Project Creative Blues Busting

I admit it; I am surprised that the cooler temperatures and the onset of fall has me a tad blue. I love fall! Ever since I was a kid I have liked fall the best of all seasons. It is a time of new beginnings: pink erasers, waxy crayons, and new clothes.

Perhaps it is because we had quite a bit of rain. Perhaps it is because my new clothes look more like tents, or perhaps it is because along with the accoutrements of a new school year comes the onslaught of Xeroxed parent/teacher reminder letters. I have 5 or 6 flyers of differing size, color and shape telling me about the Fun Fair at school and requesting volunteer help. (which I wholeheartedly plan to do) On top of that is the book order forms, school fundraiser box-top drive reminder, show and tell reminder, room volunteer form, the homemade playdough recipe (I will be in charge of that one in April), PTA requests, teacher room supply wish lists, bake sale requests and I could go on and on.

None of this is unique to J's school. Across the country, the trees of America...the very same trees that I am looking forward to watching turn magnificent colors, are heaving a collective groan that the endless paper brigade has begun. But I digress. This is not a environmental rant (I'll save that for another day) but more just an awareness that as the papers fly my way daily I am finding a harder time sorting, planning, scheduling and maintaining the clutter-free existence that makes my feng shui husband a happy camper.

So why the funk? I don't know. Maybe delayed processing of our move. Maybe the realization that we will move again and again. All I know is that I am pulling out all the stops to try to nip it in the bud. There was Monday's spontaneous decision to chop of 3 inches of my hair. Removing split ends does wonder for the mood. Tuesday I called a friend for a lunch date with kiddos before school. Wednesday I focused on my feet. Through amazing acrobatic feats I actually painted my own toes and although quite winded at the end, was pleased with the results. Thursday I worked out on the treadmill with music blaring (instead of my usual mp3 player) while J danced in a ballet costume in front of me. I had lots of laughs at her interpretative dancing to the likes of Coldplay and Johnny Cash. Today, it was prenatal yoga with J. I gave her my extra yoga mat--now her yoga mat and we had great fun.

My daily efforts to get outside the daily grind of meal preparing, laundry, dog walking etc. have helped to some extent, but it is during these vulnerable moments when I am most bothered by reports of e-coli in Spinach, potential terrorism, the crisis in Darfur, crazy laws in Pakistan which say that a rape victim must have 4 male witnesses (!) to corroborate her claim of rape, or it is adultery on her part!! Again, I could go on and on and I don't mean to say that these things are only bothersome because the world seems less sunny right now, but when it seems less sunny, obstacles are more apparent than opportunities. Maybe that is the real challenge today... to see what I can do to effect change in my world. By that I mean of course, something more long lasting than the color of my toenails.