Ten-Finger Exercises

anything but religion, well almost

We all need a break from my churchy blogs, including me. So, what to write? Here's an intriguing line from a blogger friend, Sunrise Sister.

"When was the LAST TIME, you did something for the FIRST TIME?" She featured that question on a collage she made, and the other notable element was a picture of her beautiful 65 yr old self on a surfboard. Last month she took lessons at the Royal Hawaiian Surfing Academy! She said it wasn't "as hard as walking on water, but it was a miracle nevertheless!"

For several days after reading that, I made it my intention to try something new every day. I was doing pretty well too, although many things were too churchy to mention here. Then I just kind of forgot about it.

Well, I'm for starting it up again. Today I began my first computer class, which may be too basic for me but that's beside the point. I've never really gotten how to format on Word and do it right; and even though I've been at it for years, I wanted to learn how to do it without a lot of backtracking and head-shaking.

First thing I learned was that the course was only designed for PC version of Word, not for Macintosh. Oops. I have a PC at work, and Bill has a PC laptop he brings home to watch NASA on while I blog. He'll let me have a turn, I'm sure.

The second thing I learned, but haven't been able to do on the Mac, is that it's very easy to escape from any formatting you've done just by pushing the escape button.

No, I won't go on in this vein either. No sense in boring you with stuff you already know.

I haven't thought of what new thing I'll try tomorrow. I too busy thinking about how I can get the car in for its brake recall and also have a car for my eye appointment, without renting a car for the day. I could cancel one or the other, but wish I'd remembered the eye appointment before both places were closed for the day.

One of these days, my new thing will be a collage. I've found several good sites about them. This one is particularly interesting: http://kaleidosoul.typepad.com/innersurprises/
She not only makes collages, but makes them in "suits" like cards, to particular specifications. They sound a little like tarot cards, and she does readings with them.

I can only think of one collage I've made as an adult, and it was at a conference for Catholic Chaplains. (I'm not Catholic, but worked in a Catholic hospital.) The topic for it was "My Call to Ministry." Not everyone's dish of tea, for sure, but a good variation might be, "When I Fell in Love." Good for remembering old thoughts and feelings and kindling a new spark.

One of other the things the group of us did on our field trip the other day was to visit with the grief counselor at the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy. She showed us collages she'd had people in her grief groups make. She'd taken the originals to Kinkos and had them printed and reduced somewhat in size, then framed five or so together in a big frame. Very attractive and effective.

I don't know when I'll get around to doing a collage again, because the housework is calling me, and the yardwork too, not to mention the work-work and that 'C' word (church.)

Don't you wonder, every spring when yardwork begins, what you did with all those hours you had all winter to play with?