Reader / Writer?

I feel like I've heard it said before, but I'm NOT going to waste any of my 12 writing minutes, and 3 editing minutes (trying to be regimented about this) looking up who and how many and when they might have said something like: Readers are Writers. I think that is true.

If you don't love words, why pick up a book, let alone spend time instead of earning money, doing something that is highly unlikely to contribute to anything except personal fulfillment (can you tell I'm feeling unemployed right now?).

I HAD to write today, my "unemployed" goal is to write for 15-30 minutes, minimum each day...but I wasn't "good" about it. I didn't get up and make time and space for my writing. Instead, I "wasted" several hours this morning the way I wasted several last night: Getting through and amazing, wonderful new book: Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (I'm not wasting time making this a link now, but might later...see this is REAL stream of conscious, wordvomit).

I won't say why exactly it was so amazingly wonderful to me, except to say K.M. will know, because he was there. How very Kaylike of me. The fact remains that there is truly NOTHING...No Thing...in the universe similar in any way to a good book. Today (and it may be different tomorrow), that is because books can include all the best, the worst, the darkest and the brightest things in the whole world, wrapped into words, and they are real to those with imagination...and you get to close the cover. You can get distance or deep intimacy as you like, wholly under your control. Man, I love books.

Books are filled with people to love and hate and, when the writer is incredible, like this one, those people can seem more real than the corporeal folks occupying the seats on either side of you.

Juxtapose my deep elation with another piece of data: There are LOTS of people out there who read the end of books first. SACRILIDGE! (in my humble opinion, of course) NPR was just doing a whole hour talking to a writer and these people who can't take the suspense of working through the whole book to allow the ending to be as big, incredible and deeply affecting as it can be...I guess they aren't reading for the emotional thrills...wonder why they bother?

And a third thing: I know my husband, and other friends who skip the "flowery" language. My husband says he can flip to anyplace in book and tell fairly quickly if it is "literary" or not by the ratio of words and description to the action. I don't need action at all. I need depth, images, and words, words, word...Anne Rice is on my team - which team are you on...?

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do...

For later, when I am truly depressed and tired from the sheer volume of work it will take to be a contractor...it will be important to remember these words:

Thank you for all you did to make the Internal Audit Training easier for the auditors to understand and follow. I greatly appreciate your support and assistance in the ISO 9001:2000 Quality System during your stay at Westcor!!!!
Best of luck to you on your new ENDEAVORS!!!!
MW

Yo Yvette, sorry I didn’t make it to your going away luncheon. I had left early yesterday and came in late today due to what I think was a stomach virus or something of that nature. And Mexican food would had been the last thing I’d want to eat today. NO, make that Indian food. Anyway, so I guess I’ll say goodbye to you on Friday. It was nice working with you. And you are a very pleasant person to work with. Good luck to you and your next beginning. Ciao bella -MT

I will truly miss you Yvette, You are definitely A cut above the average!! -DF

Best to you Yvette...Thanks for all your support, input and encouragement over the years. -DA
and
Yvette’s done some great things for WC and many of us individually. For anyone who’d like to share his/her gratitude and goodwill, there will be a going-away lunch on Tuesday, 6/26 at noon.

Goodbye...Goodbye!

From: Keller, Yvette
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 2:50 PM
To: #WC
Subject: Yvette Keller - Last Day, 6/29

Dear Coworkers,

My last day at WC will be Friday June 29th. Thank you all for your kindness and humor over the past six years.

I am leaving in order to go back to what I love to do: Training!

I will be continuing to pursue my Creative Memories business, so please stop by my cubicle and get a business card if you would like to stay in contact. I welcome all of you into my network of wonderful friends and customers, if you choose to join me.

I will be working as a contract trainer for several companies, including Work With Ease, International Dialogue Education Association, and Learn It! It will be very easy to find me, as I will be teaching desktop and professional courses, doing individual coaching, team communication skills, and in general helping individuals and companies get the information they need to be successful – and then helping them practice it until it becomes habitual.

I look forward to any job-related requests or feedback you have for me in my last few weeks at Westcor. Once again, thank you for all the trust you have placed in me over the years, and all the fun we have had learning things together!

Yvette E. Keller
Training & Human Resource Development

CourAHGE....?

I feel so supported and loved. Thank you to all the amazing people who have supported me LEAVING MY CRAPTACULAR JOB!!

Wow! Resigned! Good for you!
I can understand your fears, but you just did a courageous thing in pursuit of your true self and happiness and I hope you can settle in that at least a little.

True courage is not the absence of fear—but the willingness to proceed in spite of it. --Unknown
Yvette,
I don't have 50 stories only one.
When I retired from coaching when I was 38 years old and entered law school I was making six figures and the majority of the people I knew thought it was a unwise decision ( they thought I was crazy). I decide to pursue my dreams. I have not regretted one single second of that decision. Congratulations for pursuing your dreams. You are going to soar.

Y,
[Leaving your Job]...that is an exciting change....many congratulations!!!!
taking a step up within ourselves is both exhillerating and a bit fearie hair-raising
the universe parts for those who crown themselves and take steps up to their own
glory!!!

Psycho Patrol for Baby Chain Gang

Several weeks ago I was trying to find parking near SFMOMA for a job interview and I saw a Baby Chain-Gang. Seriously.

Identical High Security Orange Oversized T-shirts on a squad of 9 five year olds.

It took four adults with prison guard face smeared across their features and a handcuff-like rope contraption to keep these tiny persons in a tight line for crossing the busy San Francisco Street.

Each little kid (boys nearly indistinguishable from girls) had a hand or two thrust into the looped rope cuff, attached to the main tow line at one foot intervals.

The only individuality of the gang was their attitudes toward the rope: One brown haired boy had one wrist in his loop, and the other hand, arm, shoulder were thrust backward as if he was being dragged against a strong wind. A little blond girl was obviously riding a horse: She had both hands on her loop, and was cracking the reigns, while she cloppity-clopped on the pavement. A third baby had the loop in his palm, a forward bend in his back, and the rope across his shoulder, as if he was Gulliver, dragging in the Lilliputian ships. A couple of children on opposing sides of the rope were obviously using it lumberjack style to chop down an enormous tree.

They all made it across the street - not so much because the light stayed green, but mostly because the drivers waiting were laughing so hard they couldn't reach their gas pedals...

As I was driving home tonight, I saw another thing that make me laugh out loud. Especially after the recent horrific shootings on college campuses and in malls; Friends, and the I-80 interchange having bad car wrecks, and various happy couples splitting up, getting back together and resulting in nasty custody battles...I am so glad that this is out on the road: Psycho Patrol

We need a lot more....

Feathers, Feathers, Everywhere...

Last set of pictures for today: FEATHERS! My friend has offered me an opportunity to sell off parts of my wonderful feather "collection" by turning them into jewelry components.

First, I wanted to sort and clean the feathers. Uh. Yeah. I never got any further.

Here are some pictures of sorting the feathers. They have to be sorted by right and left in order to make components that are symmetrical. Birds do not lose all of their feathers at once. That would make flying HARD.

Instead, each molt they lose a feather from either the right or left. During the next seasonal change, they lose an opposing feather. This keeps the birds from ever having too few feathers to fly, or from having to just fly in a circle all the time.

These feathers are primarily from Jeremy and Cookie (My mom's bird). There are a few extras from Macaws I have known, and from some pheasants that had the unfortunate luck to meet up with CB during hunting season.

I also have some before and after photos of Experiment #1: Wash in Woolite, in a bag, on gentle cycle. Back to the drawing board...

Turns out the best way to clean feathers is with steam. Experiment #2 coming up!

Beautiful Wine Bags

2007 is the year of "Move it Out!"

I want to move out all the extra fabrics, beads, wire, mask making supplies, hats in progress, bath salt making herbs,
and feathers. Here is my first attempt at starting the process: Wine bags for my friend W.

He does wine tastings and needed nice bags for covering up bottles for blind taste tests. I bought this incredible fabric over five years ago to make Bellydance costume pieces (which never came to fruition). The SuperHubby and I, with lots of help from my friend R., spent much of a day deciding the best way to go about making the bags, getting them stable, putting in drawstrings, and picking the standard sizes.

Now that we have a pattern ready to go, I am going to start selling them through friends who do Art & Wine Festivals. If you'd like to buy one to keep dust off your wine, give as a gift, or use at a historical event to "hide" your anachronistic bottle of water...drop me a line!

Winter Wonderland Pictures

I'm still trying to figure out this whole "insert a photo" thing. I'm working out how to intersperse within text, instead of them all going to the top, automatically. Argh.

Here is a group of fun, winter-related pictures, starting with, Me, very cold, worshipping at the altar of the outdoor heaters.







Next, a couple of pics of Jeremy the Bird, making California snow.

Monday Aspirations

This is *supposed* to be my Aspiration Machine, but lately I have not had it plugged in. The creative energy it takes to power the stories and make the machine go have been...well...let's just say I've been DOING too much to talk about Doing.

I can't be blamed, but it ain't gonna make me inta dat writa I wannabe, neither.


I wanted to post this though, since my friend D. is always putting new awesome stuff up on her page, and I feel challenged to emulate her prolific deliverables. I designed two new necklace/earring sets on Monday, and my Jewelry Artist, Beadzilla (www.beadzilla.com) whipped them out for me. Yummy, huh?

In the case of the (not pictured) amber and green necklace, I did much of the bead stringing myself. It was an excellent way to confirm that I do not like green eggs and ham...I mean, the beading process. As long as Beadzilla is happy making stuff the way *I* want it, I'm happy comissioning her to play with the wires, crimps, cutters and findings. Nuff Said. Enjoy!

Rock in the River of Time

I wrote to a friend:

It turns out that my relationship with time is utterly fluid.
The poetry and devotion of youth is effortlessly summoned for me.
The past, the present and the future all mingle, and commune with the joy of running into a lover from whom you parted on excellent -potentially renewable- terms.

He wrote back:

Sorry I didn't make it to Dargans -- I took a nap that just kept on going. It was great to see you, and I really enjoyed our conversation at the coffee cat. You are one of the most real people that I know, and I feel very lucky to have you in my life. no matter the months or the miles, you are always just "there" -- a rock in the river of time.

Playing Catch-Up

S&L,

SO GOOD to hear from you guys! I got the Happy Holidays (Hawaiian style) Note last week sometime, but have not had “Computer Time” for really savoring the news…so I’ve been putting “you” off – apologies!

I do recognize E’s face, and in my imagination revert it back to a cute little kid I knew. Very sad that he has died. Will let M.K. know about Mrs. C. – I think he was in her class.

MM News: M.K. and I both got “please send money” letters this year from H.H. Oddly enough, I was reflecting that if she had signed it herself, or said “Hi!” or anything, I might actually have sent some. So much for impersonal fundraising. We all know it doesn't work.

I’ve also been infrequently alternating between browsing and deleting the MM Weekly Newsletter. It is like reading a newspaper from a foreign country, or other world…?! So many day-to-day things that do not affect me and that I couldn’t care less about…and yet they are somehow connected to me…

I wrote (and subsequently deleted by accident ) an incredibly humorous blog entry about how Count Von Count from Sesame Street was a major contributor to the Rise and Popularity of Goth culture in the 80s and 90s. When I reconstruct, I will send the link. I do love the blogging thing, and am still working towards being more consistent. I luvluvluvluvluv the writing process so much, and I feel so ALIVE when I give myself the time and permission to wallow in words…I need to support that outlet and try to discover why it is so hard to prioritize!

I was at one of the first events of the season: “A Buddhist and a Pagan Throw a Holiday Party,” and actually met one of Father V’s Nephews. (Don’t ask me how that topic rolled around.) It was unbelievably fun to hear about his “family” life – although really, he has been living in the Mission since age 13 (!?!?!), so his blood relatives are probably less his family than his brethren and his parish.

In one of those lovely synchronous folds that the universe wraps us up in, I went from thinking and reflecting on Father V. and his effect on my life, to accidentally (Free Tickets!) seeing this amazing Broadway show called “Doubt.” The play was about two nuns and a priest in a Catholic School and the suspicion of improper interaction between one of the boy students and the priest. The play was very fascinating, if often uncomfortable, and an incredibly well constructed, non-preachy message (Even if you count the actual sermons written into the play). If you get a chance to see it, or read the play, I recommend it as a wonderful reflection exercise.

I had a disappointing Halloween and Birthday visit to Arizona. I have not seen much of my Niece, primarily because her mother seems to be using her as a pawn in the power/control fight between herself and M.K. Sad, sad, sad…

On the other hand, I had a very nice afternoon with my brother on his birthday: He practiced the banjo while I sat all curled up on his couch and we just talked and laughed. Amazing. My father made home-made peanut and cashew brittle, packed in festive holiday tins for friends and family members (Aliens have removed and replaced the man I knew as a child). One of the very few people in my life who did not press any sweets on me – he asked, very respectfully, if I wanted some, since he knew I was cautious about food, sweets, etc. WOW.

In an odd turn of events, my mother and I continue to grow farther apart and spend less and less time together; What time we do spend is strained and generally ends in a nasty fight of some kind. She was perfectly awful to me during Thanksgiving, and doesn’t really have time to devote to communicating about why. Pshaw.

I’m maintaining my current weight successfully and thinking about some cooking and nutrition education classes so that I can be more informed about what I put in my body. I’m looking forward to the holiday week when I will have an opportunity to “catch up” on tasks I’ve put off: Making my Memory Albums, writing, updating my resume and looking around at the job market, reading, supporting my husband (who is in a HUGE push right now for the Consumer Electronics show in Jan).

I had this wonderful tarot reading (never had one before) at Dickens Faire (like Renaissance Faire, only….you get it!) which told me to REST and reflect deeply on my career / work in the world. I am almost at 6 years with my company, 4 of those working 4 days a week, and I definitely feel like it is time to make a decision about “hunkering down” in my non-challenging, secure corporate job, OR head back out into the challenging and interesting and creative world of “real work.” Both have their appeal and offer many opportunities!

I’m also more and more interested in changing my “home” environment. I need about 400sq feet more space for my sanity, and I’m feeling less and less safe in my neighborhood. 2/3 of our closest neighbors have been robbed in the past year and even the thought of being a “victim” brings up SUCH horrible baggagy reactions in me. Wrote a bit about that in my blog awhile back…which you are welcome to read anytime, BTW.

Okay, speaking of work, I should go find some to do. Will write more when I get a chance to check out your holiday message.