Sunday, February 13, 2011

"My writing today is someone's reading for tomorrow, my reading today is someone's writing from yesterday."


For 19 years I often wonder why I write in a 200 page, no lines, artist tablet almost daily. Today I called my first granddaughter, Jordan, age 17 1/2 to share what I wrote 17 1/2 years ago when she was an embryo of 22 weeks swimming in her mother's womb. She cried and then thanked me for writing my feelings for her before she was born.

2-14-1993
Living Book #1

12:30 p.m.


Jenn went and visited Stuart today. She had a 15 minute ultrasound. She just called to tell me her baby has everything-good lungs, a heartbeat of 150 BPM [good range is between 130-160] I remember reading somewhere that a fast heartbeat could be a girl. I know that's what Jenn wants. I think she will be happy with whatever she gets.

It's a Miracle
I see
the baby's foot,
heart,
tummy,
femur,
spine,
brain
and all four quadrants.

It's a miracle

I see three sneezes
and
one thumb suck.

It's a miracle
a wiggly little person
swimming around inside
my baby,
swimming here
and
swimming there,
twisting here
and
turning there.

Today,
I saw a miracle!

2-14-93

Do you think you can use your Living Book to make the commonplace seem marvelous?

2010
Jordan has been accepted to University of Arizona
She is waiting to hear from nine more Universities from around the country!

"My writing today is someone's reading for tomorrow, my reading today is someone's writing from yesterday."
Randi Allison

Monday, February 7, 2011

A good place to begin is at the beginning...

A good place for me to begin would be my beginning, which I suppose the beginning is a good place for most anyone to begin...

July 8,1992
Dear Living Book #1,

Welcome #1! I'm not sure welcome to what, but together you and I will figure it out. Don at the summer institute said, "If it's not for us, it's not for them." I knew I wanted a place to house my thinking. I do know one thing though and that is I don't want you to be my journal-I've kept tons of journals and they don't sound like my living. Rereading the journals I've kept, I noticed that I write about waking up, what I did that day, and going to bed! BORING- My intent is for you to help me see my living through my writing, and not report my living, and hopefully, I will be able to tell the difference!
Love,
Randi



Today, February 7, 2011, almost 20 years later I have filled 43 Living Books-Yes 43! Today I unpacked all 43 from my file cabinets and surrounded myself in my life of the last 19 1/2 years. My writing has captured love, birth, death, friendship, poetry, thinking, learning, process, understanding...





Life,
my life,

welcome to it!