A Mindful Life

I gave my husband a trebuchet kit for his birthday. He spent all weekend assembling it, and we tested it Sunday morning. Very impressive results! Since husband is a private person, this is the photo I’m allowed to publish. Action shots are viewable by friends and family on Flickr. For friends and family who don’t [...]

Husband and I went to a local chain bookstore, he for some science fiction books, and I for a cup of coffee, a cookie, and to draw. 7×9″ ink on sketch paper, Everyday Matters Challenge #36: Draw in Public The same drawing with watercolor

So the fucking “check engine” light came on again three days after I picked it up from the mechanic for, like, the fourth time on June 28. I was ready to just give up. It drives fine. Except that every two years, cars must be inspected for smog. Well, mine FAILED smog inspection just a [...]

I made the mistake recently of purchasing something that, once I opened and reflected on my intentions for it, isn’t suitable for my purposes. However, I can’t return the item (bought online) because I already opened it and tossed the packaging. Not so smart, eh? The item is a set of three Moleskine Cahier Extra-large [...]

Some food for thought… discovered at Whiskey River. The Artist’s Duty So it is the duty of the artist to discourage all traces of shame To extend all boundaries To fog them in right over the plate To kill only what is ridiculous To establish problem To ignore solutions To listen to no one To [...]

7×9″ collage on wide-ruled kindergarten writing paper This assemblage recognizes the huge sacrifice our ancestors made by having to work in inhumane conditions as children, and it recognizes that this situation continues in Third World countries. It is the love of money that is the root of this evil.

Sophie caught mid-yawn on a Saturday afternoon.

Everyday Matters Challenge #42: Something You Are Thankful For On a walk yesterday evening I encountered a hummingbird dashing around me. At one point it stopped and actually rested for several minutes on a branch in a garden. I paused an contemplated her before she flew off. A cat at the window of a house [...]

Mindfulness in a way is the opposite of grasping, or attachment, or identification. And it can go very, very deep when we allow ourselves, because what we start to see — if we slow down a little bit and pay attention — is how it is a kind of conditioned phenomenon, like a machine, the [...]