What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pizza? For me it's a pizza with Canadian bacon (and not ham :) ) and pineapple with extra cheese, and easy in the sauce. Of course double the pineapple while were at it. I can almost taste the pizza in my mouth already. The key here, no matter whether you have a frozen pizza, you pick up a fresh one at the felling or have one delivered to your home, you still have to wait. Man, that waiting can be agonizing sometimes, but boy are … [Read more...]
Day 13: The Matanuska Valley and Other Diversions
When I first saw the heading "The Matanuska Valley and Other Diversions," I was like "what the heck could this be about. Then I read the short exert. I had to laugh. I think one word can sum it up best: Procrastination. I don't think there is a person on this earth who hasn't procrastinated at some point in their life. Now grant it, there are some who have made it an art form with how great they do this. And others rarely ever do. God has made each and every one of us so different. We each … [Read more...]
Day 12: Patience
Let me just say that of all the gifts God has bestowed upon me, patience is not one of them. I might be good at things like scrapbooking, crocheting, cross stitching, computers, and even writing. But I have such a low threshold for being patient. Don't get me wrong, man do I wish it was better. I have come to accept this lack of quality as it is. It is something I have to work on on a day in and day out basis. I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Mari. It was June 12, 1999, only … [Read more...]
Day 11: Racing Hearts and Churning Stomachs
I think in life there are so many things that can make our hearts begin to race rapidly and our stomachs to do flip-flops all over the place. A new job. The first day of a new school year. Going on a first date. Or even standing up in front of a room of people getting ready to talk. And the list goes on. Nervous energy can either root us to the ground stopping any forward momentum or it can propel us forward giving us the courage we need. Sharing our writing with others is much in the same … [Read more...]
Day 10: Working Out
When I first glanced at the topic I thought about how I've been trying to work out on a daily basis by walking anywhere from a half hour to as long as 2 1/2 to 3 hours each day. It seems like most people who haven't worked out in a while dread starting a new exercise routine. When you first start out the body tends to become sore from the new way it's being used. But once you've gone a few times the body becomes accustomed to this and you actually begin to love how you feel after a … [Read more...]
Day 9: Getting Permission
I wasn't sure what I'd write about when I first saw the topic. In the book it talked about "But from grade school to college, most students would tell him that they didn’t have permission to write about themselves; the teachers gave them the subjects to write about. Established writers would tell him they had to write what editors wanted. If this has a familiar ring to you, or if you feel you need permission to write about yourself or whatever you need to write about, I give you permission. Now … [Read more...]
Day 8: The Voice that Chirps and Chirps
We all have a little voices inside our heads. Sometimes its just one. Sometimes negative. Sometimes positive. And sometimes they even go to war with each other. Kind of like the character Kronk in Disney's movie "The Emperor's New Groove". Whenever he's about to do something he shouldn't, an angel with a halo clothed in white appears on his left shoulder and a guy who seems to appear as a devil with horns and a pitchfork dressed in red pops up on his other shoulder. One represents good. The … [Read more...]
Day 7: Jumping Off
I have to laugh. Talk about something hitting home. I have been struggling to get back into my writing. I have a completed first draft of my fiction novel but have been unmotivated to just sit down and edit it. I have several story ideas, that as soon as they pop into my brain, I immediately write them down. Everyone I talk to tells me to just jump in and do it. Yet, I don't no matter how much I should. I could come up with a million excuses. Let's see. We took guardianship of our … [Read more...]
Day 6: Daring to Tell
I wonder how many closet writers there are because they are scared to get out of their comfort zone, daring to tell what's rolling around in their brains. Fear can be a great force within ourselves. It can stop us from doing so many things, things even God may want us to do. We have to remember that God will give us the strength we need to do things according to His plan. In our own human form we are weak and vulnerable. It is through God that He gives an invisible shield of … [Read more...]
Day 5: Getting Caught
When I read the caption for today, I was intrigued. What could that mean in writing? As I read it, my lips curved upward. Getting caught means how afraid you can be to put all your emotion into your writing and then "getting caught" when someone else reads what you've written. You're completely exposed. It's. Like you're sitting on an operating table, chest cut open with your beating heart exposed to the world. The reader is the surgeon holding the knife will she gently take care of your … [Read more...]
