Monday, January 9, 2012

Indecision


A precious day off to myself after losing the weekend—and month—to work.  But as usual I’m besotted by choices, and will probably lose the day trying to decide.  Stay in under the covers and reread The Name of the Rose, or Possession?  Work on one of my short-stories?  (But then which?) Take advantage of the gorgeous January weather, before it’s gone, and take a walk at the bird sanctuary further up Arastradero, or on the water at Shoreline?  Have a bite of lunch at the café there?  Take a sandwich to the beach; wander with my camera?  Walk up to the horses, or buy cracked crab?  Or clean out my writing room (a task for Hercules that leaves me in despair) and enjoy in stillness the late afternoon sun that comes in hazy stripes through its window, writing a letter, drinking some of my new sweet-scented tea from the apple-green teapot?  That way lies daydreaming—hibiscus petals blended with dried cherries and vanilla, from Argo tea; the name reminding me of the argonauts and their journeys (so enchantingly recreated by Mary Zimmerman in Argonautika).

There are no wrong choices, of course, but I am so afraid of missing any of the possibilities, of finding myself out of time without having given my all to this day that has given itself to me.  So toss a whole handful of coins?  I’ll just take my notebook and sandwich and camera and see where I am led, what serendipity lies in wait.  Time enough for reading, I suppose, when the sun has gone down and my turkey and herbs, slow-cooking, is steaming the windows.  I’ve found the walking shoes I wore for archaeology at Hadrian’s Wall, with their amiable green laces, so am off—with only half the day gone in waffling.  Anticipation is a happy pastime too, after all.


image:  Coins of the World, Art Print by John K. Nakata 


4 comments:

  1. Hi Christie,
    I think I can recognize one 500Lire coin in your picture, reminding me of the country I'm from. Oh, what lovely memories!
    Each one of your choices makes me want to join you. Personally, enjoying the stillness, writing a letter and sipping some tea with the late afternoon sunlight streaming in from the window would be paradise for me.
    I love seeing the smoke rising from a cup of tea at the pinkish dim gleams of my Himalaya salt lamp.
    I love your posts.

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  2. Thanks so much for your response, Jay. I in turn love living vicariously your life in New York--and the thought of your Himalaya salt lamp. And then there's Italy too! My favorite country, which I miss the whole while I'm not there. I'm also sad that lire don't exist anymore...except in memory and old collections.

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  3. It is a pity indeed that Lire doesn't exist anymore. European countries lost an important piece of culture when they decided to give up their currency for the Euro.
    I miss Italy too.
    My Himalaya salt lamp accompanies every single moment of my day at home. I just can't do without it. Too beautiful.

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