Reverb10: December 25 - 31

*************************

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.  (Author: Tracey Clark)

Me, taken by me, Boxing Day morning, happily photographing the Christmas decorations in my mom's dining room. This past year I was happiest when focused on the present moment and viewing nature or objects of beauty through the camera's lens.

**************************

December 26 – Soul Food

What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

As soon as I read this prompt, one balcony-grown garden crop and two new-to-me recipes popped into my mind:

#1) Spring & Early Summer - 'Sea of Red', the prettiest lettuce I've ever grown, which I pinched from the pot and tossed into a salad nearly every day:

 #2) Autumn - Eggplant & tomato sauce from Farmers' Market produce:

Culinate inspired,
Farmers provided,
Hands peeled, chopped, stirred,
Oven roasted,
Pan sizzled,
Mouth tasted....

Bliss.

(Recipe here.)

#3) Winter - Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Hummous Spread, which was part of an evening of savoury & sweet food & talk shared with a close friend:

****************************

I'm going to answer the questions from December 27th and 29th together because the responses are directly linked, cause (defining moment) and effect (ordinary joys).

December 27 – Ordinary Joy

Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

December 29 – Defining Moment

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

More than anything else, starting a 365 project on January 1st, 2010 and then taking photos of the "everyday, ordinary" in my garden or during walks with Piper affected my life. This project has given me many joyful moments.

******************************

December 30 – Gift

Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

(Author: Holly Root)

In a word: friendship.

****************************

All these prompts have challenged me, but this one, even more so. I'm responding late (December 31st), after a few days of reflection.

December 28 – Achieve

What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

(Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

During last night's walk with Piper, I came up with a short list of things I want to achieve in 2011 -- or at least begin working on. Then this morning and afternoon I struggled with paring the list to one "most wanted" thing -- a quality of being rather than a measurable achievement. I published one response, then retracted it because it wasn't quite right. And I'm still struggling this evening. But perhaps -- {A-ha moment} -- the answer is in the struggle.

One thing I'd like to achieve in 2011 is the ability to translate my mind's thoughts and heart's feelings more easily into words (verbal and written) and to be less self-conscious about my speaking and writing.

In terms of personal qualities...well, I'll forever be a work-in-progress but I see the need to pay particular attention to self-knowledge and self-reverence.

Yes, after writing and re-writing many versions of this response, I've come to understand all three are connected -- communicating authentically, knowing myself and valuing all parts of me. So I'll include them in my "most wanted" in 2011.

As for brainstorming...that's work for a rested, fresh mind on January 1st.

*******************************

December 31 – Core Story

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)

(Author: Molly O’Neill)

I don't know the full answer to this question today, though reverb10 has helped me learn about myself. Certainly Greens & Berries and perseverance are part of my core. And one of this blog's raisons d'être is to share and connect with the rest of the world.

As for re-reading reflections and finding threads...hmmm... I see a lot of diversity. So that's at my core, too.

Reverb10: December 18 - 24

In thinking about my responses to these seven questions, I find one leads to the next so I'll put them together in this one post.

December 18 – Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

December 22 – Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

December 23 – New Name. Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott)

December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis)

******************

I think I tried too much rather than too little in 2010. But this was my year to s-t-r-e-t-c-h, wasn't it?

For me, these three are linked together: 1) healing, 2) facing and embracing instead of avoiding changes and the messiness involved, and 3) making plans AND taking action today (even just baby steps) for a healthy future self. The travel prompt makes me think a retreat may be just the thing I need for some of this inner work.

How fun to contemplate a new name especially as the new year approaches. I've always liked "Chloe."

Now can be best moment. I don't always live this way, though. And my life is more than "ok". It is very good -- full of love and opportunities. Reverb10 has led me to many small discoveries that I will carry forward into the year ahead and beyond.

************************

Reverb10: December 8 - 17

********

Five days ago, I wrote this comment on Vincci's response to a #reverb10 prompt.

I'm now another another five days behind. So my strategy will be to set the timer for one hour and write my responses to the ten prompts from December 8th through 17th. Another challenge: except for December 8th and 11th, my responses will be 140 characters or less. I started contemplating each prompt soon after it was published so I hope the mind-writing I've done will help me finish in the time limit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

(This response added on December 19th)

I really struggled with -- in truth, avoided -- this prompt until I recalled the book, On Beauty, in my night table drawer. And another confession: I've not read more than bits and pieces of it. So I went to the chapter titled "The Beauty of the Flaw" and my eye immediately went to this quote.

Neither in environment nor in heredity can I find the exact instrument that fashioned me, the anonymous roller that pressed upon my life a certain intricate watermark whose unique design becomes visible when the lamp of art is made to shine through life's foolscap. ~Vladimar Nabokov

I love these words. Yes, I do believe our creativity makes each of us uniquely beautiful.

And now, please excuse me while I go express my creativity with a bit of cooking this afternoon -- company's coming & I'm on a tight schedule ;-).

*********

December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

Dietitians' Santa Hat party. Savoury & sweet food & people. Rich, warm talk, not too spicy. Elegant black dresses ... & me in Hunter boots.

**********

December 10 – Wisdom Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

I responded "yes" instead of my usual "I can't/don't have time, knowledge or ability" to many learning & relationship opportunities.

***********

December 11 – 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

Assumptions, doubts, anxieties, fears, negativity, lack of focus, mindlessness, multi-tasking, procrastination, rushing, any household stuff that is redundant or useless & migraine headaches (yes, I know that's 12, but fears & anxieties overlap).

************

December 12 – Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

Sometimes during Pilates, when we're near the end of the class. Also, during runs along the seawall.

*************

December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

Write it down. I've learned through blogging and #reverb10, I need to write out the ideas to bring them forward to the next stage.

**************

December 14 – Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

I'm learning to appreciate being wonderfully and imperfectly human and how authenticity allows us to grow & nurture relationships.

***************

December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

In case something spectacular happens in the next 15 days, I'd like to defer my response until December 31st. I won't forget. Promise.

****************

December 16 – Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

I cannot single out one friend. Each one has given me a gift. For example, my Hedge friends are teaching me about hope and that ...

*****************

December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)

... I can cultivate a realistic, eyes-wide-open kind of hope, "the thing with feathers,” Emily Dickinson wrote, “that perches in the soul.”

Reverb10: December 1-7

*

December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

I'm late signing up for reverb10, it's late in the day & I'm now tempted to change my One Word to "late" but I'll stick with the word that, once it entered my mind, seemed right & natural & encompassing:

s - t - r - e - t - c - h

because that is what I've done throughout 2010. Stretched myself beyond what I'd believed were my capabilities & tolerances. Both in my work life & personal life. Nearly every day. Including today when despite having an overfull plate, I added a heaping helping of reverb10. Because I know stretching is good for me.

For 2011, I would like the word to be "resilience" -- no matter what the year holds, good or bad, I want to continue developing inner resources so I can meet all opportunities & challenges with more courage, grace, & wisdom.

**

December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

I need to stop avoiding the dark winter mornings & get out of bed as soon as I wake up (usually about 6 am). This would give me about 30 minutes for writing before I have to leave for work.

***

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

Saturday morning, mid-November, running along the seawall, lungs breathing in crisp, clean air. Deep blue sky & a few wispy clouds above. False Creek, sleepy boats & hungry seagulls to my right. Creamy white snowberries, scarlet rose hips, and a few persistent yellow leaves on almost bare branches to my left. To match my pace and mood, Innocence Mission on the iPod.

A moment as vivid, gentle and pure as the autumn sunlight; sight and sound, motion and emotion converged in my heart and propelled me forward.

****

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

I cultivated a sense of wonder this past year by taking long walks with my camera -- and Piper, my Westie -- and venturing down new paths.

Inuksuit along the False Creek seawall, northeast side
Photos taken January 3, 2010

*****

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)

Since early yesterday morning, I've struggling with my response to this prompt. Perhaps because I haven't completely let go of habits (mostly ways of thinking) that hold me back or pull me down. I wish it were as easy as saying "be gone, Fears & Doubts" and they'd disappear into the ether.

Also, I've added some new commitments to my days without removing any tasks. Am I fooling myself that I just have to be super organized to get everything done? Or have I reached -- or exceeded maximum load?

******

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

If I excude writing blog posts, cooking meals & growing a garden, the last thing I made...was so long ago, I don't remember. But this prompt reminded me how much I long to pull out the sewing machine, and get back into the rhythm of cut, pin, baste, stitch and press. Can I clear some time for this? I don't know. I'd have to give up some reverb10 time ;-), which I'm not willing to do. Maybe on my next staycation (Spring 2011) I'll spend a glorious week in fabricland. It's an appealing thought.

*******

December 7 – Community Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

Late last night (Tuesday) I started my response with this favourite tweet:

So true. While thinking about my online community tonight -- both new connections made in 2010 & older friendships deepened & strengthened -- I'm doing all these things -- well, perhaps not laughing out loud but I'm definitely smiling on the inside.

One of my new communities (I'm a contributor) is the Hedge Society. I share @ffantastica's enthusiasm about this:

It's late again as I work on this response and I'm deleting more than saving. So I think tomorrow I'll finish my response and answer the second part of this prompt.

Added on Thursday, 9 December 2010 at 9:31 PM:

Same story/different evening. Now it's Thursday and I'm falling behind in my reverb10 responses. I'll blame the very busy work week and being too empty and tired at the end of the day to write anything worth reading. But in truth, I think introspective writing like this is difficult for me. Ah well, this is my year of stretching, right ;-) ?

So rather than write-delete repeatedly, I'm going to spend time with some of my community now by catching up on Vincci's thoughtful reverb10 responses, Kathryn's & Sophie's tasty, informative tweets, Lucy's and Diana's nourishing words, Meighan's yummy photos and Hedge Society's latest little posts about a lot of things. Tomorrow evening I'll visit with my online gardening friends.

In 2011...? More of the same -- as in good people & good conversation -- is fine with me.

Good night, friends. Talk to you later.