The Experiment - Day 25

It's Day 25 of The Experiment where my 10-year-old daughter Rebecca assigns me tasks I must complete.

And though I felt pretty puny for the first half of yesterday, I am glad to report that I rallied enough to complete most of yesterday's tasks! I should probably stop making early predictions about how I think the day will transpire - it might inhibit the possibility for surprises.

Buck Springs Tunnel

Yesterday's Task 1 was "Find Your Secret Place". I don't expect I'll find the place right away, but I did continue the search yesterday. Beth and I drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Pisgah. We parked at the Mount Pisgah parking lot, and got out to stretch our legs. I spied a grassy trail to our left, and though my guts were still feeling mighty tender, we followed it. Luckily it was a short trail, which terminated at the top of the Buck Springs Tunnel, a spot which afforded a spectacular view. Though the spot was definitely a contender for secret place, it didn't quite resonate with me. But I'm on the hunt, which feels good.

Task 2 was to "Make A Craft". Rebecca elaborated more on the previous day's task sheet, advising me to keep it simple. I had torn some bittersweet out of our garden the day before, and left it haphazardly on our back porch. By yesterday morning, the red fruit had started popping out of its golden shells. This reminded me how much I miss bittersweet wreaths at this time of year (because oriental bittersweet is an invasive, the sale of bittersweet wreaths has been banned in many states). I cut more bittersweet vine out of our garden and made a wreath. After reading up on the plant, I decided to keep the wreath in the house where the birds can't get to the berries, (birds do most of the work dispersing the seeds). I consider this bittersweet wreath to be a rare treat that I may not be able to enjoy again once we rid our garden of the stuff. So I'm going to take lots of photos of the wreath to enjoy in future years.

There was an extra task yesterday - to doodle - but I didn't get around to that one. Still, not bad progress for a day I felt so poorly.

Onto today's tasks, which have been elaborately described!:

1. Eat lunch outside. Do not devour it. Watch the clouds while you eat. Imagine them as creatures or other things and log them in your "Happy Journal". If there aren't any clouds (which might well be the case today), close your eyes and imagine that the clouds are there. (Rebecca drew a cloud shaped like a foot with big toe nails to inspire me.)
2. Go outside and take 5 pictures that relate to each other. Then take the images and design them in a checkerboard pattern. Or print the images and do a "cool scissory thing" with them.
3. Find your "special place". I know it will take a few days, but keep trying. You'll know when you find it because you will immediately connect with it.

I'll let you know tomorrow how I did!