Spiders are speaking to me!

I’ve got a lot of spiders around my property. I spray so they aren’t too bad in my house, but I come across spiders on kind of a regular basis. My garage and storage shed are like Arachnophobia.

photo  ©2008  Jelene Morris, Flickr

I try to avoid killing spiders – I don’t know why. Maybe because I watched a documentary about India’s religious beliefs that showed a monk scooping up a big nasty spider and setting it free rather than killing it for fear it might be a reincarnated relative. I’m not saying I believe or don’t believe in reincarnation – not the point – but maybe it just seems kind of wrong for some reason destroying life God created. So as long as they aren’t gigantic, or over my bed, or in a location I find threatening, I don’t sic my husband on them.

Nevertheless, today in particular spiders have been approaching me in odd places – like on a sweater in Forever 21 . . . that’s odd. No I didn’t kill it. Sorry girl screaming in dressing room.

One created a web off my husband’s car’s tire.

Then at an appointment, I pull out my notepad, which I take everywhere with me – friends can attest even to the bar – what? I’m a writer! Anyway, I pull it out and open it up and there smooshed between my notes on fire-dancing and my grocery list is a little flat spider. Mind you, I had just come from the grocery store, and it’s like 100 degrees outside, so where this spider came from, when and why he crawled into my purse, I’m not sure, but some time from the grocery store to the end of my appointment, he got squished. Sorry – if you are a relative, I’m sure your going on to the next better cycle in reincarnation.

Although I went eeeeuuuuwwww, the gal at my appointment says – “I wonder what that means?”

“That I need to spray my house again?”

“I’m sure it means more than that.” Then she pulls out a purple book, the kind with the old timey thread cover, no jacket flap. It has a gold silhouette of a Native American dream catcher on it and the words Medicine Cards. Interesting. She flips it open to the chapter with a big spider image over a symbolic looking web design and reads something to this affect – “The spider means you need to create, create, create, but you may be approaching some kind of entanglement and may want to consider new methods for approaching your creations. Consider journaling and writing your thoughts out.”  

photo  ©2011  Jules Antonio, Flickr

“Whoa!”

So I doubt anyone noticed, but I haven’t posted a blog or vlog in a couple of weeks. I just haven’t felt motivated or like it was very important in comparison to my husband’s preparation for a two-month deployment – he’s a Chief in the U.S. Navy. I’ve also been anticipating getting some work done on my second novel The Binding of Saint Barbara – in fact – I’m not working this summer and made it a goal to finish this second novel in that time period, but I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by it and with lots of little issues popping up from my husband’s departure, I’ve been easily distracted.

Plus, I have felt overwhelmed by hundreds of questions and uncertainties rolling around in my head about various creative decisions I need to make. I’m considering moving on from A White Room, putting it aside and working on the next couple books for a while. However, my reading competition and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association competition has been brought in such wonderful feedback that I want to do another edit and send out to agents again. Simultaneously, I’ve been plotting a return to college to get my MFA in Creative Writing, which is a huge risk for my back injury because sitting exacerbates the problem. And on the microcosm front, I’m in the throws of a three-month war with the show don’t tell rule and am considering new perspectives . . . oooo does that entice you?

I guess all this nervous energy has lured spiders to me, and they are suggesting I try something new . . . how I’m going to apply that advice I’m not quite sure yet. You should always take time when contemplating messages from SPIDERS! Nevertheless, I’m really pleased they are encouraging me to continue my creative work.

YaY! The spiders are on my side. I’ll try not to smoosh you but if you are in my purse, you are asking for it!

An ant just crawled up my wall while editing this blog – I took off my flip flop and squashed it. I have no mercy for ants.