She had me at “cow town”
Oh, my.
I love to shop on Etsy. Real artists making art. I’ve made a conscious commitment to buy handmade.
My dream is to create a small shop at 37day.net that will include only handmade objects that relate to my blog and book (did I mention I’ve written a book?), so in service to that vision, I’ve been exploring Etsy to find artists whose work I love, then asking if they are interested in creating 37days art. (Are you interested? Please provide a link to your work in the comments!)
One day last week, I found beautiful tiles with words on them. My very favorite color. I wrote to ask.
Rachel wrote back. Turns out, that the very day I wrote to her was Day 37 of a big life change. She was struck by the synchronicity. So was I. Said she’d love to create some prototypes of tiles with the six practices for intentional living that are outlined in LIFE IS A VERB.
When she sent the photos of them, I burst into tears.
There is something about seeing art made from your words that defies description. I felt that way, too, when all the amazing art flowed in from readers around the world to illustrate the book.
I loved the tiles. Wanted to tile my kitchen so I’d see the six practices every morning when I wake up and stumble in there to make coffee. Wanted to 
tile my shower so I could meditate on them in the steam. Wanted to create a path of them in my garden. Wanted to carry them all in my handbag so when people irritate me as they are wont to do sometimes AND ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON IS THERE A PLANET IN RETROGRADE?, I could reach in and feel the outline of the words and calm myself right down. I sent the photographs to Mr Brilliant:
"It must feel pretty good seeing your words incised in something (that isn’t a tombstone). AND HEY: speaking of tombstones, looks like she lives in the city where Oliver Loving is buried–remembered, Goodnight-Loving Trail? It was the promise Charlie G made to Oliver to carry his rotting corpse back to TX that inspired old Larry to write Lonesome Dove. So Oliver’s trail ended there–she could probably drive there in 15 minutes and put a pebble on his grave if she was so inclined. Your potter lives a few miles from where the trail began for one of your favorite books. Pretty poetic. You should share with her–its a good story."
I think Larry McMurtry’s novel, Lonesome Dove, is a Great American Novel. In fact, Mr Brilliant is working on a book about the series of McMurtry novels that are connected to Lonesome Dove. That’s how much we like it.
I sent his story to the potter. "Yes!" she wrote back. "We DO live near where Charlie Goodnight is buried – at the Greenwood Cemetery – AND we live off of Greenwood Road. AND Lonesome Dove is one of OUR favorite books too – at LEAST once a year, we get out our Lonesome Dove CD set and watch the entire thing yet again. We know it by heart. AND – MY husband’s name is Larry. SO many parallels. It is Synchronicity and Serendipity."
She continued: "When I first read the book, Lonesome Dove, I was trail riding about once a month, living in Austin, and I grieved for an entire month when I finished it. For Gus, AND for the book itself, that it was over. I was so profoundly moved by that story and completely taken and emotionally involved with all of the very colorful characters – of course, especially Gus McCrae. And now I live here – at least 20 years later."
Synchronicity and Serendipity. Her beautiful Life is a Verb tiles will be available for sale (either individually or in a set of 6) soon in the 37 days shop. Do you like them as much as I do? 
