Cookie art #1

On Valentines Day, our big day of two family surgeries (a new kidney for Dad B. courtesy of his brave, loving 2nd daughter, Heidi), a few of us were taking a lunch break at Becca & Martin's, less than a mile from the hospital. Becca graciously allowed us to dip into the leftovers of a $20 box of fortune cookies, and discover together what lay in store for us. I felt a little ripped off when I first read my luck: "Nothing's perfect," but then, okay, I had to laugh. It's true—even my free cookie—not perfect. Primed with that baseline perspective, I reached again into the magical mystery box and cracked open another gem:

What? It's like the fortune writer was interrupted, bound and gagged, just as that one thing was about to be revealed to me. See? There's a comma, then nothing more. No answer. I'm supposed to figure out on my own what that one thing is so I can stop focusing on it, without focusing on it? Paradox, you win again!

But the cookies and I continue our relationship. Saturday I walked with Rob to Chao's and bought three bags full, yessir, yessir—52¢ for 12, a bargain! I took them home, packed them into an earthy ginger gar, and set myself a challenge, which by the way, is not too focused on that one thing; all I have to do is open a cookie and respond to whatever I read inside. Maybe with writing. Maybe with drawing. Maybe with movement. Whatever. The point is to create with a medium that suits my mood, be it ink or breath.

So. My first cookie? Opened it Sunday night. Thought about it all day Monday. It predicted: "You will be surrounded by things of luxury." Seems like everyone has a natural pathway pre-set in the brain to process a fortune like this one by painting elaborate pictures of how beeyooteefull life will be after the prize is won. It's all future-based, and that's fine for motivational carrot-dangling and occasional masochistic self-delusion, I suppose, but what about the luxuries that are right here right now? Chopped liver?

What things of luxury do I or can I enjoy without waiting, and surround myself with always, no matter what my budget or circumstance may be? The wherever you go, there you are kind of luxuries. I started counting them out on my fingers and toes. I got into a groove with c-words mostly, and I suppose that's yet another proof of my tendency toward focusing too much on that one thing. Some of these could do with a little explanation if you are to have a fuller understanding of this blogger, but that would make for a much longer post, so I'll leave it to your imagination unless you want to discuss any of these elsewhere.

Care
Conversation
Change
Commitment
Consequence
Consideration
Conversion
Creation
Christianity
Questions
Concentration
Conviviality
Country
Crosswalks
Correspondence
Conjugal conubium!
Kindness
Counsel
Cooperation
Choice
Companionship
Community
Comedy
Counting blessings
Collaboration
Cleanliness
Compassion
Callings
Callouses
Canoodling
Consecration
Colors
Classics
Covenants
Cultivation
Charity
Quiet mind

Good for starters. It's an astonishingly luxurious life, and that's only me getting hung up on 1/26th of the alphabet.

Yesterday, for the purpose of celebrating (not to mention gratuitously flaunting) mein aforementioned überwealth, I spent some time luxuriating with my mates, Jeanne, Deborah, Lucy, Aaron, and Jeromiah. We made an enthusiastic and rather sticky attempt at group cooking—our intention: fruity homemade marshmallows. We now call ourselves the Marshketeers. Observe how this Big Event illustrates our genuine affluence:

creation, concentration 

callouses, choice

counsel, collaboration 

conversation, cultivation

companionship, kindness

conviviality, community

care, consideration

compassion, comedy
(Jeromiah's response to a suggestion: sausage-flavored marshmallows?)

commitment, cooperation

colors, counting blessings

I'm rich. My life is flooded with abundance. I don't have to wait for some magic to happen to see myself surrounded by the things of luxury. Maybe there are more creature comforts coming to me and mine, or maybe there aren't, but I've got nothing to complain about. I've got plenty of plenty.

And you're kind of rich too, aren't you? Tell me how.