The senses of Life

I was sitting here, getting frustrated at an interface that won't allow me to do what I want to do, and I looked at my poor, spotted, week-old bananas. They were fading fast. Oh, dear! I looked back at my screen, back at the bananas, back, back...

So I did the only logical thing! I sent off an email message to the people in charge of the interface, switched off the computer, then turned to the worktop: out came the eggs, the flour, the sugar, the butter..., and the bananas. I rolled up my sleeves, tied on my apron, and set to making banana bread. What else?

I like making things with my hands. I don't use electric mixers (though I love them), so I can really feel the weight of the dough at my wrist, the rasp of the spoon handle in my palm. There is an intimacy to it, knowing exactly what is going into the bowl; what is coming out of the baking tin; what is on the plate of those I love, whom I will serve the food. There is an intimacy to the taste as well, unique each time: maybe a little raw, maybe a little overdone, maybe a surprise flavour from an ingredient substitution.

I also like sewing and doing cross stitch. There is a seeming magic in the way tread creates isolated bits of colour which, in turn, become images. Or how I might take an old item of clothing a make something new out of it (usually cushion covers!) that will have meaning every time they are used - the memories are not lost, torn and ragged, but rather they are reborn into new identities. I can look at them, or others may, and feel the smile creep up. I can feel the textures and reminisce, seeing again in my mind's eye. It is a circle of Life. My friend shared a video of a wise woman reminding me of the essential value of handling when we create. How right she was!

Right now, as I wait for the goodies in the oven, I can smell its aroma, wafting out in the air pushed out by the fan I can hear. When I get it out, I will feel its warmth and hear the metal of the rack as it cools down. So, I decided to do the only logical thing: I am writing this entry for you, sharing the moment. I can see the words forming; feel the keys sink under my tips; hear the typing.

Sitting at the computer, dealing only with my issues, getting upset, I had limited myself. Creating I use all my senses, which expand beyond me, and share their experience with others.

You have to really use your senses to Live.