Opening
I have nothing to say tonight. No words of wisdom. No exciting stories of the day.
Yet dinner time hath passed (squash, baked potatoes, wild rice with peas and onions, Szechuan green beans and red peppers with mushrooms) and now is the Witching Hour. The time when I usually brew a cup of tea and sit down to compose a blog-story.
I prepared to do something else–anything else–and yet my heart started going pitter-pat, pitter-pat, wanting to blog! Wanting to write! Wanting to tell a story of extraordinary ordinariness.
It refused to allow chores like doing the dishes, going for a walk, reading. It begged, “Please, Kathy. Please. Let us write a blog. Let us say something. Please. Do not sadden us. Please let us write a blog!!”
Wood anemone on the edge of road
OK, what are you suppose to do when the inner voice carries on like that? Make it sit down and read your current novel? (Mine happens to be Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. She’s the author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for you other novel-readers out there in the blogosphere.)
Do you reply: “You have nothing to say, Blogger. Go sit on the couch and behave.”
Say sternly: “No, you crazy addicted blogging fool!! Go outside and take a walk instead.”
Blogging fool replies, “NO! It’s too cold out there. Too windy. Besides, we did yoga today. And didn’t we do a good job on our warrior poses and our sun salutations? Didn’t our teacher praise us? Can’t we please blog?”
Finally, you give in. OK, blog away. But on one condition.
We can’t insist we’re addicted to blogging. We must put it in more positive terms. Let’s say instead that we’re following our heart’s desire. We following our inner passion. We’re following the spirit within. (Sounds much better than addicted, right?)
An even closer view of a dandelion opening
So now that we’re actually blogging and we found three flower photos to post, what else can we share? The tea I’m drinking is called Lemon Blossom. It’s quite good.
I know! Reggie, from Grains of Sand blog commented recently, “How come you have such exciting excursions, Kathy?! I love reading these stories.”
My reply to her was thus:
“Reggie, want to know a secret? I don’t think we do have such exciting excursions. Another person would just think to themselves, “We drove to Marquette and stopped by the railroad tracks and saw a bike in the tree.” I think the trick is looking at everything we do as Extraordinary. Then every excursion becomes exciting!”
There. That’s my entire blogging premise. We all live equally exciting lives. When we learn to cultivate the view that the ordinary truly is extraordinary…well, then, every one of us will be blogging like crazy every single evening thrilled to related the latest amazing adventure! Even if it is: I just ate dinner and drank a cup of lemon blossom tea. 🙂
Sincerely yours, a passionate blogger following her heart’s desire.
Lake Superior Spirit 
Well your passion is well received!
I think that is the most awesome view of a dandelion I have ever seen up close!
Thanks for sharing…
Kim
Kim, wasn’t that a cool dandelion? Loved that side view! And thank you for being a kind recipient of this blogging passion, LOL!
For having nothing to say you have said a lot! You have examined your motives, your have stated your case, whether your addicted or following your hearts desire.
Here I am reading your darn blog when I have only days to finish “The Firery Cross”. Yet setting reading would put me to sleep on moments.
Awesome close up shots of the dandelion!
Check these out! http://www.redbubble.com/people/relayer51/art/5165030-1-dandelion-light#comment-29096827
http://www.redbubble.com/people/relayer51/art/5165077-1-dandy-up-close#comment-29096945
Ohmygoodness Jeff what AWESOME shots of the dandelion. So exquisite. Thank you for sharing those… Yes, isn’t it weird? I suppose you’ve discovered this in your blogging too. Sometimes you’re reluctant to blog, but there is an inner voice that wants to share anyway! And what a gift we give ourselves to let that inner voice share what it wants to…
Enjoy you, your stories,photos and Passion
Kim:-)
Kim, I have been thinking a lot lately about following our passions even more! To trust that our desires are leading us toward fulfillment…
“When we learn to cultivate the view that the ordinary truly is extraordinary…”
You are a very wise woman, Miss Kathy.
– Laurie Buchanan
Laurie, that is my mantra. The ordinary truly is extraordinary. As for being wise…I can find wise parts of kathy…and also foolish parts, too. Am learning to wrap loving arms around the foolish parts whenever they arise. Guess that might be wisdom? 🙂
Kathy, I agree wholeheartedly with what Laurie says. So simple yet so potentially life changing. Becoming aware of just how extaordinary the most ordinary moments in our lives truly are. Yummy dinner!! Would have been very happy to have been a guest at your table tonight.
Good morning, Ms. Colleen! Laurie AND you are wise women. It was a lovely dinner. Simple yet so fulfilling. You would have been so welcome at our dinner table. Then we could have gone for a walk in the beautiful springtime of the northwoods…
THanks Jeff for the great close-ups!!!
Kim
So are you going to tell us about your workshop, or did I miss a post? I have been exceptionally busy with creative deadlines and indulgences of my own, so that could happen. Last I heard you were in a hotel room the night before, and then mother’s day at the orphanage.
Carla, I love that you remembered about this! As I emailed you, am still processing everything that happened in the workshop and trying to practice some of the techniques. Perhaps will write more later… Glad to hear that you are passionate with creative endeavors and indulgences of your own!
“I think the trick is looking at everything we do as Extraordinary.”
This is the attitude I’m cultivating and working towards every day….a balancing act at this point in the school year when I’m worn thin. The exceptional beauty of the Green Man’s blessings makes it easier! 🙂 Thank you again – for putting into words what I feel…OK, except the part about being a blogging addict which I’m sooooo glad you are!
Cindy, I think this attitude is an everyday thing. I’m still cultivating it, too. Oh aren’t the spring woods beautiful? Don’t we love the Green Man? And isn’t it nice that we may be getting a little rain today?
I’m addicted to your blog…I mean, I’m following my heart’s desire by visiting your blog everyday. I’m following my inner passion and the spirit within.
Very inspiring!
Karla, YESSS!! Oh I want to hug you right now!! Following your heart’s desire to MY blog….thank you, thank you, and thank you again!
Hee hee…this is one extraordinary ordinary post, Kathy. Thank you! Storytelling is as old as Man is. To do it well is to be congratulated. Oh, if you need something for a blog idea in the future, I just posted my next assignment today. (Thought I would sneak that in here.)
Mr. Scott, thank you for appreciating the storytelling. I love to tell stories. (Can you tell? tee hee…) Your new assignment looks fabulous, by the way. I have been playing with my point ‘n shoot camera settings for a couple months now. Will try to remember to mention your assignment in an upcoming blog. For folks who don’t read comments, you know. 🙂
Sharing the beauty and excitement of our various worlds is surely good medicine for us all.
Pamela, that is a great view! To look at blog-sharings as “medicine” for all of us. Just as we need our vitamins and minerals…perhaps blog sharings work the same way to provide us spirit-medicine. Thank you! Pondering that this morning…
That photo makes the humble dandelion look like a warrior flower. Powerful lines.
It’s refreshing to read about a creator who loves to create, and who isn’t stuck in a block.
Shayla, what a lovely comment! You are right! A warrior flower. Proud, powerful dandelion lines. “Don’t pick me,” she said fiercely. The photographer, humbled, knelt before the warrioress and breathed her beauty…
I thought you’d appreciate this link:
http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2010/04/dandy-day-in-neighborhood.html
I listened to this fellow talk and enjoyed him so much I started to read his blog – waiting for his book to be available at the library. Your dandelion pictures reminded me to share his link. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this, Dawn! His site looks great. Since I just finished foraging leeks, it is particularly inspiring.