It Needed an Outlet

This has been one of those weeks where my emotions simply stewed. They bubbled, frothed, surfaced, buried themselves, and basically churned every which way, taking me along for the ride. Not so pleasant. My own stuff, and then both of the women I've been walking life with had semi-crisis, seventeen step back type moments this week. And I was tired, and I was stewing.

I spent all of last evening and most of today working on a creative project. I needed an outlet. So, I plopped myself in front of the television, with a variety of foods (chocolate creme oreos, corn chips, a desert our family fondly refers to as "creamy chocolate delight"), spread my scrapbooking and collage supplies out around me, tuned the tv to something mindless that I would really only need my ears for and not my eyes, and started creating. I've made a mini-book (almost - going to finish it tomorrow morning).

I had the house to myself for the evening last night, and for the day today, and I've simply been lazy and creative. And it was great. A cathartic release. I feel much more settled, together, peaceful, and rested than I did yesterday. Nothing like some good chocolate, and a project to baby.

So, it's a mini-book, full of quotes, single words - things to remind me what I want my outlook on life to be when it's not quite there. And it's green and brown - which just kind of happened, but which are also two of my favorite colors. My eyes are green, and they're my favorite physical feature. I think I may be the only scrapbooker in the world who could quite happily make books without ever using photographs - only words and phrases and quotations! And it's a thing of beauty, something I'm proud of, even though it's a bit more girly than I intended!

The only time I left the house was for a trip to the scrapbooking store. So, I got out of my pajamas, dressed myself in my favorite jeans, a green tank-top layered under a brown t-shirt, and my favorite cute brown suede shoes, grabbed a fleece and headed out into the snow.

I also tidied our kitchen today, and scrubbed our bathtub, but those were side things that I promised my mom I would do.

I like the speed of life around our house when my dad is away on a missions' trip. So much more relaxed - we cook what we want, and don't end up with leftovers that have to be eaten six more times. We chill, move at a slower pace, an easier schedule.

I'm going out tonight to see a movie. Some spoof of American Idol among other things. A friend called and asked if she could treat me to a movie in exchange for my company for the evening. Seems she turned down invitations to several different parties, deeming it unwise to attend, and so she decided to call me, and offered to pay for a movie in deference to my current state of unemployment, in exchange for giving her something to do for a portion of the evening and thus keeping her away from the parties. Works for me!

And so, I'm off to shower, and pamper myself a little, and then I'll find some dinner and head out to meet my friend. It's been a good day.