Focus Focus Focus!

So much for focus. The saying goes that we cannot see the forest for the trees yet sometimes it really is more that we cannot see the trees for the forest. If we’re supposed to think outside the box, see the big picture, imagine the grand scheme, then we lose sight of the fine print, the intricate pixels, the unique details that make up the greater vision. The plan – the focus – yesterday was to make several chawan or tea bowls, using a porcelain that is known not only as easier to work with (to which I can attest) than my beloved English porcelain but also less expensive. Win win, right?!? Uh, nope. After several attempts, I had two which were deemed moderately passable. I am not a quitter, I am a lazy perfectionist. BIG difference… So, I hastily wedged a few of the slumped failures and made a biscuit jar, which would have been more than passable were it not full of micro air bubbles. It seems my focus was thrown off (pun or no pun – you decide!) by finally really getting into this biography of Michael Cardew.

It is not an easy read due to the excrutiating minutiae – lots and lots of tiny, tiny trees. I left off yesterday at the point in 1942 as Cardew is about to set off from England for Achimota, the Gold Coast, Africa. Of late, I have been thinking ‘tis time I start planning to set off for England, to see from whence my paternal grandparents came, and oh to see all the pots and potteries. Could my parents have known my name means “wanderer”? While I haven’t wandered much, my mind is always wandering, through the trees. Maybe I just need to look a little more closely…

Zest Joy Gratitude

Long before those words became overly intertwined with the so-called [New Age] “journey of enlightenment”…and soap, they had other, truer meanings. I was reminded very well and very timely of that today, at a funeral no less. To live life with zest, joy, and gratitude is not always an easy commitment; at times, it can be a challenge far beyond our reach – physically, mentally, emotionally. Yet it is always within our grasp, even if ever so tiny. Let us make more time to find and create those moments that bring zest to life, surround ourselves with those people (and pets!) who give us joy, and share our gratitude by encouraging others to do the same. So reach out, grab a virtual mitten-full of goodies (suitable for all dietary needs), and go forth!