Oct12
Posted on Oct 12 by Ruth Davis
When it comes to creative expression, our tendency is toward all or nothing. We wait for that perfect opportunity to begin living into our true creativity. We tell ourselves we need a designated space, a big chunk of scheduled time and all of the materials at hand before we can begin. Unfortunately, this isn’t how life happens. And so we have to improvise the space, embrace the tiny pockets of time, and incorporate our creativity into our daily living. Or we may be waiting forever. Several years ago I discovered the joys of paper mache. I loved the freedom and simpleness of the materials: recycled newspaper and sticky, white glue that I shaped into bowls and clocks and found object sculptures. I absolutely loved the organic process, how easy it was to wash the glue off my hands, how the pieces dried quickly in the desert heat. I worked outside on a thrift store wicker table on my back patio, close enough to the kitchen sink, and still, I could be as messy as I wanted to be. When...
Oct05
Posted on Oct 5 by Ruth Davis
It was advertised as a great family trip, a leisurely four hour, 15 mile kayak on the Manistique River through a wildlife refuge. I had watched the video on youtube of a father and son, all smiles as they paddled past trees and the chirping of birds. Marika and I love nature, love being on the water. We’ve kayaked many times together, in bays, along sloughs, we even paddled across a stretch of the Pacific Ocean to get to a great birding spot. So we thought, what better outing than to kayak through the wildlife refuge. “You’ll pass under the Ten Curves Bridge, then in another 2 miles you’ll go under the M-77 bridge.” The woman at the kayak rental pointed to a spot on the map. “That’s your last chance to get off the water. After that you’re on your own until the put out, 15 miles down.” We eased down the muddy bank and got in the two seater kayak with Marika in the front for unobstructed bird viewing. We pushed off and started paddling. It was...
Sep21
Posted on Sep 21 by Ruth Davis
I didn’t know Yvonne. But she knew me. She was the vice-president of the local Mac users group and had been reading my Mac Tips newsletter for years. Several months ago she had invited me to give a presentation to the club and that’s when I first met her. She was so thrilled with the presentation that, afterwards, she said,” You know, I’d love for you and your friend to come up to visit us at our cabin in Michigan this summer.” I graciously said thank you, that I’d think about it. But I had no intention of following through. I didn’t know Yvonne. I couldn’t even begin to fathom staying with people I didn’t know and I had no plans to vacation in Michigan again. And so I forgot about the invitation completely. And then mid-summer, Yvonne emailed me from her cabin and repeated the invitation, reminding me that her friend Mery, who lived next door, was also one of my subscribers and they’d love to show us around their little part of the world.” When someone...
Sep14
Posted on Sep 14 by Ruth Davis
“Broken hearted often leads to broken open. And broken open is the perfect environment for finding out who you are and why you’re here. Break and grow.” – Michele Woodward As you read this, I am on vacation with my dear sister-friend Marika, exploring the lighthouses along the western shore of Lake Michigan. It’s a special trip, really. Not just because we will be staying with new friends along the way, but because, four years ago, we were exploring the eastern shore of this same big lake, climbing up the hundred steps of the towering lighthouses, and I was struggling to breathe. My inhaler did little to calm the constant coughing and I tired so easily. Two weeks after we returned from that trip, I had emergency open heart surgery to remove a myxoma, a rare benign tumor that was almost completely blocking my left atrium. A client recently asked me if I experienced a white light epiphany during the surgery, if that was when I decided to change how I lived my life. The answer is no. It...
Sep07
Posted on Sep 7 by Ruth Davis
In an episode of the original Odd Couple on TV, Felix, the neat one, is in court, defending himself after being arrested for scalping tickets. As he interrogates a witness, he writes the word ASSUME on the court’s blackboard, circling the letters as he proclaims, “Never assume. Because when you ASSUME, it makes an ASS out of U and ME.” Assumptions often hold us back. We think we already know the answer, the outcome, how the story is going to end, and so we don’t even try. A client wanted to build an addition on her house. When I asked her what was stopping her, she said she couldn’t afford it. I asked her how much it was going to cost and she said she didn’t know. She had just ASSUMED it was out of her budget. It turns out that she COULD afford it and now, three years later, she loves her new living room addition. As many of you know, I am planning to move to Morro Bay, CA in the spring. In the back of...
Jul27
Posted on Jul 27 by Ruth Davis
We’ve all heard that it is better to give than to receive. Giving and doing for others is the fastest way to get out of depression and woe is me. The selfless act of doing something for another human being or animal or nature or cause can fill the heart with pure wonderfulness. And the best part is, we think we are only giving and often, what we receive in return is even bigger. Last week I had the honor and privilege of facilitating a workshop at the local senior community center that my Dad enjoys. My mother used to love going to the center for the activities, the people, the sense of community. I wanted my workshop to honor my mother and her time at the center and so I shared some of the tools and practices that helped her maintain a positive attitude, despite her health challenges, age and circumstances. I invited the attendees to draw a big heart on their papers and write inside of it all the things they love. Then each person stood...
