Book of the Month: March

I read seven books in March, five of which were written by women, two of which were graphic novels (one was a graphic novel written by a woman!). I actually read several things that I found somewhat disappointing this month which is unfortunate but I suppose it was good to get them all over with in one go.

My favorite book from March was "The Bell Jar," by Sylvia Plath. This is a feminist classic and I have been meaning to read it for quite some time but had never made time for it. I assumed it would would be like many other feminist classics and be kind of awkward, uncomfortable, and somewhat man-hating. I was very pleased to find this wasn't the case! While the story is quite twisted and sad, I found this slice-of-life story to be incredibly interesting. It entirely captured my attention.

This month's Women Reading Women selection was "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance," by Elna Baker. The Our Shared Shelf section for March was "All About Love," by Bell Hooks. I found the Women Reading Women book to be fun and witty. I did not enjoy "All About Love." I found it to be both heavy-handed and dated.

Week 5 Check In

1. How many days this week did you do morning pages?
I didn't do my pages on Friday because I forgot.

2. Did you do an artist's date this week? What did you do? How did it feel?
Nice little trip up to Brookings, OR witht he family. It was a really nice.

3. Did you get out on your weekly walk? Where did you go? How did it make you feel?
I walked two miles for donuts. It wasn't the most pleasant of walks because I forgot I'd have to walk through some sketch parts of town but there were donuts.

4. Wer there any other issues this week that felt significant to your self-discovery?
I feel like I'm good at starting short stories but terrible at finishing them.

Week 4: Check In

1. How many days this week did you do morning pages?
 Every day

2. Did you do an artist's date this week? What did you do? How did it feel?
I combined my date and my walk

3. Did you get out on your weekly walk? Where did you go? How did it make you feel?
I walked around the rose garden at Sequoia Park and then through the park itself.

4. Were there any other issues this week that felt significant to your self-discovery?
meh

Week 5 Writing Tasks

Task: Putting a Tiger Back in Your Tank

Among my friends, a “fuse lighter” who makes me feel creative and powerful is Cameron.
Among my friends, a “wet blanket” who drains and dampens me is C.
Historically a relationship that left me depleted from overcaring M.
Realistically, a current relationship that leaves me feeling neutered is M.
My most reciprocal mutually nurturing creative friendship is with Kelsey.

Task: Be Nice to Yourself

I am finding this task difficult to complete because I am in a period of transition where I am reevaluating what it is that I want and what creative things I am willing to do for money. I don’t have a typical job at the moment so I am fairly free to do as I wish.

Week 4: Writing Tasks

Complete this phrase 10 times: Secretly, I would love to...

1. take up photography again
2. become a frosting master
3. spend my days baking new and interesting things
4. work in a library
5. own a tea shop/bookstore
6. be able to support myself independently
7. have a beautiful fairy garden
8. get back into dance
9. be able to teach something
10. travel abroad

Week 3: Check In

1. How many times this week did you do morning pages? Did you skip a day? Why?
Yes I wrote every day.

2. Did you do your artist's date this week? What did you do? How did it feel?
I think the time I spent in the kitchen baking cupcakes for a pair f friends counts as my artist's date this week.

3. Did you get out on your weekly walk? How did it feel? Where did you go?
There's been a lot of rain. I'm hoping to get out and walk tomorrow.

4. Were there any other issues this week you felt were significant?
I began contemplating a cupcake baking business.

Week 3: Writing Tasks

Make a list of your petty angers.

1. I'm angry that a friend said she was coming to visit last year and the date came and went and she didn't visit and she didn't mention it again.
2. I'm angry that the music I liked in high school is on classic rock stations now.
3. I'm angry my grandma asked if my cousin was dating a Mexican at my grandpa's funeral.
4. I'm angry that the last time I saw Sharon was at my grandpa's funeral.
5. I'm angry that my aunt doesn't want me to buy books I love for her kids.
6. I'm angry that I'm seen as being very square now.
7. I'm angry that other people can make me feel less worthy of happiness than I should.
8. I'm angry that I feel the need to constantly justify myself.
9. I'm angry that I can't feel proud of some of my talents.
10. I'm angry that compliments are more embarrassing than anything else.
11. I'm angry that I feel the need to self-depricate rather than acknowledge my talents.
12. I'm angry that my step-mother-in-law continued to ask how my job hunt is going after I told her several times I wasn't looking.
13. I'm angry that I can't talk politics with my parents because they're more conservative than I thought.
14. I'm angry that the majority of the country is backing a psychopath.
15. I'm angry that election years bring out the absolute worst in people.
16. I'm angry that even though we got the gym membership renewed, I haven't been able to go for two weeks.
17. I'm angry that I haven't been to yoga since early December.
18. I'm angry that good things can keep me awake at night with anxiety.
19. I'm angry that Disneyland keeps raising their prices.
20. I'm angry that we probably won't be able to buy a house this year.


Mapping Your Interests
Five topics that interest me are:
1. baking
2. astronomy
3. women of early aviation
4. knitting
5. wedding rituals

Five people who interest me are:
1. Walt Disney
2. Carl Jung
3. Judy Blume
4. Anthony Burgess
5. Tina Fey

Five art forms that interest me are:
1.short stories
2. novels
3. pies
4. cupcakes
5. frosting

Five projects I could try out are:
1. finishing my sci-fi story
2. practice frosting
3. mini cakes
4. pie crust
5. water colors