Insomnia and Max

Insomnia has been my reality for years. On the nights when I do manage to nod off and stay asleep for longer than just 10 minutes, I can usually sleep for about two hours, but then I’m irrevocably up for the next three. I can only start the sleep process at midnight or 1 AM, so this can be disastrous as you can imagine. Think about those numbers for a moment. Here’s the worst case scenario:

1-3 AM – sleeping
3-6 AM – awake
6-7 AM – sleeping
7 AM - alarm
That’s just crazy! That amounts to an average of three hours of sleep each night. And it’s been going on like this for YEARS! I’m justifiably twitchy at this point!
Recently, a friend suggested that I try Max Kirsten’s Insomnia Cure: Sleep Now. The first night, I had to listen to it three times. It takes a little getting used to because it gets all echo’y towards the end and that struck me as a little freaky at first. But now that I’m used to it, I don’t bat an eyelash…especially because now I’M TOO BUSY SLEEPING!!!! It’s incredible. I didn’t think that was curable, but it is. Thank you, Max!

Happy Pigs

Do you think the pigs in blankets are as happy as the pigs in mud?

How to Heal a Ceramic Mug

The bus driver of our little one’s minibus is a funny man. We’re very lucky to have him, now for the second year. He somehow manages to crack me up each morning with some dry quip. That’s not really easy to do, it’s very early in the morning when he arrives. He’s very talented. And such a good guy. I love him!

Recently, he asked me—since I’m an expert in all things ceramic—how he could heal a favorite mug. The handle had fallen off and he thought I, of all people, would know how to fix it permanently. Before even letting him finish his sentence, (we New Yorkers are so good at knowing what people are saying even before they can get a word in edgewise), I said:

“You can’t; don’t bother.”

He didn’t take my word for it, though. As you can see…

This he gave to me as a present. He said he has already applied for the patent, in case I was planning on plagiarizing his design. 

Refrigerator Blindness

Refrigerator blindness. Don’t laugh, it’s an actual medical condition.

Ok, laugh. It’s alright.

I know what you’re thinking, though. I don’t have it. Nope. No I do not. I can find the milk every time. In fact, I can sit at a distance and verbally navigate my kid to the ketchup in the back left corner of the second shelf, even when I myself didn’t put it there. I’m good at that. Very talented.

…but…

…ask me to find anything outSIDE of the fridge and it’s a no-go. I’m utterly blind and completely clueless. So don't ask me where my idea list of what to cook tonight is taped up–or even if it’s up on a cabinet door anywhere in the kitchen at ALL! Which will itself tell you why I have to have an idea list of what to cook tonight in the first place!

So it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that I just stumbled upon this taped inside the door where I keep the Tylenol (and considering that I keep the Tylenol there, you can just imagine how many times I’ve opened up this door):

7 Lessons

1) Get out of your comfort zone.

2) Embrace the late sleepless nights.

3) Speak the language of the individual you want to become.

4) Find a mantra to anchor and guide you.

5) Always stay guided by your values not by your necessities.

6) To achieve unreasonable things, you have to become an unreasonable person.

7) Become hopelessly idealistic about the things that make you feel most alive.

Though I’m sure I was the one who taped this up whenever ago, I just read it now as if for the first time.

Then I took a nice deep breath.

A slow count to five on the inhale, a slow count to five on the exhale.

Ahhhh.


 

That’s better. The important things.

<<<Breathe>>>

Happy New Year, everybody!

Jimmy

I went to yoga this morning and then stopped at Panera for a coffee and a bagel and a little quiet/me time. I sat near three men who after about 20 minutes finished their conversation and then parted ways. One of them came over to me and told me that I’m too beautiful to be sitting all alone, especially at holiday time. Why is there nobody with me? That started a whole long conversation. He asked if he could join me and we talked about this and that: life, family, politics, money; we told a few jokes. Then as he was leaving he walked over to me, held my face between his two hands, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He was 75 and going off to join a card game that he was already late for.

I will never forget this day.

Where will your artistic inspiration take you?

Sometimes artistic inspiration comes from unexpected places. Recently I got a custom order from another seller on Etsy. In fact, he “found” me after I ordered a bazillion handmade soaps from him (they’re incredible…buy some!).

He said he wanted cereal bowls akin to my scroll handle mugs. He imagined them shorter and wider than the mugs but left me room to experiment according to my creative whim. I love the results!

By the way, I asked for his permission to credit him with the inspiration for these bowls and here’s what he said (and I quote):

“Yeah... sure! But I did nothing really :o) I'm just a lazy schlub who wants to drink out of bowls.”

Love him!

Incredible Yoga/Break Dancing - Unreal!

Break ton Neck from Alex Yde on Vimeo.

A bucket for your coffee

This mug is Mega Ginormous. No, seriously. It's a whopping 32-ounces. Waaaay bigger than you think it is. It’s so big that it comes with it’s own Doberman Pinscher.

 

 

  

Nah. I was just kidding about the Doberman. Wouldn't know how to mail that out to you anyway. But it’s big. Really big. Your ego needs to be well intact for this one.