Onion.

My single roommates and I sit around our living room, scrolling through Facebook on our phones and announcing: “Engaged”… “Married”… “Engaged”. They understand there is no max to how shit I can feel. They say I make love to my food – I take my time, I make sure everything is well orchestrated, I put background music on…

My roommates and I sing nursery rhymes as we walk to the ice cream shop. We read each other texts from guys and congratulate each other on being empowered. We share our writing and speak truths.     

There was a gathering at work, a celebration. I was waiting in line for the sandwich bar with a few friends. He walked over and asked if I could put some red onion on my plate for him. I said yes. Later, after, he said, and I quote, “Thanks for the onion.” So, you know, I figure we’re friends now.

I was walking back from my pilates class a few days ago and all I could really think was, “Eff yeah”. I’m simply loving all of this.

I feel surrounded by hot and cold, hot and cold. I’m giving it no thought.

My roommate calls, “Come look at this girl’s wedding dress!” We flick through pictures and I smile inside out. One day those pictures will be of me, but not yet. I’m good.

I am thrilled through and through with the here and now.

~~~

Ella

Song Quote:

Everything’s coming down roses. – Whole Lot of Heart, Ingrid Michelson

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To Create

Last night I went to art class, which may just be my favorite place in the world. Well, after ice cream parlors. But I really love art class! We’re a group of eight girls or so, and every Monday night we come to class with our lovely teacher, Judith.

This group has become like a family, and I mean this in the completely cliché way. We each work on our own independent projects (with Judith helping each of us with what we need), but we talk to each other while working. Sometimes we give each other constructive criticism (“I think you should add more color”, “your piece looks sloppy- was that what you were going for?”), but it comes from a good place of wanting to help each other and we always listen to what everyone else has to say. When we think we’re done, or we’re not sure what to do next, we pick up our piece and show it to everyone, and get feedback.

Art is just a really good place to be. Everyone there is calm, down to earth, artistic and kind. We trust each other’s advice, we share funny things that happen to us, we make fun of each other good naturedly and we love it when something comes out beautiful.

Yesterday’s class felt special. I’m working on a piece that I really love (there are pictures at the bottom of the post), and I’d been looking forward to working on it all week (we store our pieces there, because they’re big). As usual, first thing in you have to give everyone a hug. I did my rounds, and then set up my station. Throughout the whole hour and a half of class, I don’t think I ever stopped smiling.

Every few minutes someone would walk by and tell me how much they liked what I’m doing, and how beautiful it is. What I loved was not even the compliments (though those were nice), it was how genuinely complimentarily everyone was being: they weren’t just saying it. They could just as easily walked by without saying a word, or just stopped and looked as we sometimes do. They were letting me know they thought I was creating something beautiful.

At one point my teacher told me she hadn’t imagined my sketch would get to this level, and one of the people that’s in charge of the art classes came by (he comes by towards the end of class to see what we’re working on) and took a walk around the studio. He came to talk to Judith who was a few feet away from me and said something along the lines of “that portrait she’s working on…” then made the impressed face. Do you know what face I’m talking about it? The eyebrows go up a bit, the lips purse, the eyes widen and the head is moved slowly and dramatically up and down. I think that’s the face. Well, that the best description I can think of.

Anyway, it was just so much fun to be there, I absolutely love that place and those people. It’s what you’d call a “healthy environment”, and you guys know, I can use any “health” I can get.

Love,

Ella

P.s. In case you missed it, go back two posts and check out the picture I put on “Not This Way”. Read it, don’t read it, just make sure not to miss the genius that is the picture! I also added some new music loves to my list on “About”, if you’re interested.

Song Quote:

I wanna show you the thoughts I can’t put into words. -You’re Not Alone, Hudson Taylor

 

This is what I’m working on!!!
This is what it looked like when class ended yesterday, and I can’t wait until next week to keep going.

In the middle of class yesterday (after adding the white charcoal, without having used the synthetic black charcoal to work on his cap)

It might look simple, but it took the whole lesson last week to put this together….