Saturday, June 11, 2011

Play

A friend asked if I play/wanted to play this summer. I realized that I don't really play during the school year or do the things I enjoy the most. Play during the school year means kids, a quick walk, reading or looking about on the internet.

Now that it's summer, how am I playing?

I pulled out my watercolour materials today.

This is actually a huge deal. I haven't painted with watercolours in over 2 years. I was so scared that I would open the paint tubes and find them dried out. Thankfully, the paints are all in working order and my brushes are great. The brush cleaner crystallized but seemed to work just the same.

I'm not working on anything amazing. I did a pen and ink a year or two ago on watercolour paper but never did anything to it. The hardest part of painting for me comes long before I pick up the brush. The composition and drawing components coupled with my perfectionist tendencies make the initial process long and frustrating.


Being able to start in the middle of the process was freeing. Painting makes me incredibly happy. I was painting and dancing and making little exclamations about how much fun it was or how good the colours looked! I feel giddy just thinking about it.

Of course, I'm playing in other ways. I have the beginnings of a summer reading list. My goal is to finish Insectopedia andthe Lord of the Rings trilogy after starting them last summer. I need to prepare for the CSET teaching tests. Also on the reading list: North and South (E. Gaskell) and some P.G. Wodehouse. Aside from Insectopedia and the CSET, I'm steering clear of the academic this summer. I'd love to hear from you! What do you like to read? Any suggestions?

My garden has expanded. I now have a plot in the community garden. It's only a block away. I went over and picked out my plot tonight. I started to clear it and found a garden warming gift: a carrot. I also have a large poison hemlock in the middle of the garden (and yes I know the difference between a carrot and hemlock). I'm thinking about leaving it since my garden (and others with hemlock) didn't have signs of burrowing creatures. The garden is only 6'x10' but any bigger and I would be overwhelmed with ideas. I'm currently ripping into seed packets with the glee of a child on Christmas morning. Beans and radishes and onions, oh my!

How do you play? :)