February 24

1965

Bob got his guitar yesterday and has been playing it all day. He's getting pretty good - so was I when he let me play it. I can do "Down in the Valley" and "Tom Dooley". A is home and I called her. We talked for about 15 minutes. She said she'd call back but she hasn't yet.

There's a C.Y.O. dance this Saturday night and V will be there. Do I dare try again? Well, I'll ask Marcia tomorrow at the rehearsal.

1985

And on top of everything, I’m trying to maintain a “normal” work level. I’m still waiting to hear from the publishers. Perhaps I should figure that no news is good news. Or maybe they lost it. No time to think about that now. Moving day is three weeks away. I have packed half the books and one of our three closets. We have the rooms all figured out. Kiddo will have a bedroom and a playroom, so the crowing problem will be less. The TV might go in the den. Maybe.

I am going to sleep.

1997

How silly! Of course I will go on. But she is wrong about needing to do certain things in order to be on this journey. I am assembling the pieces I need, and they are mine (my authentic self’s!).

It promises to be a beautiful day. I have too much to do. I will not get it all done. But let me accomplish enough that I have peace tonight.

1998

“Early patterning” exercise from The Artist’s Way.

My love of reading was seen as “always having my nose stuck in a book” by my mother.  She saw it as a waste of time and an antisocial act. When she saw me reading, she would find something else for me to do. 

I grew up thinking artists were different, special, unreliable, egotistical people. They were either independently wealthy or didn’t care about money. That they were great and successful with not effort because they were so talented. If something is hard for you, that means you will never be good at it.

I took art for a year in high school and the teacher said one positive thing about my work in all those months. After that, I approached every design class as an exercise in pleasing the teacher, until I took that wonderful watercolor class with Ludwig Stein! What a wonderful class that was! He taught me how to create velvet, satin, and corduroy with watercolors. I itch to draw and paint again. Maybe someday I will create the illustrations for my own book.

2023

Back in 1997, I chafed at the suggested activities in Simple Abundance. Once again, I wish I still had my copy so I could see what annoyed me that morning. Luckily, there is a YouTuber who has recorded her own journey through the book! The 2/24 message was that reading each day’s passage was not the same as actual taking the journey, and Ban Breathnach then wrote that if you aren’t willing to use the tools (exercises and prompts), you should close the book and give it away to someone else. (!!!!) No wonder I was pissed. All I needed was one more item on my to-do list.

My brother Bob is still strumming away. Now retired from his government gig, he plays traditional blues and his own compositions in and around North Bay, Ontario. He also has a YouTube channel where he posts occasional tunes. Long may he wave!

Bib and his son. (Yeah, it runs in the family.)

True to form, I have lots to do today: writing, mending a beloved afghan for an old friend, and a few other things to tidy up. I will not get it all done. But I will accomplish enough that I have peace tonight.

2024

And now Bob is on Substack. Rock on, big brother. Substack: family, friends, and friends I haven’t met yet. Thanks for reading.