Notes from ShellyCentral

reverb10 part 2

December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?
My next step? Well I feel like the next step is to clean things up so I can find a fresh start. I have art to make, words to write, a trip to plan and the next step for all those is to just get started. I need to find friends and I don't know how to get started there. I have some vague ideas. I have 2 concrete ideas: another Arts Center class and getting ahold of that lady Jennifer told me about. It's frustrating to know there are so many fantastic art ladies right here in my own town and not knowing how to hang out with them (and not feeling like I belong hanging out with them). Oh, and making some money is a necessary next step, but Bleh to that.

December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?
I am capable of way more than I think. I am going to expect more of myself in 2011.

December 18 – Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?
This year I tried a lot of things, some of them worked out and some didn't. But even when they didn't work out I was still glad I tried. I want to try lots of things in 2011 = *being more consistent with things I like doing *finding some friends *hosting an art party *taking Hannah to foreign countries *making books *being more organized *being more cheerful *becoming a great walker *being more calm *writing more *posting more *taking more photos *taking another class *binding on my own *staying positive

December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?
Allowing myself to let go and experience the healing was what did it this year. Both an evolution and a sudden change. In 2011 I'd like to be healed in any way I can.

December 22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?
In 2010 I travelled by car, bus, train and plane! It was a great travel year. In the spring I went to visit my friend Mat in NYC. While I was there I took a side trip to visit friends in PA. In the summer we went to Washington DC, and Hannah and I took a weekend trip to NYC for my birthday. Right after Thanksgiving, Hannah and I went to Disney World for a week with my brother. Mixed in there I took several small trips to my mom's house in SouthEast Kansas.
Next year I would love to go somewhere warm in February to help myself survive the winter. Debra and I had talked about going to Mexico but it's looking doubtful which is sad because we would have a super fantastic time lounging on the Mayan Riviera in the middle of February.
But! I am saving up all the travel energy for the the graduation trip to the magical islands of Ireland, Scotland and England with Hannah in the fall. It might include a day trip to Paris. I'm trying to figure out how it could also include several days in Rome.

Reverb10 Part 1

I have answered most of the Reverb questions. Not on the days they were asked because I just discovered it, but I don't think that matters. If you notice missing days that's because those questions need a little extra answering, but I will get to them.  I'm going to post a few at a time so they're not an overwhelming block of text.

December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
One word for a whole year. That's difficult. I wrote down major events for each month of 2010 and took a look over the list. The words that came up were 'almost' and 'attempt'. Now last year, reading Ali Edwards 'One Little Word" post, I decided my word for 2010 would be Achieve. It seemed perfect. I was going to let myself achieve some stuff this year. But I didn't quite achieve any of the things I had planned. I attempted, but I didn't achieve. I did do better than in the past and I did make some good steps, but I didn't quite make it. Maybe 2011.

December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
Well all of life's chores of course, but those are necessary. I usually write while I'm watching tv because tv, as much as I love it, is rarely interesting enough on it's own. When I make art I'm not writing but I wouldn't want to stop that. I don't know, doesn't everything I do that's not writing not contribute to my writing? Is the point of this what am I wasting time on that could be better spent writing? Obsessively checking the internets to see if they're ready to entertain me (which they never are). That's my biggest time waster right there. I need to learn to entertain myself. That and driving around. I should hire a driver and write in the back seat.

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
Did I cultivate a sense of wonder? I don't know but if I did it came from sitting outside with the dogs, taking photos outside and watching out the windows on car rides.

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?
This year I let go of being mad at my family for not acting the way I thought they should when my Dad passed. Why? Because it was the right thing to do and way over due. I'm glad I let it get easy enough to happen.

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?
The last thing I made was Hannah's Christmas Coupon book. I started it at my mom's house in a small town so I had to just use supplies I found at the Big Lots and Walmart.  I used some black/white/silver paper I knew she'd like, some black foil Xmas chipboard stickers, white cardstock, a couple sharpies and my favorite white pen.
There are so  many somethings I still want to make. I want to finish my Disney book and then make a traditional Disney Scrapbook. I want to make a book full of Luna. I want to make Mady's baby book. I want to finish binding the 2 books I didn't finish in my bookbinding class and I want to make my own coptic journal. Oh! and I want to get started with my own Remains of the Day journal since I signed up for the class as a Christmas present to myself.

This computer makes me want to type.

•    What would you do if you wanted to be friends with someone who spoke no English?
Well, if they spoke NO english, I'd try to see if they spoke any of the languages I barely know a bit of. But how would I know I wanted to be friends with them if they didn't speak any English?    

•    What would you say if someone told you it was all right to steal from a large department store?
I'd tell them Oh huh. Thanks for the tid bit but I'm a grown up and I make my own decisions about my morality.

•    What would you do if you saw a friend cheating--report it, confront the friend, nothing--and why?
Cheating is bad, but not bad enough to get a friend in trouble. It really only hurts the cheater (or maybe the class if there's a curve). I'd confront my friend though, and offer to help them study next time if they didn't get it. Oh, I guess I should disclose however that I cheated and helped people cheat a lot in high school. Especially a boy I liked who sat behind me in Geometry. During test times I'd just lean over in my chair to make sure he could see my answers. Bad DawnMichele. Bad.

•    If you could have been someone in history, who would you have been?
Oh it's hard. Do I choose a woman Julius Caesar (or Jack Reed or Henry Miller) was in love with? Or a woman with my own power like Elizabeth 1 or Catherine the Great? I'd have to choose to be the powerful one myself, I think I'd pick Elizabeth.

•    What would you do if you did very poorly of a test?
I might see if I could retake it. Or I'd just deal and try to study better the next time.

•    What would you do if You were the teacher and everyone forgot his homework?
I would find it hard to believe that 100% of my students did anything the same, including their homework. I'd make them write one or two paragraphs about what happened to make such important work slip their minds.

•    What would you do if you were in the middle of the lake and your boat began to leak?
Freak out! I'm scared of the water in the middle of the lake. Who knows what's living in there? I mean you can guess, but you can't see so you can't know. So I'd start heading for the shore like mad.

•    What would you do if you saw little bugs in your salad?
Make a face and not eat it.

•    What would you do if someone got in front of you when you were in line at the movies?
It's hard to say. If I were all zen and centered and good I would just let it go and know that they had their reasons for cutting in line. If I were cranky, which is much more probably, I'd have to say something like Excuse me, do you understand how lines work?

•    What would you do if the surprise party was for you but you weren't surprised?
I'd act surprised and be super psyched that some one threw me a party! I'd enjoy the heck out of it.

•    What would you do if you got a present you didn't like?
I'd say, loudly, who on earth got me this piece of junk? 

•    What would you do if you were invited to two parties on the same day?
I'd go to the one that seemed like a better time.

 •    What would you do if you promised to feed your pet and you didn't?
Well I'm not sure who I'd be promising since I'm the dog feeder already, but I'd certainly feel badly for the dogs involved.

•    What would you do if someone said you did something wrong and you didn't?
I'd set the record straight.

•    What would you do if your new shoes felt fine in the store but now they are hurting?
I'd think oh great. Typical.

•    What would you do if someone told you a joke that you don't think is funny?
Depends on who told it. If it was a good friend I'd say Um, that's not funny. If it was someone else I'd laugh politely. Unless it was offensive and then, no matter who it was, I'd say That joke offended me.

•    What would you do if you found in the street?
If I found what in the street? What??

•    What would you do if you found a magic wand?
I would use it!

Reading in the Little Room

This weekend I was in someone else's restroom and noticed the mish mash of things to read. I wondered if it was because it was a family bathroom and they were all from different readers, or if someone was super eclectic.

I know bathroom talk is a little TMI, but maybe whwat you keep to read in there (for yourself or others) isn't so bad.

So I'm going to tell you mine, and then (in the comments) I want you to tell me yours, please!

* November 09 issue of Real Simple Magazine
* Why do we say it? The stories behind words, expressions and cliches we use.
* Merlin The Prophet and his History by Geoffrey Ashe
* Sovereign (Tudor Fiction) by CJ Sansom
* The Princeses in the Tower by Allison Weir

Weird? Yeah. So tell yours.