April 9, 2007........."Creative expression in everyday living"..........being the theme I chose to live by, I am remembering a couple of things that have worked out. Now that it is spring, the winter jasmine is blooming madly. The delicate fragrance from delicate white flowers are haunting somehow, what memories do they evoke? I can't say, but that fragrance is evocative.

Anyhow, before the poet in me comes out, I want to come to the point of creative expression. I collect the jasmine flowers and string them into leis or garlands. I find this very enjoyable, somewhat therapeutic as well as a great reflective time work. My fingers mechanically do the stringing and my mind wanders about the issues at hand. I have gone through a number of white string rolls. I have balanced the string here, there and everywhere so that the ball or roll of string will not take off from me. Finally it hit me, why not put the string in a container and have the thread dangling over the side? Again a few trials with this container and that paper bag. Finally my eyes fell on a beautiful Waterford crystal given to us. It is a good size, shaped like a tulip flower and gorgeous cut glass. It is a beautiful piece of craftmanship. Anyhow, stringing yarn now rests inside the Waterford bowl. It looks elegant and I am using it, rather than just having it sit in the china cabinet. That is a creative expression, using something for another purpose.

It is funny that because I did this I was reminded that I have another little candle holder, again a cut-glass crystal and you know what I use it for? Not for holding votive candles, but as a pen holder on my work surface! It looks elegant, classy and best of all it has my touch. Oh, and the work surface, you won't believe what it is. It is none other than the baby grand piano which sits in one corner of the living room. It has a soft cotton table cloth on it and is the perfect height for me. I love to stand and do my work. It tires me out the least amount I find. So on the baby grand piano surface, sits my Harrods candle holder, which acts as my pen holder! Oh my, I find another thoughthas come to mind. The thing I use as the mail holder is actually a silver coated toast holder from Pottery Barn.

So picture this if you will, a Baldwin baby grand table, with a Pottery Barn toast holder, a Harrods of London crystal candle holder as a pen holder and a Royal Doulton Old Country Roses flower vase as a receipt keeper. I love my little office space!!!