I was cruising through my phone’s photo library for a certain shot from a while back and I realized I had captured so many moments that I really had not appreciated.
Lesson to self: Don’t just take photos. Relive them. See what emotions and richer details are recaptured. Make your past as enjoyable as the present. And it might even lead to a fuller, more deeply appreciated future.
Let’s define ventures : forays into something new.
Goal: At least ten new ventures for the weekend. I’m giving my Do Something Dice a week off. Hey, we retirees write our own rules! Here is the list so far…I’ll be adding incrementally through the weekend.
1. A Reading to Fight Hunger Magic Barrel
2. Friday afternoon: Attended the dedication of statue to Dick Fosbury, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist from Oregon State University. Fifty years ago today, he revolutionized the high jump event with his patented flop.
3. Start a new board game design. Lots of mental math involved, that much is certain.
4. The crust is made, the apples from our backyard tree are sliced/diced, now it’s time to explore: https://www.delish.com/cooking/g326/apple-pies/ And the decision is ‘Apple Pie with Salted Pecan Crumble with some variations. I used hazel nuts instead of pecans and I added plumped-up dried cranberries.
5. New place to walk Buddy, our recently-adopted Aussie Shepherd mix.
6. New TV Show: The Rookie. I liked the characters, but didn’t need the gritty gore.
7. New music to listen to—I started with a new playlist on Spotify: Good Morning Jazz. That led me to Kokoroko, an Afrobeat Collective
8. A new breakfast burrito for lunch at La Rockita, along with their quality chicken torta.
9. New books:
Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process
The Wizard of Foz [Subject: Dick Fosbury]
How to Bake by Paul Hollywood
10. A new tofu cheese recipe from Green Evi . No, it doesn’t completely replace real cheese, but I like the flavors and the protein and the lower fat content. [i.e. less guilt].
11. A Sunday where I read only the comics. Done!
12. Two new biscuit recipes. Sweet potato biscuits and savory herb biscuits. As I usually do, I improvised by adding cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and maple syrup to the sweet potato version. My starting point is usually Bert Greene’s half-white flour, half whole wheat Sky High Biscuits recipe from The Grains Cookbook.
I opted for bite-size for more concentrated flavors…and less guilt.
[Same calories….but less guilt.]
I have two of Jill Badonsky’s books: The Awe-manac and The Muse Is In
Until tonight, I had not opened this newsletter. My wife had forwarded it to me the same month I left my job almost two years ago. Just one of those emails that slipped by.
I hope the quote nudges my fellow retirees forward in your creative pursuits. [Note: I posted this in my other blog –the mark of a good quote.]
If you believe it’s time to give that creative calling inside of you a shot, honor it in some really small way today.
Start by asking “What do I love about my creative passion?” and “What one really small thing I can do to get started?”
Just asking these questions, even without having an answer, will begin to shift your energy toward the thoughts and actions that make it easier to get to your passion.
Once you light that fire, you will shine so brightly, there’s a chance one or two souls will stop their bickering and be inspired to do the same–you will be a catalyst of creative passion. — Jill Badonsky
