October 2, 2002

“My Grandfather’s Blessings” by Rachel Remen

[As a doctor] “ … I thought that serving life was a thing of drama and action and split-second judgment calls.  A question of going sleepless and riding in ambulances and outwitting the angel of death. . . Service was larger than ordinary life, and those who served were larger than life.  But now I know that this is only the least part of the nature of service.  That service is small and quiet and everywhere.  That, far more often, we serve by who we are and not by what we know.  And every one serves, whether they know it or not. . . Service is based on the premise that all life is worthy of our support and commitment.” [pp. 4,21]

“Sometimes a wound is the place where we encounter life for the first time where we come to know its power and its ways.  Wounded, we find a wisdom that will enable us to live better than any knowledge and glimpse a view of ourselves and of life that is both true and unexpected. . .  How tempting. . . to put the struggles behind you as quickly as possible and get on with your life.  Life might be easier then, but far less genuine.  Perhaps the wisdom lies in engaging the life you have been given as fully and courageously as possible and not letting go until you find the unknown blessing that is in everything.” [p. 25-7]

“We restore the holiness of the world through our loving kindness and compassion.  Everyone participates.  It is a collective task.  Every act of loving kindness, no matter how great or small, repairs the world.  All those ever born have shared this collective work since the beginning of time. [p. 329]

[Note:  Rachel Remen wrote two books filled with wisdom: “My Grandfather’s Blessings” and “Kitchen Table Wisdom.  I keep both on the shalf next to my desk and read them frequently. NLS]

From entry 8-26-2002

The Dominant Eye

To find your dominant eye, keeping both eyes open, stretch out an arm and point with a finger to a distant corner of the room or a distant spot..  Then close one eye, then the other eye.  Notice which eye by which the image “jumps” less.  That is the dominant eye.  But beyond that, it is often revealing to note what is around the non-dominant eye

Image.  The creative part of the brain is often interested in the peripheral field of what is being examined.  We can easily note the obvious, but insights can also be found in non-obvious places.


From entry 9-3-2002

Astral Prayer for the Cosmos

“Greatest God, Our Lord!

Great is His power,

And there is no end to His Wisdom.

Praise Him, you heavens!

Glorify Him, sun and moon,

And you planets

For out of Him, are all things,

Every perception and every knowledge.”

[Ref: Johannes Kepler,

Astronomer, 1571-1630]

July 14, 2002
Some Things to Think About

A Dream . . .

In my dream I was in the dark on a trip to some remote place with a group of travelers: cold, rough log road, raining, rude, crude, muddy.  We arrive thinking it is going to have a great outcome (gold, diamonds, whatever), but things just get worse, and the sun never shines. Finally, we decide to throw in the towel and get out.

Then real trouble starts.  The trip back is one rip-off after the next: no food, nothing left.  Can’t go forward. Can’t go back. Should never have come.  Should never have left.

Sometimes we don’t know when we are already ahead.

Supposing . . .

“Suppose for a moment that God began taking from us the many things for which we have failed to give thanks.  Which of our limbs and faculties would be left?  Would we still have our hands and our minds?  If God were to take from us all those persons and loved ones for which we have not given thanks, who or what would be left of us?” [Ref: Jan Karon, Out to Canaan, p. 124].

“Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.”

[Ref: Rev. John Newton, “Amazing Grace”]

Getting Back to Basics



To begin at the beginning . . .

It’s been quite a while since my last Journaling post.  Recently I had to upgrade my office, which meant I had to move everything out in order to refinish the floor, including the Journaling book shelves which contain about 45 volumes.  The office is now functional.  

In re-shelving the journals, I could not resist reading-my-way through them.  I found memories, recipes, clippings, quotations, in short, the repository of my brain, and some glints of gold along the way.  And then the birth of the impulse to share these by posting some of the newly-remembered material.  

The only sense of order will be chronological order, starting in 2002, the year I committed to serious journaling, but not every day.  (Not every day hath pearls, to coin a phrase.) but they will be posted in whatever order they are found just as I originally wrote, along with sources if I was diligent enough to reference them.

Let’s start with Quotations:  I often encounter nice bits of wisdom.  I write them down because they are “useful” to daily life.  If I don’t capture them by writing them down, I know I will lose them in the pit of oblivion where all lost things fade away.

Quotations: 7/6/2002
>  “Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you.”
>  “The sure sign of the little man is the big head.”
>  “The school of experience has no vacation.”
>  “All things are difficult before they are easy.”
>  “If it is dark enough you can see the stars.”
>  “Character casts a shadow called reputation.”
>  “A person wrapped up in himself makes a small package.”
>  “A human is an arboreal animal which makes itself at home in genealogical trees.” 
     [Ref: Ambrose Bierce]
>  “I’ve found the link between apes and civilized man - it is us.” [Ref: Konrad Lorentz]
>  “It may be that those who do most, dream most.” [Ref: Stephen Leacock]
>  “Life is lived forwards, but only understood backwards.”

There will be new Journaling postings on this site starting in January 2019, exact date still to be decided, but I'm aiming for about the 12th, after the holiday rush is over. 

If there is anyone at all who has had the patience to check here once in a while, my heartfelt thanks for your dedication and patience.  I will try to do better in future.

Sincerely,
Nancy Sliker 

It's been a busy time ...

I apologize to all of my regular viewers for the lack of posts.  I lost 2 weeks during family visits, and though the journaling class is chugging along, there have also been member vacations, moving, allergies and flu which impact regular attendance.  There just hasn't been time to write up what-all we've been doing.  I can, however, say that if you have been reading along in Drawing on the Artist Within by Betty Edwards, the class has just finished the "Analog Portraits" activity (pp. 96-101).  In our next session, we will be discussing the section on "Drawing Together Some New Ideas," and starting Chapter 9: "Drawing on First Insight to Find the Question" (p. 102).  So we have reached the real work, opening the door to study the first step in the creative process.  I'll be trying to catch up and pull things together as soon as I can.  Please don't be discouraged, just be patient.   Thank you, the Cornerhouse.

Useful Journaling Supplies

Over the years, there have been a few items which I have found to be very useful in the journaling process, so this seems to be a good time to round them up in one place.  These are just some of my own favorites, but not intended to be taken as ideal in any way, and undoubtedly you have favorites of your own you like to use.  They are listed in no particular order.

Pens: “Sarasa” gel pens by “Zebra,” both 0.05 and 0.07 sizes.  They are archival quality, last a long time, and come in at least 8 colors.  Also, the “Profile” gel pen by “PaperMate,” though I have  seen no claim that it is archival quality.

Pencils: There are three main brands I use regularly.  The Sketching & Drawing pencils by Derwent , in the “B” (Soft), “H” (Hard), and “HB” (medium) range have been my personal favorites for years.  Derwent has many other products which might be helpful.  The Derwent “Colorsoft” collection is formulated for resistance to fading and their watercolor pencils can be applied like standard colored pencils and then liquefied with water for watercolor effects.  They also have pastels, metallics and other specialized products.  I want to mention the colored pencil products of two other companies which I have found very useful for journaling work: Faber-Castell (“Polychromos”) and Caran D’Ache (“Luminance 6901”).  They are both somewhat more expensive, but there are some unique colors not available elsewhere.  I find all of these products are extremely dependable.  Personal preference is more the issue.

Glassine Envelopes: These are economical and most often found in philatelic stores, as they are used for storing stamps.  I use the 3.5” x 6.5” size, though they come in many sizes.  Since sketches and drawings on journal pages sometimes smudge easily, I cut a glassine envelope to the size I want, and tape it over the sketch.  I just make sure not to put it in the same place on every page, or it will become an unbecoming “lump” and distort the rest of the journal and spine.

Erasers:  I have been using Staedtler’s :Mars-Plastic erasers for years.  I bought a small case of them as a student, and so have never run out.  They make clean erasures without disturbing the surface of the paper.

Mistakes Happen!  I willingly admit that I am rather a traditionalist about my journals.  I write in them every day, in ink, and longhand.  Inevitably, when expressing oneself, there will be at best some small mistakes: spelling, choosing a better word, etc.  So I make it a habit to keep a dispenser of the dry paper tape which is drawn over the error or a bottle of “White-Out” (liquid correction fluid with a brush or foam dauber).  Either works just fine, and you can write in your correction when it is dry.

Rulers:  Since many journal books are anywhere from 7” to 10” high, depending on which you prefer, having a ruler at hand serves many convenient purposes.  I keep two.  First, is a metal ruler with a cork backing which prevents slipping and the numbers are easy to read.  Second, is a clear plastic ruler with clear numbers, which is the same length as the spine of the journal.  It was hard to find this – some are too long and hard to handle conveniently; others are too short and need frequent repositioning on the page, which is inconvenient.  As a result I bought a long plastic ruler, scored a line on it at the proper size, and broke the ruler on the score line.  Works like a charm.

Miscellaneous:  A few other odds and ends which come to mind are colored gel pens, pencil sharpener, bone paper folder, glue, small scissors, and archival-quality “invisible” tape, a calendar for the year you are working with, photograph mounting devices, book marks, maps, etc.

I hope that this is an assistance to your journal keeping.

Some Words of Encouragement:

·        “Sometimes just picking up my journal, just holding it, leads me through a doorway and into another state of mind.”  [“One Hand, One Voice,” Barbara Bash, p. 1.]

·        “What I have done most of my writing career has been to fill folders with notes, ideas, and clippings. … Another note, scribbled on a scrap of paper: ‘I wonder if dirt’ll hurt a turtle?’  Sounds a little saucy.  Probably wouldn’t use it.  But it’s in here. … It’s a good place to tuck ideas.”  [“Keeping A Life,” David Harrison]

·        “No longer private, but still safe, Jennifer Owings Dewey’s journals trigger new book ideas.  She opens her journal, flips the pages, and begins making notes.  New ideas always speak to her.” [“Rattlesnake Dance,” Jennifer Owings Dewey.]