From the Sublime to the Mundane back to the Sublime

There are some people who love to lie on the beach and relax when they go on vacation.  I am not one of those people.  I have been blessed with more than my fair share of vacation time from work this year (even though it never feels like enough).  Only once did I lie on a beach while Mom and I took turns swimming in the Sea...  On the Chinque Terra.

This last week I spent at Esalen in a workshop with Johnsmith and 19 other like minded songwriting souls.  It is amazing what happens when I give myself permission to create.  I have one new song which will make it on my CD, 3 co writes and a couple of other things sang into my iPhone late at night that have possibility.

I have been trying to work out what the difference is between this blissful authentic state and my daily, weekly, ordinary life.  How can I bring one into the other.

I am a self confessed multitasker.
I probably came out of the womb with a mental to do list.
I am currently
writing this blog,
scanning "dancing with the stars",
cooking dinner,
doing dishes,
unpacking,

doing laundry,

dowloading cd's
editing photo's
This is not unusual.  

Other things on my todo list

read the 2nd Dexter novel,

study a book on mail order businesses

Oprah quiz on how to find your true calling

writing up lyrics from last week,

looping a song snippet in garageband,

playing at least 5 minutes on my new baby Taylor

Writing 3 pages (Artists way)

Cutting things out of magazines

sorting through old journals and photo's
exercise
call my mom

Everywhere I look here there is something to do
dishes,
bills,
cleaning,
sorting
moving furniture to replace carpet from a leak
returning emails,
checking facebook,
finding a green radley bag for my mom on eBay,
booking flights for Xmas trip
arranging a trip to Dallas

Then there is my full - Monday to Friday day job.
Going full speed from the time I wake up till I get home about 7:30 (if I am lucky) 
The eBay/Craigslist business I am wanting to start to suppliment my income and pay for my Folk Festival habit.

If you are not exhausted by reading all of this there is a book I can suggest.
"meditations for women who do to much",
I got it as a gift and was on the 17th random page
when it was suggested that maybe I was "doing too much....."

If I was a different kind of person I would have a room where I could go and close the door and separate art/music and creativity from the everyday.

What I need is a separate place.
A coffee shop, an artist studio,
somewhere comfy and warm and away from all my STUFF.
And someone to be accountable to
a writing group, a song group.

I think that is my solution.
The day to day busy multitasking frenzy is not going anywhere anytime soon.
I can however step outside the maelstrom
and take myself out of the mundane
and at least give myself the opportunity for the sublime.

My friend Midyne read a book by Stephen King on writing.
He said that if you show up in the same place at the same time everyday
then at least the MUSE knows where to find you.
I think that this is sage advice.

So my goal this week -
is to find or create a place where I can go once a day
at the same time so my muse can find me.

Suggestions and comments welcome

Kindness

I think about the life I live
And all the love, I have left to give
In kindred souls, I hear the call
I always found the strength to touch them all


My father sat, me on his knee
In whispered words, he said to me
You give your love, In kindness True
More of the same will flow right back to you


Now as the time goes flowing by
In reflection I see I
Have made a difference to a few
and I've been touched by many kind souls too


And when at last,my time is through
I'll reminise I will think of you
My kindness lives, within your eyes
My swansong is    This tender lullabye


This song came about from 2 major life events.  Turning 50 and a breakup.


I was looking at my life and one one hand I have none of the following.
A House 
A Business,
A Career
A Husband
A Child
A Guru
A Degree
A Career
A Fancy Car
A Trust Fund
A Retirement Plan
A Life Purpose
A Nobel Peace Prize


Very Un-American of me I know


My recent boyfriend in conclusion of all my many faults said 
"I hope your next partner enjoys your mean personality because I certainly didn't."


That is when I knew that it was not about me.  That from somewhere in his past he was projecting behaviour from someone else on me.  It was such a release.


I thought about writing a Rap song


"I'm so mean 
I'm so vicious
I never do the dishes"


Seriously we would lie in bed post coitus and he would mumble "Did you do the dishes" I would happily say "Nope", and he would do this little groan as if to say "what am I going to do with you"   My stance was always - My House My rules, I cook you do the dishes or I'll do them when I feel like it which may not always be on your schedule. 
I am going to do a whole other blog about doing dishes - 
When I figure out how to add a link I  will post it here.....


Anyway instead of the rap song
I took a look at my life and who I am 
or who I believe myself to be and came up with the lines for the song above.


My kindness comes initially from my mothers mother who I called Nana.
My favorite person on or off the planet.
Also my mother - The three of us were like peas in a pod.....


Nana would 
give you the tea from her cup if you were thirsty
the shawl off her back if you were cold
(Ohh I am getting the feel for a song here..... I am going to call them "song snippet's")
I am looking at a picture of her right now.  
She had this magic sideboard (not sure what you call them here in the States) 
and she would have purses and jars and hiding places for money and she would always give a gift to whoever came calling.
She would always say to me and my Mom "Get yourself a 5 pound skirt. 
This was back in the days that England was pre-decimalization and we counted in 12's 
12 pennies in a shilling 12 shillings to a pound (song snippet)


Giving and being kind does not have to cost much.  It is more about being thoughtful.
When I get up to get a glass of water asking if someone  else would like one too.
If someone drops something I help pick it u.
There is an ad on TV for an insurance company that shows people noticing someone being kind and then passing it on.  Imagine if Life was like that.  Actually it can be.