To live In the Spice Rack means that you embrace the things in life that make you happy, and add a dimension of wholeness to your life. Give up feeling guilty for enjoying pleasure in your life. Be happy. Do great work that enriches your life, and the lives around you. Know that you are worthy of being loved and cherished just as you are. Start with yourself. Living a colorful and pleasure filled life isn’t for everyone. Are you daring enough to take the leap?
I found this Good Housekeeping article about things to give up for Lent and had my own idea. Instead of avoiding something, I’ll embrace myself and open up my heart. Radical acceptance and radical growth. Here’s days one through twenty – click the day to go to Medium.
Day 1 – Music
Day 2 – Complaining
Day 3 – Clutter
Day 4 – Avoiding Reading
Day 5 – Online Shopping
Day 6 – Biting your nails
Day 7 – Dating apps
Day 8 – Heat styling your hair
Day 9 – Using your phone at dinner
Day 10 – Skipping your doctors’ appointments
Day 11 – Not catching up with loved ones
Day 12 – Skipping your sunscreen
Day 13 – Not offering forgiveness
Day 14 – Streaming services
Day 15 – Fast food
Day 16 – Skipping Workouts
Day 17 – Video Games
Day 18 – Bad Posture
Day 19 – Coffee
Day 20 – Gossiping
“In like a lion, out like a lamb” is the phrase I’ve always heard about for the month of March. With climate change, the lions and lambs are having a rave or something. One day it’s snowing heavily, the next day it’s 40 and everything has melted.
A friend who moved to California to avoid the snow and ice in Rochester had snow today! Absolutely bonkers. Weather is a wild card in the life game of Uno.
I feel like life is happening to me this month, rather than me being a part of life. Some months are like this. I’m working to get better organized so I’m not running out of steam, and my PTSD is less invasive. I’m being more generous with myself and others. Some days, it’s really hard to do.
What’s happening in your life?
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Love, Cori
January was a mix of things for me. Anxiety about a class I needed to repeat (and passed!), frustration with people misgendering me, concerned about subconscious racism I witnessed, my 100 days of violin, and starting off the new year. Life in motion, always growing.
I’m welcoming a month focused on Love with a capital L, and putting love into my actions. I fell off the violin bandwagon, and I’m getting back on. I am terrible at correcting people when they call me the wrong pronouns. Inside my head, I want to scream or cry. I feel unseen for who I want to be in the world. Who I think I am presenting. I can’t say it with love, so I don’t say it at all. I’m not loving myself though by being silent. Which brings me to racial microaggressions.
I found some links that explain racial microaggressions better than I can. I’m still learning, and am able to see some of these, but it’s a daily practice for me. I mess up by trying NOT to mess up. It can be complex, but is extremely important work to do. The impact can be significant.
Dear anti-racist allies: Here’s how to respond to microaggressions
Unmasking ‘racial micro aggressions’
Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life, Implications for Clinical Practice
I have also been reading adrienne maree brown’s book, “Pleasure Activism” which explores Black Joy and why pleasure is political.
Learning how to love my human siblings teaches me how to love myself, and vice versa.
May each of you find deep abiding love for yourself this month, which extends to the universe we live in.
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Love, Cori
Happy New Year!
Wow, 2023.
It seems in so many ways that 2019 was yesterday. The pandemic has made the years between move both slowly and faster than ever. The good news: many of my annual traditions resumed. Some have adapted. It was really good to get back to things, though. And now here we are at 2023!
Do you make resolutions?
I don’t think I make resolutions exactly. I do have things I hope to accomplish this year, which is probably about the same as a resolution. I have committed to 100 days of violin, even if that means only 5 minutes. I just want to get my violin out of its case on a daily basis and exercise my violin muscles. The days where I could rest on my laurels has past, and I need to build them up!
Would you be interested in hearing a practice session or two? I think that will be in the future! Keep an eye out!
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I feel like every character in this picture is a possible emotion we experience during the holidays. The stoic soldier, the enthusiastic happy corgi, the gift giving hedghog, the dolly that performs on queue out of obligation, the grumpy but festive cat, the surprise dino, and the irritable llama. Or is that an alpaca? Anyway… I aim for “corgi” but probably run the gamut all month. December is both a magical and stressful time.
I try to remember the Reason for the Season – which to me is Love for Humankind.
Simplifying and clarifying our needs and wants.
Enjoying what we have.
Watching the beautiful snow fall.
Drinking a warm cup of delicious tea and savoring the sunrise.
How will you celebrate life during December 2022?
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My daily gratitude practice has been a lifesaver when I’ve been fighting off anxiety and depression. I have a little book that I write 3 things in daily. The thing I write most is probably dog cuddles or some kind of food.
Here are some other examples from October:
Thank you for your support and kindness. I appreciate it deep in my soul. Self-doubt is a tricky thing, and relies on ourselves perpetuating the lies to ourselves. Believing in ourselves, and extending that belief to our family and friends is vital. We are all worthy as human beings. We are enough.
What are you thankful for? What is on your gratitude list?
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October ushers in a season of mystery, when the veil between worlds is a little lighter, and we honor our ancestors. We scare ourselves silly with costumes and movies, and stuff ourselves with candy, chocolate and popcorn, bulking up towards winter.
After two incredible harvests, the grapes grew absolutely nothing this year. I’m thinking it is because of my extreme clipping last year. Gosh, I hope next year they return. Maybe by then I will finally have last year’s oven horror cleaned up. (I overcooked a grape pie, which overflowed into a pile of charred mess.)
What are you looking forward to doing this month?
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We are headed to Fall here in Western NY, but not quite there yet. It’s still sunny and warm. The children are getting ready to start back to school. Labor day is this coming Monday.
Inevitably, I did not get to spend as much time as I wanted to outside during the summer. I’m making it a priority to do so as much as possible before Fall really arrives. I did start a wonderful knitting blanket for myself, and have another crochet blanket planned to start soon. In efforts to have more physical accessibility for myself, I’ve been learning how to do things in different ways. It is an effort to stand to cook. I learned how to make pasta in the oven! I am also looking forward to grape and apple pies in my future!
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Although I had this created in advance of August, collecting a bunch of my favorite things, I started the month with a bad UTI, and then got covid (my first time, probably omicron) just in time for my birthday. It was all I could do to finish my homework for the month. My apologies to anyone who looks forward to these pictures.
My favorite thing about August was the epic unveiling of The Sandman on Netflix. I have watched the entire thing no less than 6 times so far. I read the series originally in the late 90s and have been waiting patiently for it to come out. And, to be honest, it was worth the wait. I highly recommend it. If you look back at my July art, there are a bunch of “Sandman-esque” allusions.
Because of my UTI and schoolwork, I didn’t get to the craft fair either. But, I am working on a bunch of updates for my Etsy store. There’s always so much to do and so little time.
Covid was not a fun experience. I was solidly out of commission for 3-4 days, just sleeping, with my joints and hand/feet neuropathy throbbing. 0/10, do not recommend. I am thankful that this is a different beast than started in 2020. I think daily of all those who have lost family and friends from covid and things related to covid.
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Coriander in the Spice Rack 