The Spot
my own thoughts
oh this precious thought of mine
inside my head. it gently rhymes
with beauty, love, happiness.
cleverly it makes me rest,
close my eyes, and hold it in–
no wreaking breath to end
it’s fragile life here in the cold
little hut of time before I’m sold
back to work
anothers’ world
oh this precious thought of mine, I want to think of all the time
Pie, Piano, Poetry
Coming soon are photos of my show this weekend, Naphtalia Does Christmas.
For now, I will say that I feel so blessed to be supported in my home town and in my new sister-town of the greater Westfield, Indiana area.
Three cheers for Pie, Piano, and Poetry! If you haven’t heard of this concept, now is the time. Here’s the story:
I visited my sister in Indiana in early October. She asked me if I would make a pie for her and maybe some friends that might come over. I said, “Absolutely!” Then, I asked her if I could play a tune or two for her friends at this pie party. She said, “Absolutely! It’ll be a pie and piano party!” Then, she mentioned that she writes poetry and I said, “You should definitely share your poetry with us, too.” And she agreed. Then, we decided that EVERYONE should share something they had created and you know what? Everyone said, “Absolutely!”
The party was a hit. We had stories, essays, poetry, original tunes, hymns, and of course, pie.
We held a second party in November and tonight marked the December edition. I wasn’t able to attend tonight as I had a show in Northern Minnesota. However, I was thrilled to get texts of encouragement from all these beautiful artists in Indiana. What great hearts!
Here’s a photo of my sister and her illustrator friend sharing tonight at Pie, Piano, and Poetry 3.
I am planning to host a Minnesota party at some point in the next couple of months. If you are interested, let me know. It’s so darn encouraging to spend time listening to what others create.
untitled #1
name
react
push
release
funkify
name
Decoupage Stories
Even when I decoupage, I tell stories. My sisters and I got all crafty one day on some filing boxes. This was to be a purely functional craft activity. We needed the boxes, but we disliked their original design and so we entered the glue-y world of decoupage.
One sister cut out and organized all the magazine images. She’s a fact lover. One sister created a beautifully succinct box which stated “love never goes out of style.” She’s an idea lover. I created a wedding story without realizing it until the very end of the evening. I am a story lover.
She contemplates what will befall and be-built her in the coming season.
As preparation, she sews goodness to her corset and bakes sweetness in her heart.
She walks boldly through the majestic moments of ceremony that color in her soul.
In growth is great peace and she is moved to and within herself.
78 + 22 = 100
Dear Amici,
The past 78 days have been a life saver at most, a clear turning in my life story at least. Coming out of an intense year of personal challenges, I feel rescued to have had these past 78 days to redefine, rediscover, and redirect my heart. Since I started this blog alongside my music writing project Story, Heart, Piano, I have become more and more aware of the glorious irrigation of storytelling in the middle of life’s deserts. Alan was right when he sent me the following verse last December 30:
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
In starting Naphtalia.Wordpress and Story, Heart, Piano, my goal was to hold this verse and the one my mother gave me at birth (the one about bringing forth beautiful words) up to my heart as a magnifying glass and see what was there. I figured the verses were given to me for a reason, so there must be something for me to learn in writing and posting each day. (Not to mention the fact that the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.)
So far, I’ve:
- posted 97 times (publishing a number of posts up front to get things rolling, then a thought/photo/poem/essay/work of fiction/song every day since September 19)
- written and recorded 28 new songs
- arranged and recorded 6 cover songs (2 yet to posted)
- drafted 7 posts still too freshly sore
- trashed 2 drafts
- been massively encouraged by your notes, texts, comments, and FB wall posts
- become daily aware of the gift and wisdom of words when we simply let them come
- laid on the table countless questions and been answered with story after story
Kathleen Norris says that we humans are simply “storytelling bipeds;” we are walking stories. Even as a kid, one of the most fascinating things to me was a front door. I distinctly remember riding in the car with my mother down our oh so familiar street and saying, “Isn’t it inspiring to think of all the stories behind those doors?” I longed to know all the in’s and out’s, all the mysteries, just to see if I could connect and make sense of my own stories. I wanted to be inspired to write myself into an unforgetable tale.
It is the writing of stories, the thought of creating middles and ends (not being able to do much with our beginnings) that pushes me forward in life. I tell my stories to hopefully create a bit of that inspiration for you. Sometimes, we just need to get out of ourselves and it doesn’t even need to be for long.
I have 22 days until I reach 100 days of posting and about 22 regular readers. I’d like to double that readership to build more of this storytelling community. For you, that means sharing. Naphatalia.Wordpress aims to set free words of beauty, inspiration, creation, and encouragement. If Naphtalia has become part of your story, can you share it? Choose a/the post that connected with you most and re-post it someplace on this wide wonderful web of a world we live in. Perhaps you can think of someone else that would connect with it. Share it straight with that person.
Some of you have beautifully and lovingly re-posted already and I’m ever so humbled and encouraged by it! Thank you! If you keep sharing one post every day or couple of days, the community cannot help but grow. Let us share our stories, share our encouragement, share our connections.
December 22 (another 22) is day 100.
With much appreciation, love, and peace,
Naphtalia
Post Script:
Other numbers of note are that I spent 77 days in Italy this spring and another 77 days in Italy and Spain this summer. This is truly a tri-part year.
In My Head
i hide my music in my head
muffling the sounds instead
of letting out my song of sorrow
tiny hope for quiet morrow
–on watching a teenager listening to her iPod in a crowd–
(photo from: sunshineslumbers source: buttercupdays)
Cool People
There are a great many people in the world cooler than I. Not a huge reveal, I know. Yet somehow this fact surprises me from time to time. As a writer, I do spend a great deal of time by myself and am therefore, by default, often the coolest person in the room. Today I was reminded of the great coolness out there.
Yes, there is a long list of people I personally know who display great coolness in their art, poetry, dwellings, cars, and literary references. However, here are two strangers who just struck me today.
First, I met a teacher for whom I substituted today. I was no match for her J Crew-catalog-shoot presence. She’s together; I’m not. I have no idea how she teaches 1st grade in heels and perfectly pressed slacks. I wear wrinkled Gap pants, a menswear flat stained by the denim I wear the rest of my life, and the same two sweaters every week. This girls owns her presence and I think that’s cool.
Second, I was up-ed by the bagger girl at the grocery show. Whatever her story is, her unmitigated confidence cleverly tattooed across her body told me that it was worth listening to. She’s got guts; I don’t. It took me three years to come up with a tattoo idea I thought I could handle the rest of my life. I really liked it, but I didn’t get it for want of extra cash. Then, surprise–the idea base was broken to bits this year and I wouldn’t want that heritage on my back right about now. This girl owns her story and I think that’s cool.
In this, I see coolness as an ownership of self. I am who I am and I do what I do because it makes the most sense to me. Further, it somehow makes me more of a person, growing more interesting with each decision I make.
Me? I own my comfort. I am comfortable in my clothes that can stand to be messed with finger paint. I am comfortable with my silence, holding my story as my own for a time.
You just never know who you will run into out there in life’s little adventures. I am reminded today to go boldly and go humbly. I am not that cool, but I am cool enough.
I Don’t Even Have An iPhone
As I walked into work today, I spotted something gorgeous in my co-worker’s hand. It wasn’t even her sleek iphone. It was her even sleeker iphone case. It was wood. Bamboo, to be exact.
I know that I am quite often un-hip, so I’m not surprised that I have never heard of this before today. However, I am delighted that companies like Grove in Portland, Oregon are crafting natural accoutraments into our technological lives. It is grounding to hold part of a tree in your hand.
It’s a pricey option, but if your already spending all that money on your coolness, you may as well add a little depth of soul. Besides, you can actually have your own artwork engraved on a case like this–so say Grove fans.
I’m envisioning a Rilke poem to match my iPod.
Two asides:
1. The first picture is birds and I love birds, but only in pictures or in real life, if they are raptors. The second picture is an iPhone case made from a recycled skateboard, which was not made from bamboo, as far I know.
2. I believe that iPhones do not merely reflect coolness or a desire for coolness (hipster coolness or otherwise), but also often reflect busy-ness and/or a desire to connect with one’s virtual community of friends acquired by simply living in the 2010’s (real life made virtual, combined, or merely virtual). All these are valid in my book, Naphtalia Does Life: 2010 edition.
Thanksgiving Games
Games I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:
Yahtzee
Cadoo
Name the States and Capitals
Spelling Bee
Without these games, Thanksgiving would have been a knotted mass of nerves.
Naphtalia 