Friends, Sunshine & Berries

What a lovely week I’ve had! Whew, it feels so good to feel good, lmao! ? Today began on a high note. I attended my second Conscious Growth Club (CGC) Creative Writing Group video call. It’s so wonderful to share with and support one another. It keeps us motivated and engaged. It’s so much more fun to do it together. I know that I will be reporting back every week on my progress and will be eager to hear how everyone else’s week went too! What a great way to start the day ? I feel so fortunate!
There’s so much going on in CGC, there’s no way I can keep up with all of the sharing and information, it’s volumes, so I go at my own pace and participate when I can and have the energy to spare. When I first joined, I felt like I’d be missing out if I didn’t engage all of the time, but I quickly learned that there was no way I could do that and still accomplish the things I wanted to do. The point of CGC is to enhance my life, not take over it, lol. There was another video call this evening, but I was pooped out and still need to complete some writing for today, so I passed. I can attend in the upcoming weeks, it’ll be fine.
I went for a walk again today and up the green hill nearby. I felt like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, “The hills are alive….” When I reached the top I could see the silhouette of downtown Denver in the distance. I wanted to yell, “I’m the king of the mountain!” The grasshoppers were jumping, flashing red, sounding like staccato motors. I was careful not to step on them and laughed at their frenzied jumping, I was surrounded! It was a grasshopper party! I also saw some cute painted rocks with uplifting messages that people scattered in the rocks used to landscape our complex, so sweet!
I tried to sit on the balcony to write, but the neighbor below with their sliding door open had some fifties program blaring, and there was a loud retching sound from an apartment diagonally across the lot, deep, bellowing barf sounds, Ewww gross. So I heard, “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog” drawn out echoing barf gagging noises, “Rockin robin, tweet tweet tweet” puking, arrrggg bluuurrgh vomiting person for all the world to hear, lol. I was transported back to my partying days in my twenties, omg, horrible, ha! I couldn’t hang with all of my neighbors’ beautiful symphony so I retreated inside.
I journaled while stretched out on the cushy futon using a pillow as a lap desk. I was tired from the walk. My hand felt weak gripping the pen, I wanted to nap but fought it off. My brain wanted a break after so I watched an episode of Anne with an E, gawd, it’s so beautiful.
During my walk I listened to books, Getting Things Done by David Allen and On Writing Well by William Zinsser. I will be listening to many books on my walks. I want to work up to 2 walks a day, morning, and evening. I’m trying to complete 100 books this year.
I only now figured out how to find my word count on here. I was never concerned with that before, but people have mentioned their word count goals in the writing club and it made me curious. All I have to do is click on the circle with i in the middle in the editor, cool.
I ate blackberries and strawberries along with celery and peanut butter during Anne with an E. It feels so indulgent having the berries all to myself. Before with the kids at home, I’d wait until they’d had their fill before I had any or I would eat other stuff instead. When I know someone else favors a food, I won’t eat it or I’ll eat it sparingly because I want them to have it. I had to hold back from gobbling all the blackberries at once, they’re my favorite. The strawberries were huge, juicy, and sweet, you know the ones that have you yumming, closing your eyes as you’re biting into the flesh, nom.
I’ve managed to play guitar the past couple of days, I will practice after this. I need a pick though but guess it’ll wait until the pandemic settles out. Maybe I can make one with a piece of plastic, I bet there are instructions on google, lol.
So a goofy thing yesterday. Drue was getting his work clothes from the dryer and one of my socks flew out. He got dressed for work and I’d secretly slipped my sock on my hand. As he was putting his shoes on we were talking. I’d answer back moving my hand talking with my sock puppet waiting for him to notice. He was absorbed in tying his shoes though, so I switched up my voice to be chirpier while talking with my puppet hand. That made him look at the ridiculousness, he said “WTF?” I giggled so hard and he joined in, we had a good laugh. Stoopid fun.
Another fun thing I’m adding to my routine is stretching so I can do the splits. Some of us in CGC are attempting it, omg. So I’m learning the movements from The OA and the splits, heh. I’ve given up on doing a kick up though. That’ll be a miracle if I’m ever able to do that. For a few months about 7 or 8 years ago I was really trying to do a kick up, lmao. I was inspired by Buffy! So badass!
Time to finish the rest of my writing, play guitar, and then a long hot bath with a book. I am so thankful. A day of friends, creativity, sunshine, and berries, aaahhhh.