The Dancing Muse

Sometimes it feels like the Muse has left for a land far, far away. And finding the thread that weaves together fragments of stories is lost, floating along, waiting to make sense to someone other than the story teller…I got back my first bowl from my pottery class this week. It reminds me of a pumpkin you’d find in a field in October. Perfectly round on one side (the side the Jack-o’Lantern will be carved) and lopsided on the other (clearly the backside). But the colors are gorgeous: Vegas Lipstick and Moonshadow. I like the sound of those two colors blending. What I like about ceramics is the opportunity to accept imperfect perfection that results from dynamic motion.  I like that just when you think you’ve got a beautiful bowl, you accidentally trim the foot and the bottom falls out. But before you scrap it, the idea occurs that if you make a plate and attach the now defunct bowl, you have a planter.Renaissance Faire was as it always is – a chance to step into character. To live in a world of fantasy, if only for several richly-filled hours. Far more pictures this year – I think I prefer the memories without wrinkles.  A sweetness was woven throughout the day – though we had our bawdy moments. A friendship of five women – like the spokes of a wheel – bonded to a new level. Five women, each on our personal path of self-discovery, learning to appreciate our 40+ beauty, the softness of our hearts (and bodies), and a gentleness in self-reflection.I watched magic unfold at a meeting I coordinated between the Orange County Food Bank and the folks at the  Anaheim/OC Visitor Bureau. The response was overwhelmingly positive and creative, and could very well result in thousands upon thousands of hungry people getting nutritious food after well attended conferences. Then I attended the OC Food Access Coalition meeting and happily agreed to be on a working group with Whole Foods to help organize the necessary partners and promotion to create inexpensive, nutritional to-go meals. I will also help OC restaurants become more sustainable and tap into local resources (community or on-site gardens or farmers markets) for food.The thread is moving and dancing, creating something yet to be revealed. Or has it already manifested?