It’s not enough to have Ideas Days. If you don’t act upon them, they remain flights of fancy, like those little pieces of fluff that come off of cottonwood trees and remain beyond one’s grasp.

Today was a very big ideas day. I spent the evening attempting to catch some of those pieces of fluff. I may actually have attempted to act upon too many ideas and may pay the price.

This is why I did what I did – 2020 – its going to be one full of figurative and literal vision-related clichés. But I see the upcoming year as one in which I achieve balance by backtracking, so that I might

Alys's Study

again move forward. Wow. My own sentence just stopped me dead in my tracks. If it were someone else’s statement I would quote it.

Backtracking, finishing up things that have been left hanging. For instance (and the list is long), finishing up, and getting unfinished books published. Last night I began reading Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil – sometimes I open a book, begin reading, and realize that it’s timely. Martell, in the first few pages writes about his wanting to write a flip book, a book that is two books. He writes: “A flip book is a book with two front doors but no exit. Its form embodies the notion that that the matter discussed within has no resolution, no back cover that can be neatly, partly closed on it. Rather, the matter is never finished with; always the reader is brought to a central page where, because the text now appears upside down, the reader is made to understand that he or she has not understood, that he or she cannot fully understand , but must think again in a different way and start all over.”

Reading this, I foresaw that Raudi’s Story and If Wishes Were Horses: A Returning Rider’s Search for the Perfect Horse might be a flip book. I talked with Pete about this this morning, and the more technical wheels in his head started turning round and round. He was not, as I was, thinking about how turning these two works into a flip book might unify the two works synergistically; but rather, he was thinking how he might combine them. This is so very important. After, I emailed Sharon Aubrey, who will distribute this book and assist with marketing. I have not heard back from her, but my sense is she will be most helpful.

Next, I heard from my friend Laura who I took the Bones for Life course with, a few years back. We both want to finish and will make inroads in this area.

And next, I emailed Julia, who was one of the students in the WEMT class and asked her if she might give me an assist should I decide to again do the practical exam.

And next, I went to the Centered Riding website and saw that my mentor, Susan Harris, will be teaching a Centered Riding Update clinic in Olympia, WA in February. So now there exists the likelihood of my moving forward on the update project.

And next, I had some ideas about the Bright Lights Book Project, and I let the powers that be know what they are.

And next, there is no more next. This is enough to work on and with. Some things are now in the hands of fate. I had fallen to the ground. I have now gotten up, dusted myself off, and am again moving forward. I have just exhibited considerable audacity, and for this reason I am looking at myself askance.

Next: 362. 12/31/19: Goodbye to the Old Year