Because I was born and raised in Michigan and have lived my entire adult life in Ohio, I’m one of those people who hold on to the ideal of a white Christmas.
The Giving Season
December 16, 2011 by
With only nine days until Christmas, I have to say the spirit has evaded me this year.
Not that I’m a Scrooge. I love the sentiment behind Christmas. I really enjoy decorating and baking and taking time to think of others. What I don’t enjoy is the extra dose of stress that tends to go along with all of that.
Face it. Life moves at a faster clip than it did ten or even five years ago. Hours turn to days and days to weeks within a blink of an eye. One day it’s Thanksgiving, the next it seems to be the Fourth of July. When your everyday life keeps you running from the moment your feet hit the bedroom floor until you’re back in the evening settling in for a few hours of shut-eye, it’s hard to be happy about all the extra duties of the holiday.
While talking with a friend yesterday, I realized that those responsibilities we give ourselves–the extra work and the rigmarole–isn’t really the meaning behind the season.
This year, I struggled to get my Christmas cards out and was disappointed that they weren’t in the mail the weekend following Thanksgiving. I pouted because I got out voted on decorations. Since we will be out-of-town for the holidays, the rest of the family deemed them an unneccesary stress. I struggled to find time to bake and I’ve fretted over what gifts I’m going to purchase and how I’m going to get them delivered.
This morning, when I delivered a plate of fresh-bakes treats to our bank as a thank-you to the ladies (and gentleman) who I deal with on a daily basis, and saw the sincere appreciation at being remembered that I realized every bit of pressure we put on ourselves to make a holiday perfect, moves us further away from the real intent.
Being remembered. Doing for another. Giving of ourselves.
Those are the real meanings of the season.
And that shouldn’t be something that causes you stress. It should come from the heart.
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Traditionally, this blog goes on hiatus for the last two weeks of the year, but this year I will be guest blogging the MVRWA Group Blog on December 26 and will cross link to that post here.
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In the new year I will be changing the posting schedule here. Instead of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday posts, I will post on Tuesday and Thursday … with an occasional weekend bonus post.
Look for the first post of 2012 to hit these pages January 3, 2012.
Five Ways Construction Work is Like Writing
December 12, 2011 by
You might think working the phones for a flooring company would be worlds apart from my passion of writing. There are days when I come home from the office so totally drained of any creative energy when this seems to be true. But I’ve been thinking about this lately, and I’ve decided they aren’t as far apart as you might think. Here is my list of Five Ways Construction Work is Like Writing.
1. You have to have a plan.
I can hear all my faithful readers out there saying, “but…but…but you say you’re not a plotter.” You’re right. Plotting gives me the hives and destroys the creative evolution of the story for me, but that doesn’t mean I go in without a plan at all. I Usually know how the story is going to begin, how it will end, and at least three of four sign posts along the way (turning points). Without at least this basic structure, I’m lost before I get started.
2. Everything rests on a good foundation.
In the same way that a building built on a weak foundation will crumble, if I don’t have a solid foundation for my stories: clearly defined goals, motivation and enough conflict to keep it moving, the ship is sunk before it sails.
3: A fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference.
In the same way that a fresh coat of paint can make a room look shiny and new, a little bit of editing or revising can bring new life to tired or shabby words.
4. Slow and steady…
Whether you’re building a house or building a story, you can’t rush the steps or skip any elements. Pacing is an important element to a story, jut like the order of steps is important in any construction project.
5. Word of mouth is the best advertizing.
The best way to build a good reputation is to keep your customers, ie: readers, happy.
