with tea. I am deciding on a time to be online, a time to be available for texts and calls, I’m deciding on lectio Divina for my early morning hours, weeding and harvesting after breakfast, afternoon walks, focused cleaning, prayers and journaling..in short a spiritual detox. A time to form my flighty self in the imitation of Christ. 



I’m giving myself a good part of Yarrow’s average nap-time for writing. I don’t know if anything will come of it - summer is not my season - but I would like to give myself the opportunity that discipline brings. It will not be journal-writing, nor editing, but writing with form, shape, and direction. I would like to give myself tasks and themes to direct the time. I’m not sure whether I’ll be putting together my own, or if there are helpful tools out there I can absorb..Any suggestions??
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8 comments:

  1. Jenna St. HilaireJuly 22, 2013 at 8:06 PM

    I love this detox idea! I'm awfully tempted to join you, especially as I've gone off coffee the last few days and am supposed to get off sugar, too.

    I'm curious as to what you're looking for as far as tasks and themes... There are writer's prompts by the hundreds on the internet, but they're often journal-directed. My preferred way of novel-writing is to come up with a basic (and pretty fluid) outline and then work by time or word count goal from that, adjusting the outline as necessary (it's always necessary.) But I'm not sure that's helpful for a poet. :)

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    1. MashaJuly 22, 2013 at 8:39 PM

      Do!!! August is the best time for it! You can do the Dormition Fast with me..and drink all sorts of detoxifying teas and things!!! :)

      I don't really know what I'm looking for..It doesn't have to be Poetry-focused, but most of the prompts leave me uninspired and undirected..I think I might work on responses to something..some book I'm not super familiar with (so Kathleen Norris is out)..Maybe Jeremiah, or some other Old Testament book..eh...I'm not sure yet. I think I do need some sort of outline for what I want anyway..hmm..planning is not my strong point ;) Thanks though!

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    2. Jenna St. HilaireJuly 23, 2013 at 1:24 AM

      Ooh, cool! How do you do the Dormition Fast? My naturopath wants me doing a liver detox anyway. :) So this could be awesome!!

      Writing prompts do that to me, too... and I've done WAY TOO MANY of them. :P

      I could definitely use the time to focus on my novels, and on singing... I need to get my voice back into health. I'm tired of sucking every time I cantor. This sounds like fun.

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    3. MashaJuly 23, 2013 at 8:45 AM

      I just go vegetarian..not like Lent!!..and just from the 1st to the 14th..But this year, I'm thinking of keeping out alcohol, sugar, and eating lots of salads and fresh living things..to make it sort of a detoxifying fast!

      Lets do it! I totally need someone on board with me to keep me focused :)

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    4. Jenna St. HilaireJuly 23, 2013 at 3:10 PM

      I'm in!! Though I may not be able to go strict... haven't talked to Lou about it yet. ;) But I definitely need to oust the sugar and focus on salads and fresh living things. I'm so glad you're doing this--I need a companion in this one, too. Doctor's orders are apparently not enough. ;P

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    5. MashaJuly 24, 2013 at 7:31 PM

      Yay!!! Ousting the sugar is the biggest thing for me..sugar and alcohol.. :( :( Are you doing any cleansing herbs too..I've got milk thistle and burdock..and this detox tea Christie sent me (THANKS Christie <3!!) And I'm going to stay off Facebook all month, leave some groups I joined and cultivate peace..It'll be great!!! Especially with you doing something too..I think it's better you don't go strict, because when I fall of the wagon, I like to know my detox partner isn't judging ;)

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    6. Jenna St. HilaireJuly 24, 2013 at 7:46 PM

      HAHA. Good to know. Well, I definitely don't dare to be a hundred percent strict for that whole time, because we have huckleberry picking right after it and I'd be stuck going straight from fresh detox food to hot dogs, which is kind of hard on the digestion. ;)

      I have milk thistle drops, and I need to get back on my tulsi tea, although I don't know if tulsi is detox specific. It's healing, anyway. Anything else you recommend? Our local grocery is great for tea selection.

      It's sort of tempting to disappear off Facebook. I stay out of comment battles pretty well, but it's always a distraction. I'll have to think about it. I definitely want to limit internet time, anyway.

      So excited! Hey, Christie, want to join in???

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    7. ChristieJuly 29, 2013 at 2:59 PM

      Dormition fast? I'm in!

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