Doodle Therapy

Trying to maintain some equanimity this week, I have been doodling more, both repeating previous designs and experimenting with new ones.  I found a couple of magazines, with some designs and ideas I hadn't seen.  It's been quite the release.

And today, out of nowhere, my Zentangle Kit for my workshop in April arrived today; I didn't even know they were sending it, much less now.  So I have some new supplies and materials to work with, which is exciting.

Another Small Step

So, you know I like to doodle and draw, using the Zentangle method.  I've drawn on flags and porcelain statuettes, book bags and pillows, and filled sketchbooks and "tiles."   I started on my own, having seen some drawings on Pinterest, and then took a three-day workshop/retreat in February, which I loved.  I've introduced it to the kids, Gommie, and my Girl Scout troop.

And now for the next step:  I'm going to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher!  I'm so excited.  It's a four-day intensive, like a mega-retreat, in nearby Providence.  It's very pricey, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

Why, you ask?  To further my practice.  To expand my opportunities to use it with hospice patients, their caregivers, and other hospice workers.  To teach it at the local community center and churches.  In fact, I've already been asked to present it at a workshop of hospice volunteers.  The "certified" part also gets me--besides intensive training--discounts and networking.

Isn't it somewhat ironic, art historian turned artist?

Summer Fun: Final List

Summer has just about drawn to a close.  And it's been a pretty good one.  Here's our final Summer Fun 2015 list of completed activities.

My sketch of our summer of fun

• Have a lemonade stand (cookies for cancer?):  helped the local cat shelter
• Party/activity in honor of Aunt Sis:  planted two memorial hydrangeas, which aren't happy with the heat
• Go swimming at Y with friends:  Well, we went swimming by ourselves at the Y.  We'll go with Gommie
• *Go to nature center:  for camp!
• *Go to aquarium:  for camp!
• *Go to bird festvial:  Such fun!  Loved the Eastern Screech Owl
• Host a sleepover with friends:  went to a sleepover with several friends; had one sleepover last week and stayed up watching Minecraft videos and making fudge

• *Beach trip in city--in August--they even went boogie boarding!
• Mario kart-athon--Well, they did a few Splatfest-athons!
• Movie night--lots of these, most recently with Back to the Future
• Learn to cook weekly dinners--they did another favorite-meal cooking lesson with Mama, with steamed mussels for Bud and fried chicken for Sis
• Hang pictures--we filled the wall in our bedroom.
• Learn a new game
• Do nothing special
• Meet friends at ice rink:  Yep, it's now a weekly event.
• *Attend town festival in June/volunteer at historic house:  we did this before school was even out!
• Family book club (we're reading Menagerie and also Redwall):  I started Menagerie over 4th of July weekend.  It was pretty good.  The kids haven't started Redwall yet.
• Eat Dole Whip:  first night of summer, we got Dole Whip and Fluffernutter sundaes!
• Make ice cream:  Strawberry Soda is great.  Peaches and Cream is great, too.
• Picnic:  we had a deli picnic, but I hope to do something more sophisticated soon.
• Watch some movie musicals:  we started by watching "Lost Broadway Treasures" and other compilations of famous songs.
• Play in sprinkler:  and used it to make a slippery water slide!
• *Go to culture festival (Scottish, Irish, Greek, etc.):  we loved the Greek festival food, as always!  
• Decorate chalkboard for summer:  we started our own mini-drawings of Awesome Summer Things.
• Celebrate 4th of July:  Yes, we did!
• Celebrate Solstice:  they stayed up "all night," which was midnight for Sis and about an hour later for Bud.  I even played Mario Kart with them at midnight.
• Celebrate Mama's birthday:  a weekend of take-out meals and movies!
• Birthday party for kids:   Minions movie birthday party, with decorate-your-own-Minion jars and Minion cupcakes.
• Learn how to clean bathrooms:  Bud earned a ticket for this already--on his own initiative!
• Learn an ASL sign a day (or more)
• Learn some computer coding using Scratch:  they have started making a cat draw stars around the earth.
• Make shrub for 4th of July:  Bud and I really like it
• Photos with public art around town ("benching," Bud called it)  We're about a third of the way done.

• Attend friends' Friday Night Dance Party:  for first one, the kids swam and tried "kiddy crack" (butter-cinnamon-sugar spread on graham crackers); they also like badminton, or "chaosminton" with several shuttlecocks.
• Explore new music genres together ("Music Mondays"):  we started with the 80s, then Celtic (Secret of Roan Inish soundtrack), Broadway, jazz, and patriotic.  Not sure what this week will be.
• Research places to go in England, etc:  I'm reading Susan Branch's book about falling in love with the English countryside
• Purge and donate toys and books:  doing really well with this; lots of donations.  Kids prepping to have room makeovers.
• Do a 1000 piece puzzle:  Bud and Mama are our puzzlers--they've done cupcakes, Broadway, London, New York, among others.
• We also made or ate the following foods, which I totally forgot to blog about:

FODMAPS Rice Pudding

1 litre of lactose-free milk

100g of raw rice (Arborio, white, basmati)

1 tablespoon of raw sugar

Cinnamon

1.     Pour lactose-free milk into a medium-large sized saucepan.

2.     Place saucepan onto a stove top and allow lactose-free milk to almost reach boiling point. Then reduce the heat, add in the rice and allow to simmer.

3.     Add in 1 tablespoon of raw sugar to the milk-rice mixture and stir through. Continue stirring frequently for approximately 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the mixture has thickened to your liking.  If mixture is too thick you can add more milk. If mixture is too runny continue cooking – it will thicken up.

4.     Keep stirring frequently so that the milk doesn’t burn and to avoid rice pudding sticking to the bottom.

5.     Once cooked, remove rice pudding from saucepan.

TRADITIONAL SERVING SUGGESTIONS

·       Serve it hot with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

·       Serve it cold by cooling it in the fridge first, then a sprinkle of cinnamon on top 

OTHER SUGGESTED TOPPING

·         Grated dark chocolate

·         Maple syrup

·         Blueberries and strawberries

·         Banana and passionfruit

·         Grated chocolate, strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup

·         Add zest of an orange or lemon while cooking, for a taste of citrus

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake from Melissa Clark

FOR THE CAKE:

 Butter for greasing baking pans
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup best-quality cocoa powder
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature

FOR THE FROSTING:

6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 ounces ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.
2. Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.
3. For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.
4. Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.
5. Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.

FROM BOOK CLUB CAKE PARTY (we just sampled--delicious!)

 Toby’s (Not Quite Perfect) Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting, from Lisa Graff, A Tangle of Knots

FOR THE CAKE:
2 1/2 cups flour (plus extra for preparing the pan)
 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 

1/2 teaspoon salt
 

1 cup butter, at room temperature (plus extra for the pan)
 

1 1/2 cups sugar
 

2 teaspoons vanilla
 

3 large eggs, at room temperature
 

1 cup milk, at room temperature
 
           FOR THE FROSTING:

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
 

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
 

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
 

1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with butter. Using the cake pans as a template, trace two circles onto wax paper and cut them out, placing one wax circle in the bottom of each pan. Grease both pans with butter again, covering the wax paper as well as the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pans lightly with flour, and tap the pans to distribute it evenly. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.

4. Reducing the speed on the mixer to low, add about a third of the flour mixture to the batter, combining well. Add about half of the milk and combine. Then add another third of the flour mixture, the last of the milk, and then the last of the flour, combining well each time.

5. Pour the batter into the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

6. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting: In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl fitted into a saucepan of simmering water, carefully melt the chocolate chips. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

7. In a large bowl, cream the butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add about half of the powdered sugar, blending well. Beat in 2 tbsp of the milk and all of the vanilla, then beat in the remaining powdered sugar, followed by the remaining milk. Add the cooled melted chocolate to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.

8. When the cakes are completely cooled, place one cake layer on a plate and spread a thin layer of frosting on top. Repeat with the second cake layer, and cover the whole cake with frosting.

*recipes adapted from Real Simple's Yellow Cake with Strawberry Filling recipe and Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Ninth Edition.

The Owner’s Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting,  from Lisa Graff, A Tangle of Knots

What you'll need:

         FOR THE CAKE:

small sliver of butter (for greasing the cake pan)

2 1/4 cups flour (plus extra for preparing the pan)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature

         FOR THE FROSTING:
3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 to 2/3 cup milk

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with butter. Using the cake pans as a template, trace two circles onto wax paper and cut them out, placing one wax circle in the bottom of each pan. Grease both pans with butter again, covering the wax paper as well as the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pans lightly with flour, and tap the pans to distribute it evenly. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla and milk until well combined. 

4. Gradually add the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and beat until combined. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes completely before frosting. 

5. While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream the powdered sugar and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of milk, and beat until well combined. Gradually add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

6. When the cakes are completely cooled, place one cake layer on a plate and spread a thin layer of frosting on top. Repeat with the second cake layer, and cover the whole cake with frosting.

*recipes adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Ninth Edition 

Marigold’s Lime Pound Cake,  from Lisa Graff, A Tangle of Knots

 FOR THE CAKE:

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 teaspoons grated lime zest (from approximately 2 limes)

2 tablespoons lime juice (from approximately 1 lime)

1 cup butter, at room temperature (plus extra for greasing the pan)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and the salt and beat, starting on low speed and then increasing to medium-high, until well combined, about 2 minutes more. Slowly add the egg mixture and beat until well combined, about 3 minutes.

4. Reducing the speed on the mixer to low, gradually add the flour to the batter, and beat until just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

*recipe adapted from Real Simple's Citrus Pound Cake with Cranberry Syrup     

Gommie's Week: The Beach

I'm not sure how many people think of the beach when they think of Connecticut--almost as if we exist in some kind of permanent New England fall--but we do have them.  Sure, nothing like Rhode Island or the Cape, but still right here, quick and easy access.

So today, we went to the beach.  We took the usual hats, towels, sunscreen, and water; Gommie thought to bring our porch umbrella, which was a great idea.  I remembered my comfy captain's chair.  And off we went!

We intentionally went at low tide because Sis wanted to look in the tidal pools.  No horseshoe crabs this time, though.  But they got a lot of wonderful wading in, especially to and fro on the various sandbars.  And as the tide rose, they could do some swimming.

I was surprised to see four different people I know.  I guess I forget that people go to the beach in the summer, since it was really our first trip there to spend some time (I'd dropped Sis off at a birthday party a month ago, which had given me the idea in the first place.)  One of these friends was very adept with planting beach umbrellas and helped me when mine blew over.  She planted it in the sand and did this press-swivel motion, like stirring a giant cauldron, and it dug quickly into the sand and stayed put despite the strong breeze (the other friend had advised us to wet the hole first--but both of our umbrellas fell over!  I'll stick with this technique.)  She said she learned it from a cute cabana boy in Spain!

It was especially great to have Gommie there because she likes the beach and waded straight into the water and then went back from round two and three.  She marveled at the large seagulls, looked for horseshoe crabs (I think they found a dead one), swam out to the sandbar, and made it more fun than I would have.  Instead, I sat in my chair, with my hat on, under the umbrella, sketching in my notebook.  You can see my sketch in the bottom of the photo.  Midway through the excursion, everyone came back to the shade and we ate from the concession stand--strawberry popsicles, Oreo bars, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and fries.  And, surprisingly, I don't think any of us ate any sand!  That has to be a first.

We stayed for three hours and inherited a left-behind purple shovel.  All in all, a good day at the beach.

Summer Fun: Doodle Dos and Don'ts

This morning before ice skating, I worked on the flags I've wanted to doodle.  I ironed them first, as they'd gotten wrinkly since the Zentangle retreat in February, stuffed in my doodle bag waiting their turn.  They're muslin flags strung together with hem tape (homemade by the class instructor) and had gotten pretty wrinkly.

I had decided to put my peace-hope-love doodles on the tripartite flag and so set to work with my permanent Identi-pen for fabric this morning at the kitchen table.

I dropped the boxes and changed the heart a bit.  I think they came out nicely.

And then I realized that there were marks--dots and streaks and such--all over the table.  I hadn't thought about my pen bleeding through the thin fabric.  

I called the kids in as a teachable moment.  Because, of course, sometimes I go on a tirade when they make a mess, honest but forseeable messes not intentionally made, but I get upset that they don't think ahead or be extra careful. And here I'd done the exact same thing myself.  So I told them that the next time I started getting upset about their making a similar mistake that all they needed to mention were the tabletop dots and I would not yell.  

The dots only sort of came up with a scrubbing from the steel wool (which then also sort of took the finish off the table.  I guess we'll know which is my spot.)

Still, the flags are lovely.

And I'm extra-prepared for when the whole family works on the blue, yellow, red, green, and white flags I bought for us to decorate and hang around!  (I think a piece of cardboard underneath would do the trick nicely.)

Wonder-ful

I doubt I'll ever get a photo of our visiting hummingbird, so I drew this instead.

Doodle All the Day

Experimenting with doodles today, my last scheduled day of quietude until September 3!   I've gotten a new doodle book and magazine and so played with some new ideas; also, I tried my hand at a version of Things that are Awesome:  Summer Edition (see this post.)

Actually, I also made birthday presents for Mama, Sis, and Bud yesterday, but I can't show those yet.

Fengle Frenzy

Sis stayed home sick today, with heavy congestion and a cough no doubt due to allergies (99.5F this evening might mean a sinus infection??  Or a cold.)  She stayed on the couch all day, hardly budging, as we watched "Switched at Birth" and also High School Musical.  She did rally to get deli lunch, but that was about the extent of her energy.  

And so I crocheted (finished a small lap afghan) and tangled a lot, experimenting with something called a Fengle, which is just the fancy Zentangle term for something that looks like a pinwheel or starfish or flower, with five or six points.  I varied the leaf shape and even made a few look like mandalas, I think.    I had actually intended to start experimenting with paisleys but found this shape with leaves decorated like paisleys and went from there . . . . 

Since Mama and Bud head to the kung fu tournament in the morning and Sis will probably still be under the weather, I imagine I'll have a lot of time to play with these, and maybe paisleys, too, in the next two days.

Still Life with Crafts

An un-arranged view of the couch on which I camp all day.

ABZentangles

I spent the morning watching the ABCs of Zentangle on YouTube. Right now they only go up to J, a great letter. It was fun practice and I look forward to more videos from z-inspiration, written by Dilip Patel, a CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) in India.

One of my favorite tips was to plan the coloring in of features by putting dots which makes it easier especially if the coloring alternates.  In my own drawings I've tried to indicate the step-out of each pattern without actually having to draw it 6 times

Thankfully, Mama and the kids will be home soon.  There's not much more television and crafts that I can take

Practicing

I'm working on my doodling and Zentangles today, working through some ideas and patterns.  I did these last night by holding cookie cutters in place and working around them, without actually outlining the cookie cutter.  Cool!  You should try it, Gommie, my Zentangle buddy (glad you liked the Mother's Day supplies!)

I had been doing a lot of flowers, especially for thank you and sympathy cards I've been sending out.  My uncle, two cousins, and I exchanged cards over the death of Aunt Sis, and I sent cards with flowers.  I think she would have liked them.  (I wish I could figure out how to put more than one photo on a line.  But I do like the small images for these drawings, I've decided--the inconsistencies are less obvious!  I know, no judgement.)  Flowers, I find, are easier than mandalas, because you never need a perfect circle and can build them organically to fill in the space.  Though, several of them, like the one on the left, look more like mandalas ("Zendalas") than flowers. Sometimes I color them; sometimes not.

In the next few days, or weeks, whenever the tangling bug hits, I'm going to work my way through the ABC of Zentangle videos on YouTube.  I've seen a few and they are straightforward and easy-to-follow.  I don't usually like videos, but they are useful for this, especially for patterns I have trouble learning from diagrams.

I'm not sure what's after that--paisleys, maybe--but there is much more to explore with doodling.

  

Doodling during the Snow

On Retreat

My weekend was marvelous.  And I'm not even sure where to begin, knowing that the typing up of it might dull the glow that I've carried with me.  I'd actually never been on an overnight retreat before--it's not quite like an academic conference because it's totally lacking in "political" networking or posturing.  It was 48 hours of being completely cut off--I even deinstalled various apps from my phone, so that I only connected with Mama a couple of times a day to check in.  Otherwise, the only part of the outside world I knew about was the snow I could watch falling from inside!


Monastery
Held at one of the largest Catholic retreats in the world, the retreat--sponsored by Copper Beech Institute, a mindfulness non-profit--was surrounded by symbols of Catholicism.  Bud even worried as they dropped me off, "Mom, it looks so religious!"  Yes, indeed, in that post-war, wood paneling, 50s sort of way.  I've stayed in another monastery--one in Rome that ran a hostel that housed my summer school abroad--but that was less-dated looking, though probably older.  The monks were rather the same, though--robed, friendly, very quiet.  No surprise that Rome would have more ambiance than Connecticut!

My room itself reminded me of Agnes of God--a bed, a desk, a chair, a nightstand, and that all-important waste-paper basket.  Whites, browns, red curtain and bedspread.  No Bible, though.  Only a print with a Wendell Berry poem for decoration and a gorgeous view of a snow-covered landscape with gumball tree and statues.

The hall, with numerous other doors leading to replicas of my own room, had that old-college dorm feel, especially with the communal showers and toilets.   Though, there was art on display made by local artists, including one mixed media canvas entitled Silent Weavers by Elisabeth Moss, which became my especial favorite.  I would intentionally pass by it so that I could study it every chance I got.  I saw a veiled woman, possibly an angel with wings, and a little owl (with beak and wing); I emailed a photo to Mama, who saw the Host and Chalice, given its Catholic context.  One of my co-retreatants saw the Virgin Mary.

The rest of the center was huge--three big buildings and practically two of everything (chapels, dining rooms, elevators).  In fact, there was another retreat of about 80+ Catholic men and we rarely ever saw them!  But it was all inside so we never got snowed upon.  I especially enjoyed the little bookshop with sweets, gifts, and books, where I picked up a few things for the family.  I also liked the Solarium, a long thin hallway with seats and cushions  . . . and potted pink geraniums on the sill overlooking a snowy expanse.  There is a labyrinth on the grounds, with a beautiful rock sculpture in the center but, alas, it was under two feet of snow.  No one ventured out to find it.  I'll go back on another retreat and walk the path.

Food
It's a rare place that focuses on vegetarian food, with an animal protein as an after-thought, but such was the case with this retreat.  Lentil salad, porcini risotto, arugula salad, spinach salad, parmesan cheese grits, broccoli frittata, chickpea stew, kale and white bean soup, potato pancakes, scrambled eggs.  So much goodness to eat at every meal.  And it was local and sustainable when possible.  The baked goods were a treat too:  pb cookies, this rich sweet zucchini bread/cake, and these fabulous lemon poundcakes. Snack one day was bowls of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and marcona almonds.  Mmmmmm.  Plus abundant tea and coffee.  And I bought chocolate at the little shop.  What more could I want?  There were some retreatants who snuck over to the buffet line of the Catholic men's retreat--they had meat and potatoes; and it was all okay to choose what you wanted to eat!






Drawing
Of course, the purpose of this retreat was something called Zentangle, a meditative drawing technique that focuses on process as much as output.  Before it was copyrighted, you would've just called it doodling.  I had discovered Zentangle officially some months back when I noticed various drawing pins on Pinterest and also an article in UU World about a doodling minister.  I started playing around with it myself, as you've seen in several posts, and this retreat was my chance to learn more techniques.

We had a whole room to ourselves, stocked with an Art Bar full of materials and tools, numerous displays of the teachers' own work, reference books, and snacks!!!  It was a grown-up candy store.  We even each got a lot of our own goodies--pens, papers, a sketch book, various project materials, and a door prize--mine was a wooden frame that I can decorate.

The initial session was a basic intro to Zentangle--the dots, the tile, the strings, the tangle patterns.  We also discussed embellishments, etc., and some of the concepts--childlike curiosity, awareness of breath and body, staying present, lack of judgement, no erasure, nothing is a "mistake" (just an opportunity!)  I'm more into it for fun, but some of the people are obsessed Zentanglers, who hold meetings and complete weekly challenges.  One woman even flew in from Ohio to take a class with a specific teacher.

Some of the other sessions were beyond me--I wasn't quite ready to design my own unique Tangle pattern and I wasn't that interested in making several paper books to be platforms for my own tangleations (yep, there's this whole lingo.)

In fact, the last session was my favorite:  we learned how to Tangle labyrinths.  We drew four types--basic, the interior of Chartres, the labyrinth at the retreat center, and a concentric circle labyrinth--and discussed all the various patterns that lended themselves to labyrinths.  I had enjoyed drawing labyrinths way before I knew of Zentangle; we used to make them out of painters' tape on the floor!  I hadn't thought to Tangle them before.  I know I'll be filling those little books with labyrinths.

Other Offerings
When I wasn't drawing, I was taking advantage of other retreat offerings.  The first night, I had a thirty minute Reflexology session.  While I've had my chakras cleansed, accupressure, accupuncture, and fascial release, I've never had reflexology, which is focused on energy conduits in the feet (same system as accupressure/puncture, but different "entry" point.  The whole thing was relaxing--dim lights, soft music, sweet lotions and oils--but I couldn't say if the effects were from the qi manipulation or just the rest.  And I'm not sure it really matters.  (Yes, I have become much more open to alternative healings since my back injury, which was mostly helped by Integrative Manual Therapy not traditional meds, injections, etc.)

I also attended an early morning mindfulness meditation session, just like a few I've attended before.  The director (who is the husband of a new friend of mine) led the meditation and has one of those soft, NPR voices and such a calm manner; it reminded me of everything that I love about mindfulness meditation.  (Even though I was down on my mat on a very cold tile floor!)  I liked his metta phrases at the end, "May all beings be happy.  May all beings be peaceful.  May all beings be free from suffering.  May all beings be healed."  I really liked the "healed" part.

I also went to a yoga class!  I don't have much yoga experience, mainly prenatal at home alone with a DVD a decade ago.  Again with my mat on a cold floor, I listened to the soothing voice of the teacher, who chanted beautifully, and followed gently each of her moves to the best of my ability.  I of course especially liked the long rest and then meditation at the end.  I'm not sure yoga will be my thing--stretching is fraught with the possibility of injury for me--but I'm glad I got the chance to try.  I also liked chatting with her and the other students over tea (Big Y's "calming" blend of chamomile and lavender--organic, even--who knew.)

I also went to a music concert the second night, a couple playing guitar, flutes, and singing bowls.  Nice music of a type, but I was so exhausted from sitting all day that I didn't last long.  I wish I could've though; it was tranquil.


I was ready when the weekend ended, even with the good food and opportunities for learning and relaxing.  I wondered how Mama and the kiddos were--with their gaming (mainly Disney's Infinity, and trip to the Winter Festival for ice fishing (they didn't catch anything but got to eat some of the fish someone did catch!  They said the ice was a foot thick.)   Mama's grandfather is dying, which is hard for the whole family (we're getting updates from her parents, who are other in Thailand with him.)

And so, with a snowstorm on the way, I headed back to reality and the grocery store and home, which needed some attention, and now today's snow day from school.  Re-entry is never really smooth.  But I'm glad to be back with the family . . . and I can always take a mini-mental retreat with my sketchbook when I need to.  All told, it was a marvelous experience.

And the painting of the woman with wings hangs in our living room as a reminder.

Snow, Snow, Snow

18" on the ground.

Fluffy flurries this morning.

6-10" more this weekend.

After being pretty quiet, winter is finally really here.

And, while it's beautiful, it does make me edgy to go out in it sometimes.  I was out at hospice yesterday and took a long time to traverse the icy parking lot.  Today, I have a crafters' group and a meeting at the historic house about making an educational video.  And this weekend, I am going on a retreat focusing on meditative drawing, or Zentangle.   It'll be great, except all the snow that's coming.  But Mama will do the driving to and fro and I can stay in the center without worrying about slipping around outside.

Still, I find I like snow much better when all I have to do is stay inside and look at it!  

Hibernation

We're all home safe and ready for the storm.  Fully stocked and prepped, we have arts and crafts, movies, Legos, games, and such.  We're actually looking forward to all the accumulation, anywhere from one to two feet, but not to the wind which might gust above 70 mph.  School has been canceled for tomorrow and, eventually I'm guessing, for Wednesday.  I'll keep you posted, unless we lose power.

Blooming

Inspired by Heather Bruggeman

Flowers inspired by Heather Bruggeman

Most flowers inspired by Quaddles-Roost