I had planned to take today to do some cleaning and laundry. Then I wanted to try making some chalk paint and paint my dining room chair cushions. I know, paint? on fabric? Risky. But that’s another story. The point of this one is that I “planned”. Silly me to think I know what’s best for me. It turns out life had some other plans, and well really, they were much better.

In the morning, a friend messaged me and wanted to stop by. Much more fun than cleaning. At least I thought, I could do the dishes and put in a load of laundry. While cleaning the kitchen I discovered a large leopard slug on the floor. ???  Being ridiculously soft hearted, I’ve no idea what to do with him, as killing him was not an option and it was too cold to put him outside. I found an old ricotta cheese container and my daughter and I went outside to collect some plant matter and dead leaves. I named him Percival. She named him Rosie. She is snuggled up with him on the couch now.

A short while later my friend arrived and we all sat down to talk about all sorts of things. Real things, gutsy, bloody, raw and honest things. We ate leftover Suvlaki and rice with Jufron.  And then talked some more.

Then another friend stopped by. He had made us a quilt. He had an intuition that he had to make this, and it was for us, and he had to use only things he already had. It was about gratitude. I believe it is about more. It is beautiful and amazing and magical.

In between all of this, another one of my daughter’s called. She was sick and emotional. She arrived a bit later and I made her a turkey Panini and we talked. And then talked some more.

While we talked the ceiling in our back room fell in. Right on top of my paintings that I was storing there. I had to open up the room that we keep closed off because, obviously it is in disrepair, and now a little more so. I pulled my paintings out and dried them off. It was good to see them again.

It’s now past eight and I should be getting kids to bed. But today felt magical. In ways I’m still discovering. I wish to savor it a bit.

A slug, a ceiling, a quilt, a friend and family.

Slugs are strong. Their whole body is really just one big muscle. They move slowly and of course the slime trail! It made me think about being strong in a different way, not by way of using a shell, but by way of adapting, changing shape, camouflage. They seem to be able to let go, nothing “sticks” to them. They live simply, using what is already around them for food and shelter.  And just maybe he is telling me to slow down.  That’s just what I did today.

I got to slow down. Talking with my husband and our friend reconfirmed some things for me. Also, it was just plain good to talk with another who is so like minded. Someone who walks her talk.

And then the quilt. The quilt made by another dear friend using only what he already had. I think about the resources that we have, the abundance that we have but maybe are not seeing. It is a physical example of reworking, rethinking, re-sourcing, re-using and creating something from pieces that is useful, beautiful and so meaningful. Gratitude. A perfect example of living simply and using what is already around us.

Talking with my daughter made me think about strength.  She is very strong but she doesn’t think so. She thinks strong means you have an impenetrable shell. Her strength is in her vulnerability, her willingness to be honest, her ability to feel. Even when the “feels” hurt. I’m very proud of her.

Finally, the ceiling. Well, that whole mess didn’t stick. It didn’t stick to my paintings and it isn’t sticking to me. I got them out, dried them off then resealed the door. And from this I thought two things. The first was that it was good to see my Goddess paintings again. I have been gone from them for too long. It was as if to say “don’t get distracted, we’re important, get back to your mission”. The other thought was the idea of being able to break through the “ceiling”.  Sometimes we feel stuck and can’t get past that ceiling that seems to hold us back from the next level. Well my ceiling dropped in I didn’t have to break it. And the next level isn’t another room with another ceiling. It’s the wide open sky. That’s how I see it. Something has changed, nothing is holding me back and the sky is the limit!

A slug, a ceiling, a quilt, a friend and family.

Thanks Percival, ahem, I mean Rosie.