I’m running behind for National Novel Writing Month! The month is 2/3 over. I should have 31,654 words written by now. I only have 15,760.
But, I’m not going to beat myself up over it. I spent a few days with my boys in Arizona and I enjoyed spending every moment I could with them and my son’s new family.
Also, I’ve had some other writing deadlines this month for some newspaper and magazine articles. Those are just as important to my writing goals as the novel is.
Do you know what the best part of the newspaper articles has been? I met two fascinating ladies: Liz Pevytoe, hobby worm farmer, and Jennifer O’Reilley, environmentalist Keller employee.
Both of these women were a delight to interview for the articles. They are passionate and committed to living a green lifestyle. Their values resonate with many of my inner beliefs. Both women incorporate green activities in their everyday lives: recycling, composting, food-coops, reusable shopping bags and more. They actively promote and encourage activities good for a healthier earth; Liz to her friends, acquaintances and two young daughters and Jennifer to her friends and her workplace. Liz and Jennifer both ‘walk the talk’ and I am honored to have met them.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
48 Hours in the Desert
No, it's not a survival story of fighting the heat, the sun, the scorpions .... it's about a fast, speedy trip to Sierra Vista, Arizona. Too much visiting to do - too little time!
Arriving in Sierra Vista around 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon (2 1/2 hours late thanks to American Airlines and a plan full of passengers -- on a plane not ready to fly!) I had less than 48 hours to visit.
My oldest son Chris (25) got married. I had a new daughter-in-law to meet (Regina, a jewel of a girl I adore). I had two new grandchildren to meet and fall in love with (Morgan, a 9 year old boy and Cameron, a 7 year old girl).
I also got to see my youngest son, Justin (21). He was stateside from South Korea before heading to Okinawa.
Both boys tower over me now; I feel like a shorty standing between them. They have grown into two young men I am very proud of.
I had a great visit with both boys and my new family. I only regret it was so short (darn retail world not letting us take more than two days off after October). And no ... for the safety of the other drivers on the road, I didn't cry ALL the way back to Tucson - just a great deal of it.
I head back to Dallas, back to real life, getting some reading done on the plane and a little bit of writing too.
Welcome to the family Regina, Morgan & Cameron!!
Arriving in Sierra Vista around 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon (2 1/2 hours late thanks to American Airlines and a plan full of passengers -- on a plane not ready to fly!) I had less than 48 hours to visit.
My oldest son Chris (25) got married. I had a new daughter-in-law to meet (Regina, a jewel of a girl I adore). I had two new grandchildren to meet and fall in love with (Morgan, a 9 year old boy and Cameron, a 7 year old girl).
I also got to see my youngest son, Justin (21). He was stateside from South Korea before heading to Okinawa.
Both boys tower over me now; I feel like a shorty standing between them. They have grown into two young men I am very proud of.
I had a great visit with both boys and my new family. I only regret it was so short (darn retail world not letting us take more than two days off after October). And no ... for the safety of the other drivers on the road, I didn't cry ALL the way back to Tucson - just a great deal of it.
I head back to Dallas, back to real life, getting some reading done on the plane and a little bit of writing too.
Welcome to the family Regina, Morgan & Cameron!!
Monday, November 2, 2009
My First NaNoWriMo
My first NaNoWriMo! I know, it sounds like something from a science fiction plot. I almost feel like Mork with his infamous "Na-nu, Na-nu" trademark line (at least for those of us raised in the 70's!)
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal: to write 50,000 words during the month of November. The 50,000 words accomplishes a small novel, or at least a great portion of one. It sounds like a lot of words for one month, but broken down into smaller goals of 1,666 words per day, it's not as formidable.
I committed to this goal several months ago. It's my first time to participate in NaNoWriMo. It was important to fuel my burgeoning writing goals. I decided to clear the decks for November.
Usually in November I work on Christmas gifts. This year I began some Christmas gifts in August and September. I also kept other commitments and meetings to bare minimum levels. Whew, I'm ahead of the game, Hooray!
Then ... as in what happens with the best laid plans ... my eldest son moved his December wedding date up to November 7th. Although I couldn't get many days off work (you know--the retail during the holidays thing), I still need three days to go to Arizona: a day to fly there, a day for the wedding/reception, and a day to fly home. Three fast and furious days to visit with both sons, meet my new daughter-in-law and my two new grand kids.
The trip is so quick I won't spend a moment of the visit writing (except maybe on the plane). So, now I only have 27 days to write my 50,000 words. I can accomplish the goal if I write 1,852 words per day! Let's see ... and it too me a week to write my 1,700 word jury duty story. I'm in trouble!
The secret they say is to just sit down and write. NO EDITING! Just write, even if it's junk; just get the words on paper. When we're all done we set the novel aside for a month, enjoy the holidays and spend time with our families. We begin editing in January. So, no editing ... just intense writing.
Sounds like a plan. Except ... it's not as easy as it sounds. Turning off that internal editor is a difficult task. As a writer we create our art with words. We lay them down as brushstrokes on a canvas, laying the lines where we want them to flow. Broad brushstrokes here .... fine defining lines there .... working with the words, molding them to create our masterpiece. And yes, we still edit: move, destroy, refine. But, at least myself, I like to play with and form the words, creating the best first draft I possibly can.
I need to work on this "just write" concept. I can tell it's going to take some practice. That 'editor off' button doesn't stay off for long. I need to work on keeping the editor at bay!
At the end of Day 2, I'm at 3,031 words. I'm already a little behind. Stay tuned ... we'll see by November 30th whether I've been able to write with abandon and reach my 50,000 words!
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal: to write 50,000 words during the month of November. The 50,000 words accomplishes a small novel, or at least a great portion of one. It sounds like a lot of words for one month, but broken down into smaller goals of 1,666 words per day, it's not as formidable.
I committed to this goal several months ago. It's my first time to participate in NaNoWriMo. It was important to fuel my burgeoning writing goals. I decided to clear the decks for November.
Usually in November I work on Christmas gifts. This year I began some Christmas gifts in August and September. I also kept other commitments and meetings to bare minimum levels. Whew, I'm ahead of the game, Hooray!
Then ... as in what happens with the best laid plans ... my eldest son moved his December wedding date up to November 7th. Although I couldn't get many days off work (you know--the retail during the holidays thing), I still need three days to go to Arizona: a day to fly there, a day for the wedding/reception, and a day to fly home. Three fast and furious days to visit with both sons, meet my new daughter-in-law and my two new grand kids.
The trip is so quick I won't spend a moment of the visit writing (except maybe on the plane). So, now I only have 27 days to write my 50,000 words. I can accomplish the goal if I write 1,852 words per day! Let's see ... and it too me a week to write my 1,700 word jury duty story. I'm in trouble!
The secret they say is to just sit down and write. NO EDITING! Just write, even if it's junk; just get the words on paper. When we're all done we set the novel aside for a month, enjoy the holidays and spend time with our families. We begin editing in January. So, no editing ... just intense writing.
Sounds like a plan. Except ... it's not as easy as it sounds. Turning off that internal editor is a difficult task. As a writer we create our art with words. We lay them down as brushstrokes on a canvas, laying the lines where we want them to flow. Broad brushstrokes here .... fine defining lines there .... working with the words, molding them to create our masterpiece. And yes, we still edit: move, destroy, refine. But, at least myself, I like to play with and form the words, creating the best first draft I possibly can.
I need to work on this "just write" concept. I can tell it's going to take some practice. That 'editor off' button doesn't stay off for long. I need to work on keeping the editor at bay!
At the end of Day 2, I'm at 3,031 words. I'm already a little behind. Stay tuned ... we'll see by November 30th whether I've been able to write with abandon and reach my 50,000 words!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
I want to live a healtier, greener, more authentic life!
I want to live a healthier, greener, more authentic life. I really do. But … real life seems to intrude on my ultraistic dreams.
I want to eat healthier. I keep thinking I’ll reduce my red meat consumption. I’ll eat leaner meats; more chicken and fish. I’ll eat more salads and vegetables. I’ll cut down on fats, especially trans fats. I’ll stop the diet sodas.
I read the articles and books. I agree with what I read. I know in my brain that eating healthier is better for me. I’ll live longer. I’ll have more energy. I’ll have fewer health problems. But …
It’s the ‘buts’ that get in the way. But … it costs more money to buy healthy foods, especially organic. But … it takes more time to cook a healthy dinner instead of picking up quick, cheap, no-nutrient fast food. But … what it comes down to is that I’m mostly lazy. It’s easier to fall into the trap of following old habits and routines. It takes energy to break old habits. That makes putting healthy eating habits into practice difficult.
I want to live greener. I keep joking that I’m a closet environmentalist. I’m not really in the closet about it. I just don’t actively do as much as I’d like to. I compost. My coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable peelings and newspapers enrich my small home garden instead of going to a landfill. I garden organically. I make my own fertilizer and don’t use pesticides. I try to remember my recycle bags. I usually remember them when I’m checking out with a cart full with people in line behind me. Then I remember that they’re in the car, tucked safely behind the seat. There’s a lot more I want to do, now, to just really do it instead of merely thinking about it.
I want to live a more authentic life. I want to be true to myself. I desire the courage to chase my dreams. I need to strengthen my ability to say ‘no.’ I wish to be more optimistic. I want to believe in myself more. But … yes, those dreaded ‘buts’ interfere in so many aspects of my life.
Research says that it takes 21, or 28, or 30, (depending on which research study you look at) for a new thought or routine to become a habit. I start out strong. Three days …. Five days …. Maybe even seven or ten days! I seem to drift back to my old behaviors and old thought patterns long before I reach the magic 21 (or 28, or 30) day point.
I don’t think I’m alone in my quest. Some people appear to achieve their goals without any effort or sweat. However, I think that the majority of us battle with at least a few of these dilemmas.
I’m going to fight these ‘buts. Here we go. One step at a time, and soon, some day I’ll be living a healthier, greener, more authentic life!
I want to eat healthier. I keep thinking I’ll reduce my red meat consumption. I’ll eat leaner meats; more chicken and fish. I’ll eat more salads and vegetables. I’ll cut down on fats, especially trans fats. I’ll stop the diet sodas.
I read the articles and books. I agree with what I read. I know in my brain that eating healthier is better for me. I’ll live longer. I’ll have more energy. I’ll have fewer health problems. But …
It’s the ‘buts’ that get in the way. But … it costs more money to buy healthy foods, especially organic. But … it takes more time to cook a healthy dinner instead of picking up quick, cheap, no-nutrient fast food. But … what it comes down to is that I’m mostly lazy. It’s easier to fall into the trap of following old habits and routines. It takes energy to break old habits. That makes putting healthy eating habits into practice difficult.
I want to live greener. I keep joking that I’m a closet environmentalist. I’m not really in the closet about it. I just don’t actively do as much as I’d like to. I compost. My coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable peelings and newspapers enrich my small home garden instead of going to a landfill. I garden organically. I make my own fertilizer and don’t use pesticides. I try to remember my recycle bags. I usually remember them when I’m checking out with a cart full with people in line behind me. Then I remember that they’re in the car, tucked safely behind the seat. There’s a lot more I want to do, now, to just really do it instead of merely thinking about it.
I want to live a more authentic life. I want to be true to myself. I desire the courage to chase my dreams. I need to strengthen my ability to say ‘no.’ I wish to be more optimistic. I want to believe in myself more. But … yes, those dreaded ‘buts’ interfere in so many aspects of my life.
Research says that it takes 21, or 28, or 30, (depending on which research study you look at) for a new thought or routine to become a habit. I start out strong. Three days …. Five days …. Maybe even seven or ten days! I seem to drift back to my old behaviors and old thought patterns long before I reach the magic 21 (or 28, or 30) day point.
I don’t think I’m alone in my quest. Some people appear to achieve their goals without any effort or sweat. However, I think that the majority of us battle with at least a few of these dilemmas.
I’m going to fight these ‘buts. Here we go. One step at a time, and soon, some day I’ll be living a healthier, greener, more authentic life!
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