Weekly Roundup 2: Cold Snap Edition

It feels like January around here! We've been below zero and in the single digits for a few days now. Not as bad as some parts of the country, but it has definitely put me in hibernation mode. 

The question of value: Since the new year, my husband and I have been working on clearing out things we no longer have a use for. This has forced encouraged me to think about what I value and why. Is it practical value (things I use and/or enjoy regularly), sentimental value, or actual (monetary) value? I'm surprised at how often I feel a sense of obligation to an object, usually because someone gave it to me, sometimes because I've just always had it. The process is occasionally challenging, but at the end of the day, it feels good to be able to let go.

Writer to-do list: This is not really a new year thing, because I always have a to-do list going. The current one includes finally doing a proper website, continuing to slog my way through a challenging (but mostly fun) first draft of a manuscript, working on picture book projects, connecting with various writing communities, and of course submitting, since this is my word for the year. I still struggle with time/life balance, so I'm hoping to pick up a few helpful tools and pieces of advice along the way.

Death of Peregrine: The Peregrine moon lander had a successful launch but has been doomed by a propellant leak. Instead of the planned lunar touchdown on February 23, it appears that Peregrine will reenter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. It's carrying (among other things) pictures of footprints, messages from children, and human DNA samples, including one from science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. RIP Peregrine!

The most wholesome thing I saw this week: Tidy Welsh Mouse

Weekly Roundup 1: It Begins!

Welcome to 2024! Last year was my all time worst for blogging, so I'm jumping in with a fresh start. I considered trying to stick to a theme for the year but instead decided to wing it (because we all know how well that works for me lol). As 2024 unfolds, I'll be posting every Wednesday, with a little bit of this and that from near and far.

Let's begin!

Writer Word of the Year: Last year's word was climb, and I did some of that. I also hit a lot of plateaus, where I wandered about as if my GPS had lost its signal. Well, it happens. My word for 2024 is submit, because, strangely enough, my writing hasn't learned how to jettison itself out into the world yet, and I can't afford a personal assistant to do it for me. As my sister pointed out, submit also means to subject oneself to a process, or to surrender after resistance. All of these meanings feel appropriate.

Reading: I choose Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard as the best book I read in 2023. I'd call it a dark contemporary fairy tale, with a great cast of characters and enough horror to make it creepy but not terrifying. Next up, The Eyes and The Impossible, by Dave Eggers, "a heroic dogs account of a thrilling adventure" for readers of all ages. Sometimes, that "of all ages" makes me suspicious, but I think this one has potential.

Sky Stuff: January 11 is the first new moon of the year. I love a good full moon as much as the next person, but I appreciate the new moon for its reminder that once a month, we can all hit reset button. According to people who follow this kind of thing, January's new moon in Capricorn represents recharged energies and new perspectives.  

Trees: That's my favorite tree pictured above on January 1. It's a big old cottonwood a short walk from my street, and I love watching how it changes throughout the year. 

I hope 2024 is agreeing with you so far! See you next week! 

Welcome WOW-ers!

 

Hello to anyone visiting from the WOW Thankful for Books Giveaway! I'm thankful you found my page, but mea culpa do I apologize for the neglected state of my blog! It was a busy year that got away from me in spite of best intentions. But I'm resolving to do better next year (is it too early for New Year's Resolutions?) and hope you'll take a minute to look at some of my previous posts. 

I wish you best of luck in the contest. What a great variety of books for reading and/or gifting!

Leave a comment if you'd like to say hi and let me know what you're currently reading. For me, it's Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard. 

Oh, and if you didn't come from the contest, here's the link!

Writer Word of the Year

Seems like January and February both flew by in a blur of snow and sub-zero temperatures. I'm looking forward to more spring-like weather in March. But sometimes it's our snowiest month, so I'm not holding my breath.

I'm late in reporting on my word of the year, but I guess there's still plenty of 2023 left to come! I've been feeling like I'm on a plateau lately, hiking around and enjoying the view but not making much progress. That inspired me to choose "climb" as my writer word for 2023. 

As a visual aid for tracking my progress, I taped this "mountain" on the side of my desk. (I know it looks a bit like a Christmas tree, but I'm not super crafty.) Every time I complete a task that feels like progress--a query or a submission or other connection to the writerly world--I  write it on a strip of sticky note and attach it to the slope. You can see them at the bottom left. 

I have six now (I didn't get this sorted out until well into February) but I hope to make it to the top by the end of the year.

Wish me luck on my climb. And please share your inspiration for 2023 in a comment!

See you next month!

New Year, Two Year

Hello there! Hard to believe, but we've had two new years since I last posted. January 1 ushered in 2023, of course, and January 22 began the first day of the Lunar New Year celebration. I'm all for it and say two fresh starts are better than one.

It's kind of fun to look at the astrological predictions for the coming year, though I always take them with a grain of salt. 

According to the people who interpret the movements of the planets, Leos can look forward to a transformational year of good fortune, good health, and inner peace. 

But success doesn't happen on its own, and Leos should set ambitious goals, work hard, embrace challenges, and seek out opportunities. We should also eat a balanced diet, exercise, engage in fun hobbies, and connect with our romantic partners.

(Okay, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and point out that this is all good advice for anyone of any astrological sign during any year.)

In the Chinese calendar, 2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit. My horoscope animal is the horse, and this year may bring new opportunities for collaboration with important people and a deepening of family relationships. Horses will feel energetic and optimistic and enjoy prosperity and progress. Horses are also advised to eat healthy, exercise, engage in self-care, and control our spending.

Again, good advice for everyone.

Whatever your astrological sign, birth year, mother's maiden name, or peanut butter preference (smooth or chunky), I wish you all the best in 2023. I have plenty of projects to work on this year, and hopefully I can take advantage of my 2023 lion/horse energy and accomplish a few things.

See you soon!

 

Happy Lunar New Year from my tiny garden!

Welcome, Winter Solstice

Here in the north, we've reached solstice day and the longest night of the year, and with a new moon coming soon, it will also be one of the darkest. Thankfully, we have candles, fires, and Christmas lights to brighten things up, which of course is no coincidence. 

These are also the days of the Green Man, also known as the Green King, the Green Knight, and various other names. His is a complicated folklore, but he is generally seen as symbolizing the emergence from winter and the subsequent rebirth of spring. A more modern interpretation of the Green Man includes a connection to ecology and sustainability, which feels very appropriate.

When my boys were in elementary school, they made Green Man masks in art class:

I love how they are so different and yet include many of the same wild and natural elements.

This brief reflection on the Green Man seems a fitting end to my year of "grow," in which I don't think I did much growing. But I am reminded that everything in life is cyclical, as the wheel of time keeps turning.

Take good care, stay warm, enjoy your favorite holiday traditions, and I'll see you next year!

 

Fourth Quarter Game Plan

Hi everyone, here we are in the fourth quarter of 2022, and much like a football coach who is trying to sneak in a win before time expires, I'm looking at my game plan for the rest of the year.

My writer word for 2022 is grow, and I've done some of that. I've also spent a lot of time feeling like a seed, waiting. And waiting. But unlike me, a seed doesn't worry how long it will take to sprout. If the conditions are not right, a seed is perfectly content to remain dormant. Likewise, a seed does not worry about what it will look like when it sprouts. It just does its thing.

Methinks I need to be more like a seed.

So, back to my fourth quarter game plan. Coaches talk about returning to the fundamentals, and that's what I'll be doing for the rest of the year. I'm going to focus on what's important to me (more writing, more reading) and less on the stuff that takes up time and energy but results in very little forward progress. Clock management is very important in football, and as it turns out, it is important in life, too. 

Whether you're driving hard for the goal line or just trying to hold onto your lead, I wish you all the best with your fourth quarter game plan.

And when all else fails, bring in the marching band!