Mar18
Posted on Mar 18 by Ruth Davis
I love old suitcases. Not because of any travel romance, but because they are containers. They hold things. Suitcases are sturdy, compact, colorful. They are resilient, protecting and portable. They have a handle to make them easy to carry around. I have used suitcases to store art supplies and old journals. I’ve used them as end tables in my living room. I’ve even created art pieces in small travel cases that tell a single chapter of a bigger story. Growing up, my family played the What’s In Your Suitcase game on the long drives between Long Island and Philadelphia where my mother’s family lived. Each person would begin: “I’m going on a trip and in my suitcase I’m going to pack” and we’d take turns naming objects and items, real and imagined, that we would put in the suitcase. The only rule was that the item had to begin with the next letter of the alphabet. It was a fun game, full of silliness and laughing, and it also exercised our memorization skills. I’ve played the game as an...
Mar11
Posted on Mar 11 by Ruth Davis
This past Sunday, yoga teacher Deborah McEvoy and I facilitated an amazing Heart Sparks Yoga and Writing Workshop. We breathed, we stretched, we stood in tree pose and, after Shavasana, we dove into that calm and opened spaciousness and explored deeper responses to I AM and I LOVE with some free writing. Several women in the workshop shared that they didn’t like to cry or express their emotions because it is a sign of weakness, or they didn’t want to attract attention. I believe that crying and being with your feelings actually takes great strength and courage. And that, when we cry, we give others permission to cry. Perhaps the people who have told us that it’s weak are just not strong enough to feel their own emotions. Today’s post is reprinted from my book HEART SPARKS. It’s a reminder for me too, not to judge the tears, but just continue to invite them to flow. * * * * * Another Yoga and Writing Workshop will happen in Atlanta, GA on May 9th. Stacey Beth Shulman will facilitate...
Mar04
Posted on Mar 4 by Ruth Davis
After the two day drive from Paradise to Phoenix, we are settled into Marika’s driveway with electricity and water and indoor plumbing. This is Home for the next month. Mabel and Cody are still ignoring each other, keeping their distance, but we all hang out in the RV, and in the yard and in the living room and all is well. I am so proud of myself – I drove a new route and even stopped to visit with a friend before pulling into the back parking lot of a casino on I-10 to stop for the night. We slept well despite the big winds and got back on the road before 7:30, and arrived in Phoenix a little after one on Saturday. On Sunday I got up earlier than usual, peed in the house, then went back to the RV and slept for another hour, until the chorus of bird songs got me out of bed. Marika and I had coffee on the patio and I played ball in the yard with Cody. Now Marika is...
Feb25
Posted on Feb 25 by Ruth Davis
Today is my last Wednesday in Paradise before I head to Phoenix this weekend to begin the next chapter of living. I am always so sad to leave, especially this time, because I know I belong here. This past weekend my friend Judy, who I met at yoga when I first got here in 2012, hosted a going away party for me. Another friend from yoga and my body surfing friend came, a few of Judy’s friends joined us and we ate delicious home made chicken tacos and rice and beans and chile rellenos. I’ve been going out for lunch with other friends, for one last fish taco at Taco Temple and one more taste of Ruddell’s smoked salmon. And today is my last Wednesday volunteering at the food bank, where I’ve also met some wonderful new friends. And I’ve been so aware of the beauty of the ocean and the hills and this place I call home. This past weekend I took Cody for a new walk, along the bluffs just a half a mile north of...
Feb18
Posted on Feb 18 by Ruth Davis
Today, February 18, would have been my older brother Lenny’s 57th birthday. He died in 1965 at the age of 7 from neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. I think he would have been an architect, a really nice guy, and my biggest fan. To honor his life and our continued connection even after all this time, I’m sharing a piece I wrote about him in 2001 in a writing group. My brother Lenny and I were best friends. We shared a bedroom. We loved knock-knock jokes. He was only thirteen months older than me. Lenny’s favorite toy was his Erector Set. We would sit Indian-style on opposite sides of the coffee table and build things. My six year old fingers were too clumsy with the small parts so I was Lenny’s assistant. I handed him girders and screws and read the directions to make a helicopter just like the one on the outside of the metal carrying case. Sometimes Lenny even let me hold the wrench while he tightened. Lenny had an operation to remove...
Feb11
Posted on Feb 11 by Ruth Davis
So many people think I am a spontaneous adventurer. But really, I’m quite the homebody. I’m much more comfortable hanging out in the comfort of the RV, working, writing, putzing, than being out in the world, exploring. And yet that is exactly what I’ll be doing on the upcoming Heart Sparks Road Tour. And so planning this road trip has been a constant back and forth of excitement and fear, and a whole lot of not knowing. Some days I play on Google maps, using Roadtrippers.com and atlasobscura.com to find quirky places. Some days I reach out to people in a city along the route to see about getting together. Some days I drive myself crazy with questions that I have no answers for: How far do I want to drive in a day? How many days in a row do I really want to be driving before I stay somewhere for a day or two? How long do I want to be on the road total? Who do I know along the way? How many miles off...
