Boxes, Books, and Beginnings
Yesterday, we made a trip over to U-Haul to pick up some of our boxes. It felt a little like unwrapping mystery presents—except instead of ribbons and bows, it was tape and dust. Inside we found ornaments, silicone molds, printer ink, a stack of canvases we use for practice, silicone sheets for protection, some photos, and our AA books. Tucked in, too, were some watercolor and acrylic paints—little bursts of color waiting to be used again.
This morning, a few more things are arriving: our first set of shelves, some marker containers, scotch tape, and staplers. Nothing glamorous, but the kind of little things that make daily life work. I’ve been collecting business cards and menus and realized I had no tape to stick them in my journal. Problem solved.
There’s an artist I follow who makes a scrapbook journal page every night. It’s her practice—her way to stay inspired. I love the idea of making a daily ritual like that. She leans heavily on scrapbooking and has millions of stickers; I don’t think I’ll go down that rabbit hole. For me, maybe it’s as simple as taping in things I find throughout the day, scribbling down a doodle, or letting my notebook hold whatever sparks. I’m still deciding if I want to do this online through Zinnia, or keep it analog with my journal. I guess it depends on how much I end up accumulating.
Another project has been calling to me: creating a “giant AA book.” Not a rewrite—more like a woven tapestry of the daily readings I draw from. Daily Reflections, the 24-Hour Book, Buddhism and the 12 Steps, A Woman’s Spirit… there are so many, and I’ve noticed how often they intersect. Comparing them feels like seeing the same sunrise from different windows.
I was glad to get the U-Haul boxes, even if they’re only a fraction of what I originally packed. This move has been messy, unpredictable, and frustrating—no denying that. But whatever shows up is what I have to work with, and I’ll make the best of it. Some things are gone, and that hurts. But like everytime someone pushes us down, we get up with what we have - move forward, and rebuild.
Oh, and in a burst of joy, I bought a Christmas tree. It arrives tomorrow. My hope is to hang August’s ornaments before the end of August. More realistically, they’ll probably be up in September once the dust settles. But either way, they’re going up.
Because this is my life now, and I want to celebrate it—even if it looks a little different than I planned.
With Love,
Elfy & Nicky
