Clean-up
It seems to happen too often - my desk overflows with stuff and I bog down until I can clear it. This time it's been months accumulating because of health problems and I finally had to deal with it. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon tackling the project, filing, stacking, throwing away, and today I can actually use my desk!
I found things I hadn't been able to find in weeks and things that I can't figure out why I saved. Having a cleaner desk and computer work space makes for a clearer mind. Today I can work on my project without the nagging feeling that I have to clean up my work area.
Now I only need to work on the stacks!
Elena
Monday, September 12, 2005
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Georgia O'Keefe Workshop
Today my writer's group, Sowing the Seeds, met at one of our comadre's homes for a presentation on Georgia O'Keefe. Connie entitled the presentation, "Writing in the Shadow of Georgia O'Keefe." After the first part of the presentation which included a video Connie had made of O'Keefe's paintings and a brief biography of her life, Connie prompted us to write using a fresh cut flower or a dried flower. Connie's presentation of O'Keefe was so inspirational, we all wanted to keep writing. Poems, essays, and memoirs poured out of us. After our pot luck lunch on Connie's patio, we continued our discussion of O'Keefe's life as an artist.
It was a relaxing, rewarding day. I wrote two poems and enjoyed the company of my comadres. We meet once a month and all of us feel the same way. After a morning of sharing our writing and our lives and our food, we go away energized! O'Keefe once said that "having a friend takes time." Connie explained that what O'Keefe really meant by that was that friends took her time away from her work. I find the opposite to be true - my friends energize me for my work. I think it may have something to do with when I was growing up in Morenci. My tías (six of them) and my mother sat in my grandmother's kitchen to visit and platicar. I was allowed to sit in the corner, quietly drawing or writing. I didn't join in the conversation and I had the feeling that I wouldn't have been permitted anyway, but I took it all in. Years later, memories of Morenci came from having listened to their platicas. Stories for my books have come from those platicas. The other thing that came from those early years with my tías, my mother, and my grandmother, was the enjoyment of working with other women. My writer's group is all women and our discussions are always full and rich. My clay class has all women in it and we also discuss as we play in the clay. My friends and my comadres enrich my creativity!
Elena
Today my writer's group, Sowing the Seeds, met at one of our comadre's homes for a presentation on Georgia O'Keefe. Connie entitled the presentation, "Writing in the Shadow of Georgia O'Keefe." After the first part of the presentation which included a video Connie had made of O'Keefe's paintings and a brief biography of her life, Connie prompted us to write using a fresh cut flower or a dried flower. Connie's presentation of O'Keefe was so inspirational, we all wanted to keep writing. Poems, essays, and memoirs poured out of us. After our pot luck lunch on Connie's patio, we continued our discussion of O'Keefe's life as an artist.
It was a relaxing, rewarding day. I wrote two poems and enjoyed the company of my comadres. We meet once a month and all of us feel the same way. After a morning of sharing our writing and our lives and our food, we go away energized! O'Keefe once said that "having a friend takes time." Connie explained that what O'Keefe really meant by that was that friends took her time away from her work. I find the opposite to be true - my friends energize me for my work. I think it may have something to do with when I was growing up in Morenci. My tías (six of them) and my mother sat in my grandmother's kitchen to visit and platicar. I was allowed to sit in the corner, quietly drawing or writing. I didn't join in the conversation and I had the feeling that I wouldn't have been permitted anyway, but I took it all in. Years later, memories of Morenci came from having listened to their platicas. Stories for my books have come from those platicas. The other thing that came from those early years with my tías, my mother, and my grandmother, was the enjoyment of working with other women. My writer's group is all women and our discussions are always full and rich. My clay class has all women in it and we also discuss as we play in the clay. My friends and my comadres enrich my creativity!
Elena
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Welcome to my new home! I’ve moved the site to a new server, hence the “.net” instead of “.com”. The new server offers more opportunities for viewers to interact with me. Please leave comments after you view the site, either here or in the “Guestbook” found on the “Sitemap” for “In the Shadow of the Smokestack.”
Morencenios, please look at the Guestbook Archives for comments from other people who have viewed this site. You may recognize some of the names.
I’m busy working on the Tubac Project right now and invite you to take a look by clicking on “Tubac Schoolhouse” on my home page. When I finish this project, I’ll get back to finishing my new manuscript, Albóndiga Soup. The Tubac Project has taken me a long time to finish due to health problems, mine and my husband’s. Last year I had Valley Fever and it took me several months to get back to normal. Kurt is almost fully recovered from open heart surgery to replace two valves and repair his aorta. We spent a few weeks in California in May to have the surgery done at Stanford. While there, I was clawed by my son’s cat and wound up at Stanford Hospital also. It was an experience neither of us wants to relive!
Check here often for current updates to my journal.
Elena
Morencenios, please look at the Guestbook Archives for comments from other people who have viewed this site. You may recognize some of the names.
I’m busy working on the Tubac Project right now and invite you to take a look by clicking on “Tubac Schoolhouse” on my home page. When I finish this project, I’ll get back to finishing my new manuscript, Albóndiga Soup. The Tubac Project has taken me a long time to finish due to health problems, mine and my husband’s. Last year I had Valley Fever and it took me several months to get back to normal. Kurt is almost fully recovered from open heart surgery to replace two valves and repair his aorta. We spent a few weeks in California in May to have the surgery done at Stanford. While there, I was clawed by my son’s cat and wound up at Stanford Hospital also. It was an experience neither of us wants to relive!
Check here often for current updates to my journal.
Elena
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