AW Check-In Week 10

OMG, is it really the check in for week 10 already? I'm going to miss the AW when we're finished!

The Check In first, and then a bit about my week...

1. I did my MP's every day but yesterday. Ava and I were staying with my Dad and Step-Mom and I didn't feel like taking time away from everyone to write them, plus I let myself sleep until 7AM when Ava woke. In my world, 7AM really is sleeping in.

I started to read them last week, but stopped because reading the book ideas was interfering with my current writing. It's been hard to juggle writing MP's and then 1/2 hour of yoga before starting my workday or Mommy day but I did both Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Woo hoo! This is a minor miracle in my world that I would get up and do BOTH before doing other things.

2. Artist Date
I have stopped trying to "schedule" artist dates as things I do by myself and instead I do them with my little artist in residence. Having a toddler who will be two years old in a couple weeks is a fount of artistic inspiration. We painted this week, we played with my previously unused water soluble crayons and pastels. I actually allowed myself to just play, not have to make it look good or presentable.

I also did the AD I've been wanting to do since the beginning...with Ava. We went to visit the Mission in Carmel. It's about 1/2 hour from my parents' house so Ava and I stayed Friday night and left early to go to the mission. This field trip, literally mirroring a field trip I did in third grade, is intimately intertwined with the book I'm writing. Going there felt good, wandering around, taking my time as Ava would allow.

But for the grand synchronicity...

3. Synchronicity
When Ava and I finished the walking tour of the mission, we stopped at the bookshelves. I asked the woman selling entrance tickets which book she recommended about Fray Junipero Serra. She pointed out one that she said was good, and another that might be "too much information."

Perhaps not, I responded, and told her about the book. (I did write about it here originally, but it feels a bit too exposed here ... sorry!)

The woman was not only interested, but excited! "Really! That book is needed! If we had that book it would fly off the bookshelves!"

She, of course, is the person responsible for buying books to sell in the Mission bookstore. I got her name, email, phone, and left her mine.

I'm excited, scared, and a teensy bit blocked because it is so darn possible!

4. Issues...
This week I slowed down...way down. I didn't go to four high intensity yoga classes and instead started my week with a rebirthing yoga class and did one restorative yoga class. I also assisted/participated in a prenatal class with my favorite instructor of all times (she was my prenatal and postnatal yoga instructor). I did yoga at home five days. I ran into people I hadn't seen in years. I found parking by waiting rather than searching. I had the weekend off from yoga training and took this as a gift to slow down and be with my daughter. I felt like she was suffering, and perhaps I was from not being present with her. We played, we had fun, fun!

I want to find the balance between yoga classes and home practice that gives me a feeling of enough time. I believe it's possible. As Jane, the prenatal instructor said at the close of the class, "so much of our lives are about doing, doing, doing" - she's right. Now it's about listening, being, responding - at least for me.