Intentional Snarls: Snippets from a Week

Today I am filled with a bit of dread.  Many of today's work tasks are not the ones that nourish me.  Maybe it won't be as bad as I think.

I'm not sure that I have a coherent blog post in me today.  But I do want to record some snippets.  As always, I wonder if I'll see themes or threads or maybe just snarls.

--A few nights ago, I had a bad dream about amassing data and knowing that Russians would be arriving for the data.  Would we give over all of our data?  Had we been interpreting it correctly?  Should I go to the bathroom, in case we were arrested or sent to a concentration camp?

--No wonder I'm tired when I wake up.

--Spin class was cancelled yesterday morning.  Unfortunately, I didn't find out until I arrived.  On my way home, I stopped at a WalMart Neighborhood Market to do some restocking of our bare refrigerator.  I got there right at the moment of opening--so many stockers, filling the shelves.  I wonder if it's the same later in the day.

--I am astonished at how many different kinds of flours that this WalMart Neighborhood Market stocks:  flours made out of every type of nut, coconut flour, traditional white flour, both bleached and unbleached.  But no rye flour.  None of the flours of my breadbaking youth as the 70's moved into the 80's.

--Thinking of those days, I am suddenly suffused with longing for the Mennonite-run eatery that my mom and I went to every so often for lunch during my high school years.  Who knew that so many things could be sprouted?

--I need to start reading the second book for my certificate program in spiritual direction. I will try to make progress on that in the next few days.

--I've gotten feedback on my reading response that I wrote for the first book in the program. As I thought about this program, it didn't occur to me that we'd get this kind of feedback.

--Yesterday, I got the feedback from our group leader. I read it quickly, between work tasks that were leaving me drained and irritable. Reading that response was like having a cup of tea and a delicious scone with a friend who knows me deeply. Wow.

--Part of me just wants to stitch.  I've been thinking about stitching in the shape of a labyrinth.  The stitching would soothe me.  The resulting creation could be used as a finger labyrinth.  I'm posting a picture of stitching that's not in a labyrinth shape, but it's pleased me, snarled tangle of thread and all:

--I say that I have intentional snarls, but they are actually snarls that happen that I decided to let stay.  It's some sort of metaphor for my life, but I'm not sure of all the implications.

--Let me get ready for the day ahead.  I'll put my contacts into my sore and soggy eyes.  I'll go to spin class.  I'll look forward to lunch with old colleague friends.

--Later, a glass of wine with one of my best friends in the neighborhood, while my spouse teaches.  Once I had dreams of long, lingering brunches, but a Friday glass of wine is a delight too.