A Day in the Life: Take Two
Woke up, fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head, Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, And looking up I noticed I was late… ~ The Beatles
I wrote a few bios for my poet friends for the upcoming Hafla we’ll each be reading poetry at. One friend was at work and the other was firing a kiln and neither had time to do it.
A card fell out of my notebook with the word TEAPOT on it. I had a flash of insight and came up with a name for my friend’s imaginary tea shop (or maybe it will be the name of our girlfriend’s secret club): THE TEAPOET SOCIETY.
I read Mccabe’s essay about a day as seen from a local beauty shop and made notes in preparation for our Writer’s Workshop that evening.
Darned my husband’s purple wool sweater on the porch.
Hung his hunting clothes on the line in the cellar. I washed them yesterday but forgot I did and left them in the washing machine overnight.
I did not clean the kitchen.
I did not make the bed.
I put the finishing touches on a freelance piece for the Floyd Press and sent it off.
Made a flyer for the next Spoken Word Open Mic at Café Del So, December, 16th, 7-9.
I briefly worked on an old poem about January trees … January trees bloom with icy white blossoms … Shimmering snowflaked petals drift down … And made copies of it for the Writer’s Workshop.
Josh called from his car on his way to school to tell me that his beard is coming in red, just like his younger brother’s.
Played Nora Jones while making lunch and danced a little in the living room.
Stoked the fire. Stoked the fire. Stoked the fire.
I blogged about as much as I stoked the fire.
I talked to Alex on the phone, my friend and Scrabble partner who has cancer. She’s not doing very well. I made arrangements to go and visit her.
I wondered what “a rule of thumb” means.
I called our former foster care client’s mother to get permission to use her son’s photo in the above mentioned Floyd Press piece.
I made copies of my Christmas letter and fiddled with my Christmas cards spread out on the kitchen table.
I thought about how warming myself at the woodstove is like taking a shower as opposed to a bath. I can’t immerse myself all at once in its heat but have to do it piece by piece.
Took some venison sausage out of the freezer for making chili before packing my clothes for our trip to Asheville.
Post Notes: A Day in the Life: Part I is HERE. The Halfa, billed as celebration of woman’s beauty and self-expression, is scheduled to take place a the Black Box Theatre in the June Bug Center in Floyd on December 15th at 7 pm. Organizers of the event promise a divine night of sensory delight with belly dancing, veil dances, sword dances, music, art, poetry, and Middle Eastern delicacies. $10 fee at the door.
December 8th, 2006 11:02 am
Wishing you a happy Friday.
December 8th, 2006 11:11 am
i’ll probably be coming to asheville as you’re going home from there- maybe we can wave to each other from 81! 🙂 i like to dance to norah jones, too, but am currently dancing to a french-canadian folk band called Genticorum(www.myspace.com/genticorum). i posted a “big sky” picture today and thought of you, it’s the first photo on today’s entry on my blog. have a wonderful trip to “the paris of the south”!
December 8th, 2006 11:34 am
My sister in law, in Port Townsend, WA, studied belly dancing and took lessons for quite some time. She really enjoyed it. Now she is heavily into hula dancing.
She and my brother in law are musicians in the area. She plays accordian. Her day job is in the medical field.
December 8th, 2006 11:58 am
I think a rule of thumb means means you can site it in by squinting really hard. But I’m not sure and now I suppose I’ll be pondering that myself for the rest of the day!
December 8th, 2006 12:53 pm
You’re a busy woman, no doubt! I’m sorry to hear Alex isn’t doing well…I hope that she will be ok.
December 8th, 2006 1:07 pm
Rule of thumb refers to shortcuts to solutions to new problems that resemble problems previously solved by experienced workers.
December 8th, 2006 3:14 pm
I’ve always thought “the rule of thumb” had woodworking and carpentry origins, where a carpenter, through experience, could size things using his thumb rather than a ruler. Sort of like an experienced cook using a dash of this and a pinch of that. And it probably does, but what I didn’t know before a little research, is that a whole debate exists about whether it actually has wife abuse origins. Apparently, an English Common Law once referred to it being legal to hit your wife with a stick or whip as long as it wasn’t bigger than your thumb. I think the consensus is that the expression predates the mention of “the rule of thumb” in that context though. But who knows?
December 8th, 2006 5:06 pm
Wow! I wish I’d accomplished as much as you had!
I love the Teapoet Society!
I think Delane’s right about the rule of thumb.
Norah Jones is great.
I do not make my bed if my cats are on it…I don’t have the heart to move them! I have not started cards!
I did tidy the kitchen and have a friend in for coffee!
December 8th, 2006 7:44 pm
The thought of cards fills me with guilt and anxiety. I worked on my new novel all day. Now I’m afraid they’re going to hold Christmas without me…
December 8th, 2006 9:16 pm
What a busy day you’ve had, and so much accomplished. Now I’ll have to plan a day as satisfying for tomorrow.
December 8th, 2006 11:46 pm
Colleen, what is the significance of the name “halfa”?
December 8th, 2006 11:47 pm
As soon as I saw “Teapoet Society” I thought of my friend Lyn, a marvelous poet who also has an affinity for tea and for teapots. Love the name! I’m familiar with the English Common Law definition for “rule of thumb” that Delane mentions, though the carpentry angle sounds much better!
I was curious about what “Hafla” meant and found a group devoted to Middle East peace at http://www.hafla.org/
December 9th, 2006 9:17 am
Well, you’re certainly one busy gal right now.
That gathering sounds like a wonderful way to combine women’s creativity and inspiration. Enjoy it. Love your choice of words for the imaginary tea shop.
December 9th, 2006 10:28 am
Yes I think Delane may be right on the rule of thumb though I have also heard it came from siting with the thumb the way the artist did and what was covered in his thumb was what would fit appropriately on the canvas….who knows?
I love Norah Jones…she can just soothe the soul!
I wish I were a poet so I could be in the Teapoet society….I would love to be in a secret girl’s club!
And along with my normal stupity I wondered why you were “damning” your husband’s purple short. I thought you were using “darned” to be polite. I had forgotten what the word meant!
December 9th, 2006 12:20 pm
Hello from the Day Inn in Ahseville. I meant to leave a link for Hafla. This explains the meanting of it. http://www.hafla.org/ We’re on our way out to see the land Josh just bought.
December 9th, 2006 3:14 pm
I did see that it was really, really cold there in the hills. Not as bad here on the coast but last night it did get down into the 20’s. Still it felt warmer than the night before when the wind was howling all night. Have a good trip!
December 9th, 2006 6:43 pm
You got so much done Colleen..I’m exhausted just reading about it all…but I admire you so for using your time so creatively…!
Have a safe trip, my dear.
December 5th, 2008 12:14 am
Hey Colleen! Netchick sent me! 🙂