Tag Archives: Online Writing

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shanjeniah’s Blog Features Schedule

Sunday:

  • ROW80 Update – shanjeniah

  • Sunday Sampler – shanjeniah

Monday:

  • Coffee and Conversation – shanjeniah

Tuesday:

  • Time Machine Tuesday- shanjeniah

Wednesday:

  • ROW80 Update – shanjeniah

  • Wordless Wednesday – The Unfettered Life

  • WIPpet Wednesday (pending) – Trueborn Jottings.

Thursday:

  • Thursday’s Treat – shanjeniah

Friday:

  • Friday Frolic – shanjeniah

Saturday:

  • Saturday’s Share- shanjeniah

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Tsunamis of Words

 

The tsunami had already commenced, before my first birthday.

I’ve been writing since I was a little girl, but, for many years, my writing was sporadic and hidden. If anyone said anything remotely critical about it, I would react by retreating, defending, and feeling crushed.

Recently, in a swirling stew of ingredients, I got a flash of insight into why this was so.

As so many things do, for me, it goes back to childhood, and habits and patterns I learned there, which have remained, hidden beneath all those extra words, rambling explanations…my verbal, nearly compulsive need to get out ALL the details, at once, without forgetting anything, to follow all side trails…

I have a long and intense string of memories, that come with a single catch phrase, in my mother’s voice.

” I love when you follow me around and prattle at me.”

I did it often. My mother would bustle about, cleaning and cooking…she likes things just so, likely as a direct response to a childhood where very little was as she would have liked it to be. With an untidy husband and four children, there was plenty to do.

She is also prone to withdrawing her affection for perceived slights – usually, without ever really explaining why, and sometimes for days in a row. She tends to see people in assigned roles, and each of her children had at least one.

Mine tended to be “the smart one”, “the good one”, “the different one”, “the closet philosopher”, and “the ditzy one with no common sense“.

I learned early that most of these were pretty good roles, ones that I wanted to keep, because there was a nearly constant maternal pitting against and judging of us four children, and it was definitely worthwhile to stay on my mother’s good side.

Communing with goats at age 11. I had plenty to say to them, too…

So, once I learned that I could entertain her with a tsunami of what was going on in my head, I brought forth all the words and ideas I could muster.

I’ve been told I think too much (although I think it’s the perfect amount for me), and I tend to get rapid-fire ideas from many sources – engaged conversation has always lit me up.

I used words the way Scheherazade used those Arabian Nights, to keep my mother entertained, to curry her favor…and, later, to win arguments, to keep a conversation going, even when the other party was clearly ready to move on…

In all cases, what I was staving off was a sense of rejection.

As I learned more about myself, and how to communicate with others, I began to see the need for concise language, well-constructed thoughts, and an understanding of purpose. Gradually, this has carried over into all of my writing.

Now, I am able to trim dross, to recognize what I need to do to find it in the first place. I can even ask others to read things and give their honest opinion, and to evaluate this without taking it as an assessment of my value as a writer.

With this new bit of personal insight, I feel a deeper shift coming… I listen to Paul Simon‘s music, lush with layers and textures, emotions and imagery, poetry and wisdom – and I am in awe. He uses so few words….and conveys so much. I see it now, in myself. Not just the what. Also, the why…

And I feel that makes a difference that will grow, from here….in writing, and in life.

Taking time for quiet contemplation….an emerging skill. Photo by Eden Mabee.

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Curious? Click here!

Trusting Myself: My ROW80 Round One Update, 1/23/13:

Post-first evaluation goals

Goals, sans commentary

  • Goals on target or completed are noted as such.

  • Major goals appear in bolded blue.

  • Minor goals appear in bolded black.

  • Bolded black or blue italics denote time frames for completion.

Creating:

WIP Novels:

Complete rough draft of Sima Garo Provides. Aim for 2 scenes each week (~3000 words), and notes for each scene.

  • I completed the notes for Chapter Twelve, Scene Two (19minutes).

Read through Chameleon’s Dish and Bounded by a Nutshell, making general notes as I go. Make task lists for next steps for both novels.

  • Chameleon’s Dish -

  • I have added notes and placeholder files for the as-yet unwritten scenes that will eventually take this WIP from novella to novel length.

  • Note-taking goal accomplished for this WIP.

  • Next, I will begin the task list for this project. I am targeting February 10 as my tentative completion date.

  • Bounded by a Nutshell -

  • I began the note-taking process for this novel with Chapter One, Scene One, where rereading strongly suggested a change in POV character, and a near-immediate introduction of a secondary plot complication.

  • I attained my goal of beginning before the January 27 update.

  • My new goal is to complete note-taking on Chapters One-Five before the 1/27 update.

Begin timelines for both stories, throughout all WIP and extrapolated novels.

  • Sima Garo Provides -

  • Synopsis complete through Chapter One.

  • I will reach Chapter Five of this process by the January 27 update.

  • Bounded by a Nutshell -

  • I had intended only to work on only one synopsis at a time, but I realized that it would be simpler and more efficient to add this one, as I move through each scene in the note-taking process.

  • I have completed Chapter One, Scene One.

  • My goal is to complete the synopsis through Chapter Five by the 1/27 update.

Flash Fiction:

Create new flash fiction weekly through prompts, challenges, envisioning WIP scenes, and original ideas.

  • I wrote the rough draft of an as-yet untitled flash fiction piece, experimenting with an alternate scene for Bounded by a Nutshell, Chapter One, Scene One.

  • I reread and moved to a LibreOffice file for revision.

Revise existing pieces in my Writing Bullpen files, with an eye to submitting and/or creating a collection for a potential book. Aim for one biweekly.

  • I chose to work first onThe Last House.

  • I reread, so that I can allow the imagery to flow. I have a basic sense of what I want to accomplish in revision.

  • Next story up will be A Splash of Red, and then Morning Coffee.

  • I will have revised at least one story by the Sunday, January 27 update.

Submit at least one short story to a paying market each month.

  • See above for revision status of this month’s story.

  • I will submit before next Sunday (1/27).

Exposition:

Return to 750 words.com. Use this space for free expository writing at least every other day, and strive to complete every day of the round.

Write book reviews forBowlful of BunniesandFinding Esta, once I have finished reading them.

Bowlful of Bunnies – reading completed.

  • I wrote impressions for the review during my Sunday expository writing time.

  • I’ve arranged the color-blocked passages into a rough order.

  • Next, I will revise, and expand the passages into a rough draft.

  • My goal is to have completed rough draft by January 27.

Finding Esta -Reading is complete.

  • I will write my original impressions and notes during Thursday’s expository writing session.

  • Reading goal completed before personal deadline of 1/23.

Complete one essay or other piece of expository writing each week.

  • I will be revising the rough writing I did on my family issue during the last session.

  • I’ve reread the impressions, and have allowed myself processing time.

  • During freewriting, I began to explore the idea of obedience vs, judgment, something I have been pondering for quite a while now.

  • I will be returning to this idea, as well, during the next days.

Connecting:

Blogging:

Create blog rolls for shanjeniah (writers and resources), and Trueborn Jottings (resources and inspiration).

  • Links added to my spiffy new blogroll:

  • ROW80

  • Kristen Lamb’s Blog

  • Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

  • I’ve decided to work first on shanjeniah, and then Trueborn Jottings, simply because shanjeniah is more often visited, is older, and many links from there will also be relevant at Jottings.

Edit sidebars and layout for all blogs (excepting childrens’ reporting blogs).

  • I created a list of next steps for shanjeniah’s sidebar, and will move through this list, adding new items as they occur:

  • Check page list – delete or hide ones that are no longer relevant.

  • Search bar to top of page.

  • Replace participant NaNo 2012 badge with Winner’s Badge.

  • Add August CampNaNo Winner’s Badge and WIP Title

  • Blog calendar under Pages.

  • Complete these first five steps by January 27 update.

  • Update Unfettered badge.

  • Add link to Trueborn Jottings

  • Update Facebook badge.

  • Add Twitter, Pinterest badges.

  • Blog follow under calendar.

  • Archives under blog follow.

  • I will have this sidebar edited by February 15.

Write at least one post weekly for three major blogs (shanjeniah; TruebornJottings, andThe Unfettered Life.

  • My pending posts for this week, and their status:

  • Obedience Vs. Judgment (WIP)- The Unfettered Life

  • Using Pinterest for Worldbuilding (idea) – Trueborn Jottings

  • Written Beatings, or Speaking my Truth? (WIP) – shanjeniah.

Visiting:

Complete all ROW80 sponsor visits twice weekly; comment, and share posts I read.

  • Blogs I’ve visited this session:

  • Goal completed for this session.

Read weekly at a writer-oriented blog that appeals to me; comment; share; learn; absorb, try, grow.

  • Using the Twelve Stages of Physical Intimacy To Build Tension In Your Novel

  • I love, love LOVE this sexy post!

  • I wanted to comment, but it’s an older post, and I can’t…so, I believe this will be the topic of next week’s shanjeniah post.

Submit guest posts, at least once monthly.

  • Goal completed for January.

  • I will begin my February post by the January 30 update.

Social Media:

Visit Pinterest, SheWrites, or StoryDam at least weekly. Get a better sense of how each works, and build my presence there with sharing, commenting, and asking questions.

  • Pinterest – Trolled the main page and repinned some items. Food, decorating, crafts, inspiration.

  • She Writes – Posted to a group; skimmed groups, my page, and a few comments. Still not sure where this site fits into my social media life…or if it does.

  • StoryDam – Checked the lay of the land, commented.

  • Goal completed for this week.

Continue visiting and interacting through Facebookand Twitter, especially via relevant groups, several times a week.

  • Facebook – Groups, a bit of scrolling and sharing, comments.

  • Twitter – Just a quick peek; no interaction as yet.

ExploreLinked In and WANATribe every other week. Both have things to offer, and are my newest social media connections. I want to get to know them better, slowly.

  • WANATribe – I’m starting to get a feel for the place. I signed up forWANA: The Next Generation, and for the first day of the inauguralWANACon, as well. I would have loved to do both days, but I don’t think my family is ready for me to be less available two days running, nor can I easily see where I would find funds for both, just now (my Spousal Budget Coordinator assures me one day was possible, even with my blog upgrade – yup, he loves me!).

  • I feel that WANATribe may become a vital link in my writing network.

  • LinkedIn – Peeked in quickly; posted status update.

  • Still a bit on the fence about how well this will ultimately fit into my life, but willing to give it time…

  • Goal attained for this two weeks.

Claiming:

Poetry Book Project:

Complete a rough draft compilation, with dedication, introduction, and conclusion.

  • Using the notes I wrote last week, I crafted a 274 word rough introduction.

  • This step completed before the January 27 update.

  • I will reread all poems in preparation for crafting the conclusion.

  • I will have all poems reread by February 1.

Gather art and images for inclusion in the book.

  • I created an Art and Images folder in the Queen of My Infinite Spaces binder, and successfully uploaded and saved one photo, as experimentation.

  • Move all the personal photos used in relevant blog posts to the new folder by January 30 update.

Gather resources for learning how to publish ebooks.

  • I know that I have some, mostly scattered aroundFacebook.

  • I created a tag in myPocket app for these, and added one link to it.

  • Do a search for other e-publishing sources, and continue adding links throughout the round.

Owning My Perspective and Experiences:

At least once weekly, use expository writing time to explore memories, wounds, healing, perspective, or personal philosophy.

  • I wrote just over 750 words, partly on the intro to this post; the rest on obedience vs. judgment, which will appear in The Unfettered Life.

  • Goal attained for this week.

Continue my eating and health goals from Round 4, 2012. Aim to get to the Y once alone, and once with the children, each week.

  • I made it to the Y for my third consecutive week. My right knee, which I injured while mowing the lawn last May, was quite painful, perhaps due to approaching storms.

  • I still managed to increase the duration, variety, and intensity of my workout (I am attempting to keep this gradual, because I want to be able to find a balanced and sustainable level that feels good to my body and soul).

  • Still mulling how to effect a car share, but it’s now become a higher priority, because Jeremiah mentioned today that he’d like to plan a trip to the State Museum…thus far, I have not gotten the children to the Y.

  • I am continuing to eat intuitively, with a recent increase in variety, and more attention to water and eating more foods closer to their original state.

  • My writing energy has encompassed Ebb and Slack Tides. A large shift in the kids’ sleep schedules, and my lingering mild queasiness and knee pain, meant a lower -key time, creatively, as did Jim’s weekend, and shifted workout days.

  • Other than writing and my workout, I also spent more time in Annalise’s room, did general hometending, and restocked the house wood supply against the coming cold.

Reclaiming Our Home:

  • Clean Annalise’s and Jeremiah’s bedrooms, creating spaces of welcome and haven for them, with room for their favorite things and activities.

  • Jim helped me bring in the very large new set of shelves.

  • I cleaned Lise’s closet shelves, bookshelves, and corner cubby drawers.

  • Together we organized most of the new shelves.

  • I began her corner cubby (last surface in the room!).

  • I’m on track to finish these by the 25th.

  • We will go through bins and bags, and her room will be done by the 30th, so that I will have a day off before shifting her room to maintenance mode and beginning Jeremiah’s on February 1st.

Work on general decuttering at least five days a week, focusing on a clutter-prone area when time, attention, and energy allow.

  • I spent time in general decluttering.

  • I cleaned some outgrown clothes from the table in the living room.

  • I have cleaned 2 of 3 days, so far this week, and am on track to meet this goal for the week.

A few last points:

I plan to work on each major goal every session, and work in the minor goals as my time and focus allow.

  • I managed every goal but the kitchen one and blogging ones (not listed here) this session – but that one is on hold until March, so doesn’t really count.

  • This is the best showing I’ve had, thus far. Yay me! =D

I will evaluate my goals, progress and preferences biweekly. on Sunday, and adjust accordingly.

  • Next evaluation will be posted as my Sunday, February 3 update.

It’s a BLOG HOP!

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I Ask No Forgiveness – OctPo WriMo, Oct. 26

Curious? Click here!

I Ask No Forgiveness

I ask no forgiveness

For this slapdash poem.

You see, I was lost in another world

And forgot until now

That a poem was waiting within me

For its moment of birth.

And where is this other reality that held me?

This other world I lost myself in?

It is, too, my child, in a sense

Borne of me just as this poem.

It was, until yesterday, a world

I had lost.

And thought gone beyond retrieving

I gave thought to recreating,

And yet knew it could never

be the same as it had been

At conception, or at birth.

From the lost fog of a broken hard drive

Ministered by wise minds and gentle hands

My world has been reborn

Freed from its restricting

Plastic and electronic prison.

It breathes again, and fills my soul

With wild, elemental beauty

I must delve and soar there

I am captured

Captivated

Spellbound

And cannot return

Until I am released.

And so today I offer

This ragged feral scrap

Perhaps a pretender to poetry

And then I return to my

Prosey -world immersion.

And I ask no forgiveness

At all

For following the scent-trail

Of my own bliss.

English: Robert Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions

English: Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s a BLOG HOP!

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Yet Another Love Poem – Oct. 25, 2012

Curious? Click here!

Yet Another Love Poem

 

I

Love you.

Is a phrase

Often spoken

Yet seldom defined.

What does it mean to love?

Of what benefit is it

To lover and their beloved

Beyond the sweet-nothing empty words?

I have been trapped in love’s cruelest prison

Where my love was commanded but not earned.

Where I was a mannequin, unreal

My purpose to feed hungry need

To give love but not receive

My own soul discarded

Unknown and unseen

Irrelevant

To the one

Who claims

Love.

Yet

There is

Another

Way to be loved.

It does not depend

Upon anyone but me.

Only I know how deep I am

The thoughts and feelings in my soul

The swirling firmament of selfness

The universes of things that are me.

We too too often give ourselves away

Pursuing love, chasing affection.

Selling out our own truest selves

Hollow vapid lost touches

Shadow touching shadow

When we are our own.

Hold and cherish

Your treasure

Above all

Else.

Me loving myself by singing at the NEUC 2011 talent show.

 It’s a BLOG HOP!

 

 

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And…We’re off! -ROW80 Goals Update, 10/4/12

Curious? Click here!

A Few Words About Honoring Myself:

 How is your Round 4 kickoff going?  off to a roaring start?  Still gearing up? Revamping? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! 

This is the goal – the only goal – I have set for this round. So, how am I doing?

  • When threads on a Facebook group I belong to got nasty, I tried to defuse the hostility, and had one of my posts reported and deleted. In four years on Facebook, this has never happened before. I was hurt, and angry…my words, carefully chosen and crafted, just gone.

  • I could have held onto it, or ignored the pain it caused. I’ve done both, habitually, in the past.

  • This time, though, I let myself feel the hurt and injustice. And I took action. I wrote to Facebook, and I posted on the group’s page (I believe I was reported by a reactive and hostile group member). I stated that I would not be posting there unless the atmosphere became more peaceful. When the page owner contacted me, I suggested she create standards for appropriate posting.

  • And then, I released it. I decided that with two challenges starting, and all the positive feedback I had gotten from posters to that group, that I had done all I wanted to do, there, for now.

  • Instead of obsessing, I wrote my first poem, commented on sponsor posts, and spent time with my family. Oh, and I watched Castle on the nice flatscreen in the living room, rather than the old analog in our room, which is dying, and has a habit of turning itself on and off without warning, often repeatedly (we’ll be replacing that, when the budget will accommodate it! Until then, it’s, shall we say, an adventure to attempt to watch anything on it!).

Mother and son, July 2011.

  • On Monday, two friends sent me Facebook messages to share poems they’d been inspired to write after reading my posts related to OctPoWriMo. Their poems were things of beauty and truth, and this came on the heels of the deleted post debacle, and so were doubly sweet. How gratifying to know that my words fed someone else’s creative impulse!

  • During a stressful moment on Tuesday, I told Jim that my feelings had been hurt by something he said. He responded in a way that might, in other times, have easily led to an argument.

  • Instead of answering reactively, which would have been easy, I took a deep breath and explained that I need to be able to express my feelings and tell him when I find something he’s done hurtful. I then said that it was only a big problem if he chose to make it one…

  • And then, I dropped it, and went elsewhere. This is huge for me. Jim needs space, and time, to consider these things, but I have a tendency to drill away, trying to force my point home.

  • A few minutes later, Jim came to hug and kiss me, and to apologize, and the stress of it evaporated. =D

  • I am honoring my energy levels, need for food and sleep, convictions, and my creative impulses. It feels good and right.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly in our front cottage garden, summer 2011.

ROW80 Goals Update 10/4/12 (original goals post)

Monday, October 1 – Energy Style:Slack Tide

Me, my girl, and a horse….winter 2005.

  • I wrote and posted my ROW80 goals in Honoring Myself, and shared on the Linky.

  • I read all of my current sponsor team posts.

  • I commented on a goals post, and shared to my Writer Page.

  • I gave some thought to my sponsor post. I know the direction I want to take, but not exactly what and how I want to say it, as yet.

  • I began, in a very nebulous way, to think about projects well-suited to Ebb Tide and High Tide energies.

  • I began to open my mind to King of Infinite Space. That’s a necessary first step for me, as I need time to dream and begin to feel the story moving through me before I can write it with any degree of depth or truth.

Tuesday, October 2 – Energy Style: Slack Tide, moving

Poppy in our cottage garden, summer 2011.

toward High Tide

I began my Ebb Tide and High Tide lists, brainstorming categories of things to work on.

  • Unfortunately, I apparently lost the list, because I can’t seem to find it (at least, not yet) in my DropboxWriting Bullpen files…maybe it’s that I’m very sleepy, and a bit flummoxed about how to work, and it will appear later. If not, having done it once, it will be easier to reconstruct.

  • Either way, the next step will be to come up with at least a few specific projects for each category. I’m not looking for a comprehensive list, just a few options that will keep me moving forward in a variety of areas.

  • I completed my first set of sponsor visits – before my first Wednesday poster. I was hoping to achieve that!

  • I am really enjoying these visits. It was something that fell far, far by the wayside during Round 3, and left me feeling isolated – and a little guilty.

  • I will link the posts I read at the end of this check-in. It’s a fascinating and inspiring collection!

  • I answered perhaps a dozen comments in the backlog for shanjeniah. This, too, has been causing me anxiety, and I am feeling pretty danged terrific about doing something about it!

  • I wrote and posted my OctPoWriMo poem for October 2, School Bus Paradox, and, to this point, have answered all the comments it has received.

  • I read, but haven’t yet commented on, another poster’s poems, linked below.

  • I took a moment to post a status update on my Writer page.

  • I chatted with a ROW80 friend, Charis Maloy, via Facebook chat.

  • I moved a fair amount of firewood into the garage before the rain. I stacked some, but mostly tossed it into an empty place to stack anytime.

  • The woodpile, currently, is more like a scattering, so, if the weather permits, I will be gathering it in, where we can tarp what won’t currently fit into the garage. The weather is expected to be unseasonably warm and humid for the next several days, so we aren’t likely to burn any wood for a bit.

  • I took a little time to get to know our new-to-us car, while Jim and the kids enjoyed washing and waxing, and Jim did a few maintenance and repair projects on it.

A younger me at Catskill game farm, lovin’ on some baby goats.


Now, for my thoughts on the specific projects I listed in my goals post:

  • I am serving as a sponsor for this round.

  • As noted above, I completed my nines, and did so before today’s first posted.

  • I met some fascinating people, and have found interesting tidbits to follow up on.

  • I found at least as much inspiration as I may have given – and maybe, that’s part of the point?

  • I am treating this as a gift to myself….and I love it!

  • I plan on beginning my sponsor post tomorrow or Thursday. I was a little late with my bio, so I would love to get this to Kaita bit early, and ease her mind a bit.

  • I know the basic idea I wish to explore; the shape will hopefully emerge through freewriting.

  • I am participating in the OctPo WriMo Challenge throughout October.

  • As noted above, I have completed two poems.

  • I like both, and am enjoying the realization that I can write happy, peaceful poetry. I spent years thinking I could only write poetry when life was tangled and angst-ridden.

  • This, too, has proven to be a gift to myself – a way of attending more deeply to moments in my life, and of celebrating this life, and myself.

  • I am awed by some of the other poetry I am reading, and realizing that I need more of that in my life.

  • I will be participating in NaNoWriMo throughout November, writing at least 50,000 words of another novel in my Trueborn series, King of Infinite Space. I might plan or sketch out parts ahead of time, or I might just leap in blind, with only the vaguest sense of where I am headed, which tends to work out for me.

  • I have begun the nebulous process of letting my dreams play with the base ideas for this story, as I currently envision them. This is a process, for me, which I hope will reveal some degree of direction and form before November.

  • I stumbled into a really terrific timeline idea, and, since I will be needing two timelines for the Trueborn series, I think I will be giving it a try during the next weeks.

  • I will be answering a rather embarrassing backlog of blog comments that have, in some cases, waited for months…it’s time – actually, far past time – to attend to these, acknowledge those who took the time to comment, and, in the process, enrich myself.

  • As noted above, I answered perhaps a dozen…some, over two months old!

  • I have kept up with new (since the round started) comments, as well. I figure the two-prong approach will keep me from building a new backlog while I work my way through the existing one.

  • This works well with the sponsor visits, because I like to read posts, then mull them for a while before commenting. I can fill in some of the space between with answering my own comments, and it seems to have a synergistic effect.

Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, near where Jim proposed to me.

What’s coming up, during the next days..?

  • In addition to the projects above, I will be adding:

  • Moving firewood, as weather permits

  • Editing and adding photos to my Picasa albums, and sharing these more widely.

  • Assembling the IHIPs and other paperwork for the school district (due October 12)

  • Moving ahead with the reporting pages project on The Unfettered Life.

Jim and I, August 23, 1997….the birthday of our family. <3

And lastly, my reading list…:

Lovers on the Metro -headed into Washington, D.C. – September, 2008

 Need more ROW?  It’s a BLOG HOP!

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Click the icon to learn more…

How do you ease back in to a more typical life after a major project winds down?  I’d love to know!

Sometimes, I am social, and my blogs swell. I write many posts, flash fiction stories, essays, comments, and the like.

I am out and about in the writing world, something of a social gadfly…

And then there are those other times, when something I am writing takes me over, or other matters do, or life does, or some combination of those.

This has been one of those times, and I imagine it will be, for the rest of the month, and, with a trip and a birthday to celebrate in the first days of September, it could stretch further….

Channeling her inner wildcat and her outer fashionista!

So I am here, resuming posted updates, but not yet ready for huge posts…

There are pictures, for your pleasure, in that old waitress wisdom of “Smile More; Talk Less”…

May your smiles – and your words – be abundant!

Corki – a fine specimen of a dog. Photos by Annalise Burton.

Goals for ROW80 ROWnd 3, 2012

WIP Novels:

Trueborn Series

  • Trueborn:
  • Reread current rough drafts from 1998-9ish and 2000.
  • I have read to page 194 of 342 in my second, spiral-bound draft.

    Say cheesy! =D

Chameleon’s Dish:

  • Experiment with removing Tisira’s story as a YA novel, with a potential optional add-on of the fanfic elements….not sure how this will work, exactly, but I think it might be the best approach to have something marketable without sacrificing my vision.
  • I have been exploring this in a roundabout way, as I write the rough draft of Trueborn Volume 3: To Be or Not to Be, separating original and fanfic material by chapters, which can later be split into two diverse stories.

    In full bloom! Photos by Annalise Burton.

Homeschool Administration Ad Infinitum….:

  • Standardized Test for Miah (due Sept.1).
  • Jeremiah has completed the Language Usage portion of his test, circling his answers in the answer booklet.
  • He has begun entering his answers on the Scantron bubble answer sheet, and reports that this process is “too boring”.
  • I suggested that he might want to begin the Mathematics section of the test – the final section – hooray! – as a break for the bubble-filling ennui.
  • Our goal is to have the test completed and submitted for scoring by the end of the week, and definitely before we leave for the Northeast Unschooling Conference on Thursday, August 23.
  • Begin setting up portfolios for both children – invite them to be a part of this process! =)
  • I have been collecting items for the portfolios, but haven’t done anything more in the way of portfolio building, thus far….

    Let them eat cake!

  • Relax, enjoy, learn, grow, laugh, and … BREATHE!
  • Oh yes!
  • Jeremiah researched, ordered, and received his long-awaited reconditioned laptop, and has spent considerable time exploring, adding games and apps, and beginning to research and experiment with creating flash games. This was an early birthday present.
  • I found some little flash games for assorted grammatical functions, and both kids and I have enjoyed playing them.
  • We had the kids’ joint birthday party at TreePaad, a local indoor play area. Although the power flickered throughout the day, a grand time was had by all.
  • A trip to theNew York State Museum with Eden Mabee and her Boodle. Local minerals, wildlife, carousel, logging, art gallery, hands-on area, and more.
  • A weekend visit from cousin Cameron, age 12, with a capoff trip to the YMCA for swimming and the track..
  • First trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop for Annalise, 8, and cousin Carlee, age 6. We adopted Serena the cat, and a wedding outfit for her.

    Cousins Sam and Nate, with Jim and Bonnie.

  • First overnight stay for Annalise at Carlee’s house – a continuation of their Girls’ Day.
  • A quieter evening at home for Miah, Jim and I.
  • Preparations are underway for our upcoming trip to Boston for NEUC, and, the following weekend, to Connecticut, to spend the weekend celebrating a new life, Jeremiah’s 11th birthday on September 2, and the company of friends we don’t see often enough.

    Impromptu front yard light show. Photos by Annalise.

Reading:

  • Continue reading five blogposts each week, on average.
  • I have read All Dressed Up and….
  • I meant to comment, but….well, hopefully, I will get there….

Other Writing:

  • Play with flash fiction pieces as the mood strikes; aim for two submittable stories each month.
  • I’ve been busily working on reports and writing a novel draft, so no new flash writing.
  • However, the writing is bringing up a savory stew of new ideas, and, once the novel looses its hold on me, I imagine there will be a spate of flash pieces, and that they will feel restful.
  • Play with essay ideas as desired; aim for three submittable essays each month.
  • The same thing applies here for as for the flash pieces above.

    Annalise, Jeremiah…and Alana! =)

     

  • Write at 750 Words every day, with possible hiatuses for Unschoolers Rock the Campground (July 12-16); Learn Nothing Day (July 24); Northeast Unschooling Conference (August 23-7; and kids’ birthdays (July 8, September 2).On my birthday (July 29), I WRITE!!!
  • Yes, I have done this. Lots and lots of words – over 55,000 for the month, thus far.
  • Use 750 Words for whatever – flash pieces, essays, venting, ranting, reports, book reviews, etc.
  • I have used 750 words for my novel rough draft this month, and will continue to do so, at least until the draft lets go of me. I’ve experimented a little with Written? Kitten! for freewriting.

    Birthday party fun with friends Mary, Elsie, and Christopher.

Organizing/Tootling my Horn…

  • Draft a loose Mission Statement to guide me through the rest of the ROWnd, and carry me forward into the next.
  • I have been letting this seep into me, and will review and revise when I feel ready to do so.
  • Set aside time each week to winnow email. Read items being saved for later reading, sort or dispose as indicated.
  • I am managing to keep my email volume below 50 messages. Not reading from my folders, at the moment.
  • Be bold and daring in commenting, sharing, and submitting. Declare myself, learn, grow, and sometimes do things that make me uncomfortable. Open and blossom!
  • I call writing a more or less spur of the moment novel fairly daring…
  • I have also been active on the Camp NaNoWriMo Facebook page.

    Scenes from a party….

Celebrating Life!

  • Add some form of specific motion (t’ai chi, swimming, hiking, biking, skating, dancing, etc) to each week. Keep track of what, where, when, for how long, and how I felt during and after.
  • I’ve been moving some, but not rally keeping track of it. My right knee, while still prone to catch and ache, especially when it’s stormy, is much improved since May, but is still somewhat limiting.
  • I’ve done a little more dancing, swimming, stair climbing, stretching, lots of walking, and some weeding.I am feeling a little leaner and more energetic, on the whole, but also tired often as my bosy deals with ongoing changes.

    Boodle fun!

  • Fill us all up with joy, and continue cultivating family peace.
  • Yup. Lots of joy, lots of working toward resolving our stresses and conflicts, and we seem to be settling into a slightly calmer place – until the next surge of growth, anyway!

    Cousins Cameron and Carlee party on!

  • Spend time cleaning and beautifying my personal internal and external spaces each week.
  • Not so much on the physical spaces – I made peace with only scraping the surfaces of things until the end of the month, when Camp NaNo, the homeschool administration, and the bulk of our major scheduled travel will be complete.
  • I’ve done better with internal spaces. I feel increased clarification and deepening occurring beneath the surface of things, and know this will affect my overall approach to living, going forward.

    Sweet decorations….

  • Embrace and be present in all my moments.
  • More of them than not. =)
  • Allow my emotions to be as they are. Practice expressing them calmly and reflectively.
  • Doing well with the first part, and better with the second than I have been.

    Friends Alana and Logan…and Jeremiah.

  • Tend kindly and sweetly to myself and others. =)
  • More often than not, but there is always space for improvement.
by

My Birthday ROW – Goals Update #7

Click on the image to learn more about ROW80!

What’s YOUR Mission?

From my July 29 750 Words entry: Today, in honor of my birthday, I am going to give my focus to one of my ROW80 goals, one I have been pondering quite a bit, but haven’t yet written anything for…

What I am going to do, once I stop with the procrastination that is really a way of getting myself into the right place…is to draft my Mission Statement – my declaration of what I want to accomplish with my writing, and what I want my writing to accomplish, both for myself and for my (hopefully growing and largely loyal) readership.

And possibly even the rest of the world, who might someday bump into my words.

So, 111 words later, I am centering myself in the place where I can begin (no, this won’t likely be the full or final version, just a beginning – a tossing-down of ideas and impressions….)

But I am also watching the Olympics, so I’ll start after these floor exercises…

My Mission Statement:

  • I will write only from my inner sense of truth.

  • I will write the stories in my head, and those that I dream, letting them flow from me without forcing or contriving.

  • I will write, as much a possible, from a place of kindness, and, failing that, a place of compassion.

  • I will claim the stories of my lives, even when those stories are not pretty.

  • When the stories are ugly, and others have a place in that ugliness, I will present the story with perspective and without blame – because, when people do ugly things, I believe we do them out of wounded places within us.

  • I will revel in my writing.

  • Writing will be my avocation – not a chore or a duty, but a joy and bliss…

  • I will learn myself, and the inner reality of my soul.

  • I will learn others, and the outer world.

  • I will deepen and broaden in the process.

  • When I can, I will present a guidepost along the way, to point others toward a direction they may have been seeking.

  • When I can, I will offer a way to awaken, to see more deeply and clearly.

  • I will question assumptions, including my own, especially those that seem so often to go thoroughly unexamined.

  • I will free my creativity to play in whatever areas most delight it.

  • I will share the magic I find in the everyday, and offer it freely to anyone who wishes to partake of it.

  • I will support others who are seeking or moving in tune to their own deepest purpose.

  • I will focus on the positives – laughter, joy, healing, peace, wonder….and because this is a world of opposites and degrees and infinite shadings, when I must reveal the darker side of things, I will always seek, even there, the hint of light and love and the possibility of better moments ahead.

  • I will be generous with my words and my thoughts, giving much away without asking anything in return, except perhaps to know when my words have touched someone…

  • In my life, I will move toward joy and sweetness and peace, and I will joyfully share the journey.

  • I will stretch and reach and strive, and grow…and that will mean offering my words in more places, and interacting more fully…

I think that’s all I have for now. This one was intended to be more like a brainstorming session, anyway…a rough putting-down of ideas and impressions…

It feels right, or close to right, but I will give it a couple of days to rest, and then look it over and see if it feels the same way after some time apart…

Goals for ROW80 ROWnd 3, 2012

WIP Novels:

Trueborn Series

  • Trueborn:
  • Reread current rough drafts from 1998-9ish and 2000.
  • I have completed the loose-leaf draft, jotting notes and impressions as I read.
  • I have begun rereading the spiral-bound draft. There’s no room for jotting notes, here, so I will add notes in a separate notebook, as needed. As this draft is richer in details, I envision the next draft as being something of a combination of the two.
  • I am currently on page 42 of 341.

 

  • Triage existing research.
  • I have gone through the research I have, and have loosely categorized it.
  • Over the next days, I will devise a storage system for this research, and implement it.

     

  • Blood and Breath:
  • Create a flash fiction piece for each story arc point.
  • I have begun, in a small way, by creating the first of my flash fiction pieces.
  • There are many pieces left to write, but, now that the ice is effectively broken, things should proceed much more smoothly.

     

  • Chameleon’s Dish:
  • Go through each scene to edit, take notes, and list research questions.
  • I have begun the research list with Chapter One, Scene #1, which I reinputted and edited last week.
  • It’s a modest beginning, and still a beginning! =)

 

  • Complete basic research based upon library books and websites; looking for information to enhance later digging and prevent hugely obvious gaffes).
  • I completed The Colonial Cookbook.
  • I have read 115 of 252 pages in Shakespeare’s England.
  • When I have completed the book above, I will have attained the library book portion of this goal.

 

Flash Fiction WIPs:

  • Look through all current pieces in my Writing Bullpen files.
  • I decided to work first with “A Splash of Red”, written during last round, which has been submitted and rejected once.

     

  • Complete/edit/rewrite where indicated.
  • I have made a few very minor changes; mostly, I like this story just as written.

     

  • Explore markets.
  • I have chosen my next market for “A Splash of Red”.
  • I will make my submission tonight (Sunday night) as a birthday gift to myself!

 

  • Go through old story notebooks for source material.
  • I have gathered the old story materials I have found into two central holding areas – one in my bedroom and the other in my office.
  • Over the coming weeks, I will organize and begin to choose projects I might like to play with in future rounds.

 

Essay WIPs:

  • Look through all current pieces in my Writing Bullpen file.
  • I chose to work first with an unschooling essay I wrote in June 2011, “Learning From Another Angle”.
  • I reread this piece, and will revise it for posting at The Unfettered Life.

 

 Administration Ad Infinitum….:

  • Standardized Test for Miah (due Sept.1).
  • The test has arrived.
  • Jeremiah completed his placement tests for reading, language, and math. It was interesting that he did well, with no formal lessons and very little preparation. He has always been a keen Homeschoolobserver and adept at making conenctions and extrapolations, though, so maybe it’s not really surprising that he’s picked up a lot more than I thought he had.
  • Eager to get the process underway, Jeremiah completed the reading test. I scanned through his answers, and he looks to have done very well (I suspect this will be his strongest area; he’s been a fluent and avid reader since he was 7, and often reads for personal research).
  • We have four weeks to complete the test, but it seems we will need far less time.

 

  • Relax, enjoy, learn, grow, laugh, and … BREATHE!
  • Done! New computer bought for Miah. Annalise inherited the old one.
  • We had some laughter and snuggles and conversation, and just being together, or alone, as we needed.

 

Reading:

  • Continue reading books – aim for 7 in July, 8 in August, and 9 in September, but these targets will be flexible – summer is prime traveling time for the kids and I and we have things planned and others we’re considering.
  • The Colonial Cookbook – Completed.
  • the five people you meet in heaven – Completed.
  • The Digital Writer’s Guide to Blogging (ebook) – Completed.
  • Container Gardening – page 192 of 256.
  • Shakespeare’s England – page 115 of 252.
  • I have completed 5 of 7 books for this month.

 

  • Read at least one book each month from my Kindle Cloud Reader, as a learning and experimenting process.
  • I completedThe Digital Writer’s Guide to Blogging.
  • I have attained this goal for this month.

 

  • Continue reading an average of three articles from my To Be Read files, weekly.
  • I have not read any of these this week.
  • I am considering changing this goal to simply going through these files as time, interest, and other projects permit.

 

Other Writing:

  • Play with flash fiction pieces as the mood strikes; aim for two submittable stories each month.
  • I created the first of the Blood and Breath story arc flash fiction pieces, as noted above.
  • I made a few slight changes to, and submitted, “A Splash of Red”.
  • I have submitted 1 of 2 stories for this month’s goal.

 

  • Play with essay ideas as desired; aim for three submittable essays each month.
  • I have edited and revised the 750 Words piece I wrote on July 25, and used as the introduction to my last update post.
  • I am allowing this to rest a bit, and have chosen a market for submission after a final edit.

 

 

 

  • Use 750 Words for whatever – flash pieces, essays, venting, ranting, reports, book reviews, etc.
  • I have used the site for flash fiction, essays, storybuilding, lists of upcoming projects, accounts of our days, and to start a rough draft of my Mission Statement.

     

  • Join in the August NaNo Challenge; write 50,000 words of rough draft of To Be or Not To Be(Jeniah’s life, continued after the conclusion of Blood and Breath, perhaps encompassing everything before the events chronicled in my Solemates stories….
  • This is a new goal.
  • In the next day or two, I will sign up for the challenge.
  • I have begun storybuilding in a very, very general sense. I like to begin very unformed, and let the story be mostly born as I go along….always the most delightful surprises, that way, and almost always better than what I might have planned!

 

Blogging/Connecting:

  • The Unfettered Life:
  • This goal has been revised, and now reads:
  •  Post updates, perhaps roughly categorized to make creating reports easier.
  • Begin using this blog in a way that really supports documenting, so that it does double duty as a personal tool for me in the way it once did.
  • I have plans, but have not yet posted. Blogs seem to be taking a backseat to novel WIPs, at the moment.
  • At some point, my focus will shift, and then I will likely be blogging extensively again.

 

  •  Shanjeniah:
  • This goal has been revised, and now reads:
  • Aim to post, as opportunities arise, non-ROW80 update material. This may take the form of adding to my pages; creating new ones; other challenges, blog hops, etc; writing samples of various types; musings on writing and life; guest posts; photo essays; or whatever else seems relevant at the time.
  • I have ideas, but haven’t enacted any of them yet.

 

  • Organizing/Tootling my Horn…
  • Choose a new notebook; input into Penzu.
  • I am on page 11 of 140 in my October/November 1999 notebook.

 

  • Continue reading marketing and ebook publishing sites and articles.
  • I completed The Digital Writer’s Guide to Blogging, as noted above.

 

  • Draft a loose Mission Statement to guide me through the rest of the ROWnd, and carry me forward into the next.
  • It seemed fitting to begin this on my birthday, and so I did. It’s not complete by any means; more of a brainstorming session.
  • I will return to this in the coming days.

 

  • Set aside time each week to winnow email. Read items being saved for later reading, sort or dispose as indicated.
  • I have kept my Inbox below 50 messages.
  • I have unsubscribed from two more sites I don’t currently read at – more keep cropping up, so I will continue doing this periodically.
  • I have filed or deleted most of the remaining unread emails from last week.
  • Be bold and daring in commenting, sharing, and submitting. Declare myself, learn, grow, and sometimes do things that make me uncomfortable. Open and blossom!
  • I’m not sure I was especially bold about it, but I did respond to several comments at shanjeniah.
  • For this week, I will focus first on the many comments awaiting responses over at my Tiny Buddha guest post. Those have been there a while; I was feeling overwhelm at the response…but now, it’s far past time to dive in, so here I come!

 

  • Celebrating Life!
  • Add some form of specific motion (t’ai chi, swimming, hiking, biking, skating, dancing, etc) to each week. Keep track of what, where, when, for how long, and how I felt during and after.
  • I have done a few hours of hometending, a few minutes of weeding in my raised bed, and a few minute each day of dancing. I’ve also been more focused on long stretches.
  • I have been a little achy (it’s rained some,here, lately), and my knees have twinged some, but not much.
  • I’m feeling a little burn in my quads, glutes, abs, and biceps, which I am taking as a good sign.

 

  • Fill us all up with joy, and continue cultivating family peace.
  • It continues to be a time of both closeness and friction between the children. Both are going through some major growth right now, and that tends to leave them feeling out-of-sorts and off-balance far more often than in more stable periods.
  • A year ago, I would have reacted much more quickly. Now, there is a little space, and I tend to think before I address things, and to simply be present more rather than trying to direct the children toward peaceful resolutions.
  • This approach is keeping the explosions more contained, and that helps them to pass more quickly and with less residual damage.
  • I am also being far gentler with myself, which is helping through the last days of July and my most hormonal days. =D
  • As for joy, there will be a birthday party for both children this weekend, and Jeremiah will soon have a new Lenovo laptop (early birthday gift), and Lise has inherited the old Acer, just as she is becoming able to read well enough to really navigate.

 

  • Spend time cleaning and beautifying my personal internal and external spaces each week.
  • I have spent a bit of time in my room, and a bit more than that tidying in my office.
  • I have continued to allow myself the space for the inner ponderings and wanderings that are so much a part of my life, right now.

 

  • Embrace and be present in all my moments.
  • I am finding this a bit easier to do as time goes on. I still forget for parts of each day, but I have noticed that life flows better and more joyously when I remember.

 

  • Allow my emotions to be as they are. Practice expressing them calmly and reflectively.
  • I’m doing very well with this. Often, I find myself yelling often during the hormonal 48 hours, but I’ve barely raised my voice the last few days, although I have had irritation and annoyance in it.

 

  • Tend kindly and sweetly to myself and others. =)
  • To the best of my ability!

 

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by

One-Minute Writer – “Love”

Love –

 

It’s about more than three little words….

 

 

‘Show, don’t tell‘ is vitally important here. So often, people say, “I love you,” but their actions say something very different. With love comes caring, and caring is a verb, a way to describe actions that give the other importance and value, that help them to truly feel your love in a way that words  can’t express.

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by

ROWing Toward My Dreams… Row Update #11

It’s been a jumbly, tumbly kind of few days, here.  The weather has been unsettled, and I am, too…..

For good reason….

On Saturday, my first poem was published in the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette.

On Tuesday, my post appeared  on Tiny Buddha.

I have plans in the work for guest bloggers, and guest posts.

Things are moving, on many fronts, and I am…..

Hmmmn…..

Yes, I am.

Round 2 Goals:

Reading:

  • Read at least 3 articles a week from my To Be Read files on computer, and categorize those I choose to keep or share.
  • I have read Wind and Rain, an article about the out-of-doors, rainy-day fun families can have together.
  • I read a second article there, but it was not very useful, and particularly poorly edited, so I will not recommend it  (or out it) here.
  • I also read  A New Approach, an article by a mother trying out some “free-range” ideas in her family.  This article made me sad, because it seems she’s missed the point of allowing children the freedom of many choices – she seems to be only allowing the freedom as a way of getting more cooperation from her children, and she finishes by limiting electronics (which will likely have led, by now, to electronics being used for all allotted time, and perhaps begged for, or contended over, otherwise…).  There are no further posts on the blog, so I suspect she may have aborted her “experiment” before it had time to prove its merit….
  • I have attained this goal for this week.
  • Read at least 5 blogposts a week (not including my own), and like, comment, and/or share as I am moved to.
  • I have read When Does Fan Fiction Cross an Ethical Line?  This is a pretty serious consideration for me in my Star Trek-related fanfic, which is an integral part of the universe I have created, and I really don’t have any answers.  All I know is, I can’t seem to let go of my Spock-passions, and I don’t want to, either! =D  I commented with words to that effect, more or less.
  • I have read 1 of 5 blogposts for this week.

Writing:

  • Create flash fiction, short stories, dialogues, character sketches, alternate scenes, and poetry for  Chameleon’s Dish.  Wander cow trails, and learn these people and their lives more fully.
  • I have written three more stories about Tisira , the main character from Chameleon’s Dish.  
  • I  have posted  ”The Huntress in Moonlight” to my Story a Day  blog, shanjeniah.org. 
  • I will be adding the next two segments to the blog within the next few days.
  • Finish father-in-law letter and send.
  • I have given this more thought, and have been constructing portions of it in my head.  I almost have a version cohesive enough to attempt another freewriting, but  not quite.
Blogging:

  • Complete Cooperative Catalyst post and relative links (interviews with both children, and their “day in the life” posts from last year) ; submit to editor.
  • I have heard back from the editor; I will be looking at the article again, to see if there are naturally separating themes or portions.
  • He has also read one of my blogposts, I’m THAT Mom…Naturally!, and thought that, with adaptations, it might make a good post, as well.
  • He has also suggested another writer whose posts I might like to read, and a category or two to explore and comment on, to “introduce” myself to what is an organic community.
  • It is quite possible that I will find a home of sorts there. =)

Networking:

  • Continue joining hops, fests, challenges, and other community blogging efforts.
  • As noted above, I have joined two challenges.
  • At the moment, I feel these are all I can handle, for now.
  • Comment on and share blogs regularly; share my blogs as widely as seems feasible, and in diverse ways.
  • I am doing fairly well on sharing my blogs. through several means –  challenges, posting comments,  submissions, and sharing via several forms of social media.
  • For the moment, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the increased attention, and will be just focusing on adjusting, before I diversify further.
  • My essay, Sometimes There Is No Right Way , posted to Tiny Buddha on Tuesday.  It has received nearly two dozen comments and an email, at this point, and I am feeling some pretty major overwhelm.  It’s a big step from where I was, visibility-wise, two weeks ago to where I am now, and I am feeling a considerable degree of disequilibrium at the sudden change after a lifetime of dreaming…
  • As a dear friend and I have been discussing, learning curves are messy.  I will adjust, with time and a lot of deep breathing….and eventually I will get to over 30 comments waiting for me in various places….really!

Submitting

  • Submit at least 5 essays or lists this round.
  • As mentioned above, editing and research are being considered prior to formally submitting a piece, but the lines of communication has been opened.
  • Continue submitting to hops, challenges, fests, etc.; at least 3 each month.
  • As noted above, I have participated/am participating in two challenges thus far, for May.
  • This leaves one challenge left to enter, prior to  this month’s end.

Photography:

  • Watermark all photos that appear on my blogs, and all those I post going forward; begin watermarking favorites not on blogs.
  • I decided I am satisfied with the batch watermarking, and this will make it possible to quickly mark all of my pictures within the next weeks, as opportunity presents itself.

Learning:

  • For WordPress, create a running list of questions; work on finding answers!
  • During dinner with Eden Mabee, she answered one of my questions –  about how to replace the standard header text.
  • I have successfully changed my header text.  It may or may not be permanent, but now I know I can do it, so it will be a simpler matter to change it if I decide  to, at some later point.

Self-care:

  • Add JOY to every day!
  • Monday: I allowed myself a mellow day of puttering, both in my writing projects and in my hometending. A simple day spent with my beloveds.
  • Tuesday: Joy Abounding! I slept in, and, although I woke with a headache at the time t’ai chi was starting, and although it was a damp and somewhat dreary day outside, I was basking in the company of my Syster, Eden Mabee.  When you’ve been friends since you were four and share writing dreams and motherhood and a lifetime of shared memories and interwoven stories, hours can slip by….and then, I was greeted in the driveway, a little after 2am, by my family.  Chatted with the children until 5:30am. Sweet day!
  • Wednesday:  Another mellow, wet, restful day of puttering….I feel my energy slowly returning.  I’ve had some bug writing developments over the last several days, and I am feeling a need to lay a bit low and absorb them.  Why is success scarier for me than failure?
  • Add movement to every day, too!
  • Monday: Puttering around the house and yard.  Moving furniture and bicycles.
  • Tuesday: Moving from building to car, and car to building, and grocery shopping…..not a big moving day…..sometimes, that’s exactly what I need.
  • Wednesday: Puttering with hometending; moving more bicycles –  yes, there DO seem to be an inordinate number of them here –  and I still haven’t moved my own!
  • Add more of my passions to each day, in as many ways as I can manage.
  • Monday: Reading and writing, puttering with storyworlds and blogging.
  • Tuesday: A rare, lovely day with a dear friend.  Utterly rejuvenating.  I wrote my story, but, beyond that, I simply enjoyed the company and the unrolling of the moments.
  • Wednesday: Reading, writing, lolling with the kids, absorbing the nearing of a lifetime of dreaming, and puttering.  A hot shower awaits me, after I post here.
  • Add all these for my beloved others, too!
  • Jeremiah: Finding his bigger bike, saying yes to lots of cooking.  Conversation and cuddles, and patience when he needed it.
  • Jim:  A harmonious home, companionship, and consideration.  Laughter.
  • Annalise: Finding her bigger bike, serious and mature conversation, help when a fall spoiled her baby mosquito study, patience when she needed it, imagination and laughter.
 It seems to be one of those periods where I am doing things, but there is really relatively little concrete to report.
Much is happening beneath the surface, and there is no telling, really, what will evolve from here.
I know, though, that it will involve love, and writing.
And I know that I will keep on ROWing, with trepidation and daring, and remain present not only to the misty path ahead, but also to the rocky, swift, twisty places I am traversing right now…..
Until next time, I leave you with 5 more followers to get to know….

And the ROW Linky, for keeping up with all the other ROWers….

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