%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
My thoughts about things. |
| A place to put my thoughts about various stuff. |
| 'Twas the night before Christmas, And all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse. Hmmm... thank goodness it is not yet Christmas Eve. It feels as though Christmas comes and goes faster each year. I know time doesn't speed up. It's me that gets busy through the year or holds too tightly to day-to-day life that makes it feel as though everything goes faster. As a kid it felt like the days stretched out and it took forever to get to Christmas morning. Now, it is here and gone in a blink. Throughout all of my life - even as a kid - I was the one stirring. The mice might have been asleep (outside in the barn, thankfully not in our house!), but I have had insomnia for as long as I can remember. It seems to run in the family because my dad had it as well. As a kid, it was the things that go bump in the night that kept me awake mostly. There were some nights I vividly recall tucking the covers around everything except my mouth (so I could breathe cool air) and just waiting out the night until morning would arrive. If only I could have had coffee in the morning, but it's frowned upon for kindergarteners to partake. Something about stunting your growth and heaven knows I'm already short.  In my childhood home, my room was what used to be the attic and the only way down into the rest of the house was via a set of stairs that led directly into my mom and dad's bedroom. I know - poor mom and dad... and poor kids, right? Well, we did fine with it, somehow. No therapy bills for us. Seriously, I don't remember ever hearing anything inappropriate as a kid. Mom and dad were crafty about finding alone time elsewhere. The thing about this was that I knew not to go downstairs after bedtime because it might wake my parents. We all knew that dad had a hard time sleeping, so disturbing him would be rude and uncaring. Also, my mom got up at 400am to get ready for work, so again - not cool to wake her up. That meant I was pretty much stuck laying awake in my bed. There wasn't an option to get up and do anything because the noise would echo in the quiet old farmhouse. Now, most kids would likely have gotten a flashlight and read books. For some odd reason, this never occurred to me. I really, really wish it had. Maybe because we could never find a flashlight when we needed one anyway. Regardless, what I ended up doing was daydreaming, only at night. It was probably the start of when I would have random storylines pop up and run through my mind. They kept me busy and some of them even helped lull me to sleep for a time. I still do it now. It led to wanting to put those stories down somewhere.When I was young, I remember thinking I couldn't wait until I had my own place where I could just get up and write any time I wanted. Somehow, that has never come to be, even though I have had my own place for 26 years.  I never lived alone, so initially it was not wanting to wake my husband. Then, it was not wanting to wake the kids. Now, it is not wanting to wake the dogs. I know. Oh, for heaven's sake! But I console myself with the fact that a lot of my ideas do still pop into my head during my day/night dreaming.Insomnia hasn't ever really bothered me until these recent years. I could tell that it was beginning to affect my ability to concentrate during the day. With my dad having developed Alzheimer's before he passed away, I am keenly aware of trying my best to get good sleep now. Good sleep is essential to letting your body heal. It may be that hampering our body's ability to wash away the stresses of the day from our brains contributes to developing dementia. I don't know if it is an accurate conclusion, but I can see and appreciate the correlation between continuous mind fog and cognitive decline. So, I began looking into how to help myself sleep better. (Minus the glaringly obvious fact that not getting up every night for 30 minutes between 100am and 200am to take the puppy out for a break would probably help my cause.)  Eventually she will sleep through the night.  Please let it be sooner rather than later!One of the first things I did was evaluate my medicine. It hadn't occurred to me that the meds I am taking to help me feel better (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) could be causing some sleeplessness. Indeed, I did find that one of my medicines can result in lower melatonin. So, I started taking a tiny bit of melatonin occasionally and I have had positive results.  Go me!The next thing was how to help myself get to sleep when I am struggling. I don't know about anyone else, but most of my problem is that I can be dead tired and as soon as I get comfortable in bed, I am wide awake.  Why? Because apparently my brain thinks that is the best time in the world to solve every single problem I have ever had in the world. Seriously? Thanks, brain.  Here is a little trick I have been doing that has been helping. I think of a word and then think of words that begin with each letter of that word. When you get to the last letter, you use that word as your new word. Eventually, you fall asleep in the middle of it. It has really worked for me, I am glad to say. So... DIPLOMAT Double Important Photograph Laundromat Opulent Material Automatic Thermometer THERMOMETER Terminal Heliosphere And so on and so forth... It's such a simple thing to do but works for me when counting the proverbial sheep does not and never did. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a technique that works for me involves words.  Although, I love math and numbers, too. It's just the sheep never worked.So, here I am hoping that maybe one day, I will be able to just get up and write when I can't sleep. That maybe the dogs will stay snoozing and not expect breakfast at 200am... I'm looking at the chocolate labrador whose tongue and tummy run her life.  Or maybe, I just enjoy the fact that even if I am spelling out words or dreaming up more stories, I am still lying in bed next to my husband during those times. I am more in love with him today than twenty-seven years ago when we got married, so I will take every second I can get to be next to him.  Here's wishing all of us a good night's slumber during this time of the year!    |
| We have a new puppy. We got her six weeks ago when she was 9 weeks old. She's a golden retriever and every bit as adorable as they always are. She has doubled in size and is just shy of four months now. She gets along great with our four-year-old chocolate labrador, though there was a lot of ear biting in the beginning. We tell our lab that she has it coming, since she did that to our other lab when we got her. Our family had said absolutely no more pets. We lost our ten-year-old lab on September 1st. He was the last surviving member of a set of pets we had gotten when our daughters were young. It was time for him, due to health issues, and I am glad that he isn't in pain any longer but letting him go was unspeakably hard and the end of an era for us in a way. Our household carried on with our one lab and two kitties, but it was so quiet. That kind of quiet that isn't there because of an absence of sound, but because of an absence of a family member. I still expect to see him ambling around a corner or hear him snoring from my husband's office. He drove me crazy because he never wanted to come in from outside, no matter the temperature and he was the only labrador I ever met that was picky about his food. But he was also so damn sweet and like a rock for our family. Even at 105 pounds, he still thought he was a lap dog for my husband. My husband is a strong man, physically, mentally and emotionally, but losing this best friend was devastating. It came amidst a set of health issues for him, as well. The void left by that big ball of fur and love was like a crater. How could a decade with him have already passed? It seemed like just yesterday we were bringing him and his brother home at five weeks old. So little that they each fit in one of my husband's hands. His brother, my best buddy, passed four years ago suddenly. That's why we have our chocolate bundle of chaos. We got her because our remaining lab wasn't eating after losing his brother. It was so hard to get her and yet so easy. She helped our lab and the rest of us heal. It took months for me to be able to snuggle her without hurting so badly for the one I had lost. But now, she is this huge part of my heart. She drives me batty and heals my heart again and again for the ones we've lost. So, six weeks ago, I broached the 'forbidden subject'. Let's get another puppy. With tears in all of our eyes, we came to the same understanding. We did need another addition to the family. And we found her. All golden fur and big brown eyes, fluffy butt and long tail that whips and wags without understanding of where or what it will knock over or smack. She is currently in her crate beside me. Sleeping, kicking and rolling this way and that, her big bunny back feet propped up against the wall of the crate. She is amazing. Just as amazing as every one of our other pets. She is smart and sassy and giving our chocolate lab all the attention that she has ever wanted. She endures the puppy nibbles and bites with an astonishing patience and always wants to be near her. It's still getting up at least once in the middle of the night to do bathroom breaks and listening to the nose-whistle protests as we approach naptime in her crate, but it's slowly getting easier. And though I repeat to myself that this is a crazy time to be taking this on when I'm approaching 50 and need more sleep, not less... I can't imagine life without her. It is in no way, shape or form easy, but it is so very worth it. Here's to having another bundle of fur to warm all of our hearts. |
| Hello again, WDC. I have missed these pages and people. Life is still not what I would consider even close to normal, but then again what isn't normal is becoming so commonplace as to be the new normal, I guess. The only thing that stays the same is change. I've said that phrase for as long as I can remember to help myself get through life. To remember that we are meant to grow and only do so through both joy and sorrow. Change doesn't care if you like it or hate it. It just is. For a while now, I have been hating it. Still, it doesn't care. When I think back about other difficult times, I realize that in the moment, they were everything. As if the world could end tomorrow based upon what was currently happening... but it didn't then... and I'm fairly certain it won't now. So, here is to waking up this morning and being given the chance to do something, anything. That in itself is a beautiful gift and not one that everyone receives. Let all of us who got it today do the best we can with it. And hopefully we all get it again tomorrow. |
Blog Harbor - Prompt #2 (January 2025) ▼  PLEASE NOTE. I am not a financial advisor and do not claim to be one. The following ideas/thoughts are based upon my life experience, which I understand can be vastly different from anyone else. These tidbits of advice are only meant as suggestions for possible options to help wrangle anyone's finances. Use what you can, leave what you don't want, and find your own path to hopefully less stress! Wise tips on spending and saving can benefit everyone. From those who need to be frugal to make the paychecks stretch to those who have an abundance at the end of the month, good spending and saving habits are crucial to keep the money where it needs to be and hopefully grow it for the future. As a child, my family struggled at times to make the dollars stretch. Mom and dad always made sure we were healthy and fed. God bless them for their sacrifices so that us kids could enjoy our childhood and grow up valuing more than just material things. As an adult, my family has had times where I had to divvy the money up between just enough groceries and gas to get us through to the next paycheck. The stress has ebbed and flowed over the years as the needs of our children, and the family as a whole, have changed. My husband and I have made it a point to talk to our kids about finances and hopefully give them a good foundation of knowledge. I think it is important for parents to do this for their children. Not everyone gets that information passed down to them. Or worse, they get bad examples and horrible advice on how to handle finances. No matter your past circumstances and knowledge, it is never too late to start learning and establishing good financial habits. Spending and Savings  Know how much money you have to work with each month. (Total household income.) Create an organized list of your weekly/monthly/annual expenses. Organize it in a way that makes sense to YOU. (A budget.) Your expenses list should include:  Frequency of payment (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually) Due date for payment and how often (Monday each week, 15th of the month, December each year) Overall total due that is periodically updated (if this is a credit card balance, medical debt, or a loan.) Keep a running ledger of your bills and payments. (If electronic, password protection is essential. If hard copy, put it in a safe place. The best thing is to keep a copy of each in some form and regularly update them.) Record the payment confirmation numbers with each payment you make and/or print a receipt of payment. (Hard copy or digital.) If you pay off a loan or credit card, make a distinction that you did. (PIF - paid in full) As you pay off a balance, take that payment amount and add it to the payment for another balance. Part of your expenses (budget) should include funds that you contribute to each week/month: Retirement fund An emergency fund An items/services needed fund An items/services wanted fundThe goal is to: Stay organized Be persistent Be reasonable and flexible Keep on top of things to reduce stressThis is an order of expenses that can be used to ensure you maintain a healthy lifestyle: 1. Rent/Mortgage 2. Car payment and gas money or bus fare (transportation expenses) 3. Utilities 4. Medicine (if any is needed regularly) 5. Food 6. Savings funds (Retirement, emergency, needed, wanted) 7. Entertainment (Short term and long term) When you get your paycheck, you allocate your money in this order. If something isn't working, you have to adjust some of these items to make it work. Any amount of money put in a savings fund counts! Even if it is only a dollar each week, that's more than zero! You can always increase it in the future. SAVE FOR RETIREMENT. Let me repeat that... SAVE FOR RETIREMENT. From your very first job, start saving for retirement. Even if it is a lemonade stand, babysitting, or delivering newspapers (oh, wait, do they still have those? )Remember that putting money towards retirement is paying YOU. It is ensuring that one day you can kick back and hopefully relax! Who better to benefit from your years of work than yourself?? Break your fun money down into two categories: instant and long term. The key is to try and find balance. Plan ahead and have little and big events on the horizon. Do something little each day/week/month. Do the big stuff once or twice a year. Be flexible. If you have to pull money from one account to cover something, then just buckle down and start building it up again. That's why it's there! Don't beat yourself up over accidents or mistakes. If everyone is healthy and safe at the end of the day, then you did a good job.  Be reasonable! Yes, I know that television that is as big as the side of your house looks awesome! But do you really need it RIGHT NOW? Work out how much to put away each week/month and have a date in the future to get it... you never know, it will probably be cheaper and maybe on sale! Be persistent. Make it a ritual to sit down with your choice of beverage and/or snack and get the bills done. Period. It reduces stress to know where your money is and how it is being used. The last thing I will say for everyone is this: believe in yourself! If you aren't where you want to be in life right now, then start making plans that will get you there. There's no time like the present! I truly believe that the most important and best things in life don't cost money: family, friends, laughter, love, sunshine and snow to name a few. BUT life does inherently cost money. So, figure out what kind of life you want and then go after a career that will support it! Best of luck to everyone in the realm of spending and savings! If it happens, know that you are not alone in your stress and frustration. And that you have absolutely got this. |
| Tick tock Goes the clock Counting down the minutes Asleep at eight Or stay up late It really makes no difference Sure and steady Before you’re ready The New Year will be here Regrets earned Lessons learned Leave the past in last year Start fresh Take time to rest New adventures to begin Enjoy each moment Before you know it 2025 will come to an end Here's a heartfelt good-bye to 2024 and all the best wishes for everyone in 2025. May your inkwells never run dry, and your muses always have coffee! Happy writing! |
| Why is it that sometimes we have to get to the 'bottom of the barrel', the 'end of our rope', or 'lost in the forest', (insert whatever saying you use/know here), before we finally discover inspiration? I truthfully get tired of what my family and I term the 'Rocky moment' in books and/or movies. The scene where our protagonist gets knocked down, kicked in the teeth, beaten half to death, run over by a bus, dropped off a cliff, and thrown into a volcano... then somehow miraculously makes a comeback and wins the fight/battle/competition, etc. It may seem that I exaggerated just a bit up there  , but there are some stories that feel like that is how they are told.  Then, it seems nearly impossible that they should be making the comeback. It stretches the boundaries of our belief that they could have actually have been triumphant.At worst, it makes us doubt the character. What were they just being a baby? That broken leg and busted collarbone didn't hurt them so bad if they got back up and kicked the other guy's butt, right? In fact, if you had just gotten your stuff together and kicked their butt sooner, you wouldn't have that busted collarbone! or Look, we understand that you lost your job, dog, car, and your home, but wouldn't that make you realize that you should make up with your wife/girlfriend (or husband/boyfriend) faster after that stupid fight you had? In the midst of all that upset, did you really need to punish her (or him) and yourself for so long... or could you have thought - damn, I should appreciate the good I have and go make up with them faster? When we lose faith in a character, it pulls us out of the story. It makes them two-dimensional again. As Tony Stark said - he IS Iron Man. And he was for me... right up until the third movie. Then, I wanted to pause the movie and maybe have a talk with him... or the screenwriter. Or maybe both. There is such a thing as taking it a step too far, when the reader or watcher wishes they could reverse time and not pick up the sequel. (Transformers 3, I'm looking at you, too. I didn't even watch anymore after that one. And I firmly prefer to pretend anything after 2 never happened.) At best, it makes us doubt the author. Why in the world would THAT be the best outcome, right? Well, in my estimation, I can give the author another chance. They are one individual writing many stories about many characters. One book/movie may be fantastic. Another one might suck. Sometimes, it feels more like a crapshoot on any given day. (Hey, that's a feeling I get myself when trying to write, too.) I can forgive doubting the author because they have every chance of redeeming themselves in another story with another character. Maybe the last cruddy one was because they ticked off their muse towards the ending. Or they were tired of writing the story and just wanted it to be done. Or they needed it done fast, so they could get the paycheck. Regardless, I'm willing to give the author another chance. Most of the time, at least. But the character? Nope. Once the man behind the screen is revealed, it's darned near impossible to convince me otherwise. So, inspiration... yep, that's what I made the topic of this post. And the title. Why does it take us nearly giving up (or giving up) to find our inspiration finally? I don't know to be honest, but I have a few theories. It's magic. Like two magnets of the polarity, the harder you search for inspiration, the further it runs away from you. Stop beating your head against that writer's block and go do something else. Then, when you come back, seemingly miraculously - there it is!! Sitting right on the page where you had been looking for it all along. Sheesh.  What a silly goose you were, right?It's compounding frustration skewing your perspective. Can't see the forest for the trees, can you? Well, that's because this tree isn't the right one. And that tree sounds stupid. That other tree couldn't possibility exist in this universe. You've already looked at the tree behind you. The tree in front of you is too far away. The tree to your left should be on your right and vice versa. Why are you even looking at trees? You should be looking for lamp posts. Or zebras. Or a turkey sandwich. How did you get in the desert? It's self-doubt that is making it impossible to see what is actually very real and possible. This is never going to happen. Why did I even start this in the first place? There are a million other things I should be doing right now that would be more productive. Why can't I do this faster/better/longer/shorter, etc? I've never finished one, why should I think I ever can? All the stories about all the things have already been told. Even if I get it done, no one will like it. No one will like me. It will never sell. Why am I wasting my - and more importantly - everyone else's time on this? So, finally we give up. We walk away. Put it away. Forget (or try at least) about it. Tell ourselves, we - are - done. And life goes on. We eat, sleep, go to work, take care of our homes, talk to friends, spend time with family... we live. Then, one day... BAM! Inspiration strikes. Bolt of lightning to the head. Or heart. Or feet or maybe the earlobe. To each their own. And you are overjoyed! And dismayed! Because it hit at a time where you are not able to do the thing you have been wanting to do! Writing while driving is frowned upon. Belting out those awesome lyrics in the middle of the office could get you fired. Stepping out of surgery to finally run that marathon likely isn't the best reasoning. Painting your masterpiece on the side of the house you are trying to sell isn't a very good marketing tactic. But! It happened, so you hold on to that feeling and covet it, nurture it - bookmark the elusive thing because, oh my gosh, is it hard to find. You bide your time and then... write, sing, play the instrument, run the marathon, paint the masterpiece... you do what you were meant to do. Because you've been knocked down, kicked around, thrown off a cliff, and lost your way in the forest... only to find that every tree is the right tree, depending upon how you look at it, and there are so many of them. All there for your choosing. Anytime you want. And if you choose the wrong one, then pick another. If you get lost again, don't fear it because you will find your way. You find a way to believe in yourself because - you should. You are worth believing in. You can do this. And if you stumble, it's ok. Just keep getting back up. You realize that somewhere, sometime, for someone - you are that person's inspiration. You. Have your Rocky moment... or moments. They are frustrating and sometimes, yes, they feel ridiculous. They are undoubtedly not the favorite part of your life story, but they are a very real part of your story. A very integral part of your growth and progress. Finding your inspiration, sharing your journey... that inspires others to not give up, to continue searching for their own. |
| I'm sitting here trying to come up with a great blog post when the truth is that I don't have one. It's not that I don't feel inspired. I still have lots of ideas floating around in my head. It's just that right now, I feel really tired. Everyone in the family is sick, except me. The house feels off, quiet and subdued. It's a necessary setting for everyone to get well and that's ok. Maybe, it's that I feel like we are hibernating and waiting to come back out again. So, that's what I'll do for now, I think. Just hibernate. Let those ideas percolate. Let our bodies rest and rejuvenate. All of the hustle and bustle can wait. |
| Normally, this time of year I am so cheerful that I even irritate myself a little. I love this holiday season and that hasn't changed, but the circumstances in life have in the past year and half. This time last year, I was struggling with coming to terms with my dad's death. He had drifted away due to Alzheimer's, so for years it had already felt like he was leaving us. So, his passing left one crack in my heart, but healed another. He isn't suffering from that disease any longer and for that I am eternally grateful. It's still hard to actually acknowledge inside that he's gone. It's far easier to say the words. To put on the mask and give and get hugs of sympathy. But deep inside, where the little kid part of me still lives, she's still wandering around, looking around corners and listening intently to see if he's still here somewhere. Those extra senses that I believe we all have, knows that he is here and there sometimes. He's watching over us and enjoying his respite and also moving on in his own way now. All of that at once. I also see him in our kids. The stubborn tilt of a chin. The corny joke that is told. I see a shadow of him leaning over the car my husband is working on, helping him focus and figure out the problem when he gets so frustrated. I hear him whispering to me to slow down, don't get so upset over the small stuff, and live each day as if it might be my last. This time last year, my mom was still here. She was trying to put on the best face she could to still be here with us all, but nothing was the same without her best friend and husband of 56 years. She spoke of missing things she had stopped doing since dad had gotten bad: driving, cooking, visiting people, just shopping at the store. It was the little kid in me that refused to see that she wasn't going to be here long. The signs were there. She had decided for herself a year before dad passed. She stopped taking her medicines and just let life take its course, without telling any of us. Stayed around long enough to put things in order. Their anniversary was two days before Christmas. She spent one anniversary and one Christmas without him and that was more than enough. The call that I thought would come months later came the day after Christmas. It was devastating and relieving all at the same time. Mom had been a shell of the woman she once was. Not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally. If all of us had a wound in our hearts from dad's passing, mom was missing half of hers. Ugh! I write all of this and it helps, but I also have the cynical part of me that is saying stop sounding like a broken record. I've had to mentally smack that part of myself a lot in the past year and a half. The title of this post is Optimism. That is where I want to end my entry. Life does indeed go on. No matter how painful or dreadful it may seem at the time. It marches right along and takes you with it. And the pain doesn't go away, but it does morph into something that you can live with, most of the time. The times that you can't, you take it off the shelf and lay it all out and let it wash over you again. Like the receding tide, it lessens but still ebbs over your heart. Salt water over a wound that will never completely heal. Where does the optimism come from then? From still being here. To hurt and heal and experience joy and pain over and over again. To live life. The day after Christmas is coming. Like it does every year. But very different from all of the others this year. I'll get to it - time will see to that. I'll get through it - family will see to that. And that spark of the old me, the one who had both parents still living on this Earth, she's still there. She's quieter and more humble, more serious, but still loving this season and the (hopefully) many more I have to come. 'Tis the season. Indeed, it is. |
| It's Thanksgiving Eve (yes, that is how I think of it ) and we are getting ready to start baking. We do all of our sweet items (pies, cookies, brownies, etc.) the day before, so they aren't competing for space in the oven the next day. For me, today is the beginning of the year ahead, not New Year's Eve. It sort of surprises me to realize, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, even as a kid. As a kid, I would have said it was Christmas, but that would have been because of the presents, of course. Not that we got that many. But the ones we did get were special and things that we had hoped for all year. What's also odd is that when I look back, the family get togethers on holidays were always fraught with dissent between siblings, cousins and the adults, too. There was the upset that we only went to my dad's side of the family on Thanksgiving and not my mom's. Dad's family was literally right around the corner and it was much smaller, so that's just how it was. We didn't have Thanksgiving at mom and dad's house until us kids were older and mom finally put her foot down and said she was having it there. My grandparents refused to come to our house on that day until years and years later and it was only one time. As a kid, I always looked forward to the day and dreaded it at the same time. I loved the food. It was stuff that we didn't have except for on that holiday. Though there was a good amount of it, we all loved it, so you had to be pretty quick to grab at least a bite of something because it would be gone pretty quick. Mom and my brother liked ham and disliked turkey, so it was a tradition to have both in our household. Dad and my brother-in-law loved oyster dressing, so we had a regular one and an oyster one. Definitely be sure to check before getting a scoop of it! My parents inevitably would have an argument over something. Dad would end up out in the garage and mom would keep cooking, but the pots and spoons made a little more noise than was necessary. But then - always - they would come back together and make up. Things would be right in our part of the world before we all sat down to eat together. Mom played Christmas music while we cooked. Dad would grumble about it, but I think a part of him loved hearing it, too. I loved helping mom cook. It was a sleepy, sort of lazy time through part of the morning until all of sudden mom would declare it was time to start cooking. After that it was a bustling room of activity as she would guide me (and in earlier times) and my sister through prepping things. I remember it never made sense to me the order that we put things together. It sort of seemed like magic that mom knew when to get things ready and have everything together at just the right time. I do remember it was exhausting, but that good kind of fatigue that you feel for a job well done and get to reap the rewards as you sit down with your plate full of stuff that you helped make. Oh, we also had the parade on in the background! There would be moments we would stop to see certain balloons and the marching bands. That's what lasts in my memory, I guess. The magic of all of it. It was like a sort of spell went over the households and even though there were arguments, they got resolved and in the latter part of the day, everyone was smiles and good cheer. Sort of like an unspoken agreement to suspend dislikes among some of us and come together in a truce for a while to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We knew that tomorrow would bring the same old cruddy stuff back, but for those few hours, we were all happy together. I miss cooking with my mom... but I love cooking with our kids. I love telling stories and passing along tips about how to get things done just right in the kitchen. I love that they look forward to the parade that's playing in the background (on a laptop in the kitchen now) and they find new versions of the same old Christmas songs to play. We nibble on snacks, not wanting to fill up until the big meal is ready. And tell each other to stop opening the oven to check on the turkey so often, it needs time to cook. Somehow, just like mom did, I get everything to be ready at the same time. We enjoy that meal and the time spent together. We watch movies and play games as a family, go back for seconds, or get a piece of something for dessert. We put away leftovers and tuck the house in for bed like its a little kid that has had a busy day playing and needs the quiet time to recharge. Our Thanksgiving is not the holiday of my childhood. In many ways, it is better. And those older ones will live forever in my memories. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that celebrates it! May you all have wonderful days filled with whatever it is that makes you smile.    |
| Recently, I have been reminded of how difficult it can be to strive for excellence in fields where your success is based in objectivity. 2+2=4 The War of 1812 occurred in the year 1812. The basketball goes through the hoop. The runner crosses the finish line. There are so many things in life that can be definitively called a success. It doesn't mean doing those things are easy, but it does tend to be easier to define success for them. The creative arts are not always as easily defined. Though there can be definitive categories applied to them, the judgement still comes from a place inside us that is entirely personal and therefore automatically biased. Is it a beautiful watercolor or a smudgy mismatch of random paint splatters? Did the dancer's moves touch a place inside your soul or were they just getting from one place to another on stage? Were those instruments creating a symphony that incited your emotions, or did it take all you had to suffer through the cacophony of sound? Did the book capture your attention and transport you to a time and place, or did you want to put it down two paragraphs in? For those of us that continue to share pieces of our hearts and souls with an outside audience, I applaud our efforts and admire our resolve. Remember that if you love what you are creating, then there are those out there who will also love it. And for those that don't, it's ok. Others' opinions of you and/or your work do not define you or your work. The work defines itself, as does the time and effort you put in to making it happen. Absorb the constructive criticism that is offered, let the pointless naysayers pass you by, and keep on creating! We believe in you. You believe in you. Happy writing, everyone! (And/or any other creative activity that you enjoy!) |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
Puzzle Hub
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
