Shake and Bake 74: The “Did I TOTALLY get this one WRONG?” Edition

Shake and Bakes are my quarterly check-ins (CHICKENS!). I use these posts to … shake out the happenings of my work and my  life in general in an attempt to Shake off the bad and Bake in the good. It’s about … gratitude, paying attention and living by the moon. Much thanks to HAVI over at the Fluent Self for inspiration and to APRIL at Big Sky Astrology for her monthly Working with the Moon booklets.

~~o~~ FULL – Ice Going Out Moon ~~o~~

The ice remains….and may indeed be GROWING THICKER as we speak.

It was melty melty MELTY and then yesterday a wild blizzard blew in.  It snowed all day and through the night and this morning I had to wrestle my way through a crotch high snowbank to retrieve the shovel and start the dig out.

SIGH.

A fella down at the Legion swears that we will still have ice for the May “24” weekend.

I almost bet him… but then I came to my senses.  Lord knows he’s lived here longer than I have.

I just can’t help remembering how FAST the break up came on us last year.  But then… I look back here and see that we had a big blizzard last year on April 13th…hmm…. it was way back in 2012 that we had the boat in by April 2nd.  A tricky year that was.  Tricked us into thinking we could actually survive a winter in the shakey shack.  Oh wait – WE DO SURVIVE… Though both the Raggedy Man and I are glad we got a break this year and got to stay in town for a few months.

Anyhow…. enough yacking about the weather…

I was hoping to track the melt for y’all.  Here’s what the river looks like ….(thanks much to http://www.canadianfishing.com for the webcam shots)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 Come back SUNSHINE!  Come back!

And as for that other… ahem… DECLARATION… about completing the second of Sanctuary this moonth… well…. (she bashfully looks away) methinks that one might turn out to be hooey as well.

Yes. I said it.  I am full of HOOEY!

The ice isn’t going out and the book is… gonna be longer than I thought.

I can’t control the weather, of course.

And apparently I haven’t much control over the characters of Sanctuary either.  They seem insistent on… ADDING layers to the book.  So… right now I’ve no idea when we shall reach “the end” or if… WHEN we get there it will in any resemble the current “ending.”

It’s all rather exciting, actually.

I remain in good spirits and work diligently each day.  Coming to page with a renewed curiosity.

This is cool.  This is very very cool.

WHEEE!

And not that note… let us Chicken…

~~o~~

 Reviewing my Intentions for this Moonth

April advises: The full moon in LIBRA calls us to review our intentions for this moon to see if they are “fair to all.”

That puts an interesting twist on things.  Let’s check it out…

My main intention this moonth is:

To simply show up each day and see and hear and taste and smell and …          BE with whatever the day offers up.

Θ (theta) earth – home – touch

• The walking is happening… every day that it isn’t BLIZZARDING out… And the Raggedy Man has been accompanying me most days.
• I hereby declare this intention not only FAIR to all… but GOOD for all as well. (ha)

Φ (phi) air – relationships – scent

• My aim to do a bit of housey cleaning each day this week has worked out… for the most part.  Even if it is just dishes and giving the stove and counter a good swipe.
• I’m also trying valiantly to tidy things up as I go… I’m notorious for leaving piles of things behind me in my wake.  Piles of books, papers, drawers and cupboard doors left ajar.
• This also seems FAIR to all – unless I turn into some kind of crazed tidyWoman who screeches at the Raggedy Man for tromping through the shack with his boots on.  I do not foresee that happening.

Χ (chi) fire – work – vision

• As for my intention to  Show up to the page.  Every day.  Even if it is a short shift. This intention can only bring good to those around me.  I am a far far nicer person when I’m working well.  And working WELL (for me) means showing up to the page.  Every day.

Ξ (ksi) water – health – taste

• Taste your food.  Eat slowly.  Eat well.  I continue to work on this. And I continue to share my daily breakfast habit with the fella.  Which again, seems a darned good thing to do.

Ψ (psi) quintessence – spirit – hearing/listening

• I also continue to “listen (and watch) for the animals this month.  See who comes and what they bring.“
• This week we rejoiced at the return of the EAGLES.  We only saw one, but we hope this sighting means that the entire family is back.  For me, the Eagle has ever been a symbol of Strength and Vision, Illumination and fierce Courage.  And I am so so GLAD that this family comes back to spend time with us each year.

• Again, I did this WITH the Raggedy Man.  Guess he is part of all my intentions this month.  Cool

Looking WIDER… I think my intentions … do no harm.  Especially if they are done…gently.  Even good intentions can hurt others (our ourSelves) if taken too far.

Mostly, my moonthly/weekly/daily intentions are ways to… become more AWARE of something.  They are always part of the ongoing and ever evolving process of living my life with… intention (duh, right?).

This be my life – and my ever, perhaps ONLY, overriding intention is to pay attention to the moment we are in.

Simple, right?  Simple and yet somehow so very difficult for this one to do.

Ah well… I’ll just have to keep practicing.

~~o~~

Things to examine and Release in the Waning

April advises: The waning phases of the Aries New Moon (between the
Full Moon and the Taurus New Moon) are best for
examining and releasing:
• Aggression and anger
• Impatience
• Excessive competitiveness

For me, I see this taking the form of being…impatient with the SPEED at which I work.  Or more precisely – at how fricken long it takes me to write a novel.

And as I find myself going deeper and deeper into Sanctuary it is both thrilling and … a bit maddening.  I mean, I have a first draft…. shouldn’t THIS PASS be about … tidying things up?  Not adding even MORE complications and … well… MESS?

Ah I giggle.

The only way to finish this thing is to go THROUGH this draft and the the only way through THIS DRAFT is to listen to the characters and follow them about.

Maybe the NEXT DRAFT will be more about … tidying.  Heh heh.

As to … comparing myself to others who write faster and who I am often CONVINCED write better than I… well… that’s just silly, isn’t it?

I write what I write in the way I write.  This is what I got.  This is what I give.  No use in comparing or competing with anyone else.

~~o~~

Thanks for stopping by.

May the sun shine upon you this week and warm you through and through.

Isn’t she AMAZING?

Go easy ~p