Daybook
September
Outside my window: I can see the large American flag the Lions Club put in my front yard, waving in the wind for Labor Day. Pretty much every house in my neighborhood gets a flag placed on the front lawn for all the national holidays. The club does it as a fundraiser. It looks quite festive. The sun is shining, but it has cooled down, and there is a feeling of fall in the air.
Clothing myself in: gray shorts, a gray Oxford t-shirt, and a blue cardigan (Ha! The same thing I was wearing the last time I wrote a Daybook post).
Reading: The Making of a Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder
Making Minumum Wage: Elsie Parrish vs. The West Coast Hotel Company by Helen J. Knowles
Thinking and thinking: about Elsie Parrish (see book above) and her story. She was a chambermaid in the 1930s in my hometown of Wenatchee. She sued her employer for back pay after not being paid the minimum wage owed to her. The case went to the Supreme Court, and she won. Before this case, women were not included in minimum wage laws. So, yeah…historic hotels, women’s rights, history: these topics spark my imagination. Also, I’m disappointed by my history teachers in high school for not telling me about this case. It’s a significant event in Wenatchee history, and I went to school in Wenatchee. You’d think they’d mention it! It turns out that Elsie Parrish was not widely celebrated in my hometown for what she did, and even now, not many people know about her. At the time, some community members were upset with her for what they saw as drawing negative attention to a company/hotel they were proud of. History is complicated, and how it’s taught (or ignored) has always been very political.
Pondering: “We’re all improved by bumping into people who are smarter than we are.” -Lorne Michaels
Carefully Cultivating Rhythm: I love fall because it means a return to a more predictable rhythm, which is where I thrive. This September is particularly exciting to me because, for the first time in more than twenty years, I’m going back to school! I start a Creative Writing program in a couple of weeks.
Creating By Hand: I haven’t been creating much this month in the way of handcrafts. I have a barely started cross-stitch project on my desk that I want to devote some attention to.
Learning lessons in: getting back “on the horse” after falling. I deal with high blood pressure, but it can be managed with a proper diet. I got a little too complacent about healthy food choices for a while, but now, once again, I’m paying attention.
Keeping house: Is it too soon to bring out the fall decor and the pumpkins?
To be fit and happy: Yoga, sauna, walking, golf, weights.
Giving thanks: for clear blue skies and good air quality. The forest fires and the smoke have been bad this year, but they seem to have calmed down.
Living the Liturgy: For my devotional time, I’m still using Common Prayer for the Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne, and I’m reading Contemplation in a World of Action by Thomas Merton.
Planning for the week ahead: I’ll be working on my Apron Strings novel (coming in September 2004).
Book Stuff: Along with the other authors of the Apron Strings Collection of novels I’ve teamed up with, we have a Facebook group for readers that you are welcome to join. I’m sharing every day this week about my upcoming book, and we’re having a lot of fun!
*Thank you to Elizabeth Foss, writer at In the Heart of My Home, for the inspiration and format behind this daybook.
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May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you; may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm; may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you: may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.