Week 4 Check In

March 17th, 2007

This week was a good one, time flies when you're having fun, right? This one seemed to zoom by. Zip, Zam, Zoooooom. I'll be home tomorrow and I can post some of the art I've been playin' with this week.

I did my morning pages every day this week, although it wasn't always first thing. I feel better when I'm doing them. I have more clarity during the day. I already talked about my artist's date. I wasn't sure really where I wanted to go for the sanctuary divining rod, well, I know where I wanted to go, but it wasn't a good time for it. The first thing that came to mind when I thought of sanctuary was the woods near the house where I grew up (which is no longer in my family). We spent hours and hours playing in the woods behind everyone's houses on my street, but there was one particular spot that seemed so magical. You had to sneak through someone's yard to get there, but behind there it was state forest. You'd then cross a babbling brook, either by taking a running jump or stepping on rocks that stuck out of the water. Then climing an incline thick with trees, you will find the hollow tree. I'm not sure how the tree became hollow (we had a lot of theories), but no matter how it came to be, it was a magical tree. The hollowness of the tree was like a doorway, you could step in and stand inside it. From this, all the wild imaginations of a group of kids used this tree as everything from a hiding spot from monsters to a time machine. I still visited regularly though, through my college years because the magic there simply remained. Does the magical always have a taste of the scary in it? If you looked straight up when you were inside the tree, these pointy bits of wood criss-crossed all the way up, making the tree look like a big, dark mouth that would certainly eat you if it could. At a certain point you couldn't see any further, so again, the imaginations run wild about what could be up there. I liked to imagine an owl lived up there, although it's unlikely.

So this spot was not ideal this week where I'm spending all my time at work, and my mom no longer lives there and it was a very, very muddy week. But I think I'd like to go visit again soon with a camera, when it gets warmer and drier. I went for my walk, which was really interesting. I found a slide on the side of the road. It wasn't near anyone's house, just on a stretch of trees. It was a slide of an x-ray of someone's pelvis and hip joints. At the top in pencil it said, osteochondromitosis, I think. The writing was unclear. I stuck it in my pocket. Later in the walk I was drawn by the sound of water, I looked into the woods and saw the prettiest stream weaving its way through these islands of mossy green. When I saw it, I felt so nostalgic for where I grew up and I realized that as much as I want a great town not too far from the city with a fun town center, I also really want the woods. I want my children to be able to play and run and hide amongst big tall trees. The hollow tree showed up again last night while doing some daily art, I let me hand just go with the flow and I was surprised to see a woman sitting crosslegged with the hollow tree at her back.

One of my favorite exercises this week was the sketchbook exercise. I got a small moleskin and periodically I would draw my surroundings or something imaginary. I ended up drawing my feet a lot, socked feet in front of my laptop, one bare foot, 2 naked feet in the bathtub, etc.

All in all a good week. This week will be busy. The fiansor's  30th birthday is  next weekend,  my last day of work is Wednesday, and I'm finally getting a much needed haircut on Thursday.  Ok, I think that was a long drawn out check-in, so there you go!

8 Responses

i’m glad you had such a good week, leah. i lost my copy of finding water! :( i have to find it. but you should definitely do something with that slide…it sounds incredibly beautiful, in a random-find way.

i think that you and me would have had a lot of fun hanging out together as kids…or, for that matter, as adults! i love the way your weekly check-in weaved its way through so many childhood memories and magical places. and i agree with bee…that slide could turn out to be something quite powerful.

I love how you described the tree!
I have been in awe of the giants in the Redwood Forest – and fell in love with ones in New Orleans, whose huge limbs have grow back into the ground, to pop up again in a nearby locale. I spent many childhood summer days nestled in the arms of a mulberry tree, sometimes with buddies and sometimes alone, jamming on the ripe fruit. Thanks for helping me to remember!
Again, I must write: your painting of the tree (thumbnail on this page) is so awesome.
Thanks for all of your sweet comments on my blog.

I am dying to see this tree!
I love to draw feet too, they’re great, from a distance :)
Glad you had a good week!

My magical spot was a glad in a forest that once was a cow pasture at the foot of the hill where my growing up days were done. It’s now buried under Route 66, but the memory isn’t gone.
The woman cross-legged made me think of what has always been my “safe” space (even now that I’ve seen them): the redwoods. Now there are some magical trees, set in magical forests and oh, I still cannot understand how anyone can cut them down!

What a wonderful walk! And curious find… seeing through the hipness of life?

My synchronicities really upped pace with my leaving FW so that’s good confirmation of my having taken the right trail through the woods of my mind… it sounds like you are getting just as much confirmation that you are on the right path too. Love it!

Hi Leah-
I am really enjoying spending time reading through your archives.
I love that I really connect to your words.
I was just telling my husband last night how I love connecting with people through blogging because you get to be real you.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read. I also find solace among the forest and/or trees. That magical tree sounds inTREEging.
It’s wonderful to be reminded like for the sketchbook exercise. I usually carry one with me, but I thought I ought to keep one in my car, because my purse becomes overloaded with personal, professional and mom stuff. (I want the sketchook with me, not need to plan for it; make it as handy as extra sunglasses in the car.)
early happy bd to your honey.
Oh, I finally caught up to the group. Just posted week 4.
Have a super week!

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