Life on the road: six months

Date: November 18, 2012
Today marks one month in the new place and six months "on the road"

Location: the new/old cabin – way bigger than the little tiny cabin and way smaller than the big house. We like it a lot.

Outside:
A couple weeks ago it was cold & rainy & downright harsh as the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy reached us. Seriously. We lost ALL the leaves from the trees during that windy spell, but then we’ve also some nice long times of Indian Summer. Currently the big thing happening outside is the start of hunting season – so we are avoiding our normal walking routes.

Recent happenings:
- NYC was devastated by the super-storm formed by the collision of the hurricane and a huge cold pressure system
- President Obama was re-elected. The loudest friends are very upset and disappointed and fearful while other friends are quietly relieved. Gotta’ love having a variety of friends!
- We survived yet another "time change" week. Why, oh why, must we do that every year, twice a year?
- Fighting and bombings increase between Israel, Palestine, and Syria

Miles traveled: Mostly we’ve stayed put right here – getting settled into our new place – although we did make a quick trip to help with the kids when their mama got sick. We love having the flexibility to pick up and go when needed.

Walked: back and forth and back and forth between storage sheds and cabins and many trips up and down the stairs in both cabins

Current writing project: Participating in NaNoWriMo for my third year in a row

Current domestic project: Jumping back into the sorting and downsizing. This is Phase Two – or maybe Phase Three: pulling things back out of storage and discovering what else we can get rid of.

Hubby is: editing photos &/or building a photo book

Noticed: lots of amazing things while participating in “31 Amazing Days” challenge

Made me drool: pot stickers!

Reading: Just finished two books about the realities of being gay.

Watched: old episodes of “Mentalist” and now Christmas movies

Accomplishments:
- 31 Amazing Days challenge, blog posts every day during October!
- Right on track with my word count goals for NaNo

Looking forward to: the holiday season – living in a Christmas-y cabin!

Already?!?

November 15?!?
Really?!?
How can it be?

We've heard it before and we'll hear it again.

“How can November be half-gone already?”
“I can’t even believe it is November already.”
“Where did that month go?”

It seems that we are always lamenting how quickly time slips by. But it's true. It is November and even halfway through November already.

There has been a huge change in my blogging pattern. During October I participated in the 31 Amazing Days challenge – and succeeded in posting nearly every day – which was a healthy and fun exercise. Then came November One and suddenly it was time for NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. This is my third year to participate in NaNo. I quickly realized that it must be my top priority. In fact, other years I've been lucky enough to arrange my life and schedule so that NaNo was my main priority in November and so that it had very little competition for my time and attention. I assumed that I would not be able to succeed if I had other important things to do with my month. Even so I was well aware that I was rather spoiled by that luxury.

This year my schedule is a little different. Yes, I am doing NaNo again but it turns out that there are other important things in my schedule as well – things that compete for my early morning hours. I had previously set aside the first hours of the morning to get my writing done – because that’s when I am the most creative. Well... and because I could. But this year there have been grandchildren to care for in some of those early morning hours. Not that I mind! I absolutely love being available to help with them. Then there are medical appointments (both for me and for other people in my life) that steal some more of those mornings.

In previous years, those “interruptions” or intrusions on my time might have caused me to panic about my chances of success, but hey! Other people do NaNoWriMo besides keeping up with busy schedules – work, school, family responsibilities, etc. Am I such a wimp that I can’t keep up with a few other things along with NaNo?

Well, here it is the middle of the month and I am happy to report that even though I have had more real life to live this year, I am indeed keeping up my writing pace. I believe that I am going to make it to my goal. Yippee! I think I can be proud of myself.

Good-bye to fear

Every once in awhile I just have to pull this song out and listen to it a few times.
Today seemed like a good day for it.

...............

Brave New Beat

...............

I made friends with fear
We went everywhere together
He pulled out my chair
when I sat down at the table
I told him everything
just to get his opinion
He spoke so confidently
because I always believed him
He kept me from doin' anything
too risky or brave
In exchange for his protection
I became his slave

I made friends with hate
I hated everything about him
But I was so wounded by love
I tho't I couldn't live without him
He kept track of every little grudge
so it wouldn't heal
He helped me hold & preserve
all the pain I feel

I'm leavin' this sad city
Sorry, my old friends
but you can't go with me
I made friends with love & mercy
Ooh... & they're such good dancers
So don't call me anymore...
I'm not gonna' answer

I'm gonna' tango with my new friends
I'm gonna' tango with my new self
I'm gonna' tango with my new feet
I'm dancin' to the rhythm
of a brave new beat

..............

by Erin Zindle & the Ragbirds

Amazing Day Number 31: Amazing indeed

The last amazing day
No, wait; I hope that’s not true.
Try that again.

The last of the amazing days...
Of the 31-day challenge, that is...

When I decided to take this challenge, I guessed that I may not have the energy or the creativity to “make amazing things happen” but I hoped that I would begin to notice the amazing things around me. Sure enough; that was true. I didn’t make many amazing things happen; I simply learned to focus on some of the amazing and wonder-filled happenings right there in front of my eyes. Most of the amazing things that I’ve written about were not to my credit; I was not the catalyst. I was simply the observer, the celebrant.

By the way, a few of the things that I noticed were not what I would call “amazing good” – as in warm, fuzzy, wonderful things, but some of them were “shake-my-head-in-amazement" sad or disappointing or scary. They were things that made me wonder how people (including me) could be so thoughtless or selfish.

On the other hand there were also a few things that made me shake my head in wonder and astonishment about how unfathomable certain things on this planet are to my relatively small mind. They made me realize that I do not indeed “know it all” nor do I have things under control and, for the most part, that’s okay. I do not need to know it all – which is a great relief really – nor do I need to control everything and everyone. Well, except for the things that I should control – which I can/should/will keep trying to whip into shape, but which are quite few in number. Life is much easier and more pleasant for me and those around me when I stop trying to control things that are none of my business. Perhaps this 31-day practice of noticing the amazing stuff will be one more step in letting go of that inappropriate control. Now that would be amazing!

…

Disclaimer: To my credit, this is not my first time to realize that I am not the God of the universe nor is it my first attempt to relinquish control of things that are not in my department, but hopefully it has been a good reminder. And as for those things that ARE my responsibility, things that I SHOULD get under control, things that I AM in charge of… this has also been an ongoing process. So I choose to celebrate those areas where I am making good strides toward getting those things in order. And I commit to continue that noble effort.

…

Yes, these have been amazing days, days filled with amazing things. If I had not taken this challenge, I have to wonder how many of them I would have missed.

What a grand way this is to live, to notice and celebrate the amazing-ness all around me!
What if I were able to continue noticing and celebrating?
What if my eyes would be wide open in wonder more of the time?
That would indeed be amazing.

Amazing Day Number 30: tidbits

I’ve been noticing some interesting things – amazing even…
Like that I am starting to feel at home here
Like the reality that the temperature could drop 20 degrees in one day
Like the huge difference in comfort can be felt in such a drop
Like the sad fact that my margin of comfort is really narrow
Like the news that a hurricane could reach all the way to Michigan
Like the discovery that hurricane-force winds can drive rain into cracks between logs in our little old cabin
Like the excitement that I have six friends who are doing NaNoWriMo this year
Like the surprising consistency with which I have been posting about my amazing days