A Sewing Machine is a Cow is a Building: Cubist Theatre at the Undercloud Festival

That moment when the actress grabs a cowbell, hooks it so it hangs down on the side of a Singer sewing machine, then plops a pair of high-heeled shoes on the machine, securing them with a small stick in a V shape . . . and you’re all of a sudden looking, surrealistically, at a … Continue reading →

Remember to Chase Butterflies; August Fair at the National Peasant Museum, and the Undercloud Festival There

So, the other day I was working on an old slogan of mine, “Remember to chase butterflies,” thinking how we should give ourselves time to “freestyle” now and then. So much of our time has become set aside for chores and internet activities that it seems hard to set time for things like walking about … Continue reading →

Serenity Attracts Serendipity Attracts Serenity

Here, have some soup. And then maybe take a walk, try reading on a bench in the park. I did that and had such a powerful immersive experience that I’m still looking for words to describe it. It felt as if the air around me was filled with shapes and color and the shapes and … Continue reading →

Funny Writer Just Woke Up (Like This)

Okay, so the “I Woke Up like This” meme with its unkempt morning looks is already passé, but how about “Funny Writer Just Woke Up (Like This) (© Mira)? I often wake up with tangles of dreams in my head, hence the Funny Writer bit I thought I’d use for some of my writer’s mugs, … Continue reading →

All you need is a little courage (to change a few things) and some gratitude. Maybe the other way around

You know the (famous bit of the) Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.” Writing that out (instead of copy-pasting it) feels good, because it builds more awareness. Same thing happens with gratitude. Once you … Continue reading →

The Edge Between Us and Others

I went to meet a cousin and her parents at the beach in Mamaia yesterday, and I knew I wanted to write a post today, but didn’t quite know about what. And then I read a quote here on WordPress about “the edge” between, essentially, us and the world, and it struck me (not in … Continue reading →

J’Adore Paris: Memories of a 1991 Trip to Paris / Or, Do It Today, For You May Not Be Able to Do It Tomorrow

My mother has this saying about not postponing things, which translates, word-for-word, as “What you can do today, you may not be able to do it tomorrow.” So she’s always struggling to match life’s opportunities with indomitable will and application. Trying a little bit too hard, in my opinion, but many things, big and small, … Continue reading →

Simona Halep’s Success and Some Musings on Courting Fate

Simona Halep won the women’s singles Wimbledon title yesterday, which brought great joy to this country (Romania) and all her fans—and which, coupled with a comment I read somewhere in a book, has started me thinking about “courting fate.” But how do you court fate exactly? Is it by keeping a sweet balance between taking … Continue reading →

Feed Good Moods | Treat Yourself Good

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t take great care of herself. Not in the sense that I let myself go; mostly in the sense that I don’t make enough time for relaxation and feel good moments. Part of it has to do with finances and the pressure to work as hard as I can, … Continue reading →

Summer Fun: Walking Brands Everywhere

Being in my early forties, I remember a time where the only lettering on T-shirts was that of brand names like Adidas or Tommy Hilfiger. Or so it seemed. Now we have become the brands and that shows in the multitude of fanciful printed T-shirts on display. True, some people buy these T-shirts without caring … Continue reading →