JANUARY
I began the year with the plan to do a drawing everyday for
all of January. I began working in a new sketchbook, and was successful in
drawing a lot. I continued through February as well. I planned to walk a mile a
day for the entire year, but started out by doing very little walking. I did a
few treadmill workouts, and took a few photo walks. Donna and I started doing
yoga and walking for fitness at Northeast Middle School. My weight at this time
was hovering around 230-235 lbs.
FEBRUARY
Still drawing everyday. Continuing with yoga and occasional
walks. At work I was nominated for MN Teacher of the Year (my second time).
Near the end of the month, as I was being interviewed and filmed in my
classroom for a news story, I received a phone call telling me that I did not
make the cut for the finalists. Strange coincidence.
MARCH
I went to Marshall to do a presentation at the MNWE
conference. Storm drove with me and I really enjoyed spending the time with
him. We shared the driving, drank gas station coffee from Hector, chatted, went
out to eat, and played some fun tennis. In the midst of all that, we went over
to Southwest Minnesota State University and I did a creative writing presentation
to a tiny but enthusiastic crowd. I was quite nervous of course, but it was
good to have Storm along. He advised me. He helped me. First bike ride of the
year: 2 mile to Silver Lake.
APRIL
Back to Marshall. I was keynote speaker at the Creating
Spaces Creative Writing Awards Ceremony. Again I was nervous, but the very
recent MNWE presentation helped me feel like I could handle it. Donna and I
drove together and enjoyed the day. The ceremony was attended by more than 200
people! There were many students and their families, in addition to professors
and administrators from SMSU. My presentation went really well. I received
quite a few compliments following the ceremony, speech, and presentation of
awards. This month, we saw Sondre Lerche at the 7th Street Entry.
Great show! At one point, Sondre came out into the crowd to dance. As he danced
past me, I squeezed his sweaty shoulder. I wrote a poem a day this month.
MAY
Mayday Festival this month. I’d been making art, riding my
bike, playing tennis, doing weekly yoga and drinking beer. Poem a day, second
month of the year.
JUNE
Saw Sunday in the Park with George at the Guthrie. It was
beautiful and emotional and excellent! I started some major efforts to lose
weight. More bike, tennis, yoga and walking. On June 21 I started with a
Fitbit, recording calories in and out, daily steps, exercises, goals, sleep
patterns, etc. Highly motivating! My weight had been around 235 lbs, and after
a few days of Fitbit, I had already dropped to 226 lbs. Minneapolis Pride Festival
this month.
JULY
Sunday in the Park with George again! Weight loss going
great. According to my Fitbit, I was no longer considered obese by the start of
July, and I was down to 208 lbs by the end of the month. I reached about 150
miles of biking by this point, but mostly stopped in favor of walking a lot.
Better calorie burn! Fourth trip to Marshall. I had 2 photos in the MAFAC photo
show. I brought home my mural paintings and 7 of my painted journals. I did my
third Owa'mni Falling Water Festival with Donna and Storm. Invited to be a
demonstrating artist at the MN State Fair. Marianne Murphy Zarzana invited me
to a literary retreat event in northern MN near Canada. I had to turn it down
due to Owa'mni. Poem a day, month 3. Honor the Earth Powwow at Lac Courte Oreilles.
AUGUST
I tried unsuccessfully to paint everyday this month. I was
still focused on walking a lot, and had a lot of preparation to do for the
Studio: HERE event at the MN State Fair. The event was amazing! I spent 10
hours cutting and gluing Cub bags, and drawing with charcoal while hundreds and
hundreds of people streamed by, sometimes asking questions or making comments.
SEPTEMBER
Weight loss goal achieved! I dropped below 200 lbs! In early
June, I weighed 235 lbs and I intended to see my weight drop below 200 by the
end of 2017. Once I got on the fitbit and started walking nearly everyday, the
lbs just kept coming off. In no time I switched my goal date to my birthday in
October. I planned to maintain this level through the end of 2017, but only
managed to stay that low for about a week and a half. Nevertheless, I made it
to 200 lbs for the first time in maybe 25 years! That was an accomplishment!
YAY ME! Back to work with new students.
OCTOBER
I turned 50 this month. Making art. Native American art display
at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church.
NOVEMBER
Native American Heritage Month art show at Community Grounds
coffeeshop with Marlena Myles. Native artist residency at Kenwood Elementary.
DECEMBER
Looking back at my 2017...
Lots of art...
- · Two months of drawing everyday.
- · Ahab - Digital manipulation of original painting . (Cover art for Carter Meland - Stories of a Lost Child).
- · Owa'mni Falling Water Festival
- · MN State Fair: Studio:HERE artist and "Juicy Fruit" shown and sold for $1000
- · Shepherd of the Valley: Native American cultural display
- · Kenwood Elementary: Native American Artists' Residency (with first graders)
- · Community Grounds: Native American Heritage Month, show with Marlena Myles. (Sold: Stone Arch Bridge photo for $50 and Seven Crows ink for $100).
- · One ink drawing accepted for 2018 Bring Her Home at All My Relations Arts
Publications this year...
- · Diaphanous Journal: Swoon, Cthulhu Alight in my Underpants, In the Long Stillness of Quiet Days, "...though this loft be of a blushy bent," Scrawl in the Herbal. "Pink James in Faux Knuckle" (digital photograph).
- · Midway Journal: Thumb
- · Texas Review: Therein My Slender Button, Of Misakakojiish.
Favorite memories...
- · Spending time with amazing friends.
- · Walking nearly everyday, often with Donna, Storm, Bette, Ikhlas, Kristin, Jennifer, Diane, Faye, Sharon or Dale. Mostly though, I walked alone and found out that I really enjoy it.
- · Many trips to Marshall and Superior/Duluth.
- · Losing quite a bit of weight. I had lost 35 lbs at one point and got below 200 lbs. I didn't quite manage to maintain that level, but I ended 2017 weighing about 25 lbs less than I did at the beginning of the year. That's where I start 2018 now.
- · Making lots of new art and writing 100 new poems.
- · Theater: Sunday in the Park with George (2x), A Christmas Carol.
- · Concerts: Sondre Lerche, Bishop Briggs, Alt J.
