Take a risk! Yes, I'm talking to myself and to anyone else who'd like to join me in the voyage of progress and risktaking and growth. Shoot! It's spring. It's time.
1) Orange Is the New Black: Who knew when I bought my neon orange ballet flats from Gap a couple of months ago (on sale, I might add) that my selection would bring so many new friends?
Yep, after standing there going back and forth between the black pair and the electric orange, I HAD to choose the orange, right? I mean black is classic and beautiful and ... safe. Predictable. Not on sale because that's what most folks will choose. But why?
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I can't tell you how many compliments, comments, questions, laughs and stories I've gotten from having my feet sprinkle this celebration of color on the earth.
Like my Santa Hat, but on my feet (thanks, Bonny). A reminder to lighten up, brighten up. Same for my orange jacket, tangerine maxi, lime jungle print skirt, fuchsia tee, scarlet bathing suit, and all of the rest of the rainbow in my closet.
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We human types love color. It refreshes our outlook and enriches our lives.
So, for all you folks who tell me you wish you could wear colorful clothes and want to wear them and ask where I buy mine, JUST DO IT. Paint your day and the world with color.
2) Helpful reminders:
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and
"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." –Frederick Wilcox (Thanks, Angie. More inspiration at www.amagicd.blogspot.com)
3) Flashmob/Crosswalking: TODAY!! When the weather clears, right here in Hartford, folks.
Paula, Kellie, Kate, Margie and I (a/k/a Dance Connect and Elm City Dance Collective) will be taking it to the streets and dancing in the crosswalks during the walk sign. We love sharing our dancing and we're promoting our inventive shows May 18th and 19th at Charter Oak Cultural Center (www.charteroakcenter.org).
Let me tell you, there's nothing like breaking from the frontal, repetitious, mindless walking pattern of rush hour crowds and bustin' into dancing to give you a thrill! Up close and personal. A perfect hands-on experience of detouring from the mainstream and taking an alternative path. Literally.
Let me tell you, too, that the only way to do this is to COMMIT! No Halfway Holly here. It's a great practice for taking risks and moving your life forward as you offer art out there in the world.
4) New, Yummy Food: "Weeknights with Giada." This fab new cookbook by Giada De Laurentiis is stuffed with so many tempting offerings and fresh ideas. We've already tried recipes for Spicy Mint Beef and Wagon Wheel Pasta with Pancetta and Peas – both delish. Can't wait to cook – and eat! – through more of the book.
5) New, Yummy Food for the Soul and Mind: "Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son" (Anne Lamott with Sam Lamott). Thank God for Anne Lamott. Among other inspiring gifts, she restores my faith in my ability to finish a book, usually in record time:).
Her new gem is as wondrous as her others: Playful, deep, heartbreaking, compassionate, articulate, colorful, pithy and laugh-out-loud funny. It's partly about her growing into her new role as grandmother at an unexpectedly early age. But also a lot more than that: She helps you be more.
Enjoy ...
