Today I had to do the chore I hate: cleaning before the cleaners. You know, where you go around and pick up all the crap that is lying around your house, before the cleaners come in, so that they can get to the surfaces that need to be cleaned. In between putting clothes away and breaking … read more Little plastic things
Category: Improvisation
The Adventure Girl Cookbook: Improvising a Life. Recipes, ideas and stories about creativity, mindfulness and improvisation as a major ingredient in art, food, work, life
Small and simple
It seems the more I concentrate, the smaller and simpler my glass pieces become. They are trying to tell me a story. In just a couple of inches, or less. Hands praying, asking. A spirit flying above. A worker waving goodbye at the border. And a face. Just a face. Smiling a little, maybe. Something else, maybe. … read more Small and simple
I’ve just seen a face
I was relaxing on the porch, enjoying the morning solitude of Booger Hollow. Thinking about my life and what to do with it. Then I saw a face. A woman. A slender face. Long slim nose, pouty red lips, very high cheekbones, ivory skin. Somehow she looks Japanese. It honestly took me a minute to believe … read more I’ve just seen a face
In the real world
Mostly in fused glass I’m doing abstracts, but the shape of a random piece of clear glass suggested to me this caterpillar climbing over an obstacle. Does it even look like a caterpillar? Does it suggest an obstacle? Does it matter? Sometimes from the pile of glass pieces, a figure jumps out at me. Like this one: … read more In the real world
In black and white
The other day, an old friend who’s a photojournalist complimented me on my Facebook profile photo. “Black and white is very cool,” he said. He and I both learned photography with black and white film cameras. But it’s not just nostalgia that makes us love B/W. It is a different art form altogether, when color … read more In black and white
The daily grind
At 8 a.m. today I was grinding. Not coffee. Not my teeth. Not at the proposal budget due tomorrow. I stood for half an hour in front of the grinder, feeling my way with bits of glass. It made the whole day go better. The glass grinder is a fairly simple machine. Physically it’s a big … read more The daily grind
Quadruple shift
Does it feel to you like the days are way too full? How many jobs do you think you have? How many shifts do you cover? I reckon I have four. And I think I’m not unusual, either. Today I was making phone calls at 8 a.m. Had to line up HVAC companies to give me an estimate on … read more Quadruple shift
One thing at a time
I’ve signed up for 61 courses on Udemy, and 32 on Coursera, and 12 on EdX. I have started about a third of these courses, and I’ve only completed seven or eight. What does this say about me? It’s not for lack of interest; I was excited about each of them when I signed up or bought … read more One thing at a time
Uphill and alligators
I had to wait two weeks for the insulation company to schedule my job, but finally today was the big day. I was nervous – all the other house repairs hinge on this one. I kind of knew something would go wrong. A young guy from the crew checked in with me a couple times, first … read more Uphill and alligators
Moving into a slower space
When Tom and I first returned to America after living overseas for five years, we couldn’t stand to drive on the freeway. Everything was so fast! It was unbearable. We’d been living in Kabul, Dubai, and Dili, where auto travel was closer to the speed of horse and buggy. Now, I catch myself doing 80 on the … read more Moving into a slower space