And So It Begins

Uh-oh - that was fast. I'm not even done eating my reheated pasta and Blogger is telling me that, after just a few clicks and a handful of casually answered questions, I have a blog and it's awaiting my wisdom.

Well, then. Here we go. This blog is a way for me to document and describe my Virgen-a-Day project, which is an attempt on my part to do something consistently and purposefully for a year and see what comes of that.

Inspired after stumbling on the Julie/Julia Project (http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/ - via a NYTimes article on chick flicks, via a google search on the book, via my local library, via a week of engrossed reading of this woman's work to create meaning in her life through Julia Child's recipes), I decided to find my own year-long project. Unlike Julie, I'm not on the verge of 30, aware of my dwindling ova, miserable in my employment, and inexplicably drawn to Julia Child. I'll be half-past 30 this August and am delighted by this decade. My ova do what they will and we've developed an amiable existence. I enjoy both my work and Julia Child, but neither are why I'm making a Virgen a day.

Why, then? I'm doing this because I'm curious. I'm doing this to see what the process of incorporating chosen daily meditative ritual into my life will be like. I'm doing this because I need a creative outlet. I'm doing this because I have a giant plastic bin bursting with virgen-making supplies collecting dust in my closet.

What is it - exactly - that I'm doing? To make a virgen means to take the image of the Virgen of Guadalupe from one of her candles, arrange it on a small square surface with other collaged items and adhesive the entire thing with clear door and window caulking. That's what I mean, anyway, when I say, "make a virgen". I've been doing this for a few years now and since most of my friends have since been gifted with a virgen for one occasion or another, I'd lost motivation to make them - until now.

Once things really get rolling here, what you'll see every day is the image of that day's Virgen, followed by a brief description of what I was thinking when I created it. For today, what you'll see is six images from the first six days of this project when I had enough gumption to make the virgens but not enough to then also start a blog and a brief description of each:

1. May 22, 2008 - Chicago - ate at a place called "Treat" for lunch and was generally delighted to be in the city with my partner visiting my sister. The shells and rocks are from the shores of Lake Michigan.

2. May 23, 2008 - Chicago - went to the Art Institute and saw, among other things, "American Gothic", which my partner has a fondness for because it reminds her of the parents of a friend. Unlike previous journeys to the museum, I didn't touch any of the art, but did share some fantastic Baci with aforementioned sister and partner.

3. May 24, 2008 - Chicago - My partner celebrated her birthday while we were in the city and wanted nothing more than to experience the (last?) free zoo in Lincoln Park - and so we did. We all learned that the animals we like best are found in the children's section and that penguins look quite scruffy and neglected when they're molting. The antelope figurine was found outside, as was the penny, and the shoe represents the miles and miles we traversed through the city that day.

4. May 25, 2008 - Chicago - Sunday, so newspaper, so headlines that bring tears to your eyes and heaviness to your heart. Putting the Virgen over these helped some, giving her a San Pellegrino limonada halo helped more. The rock is from the lake and reminds me of an older, wiser, deeper stabilization that stands firm despite all of our human nonsense.

5. May 26, 2008 - Chicago - Chicago, yes, but traveling home, so transportation is the theme du jour. Interestingly, my boarding pass whited out when I applied the caulking. I'm not sure if this is a new security measure or not...

6. May 27, 2008 - Tucson - first full day back at work, so a couple of cold beers at the end of the day to hearken back to the lazier days of vacation past. Boulder Beer Singletrack and Big Sky Moosedrool - both fine ways to get your hops. The mesquite-pod border is a tribute to the weed-wacking and palm branch removal I performed in our yard after work. We were getting desperately overgrown, which is something of a feat in the desert.

My - this is long for a blog. If I haven't scared you off with my verbosity, I'll look forward to sharing the next virgen tomorrow. Now that I've laid down the basic premise, we can move forward with a daily image and thoughts thereon.