Books vibrate a sort of magical energy

Day 517

The end of 2009 will be in about 6 hours and 45 minutes. Is there still time to get my to do list done for the year? Hardly-let it go.

Today, I puttered around with my books. I cleaned bookshelves, organized, rearranged and admired my books. My sister just started a blog - she wrote about books. As her move in ritual, no mater where she is living, she first sets up her books. A grounding practice I understand completely.

There is something about being surrounded by creativity and thought. So many voices, ideas, stories, lives, emotions, lessons, calculations, facts, jokes and quirky little oddities- books vibrate a sort of magical energy. As least for me and my sister.

It's funny, this 1000 day journey is centering around writing. Can there be writing without books. Natalie Goldberg says to be a good writer you must: listen, read and write. So simple. I love to write, I love to read and I'm learning to listen. The third is a bit more troublesome. My mind seems to be lost in the future or past most of the time. To be fully present, when I'm not immersed in a project, is a new experience for me.

The end of the year and here I am writing. It feels good. As I was sorting my books today, I came across an old journal of mine. The entry said. "Yesterday I didn't write, last night I was itchy when I tried to sleep. Today I'm going to write, maybe I wont be itchy tonight."

Next year- starting tomorrow, my blog will be in 2010. Will anyone read it? Maybe, I'll write even if no one does because it is part of my 1000 day journey] I love this journey. I gives me the green light love books, read and learn to listen. How can you not just love that???

Happy new year to all,

Denise

It wasn't out there, it was hear all along

Day 505,

It's been a while since I visited this site, not to worry I write everyday. Mostly I write in the morning sitting at the little coffee table my grandpa made. I sit in the early morning while the house is still. It's there I write most about this 1000 journey. Since my last posting I passed a major mile marker. Day 500- halfway there. This journey has become part of my daily routine and yet I wonder if I'm traveling far enough.

Most journeys are journeys because you travel, you go somewhere. I'm not going anywhere. This is a journey about learning to follow my heart and cherish everyday and everyone in that day. Can you go on a journey without leaving your home?

A while back I watched a documentary on Claude Monet called the Impressionists. Most of his life Claude Monet traveled to find his inspirations. He was always in search of "out there or over there". As if the mountain over the hill held the secret to his art. Later in his life he had an epiphany. Art was everywhere. What he most searched for was at home all along. And so he went home and started painting his own gardens.

I don't feel the need to travel over there to find my heart or learn to cherish the day. The art of this journey is learning to truly see what is right in front of me. Of course, my senses, my awareness are heightened when I travel away from home but can I learn to see the gift of everyday, when I don't go anywhere?

For the past 30 days I have been pondering this questions of how to travel deeper, further into this journey. I realized it is a gift to be on this journey, the last thing I want is to pop out on the other side still asleep in life. It is probably my greatest fear on this journey is that I don't really learn how to follow my heart of cherish the gift of each day.

Around day 500, give or take 5, I decided to try to learn 5 skills in hopes of traveling a little deeper, a little further.

1 learn to listen
2 learn to write
3 learn to enjoy
4 learn to believe
5 learn to do or not do but stop wobbling

Is this a tall order? Yes probably, but nothing ventured nothing gained. This journey is to learn to apply the lesson my grandparents gave me one fateful morning back in May 2004.

This morning during my quiet writing time, I added to another next level to this journey but that is for another conversation.

Happy travels,
Denise