This week was a two fortune week. I have 84 fortunes to embroider, so some weeks are going to feature two or three fortunes depending on how much time I have in my schedule. The nice thing about fortunes, is that they're relatively short and I can divide the words up across the week. Both of these fortunes fall into a category I like to call "gentle advice fortunes." Fortune cookie fortunes fall into several different categories. I hope there's at least one of each type in the box. I guess we'll see.
I'm not sure if I've captured every category of fortune, but these are the ones I've encountered most often:
- Gentle Advice - these fortunes give advice but in a gentle, friendly way. They feel like a warm cup of cocoa and a nice conversation with a friend.
- Vague Advice - more like a suggestion fortune.
- Specific Advice - these fortunes give you a specific action to take or a timeline in which you should do something.
- Burn It to the Ground Advice - this is the type of fortune that inspires you to quit your job, sell your possessions, and spend the rest of your life driving around listening to the Rumors album and I don't know, helping local police officers solve crimes.
- Inspirational Fortune - inspire us to be better people or follow our dreams or some such thing.
- Possibly Inappropriate Fortune - these fortunes aren't necessarily inappropriate, but could be taken as inappropriate in certain contexts.
- Not a Fortune - this is the type of fortune that talks about something like the magic of books or how friends are good or something benign but usually pleasant.
Fortunes can be more than one type. This week's fortunes are both gentle advice fortunes, but Fortune 2 has some specifics (this Friday) and is also vague (there's no direction on how to let go of the past). Fortune 3 is specific (I need to take a vacation) and also inspirational.
Fortune 2 is my favorite of this week's fortunes. I like the idea of letting go in the past, but exactly how does one let go of the past? There are physical ways, like writing down a list of things to let go of and burning it or tearing it to pieces. I could smash something (I've actually done this before and it's wonderfully cathartic). Another option is to simply let the past go in my mind and heart.
Interestingly, I didn't really do any of these things. I thought about doing the list and burning it, but when I sat down and tried to write the list, I had a hard time putting the words to paper. Then I randomly reconnected with a former colleague of mine earlier in the week and we had an absolutely lovely conversation on Friday, the day I was supposed to let go of the past. Having this conversation with this person was a great way to let go. I remember the fun and joy I had when I worked with them and other people I don't speak to much anymore, and it was very freeing. It was nice to catch up and to talk about where we are in our lives today and offer some work advice/observations. It wasn't what I planned to do on Friday to "let go of the past and embrace the future," but I think it was the best way to let go of the past and embrace the future. What else will happen as I embroider these fortunes?
Here are this week's fortunes and lucky numbers:
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| Fortune 2 |
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| January 5 |
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| January 6 |
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| January 7 |
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| January 8 (Fortune 2's lucky numbers) |
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| January 8 - I think the 22s look like swans. |
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| Fortune 3 |
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| January 9 |
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| January 10 |
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| January 11 - all the twos look like swans. |
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| Fortunes 1-3 |
WIPs: Woodlawn and Groundhog Day Cards
I'm woefully behind on my Woodlawn entries, but I did start one last night. I think I'll be able to finish them this week and complete my application before the deadline in February.
Groundhog Day cards are done for the most part. Thirty-one people signed up for cards and I have a few left that don't have homes. If you'd like a card but haven't signed up yet, you have until Friday, January 16 to fill out
this form.
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| I think I'm going to send this one to my brother. The stamp ink didn't show up on the dark paint so I colored over it with a Posca marker and the marker picked up the stamp. I may try to color it in more before I mail it to him. |
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