Well, it’s Friday and I haven’t been to my studio in a week. If I weren’t working at the Cambridge Co-op today, I’d be there now.
I want to give my studio a good cleaning, maybe that’s a good New Years’ thing. I used to do that twice a year during the Bedlam Farm Open Houses. But without an excuse, it takes some determination for me to stop working to vacuum and dust the cobwebs from the windows and ceiling.
Although it might be just the thing to ease me back to work. I can reorganize my fabrics, see what I have and get inspired.
At the end December the Rochester Zen Center staff made ritual of deep cleaning the Zen Meditation Center, inviting the members to participate. We kept a file box of housekeeping and kitchen jobs and set about doing them. Window washing, cobweb removal, wall washing in the kitchen, deep cleaning the commercial stove that had ten burners and two ovens, attempting to reach every corner to clear out the old and make room for the new. We also held a ritual chanting service on New Year’s eve to send out any lingering ghosts or spirits, clanging instruments, drums, pots and pans to scare them away, circumambulating the entire facility. We ended with tea, hot chocolate and cookies right after midnight. A lovely ritual!
That sounds wonderful Janet! I’m going to take some ideas from what you did. I definitly need to send off the lingering spirits. And ending it with Hot Chocolate! I do love that.
I read about your Snail party on Jon’s blog. Made me wonder if you had read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey? I highly recommend it.
yes, Carolyn, thank you I did read it and loved it!
Maria, I LOVE a good cleaning, and how it seems to motivate me!! Tear my closet apart, examine all the stuff, vacuum out the dust and cat hair! Let the old, unused things go, and move on. Sometimes it takes that effort to move me forward, too. I like to wear headphones, and listen to Esther Hicks, or other speakers, while I work. Drowns out the noisy vacuum, and gives me words to think about. You will be recharged!! 🙂
Yes, the air in my studio feel a little stale, it needs a good shaking out!