Today’s yoga session was titled “Awaken the Artist Within” and is part of this month’s (Expand) playlist from Yoga with Adriene. It was perfect for today because just last night I was experimenting with watercolors, seeing if I could bring out the artist in me, seeing if I have any of my mother’s painting talent. Turns out I probably did not inherit that particular talent, but I think somewhere along the way she did pass on to me the desire to experiment with colors, paint, and a brush, and see what happens.

Usually I harness my creativity by picking up a camera and trying to capture what I’m seeing or sometimes imagining I see with my eyes. Sometimes I’m only using the camera on my phone, but as we all know, the cameras on most of our phones can rival top-of-the line digital cameras. In the photo below you can see the results of last night’s artistic session, and on the right a photo I took with my phone of a magnolia bloom on my balcony this morning.

I’ve also tried my hand at pottery, poetry, crochet, and even songwriting. Some of these experiments have been more successful than others. But I’ve enjoyed the process each time and some of these activities have become hobbies, even if I don’t practice them regularly.

Songs in my head

This morning I woke up with a song in my head and it’s a song I haven’t heard in years. It’s Charlie Rich’s “The Most Beautiful Girl” and I remember my dad playing this record when I was a kid or a teenager (timeline’s a little blurry in my memory). But the words that I was singing in my head were a little different. In my head I was singing it to my ex. Over the last couple of days or so I’ve been debating sending him a quick message to wish him well with whatever is next for him. I guess it’s been on my mind because I saw that the band he’s been playing with is going through a big change, with three out of the five members leaving, including him. This could be because he’s moving out of the area, or just tired of playing Beatles music, but unless he’s moving on to another band, I know he will miss playing music regularly. So even though I know it’s best to keep that cord of attachment unattached, and that no contact has helped me get where I am, I was tempted to reach out.

So maybe that’s what prompted this song to pop up in my head in this way (with apologies to Charlie Rich and the song’s authors):

That Guitar-Playing Man

Hey
Did you happen to see
That guitar-playing fool
And if you did, was he happy, happy?

Hey
If you happen to see
That guitar-playing man that walked out on me
Tell him it’s all right
Tell him I’m finally happy
Oh, won’t you tell him that it’s ok

I woke up this morning
Realized that I was fine
I stood alone under a warm, blue sky
I knew I’d found my way back home

We lost our way and I wrote many things
But now that time has passed I can see
That it was time to let him go
His world was changing
And his future didn’t include me

So, hey
Did you happen to see
That guitar-playing fool
And if you did, was he happy, happy?

Hey
If you happen to see
That guitar-playing man that walked out on me
Tell him it’s all right
Tell him I’m finally happy
Oh, won’t you tell him that it’s ok

If you happen to see
That guitar-playing man
With a song in his heart
Tell him to write it
Tell him to please be happy
Oh, won’t you tell him, that we miss him.

Back to the Beach!

This is going to be another short work week for me but a busy one. I’m visiting one of our company’s customers to take some installation pictures and while this visit was my idea, I’ve had second thoughts because it’s not going to be the most aesthetically pleasing (or greatest smelling) place to visit. It’s a protein processing plant and I’m hoping that the subject of my photos is not at the heart of the plant’s operations. This will take place mid-week and then I’m off on Friday and headed back to the beach so that’s what will get me through the week.

The person I’ve been dating since February invited me to accompany him on his mini-vacation to the beach. We’ve been having a good time together and this will be the first time we’ll be spending multiple days in a row together. I’m really looking forward to it. I told him not too long ago that I’ve stopped swiping on my dating apps and have gone so far as to delete my profiles and/or remove the apps from my phone, but that I didn’t expect him to do the same. A couple days ago he told me he’s done the same. We’re going to “see where this goes” with no expectations or being in any rush.

I’m taking my camera and my notebook, and of course I’ve prepared multiple playlists for the trip. I’m looking forward to walks on the beach, more attempts at the perfect sunrise and sunset photos, lots of time in the sun, lounging by the pool, and of course seeing my old friend the ocean. I’m sure I will be inspired and I hope to have something to share with you here when I get back.