Goddess, Becoming, Begin, Now
Down on the farm . . .
I’ve been busy. I think I say this every month. Ha!
Everything is greening and growing, blooming in the new spring. The land is alive again and untamable (again!), but beautiful in its wildness. I’m bush hogging the fields every spare second I have and when I turn around, they need mowing yet again. I’m also planting flowers. I bought a tiller for the tractor and after much frustration with a quick hitch and bolts of various sizes, I’ve tilled five 50 feet plots of ground. My plan is to plant sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, and wildflower blends and see how they do. This is an experimental flower year and I’m excited to see what comes of it.
As for the Farmhouse, we’ve made great progress. Remember, we had a ruptured pipe and a flood in the main floor of the building which required removal of the floors and a good bit of walls where the water soaked in, plus the ceiling of the main hallway which fell into the floor beneath it. The new floors are all in, the ceiling and walls are back, and most of the painting as been done. We still have wallpapering to do and that’s coming up soon. The biggest chore is cleaning everything and putting the rooms back together. It’s a huge job. Anyone wanna help with that?? 😉 (Let me know if you do.) At any rate, it looks safe to say residencies will start back in June. Hooray!!
I say Hooray and I mean it. This has been a stressful and emotional few months and I’m glad to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. What I’ve learned through this is that S$&@ happens and you have to walk the path through it while believing it will be ok in the end. That word. Believe. It has kept me safe in the hardest times. Words have power, y’all, but you already knew that.
Speaking of words . . .
I just got back from a journaling retreat in Tuscany. It was called Soul Words and we were charged to find a handful of words that spoke to our souls. These words will support us as we move through the year. We explored words through deep writing in response to journaling prompts. It’s interesting what words spoke to me. At first, the word “goddess” sprang to my awareness. Most likely, that’s because I’m in the middle of painting goddesses with the idea of making journaling cards from them. I held on to that word for a day, but then determined while it was a word that interested me, it wasn’t going to be my main word. So I kept writing. “Becoming” was the word that came next. I like this word as it speaks about change and progress to me, certainly something I can relate to. Then, “Begin” crept into the conversation in my mind. I’ve been feeling a bit stuck lately, and this word seemed encouraging. But none of these words seemed immediate. They are good words, but they didn’t light a fire under me, which is what I think I need right now. I need energy, encouragement, drive. And then, a new word, a simple word, stood up from the pages and announced it’s place in my soul. “Now.” NOW!
It’s not about who I want to be in some future scenario. It’s about who I am right now and what I want to do right now. I want to believe in myself now, not later. I want to chase my dreams now, not later. I want to live in the now of planting flowers, of restoring the farmhouse, of reopening the writers’ colony. Now. It’s a small but powerful word. It was the word I chose to be my main word for the year.
As writers, we understand the power of words. When we claim a word for our year, it has significance and deep meaning. Have you ever thought about your Soul Words? What word is calling you to take notice this year? It’s worth a little contemplation and maybe it will set in motion something valuable. Share your words if you’d like to. I would love to hear them!
Blessings,
Sandy