Sitting area finally ready for sitting

We have always called it our “sitting area” although some people remember the huge stacks of bins and boxes, etc. that were piled there on moving day.  

As the weeks turned into months a few of you may remember hearing me exclaim about how I was getting it down to like only three rows deep under those windows. 

And then how excited I was as Row Two started to disappear.

...

Well... during GoodStock at The Good Beans Cafe, my man checked out the rummage sale in the Anteroom and found a pair of cool chairs for our sitting area.  

So… it was time to tackle Row One for real. I am happy to report that I have now pared it down enough that we can actually sit there in our sitting area.  

Sitting room, library, lounge... whatever.

I call it progress!

It wasn’t until sometime later that we discovered

the lovely chairs once belonged to the amazing Sybyl Atwood. 

What to do about NaNo…

I have done NaNoWriMo for the last fifteen years.  In other words, every November since 2010 I have participated in National Novel Writing Month, joining thousands of writers around the world.  That first year I had no clue what I was doing, but I quickly learned that I must write 50,000 words during the month of November in order to win my NaNo certificate.  

I came up with some idea that I thought I might want to write about.  I decided my first priority would be to make the word count - whether I ended up with anything “good” or not.  Just do that word count. That decision turned out to be important even though it meant that I ended up with some strange lines full of silly admissions like “I don’t know what to write” repeated throughout some of the pages.  And I did it!  I made it to the word count goal that year.  And the next… Soon it was 5 years and then 10.  

As summer turns to fall, I begin wondering “What will I do for NaNo this year?  What shall I write about?"  I find myself putting it on my schedule to start preparing in September - or at least certainly October - brainstorming and experimenting and trying out ideas for that year’s NaNo challenge.  

In those early years, I often kept going into December.  Kept writing as long as I could think of things to write.  Most of those projects are tucked away in some hibernation chamber… er, um… I mean file folders somewhere.  But, on two specific projects, I worked all through the winter - and even ended up publishing them!

Gradually, this annual rhythm of NaNoWriMo helped form my writing focus. 

Gear up in the fall.

Write like crazy in November.

Try to capture whatever else is still in my head in December.

Then figure out what to do with it during the winter.

Sure enough I had built a sort of annual writing rhythm.

… 

However, something happened this year.

The ground has shifted in the NaNo-verse.

The news is out; NaNoWriMo is no more.

No more fun and encouraging exercises from the NaNo staff.

No more NaNo merch.

No more certificates for our 50k words!

No more gearing up in September and October to write in November.

So now what do we do?

Never fear; turns out NaNoWrimers are a tenacious bunch.

Who says we can’t do NaNo this year?

I mean... I can still write anyway?

Even if NaNoWriMo, the official organization, is no more?

I can still brainstorm in September, and start experimenting in October?

That I can still gear up to write 50,000 words during November?

I guess that is all true.

For any of us.

After all, WE are the ones that pounded out those words every year.

We are the ones who set the goals and took the steps.

We show up to reach our daily goals… week after week.

We can still do them.

…

Yes, I am sad that there is no more NaNoWriMo.

It was an amazing thing and made a huge difference in my life.

I wish it was still around.

But I can still write.

I can take advantage of the things I learned from NaNo.

The things I tried.

The things that worked AND the ones that didn’t.

I am grateful for NaNoWriMo, for the idea.

I am grateful that Chris Baty’s vision came to life in 1999.

I’m grateful that my pastor friend, Ron, told me about it in 2010.

I’m grateful for my NaNo buddies in that very first year… 

…and most recently at the Marian E. Wright Writing Center

I’m glad for the brainstorming we are doing and the good ideas people suggest.

Sure enough, it's time!

Time to figure out what I’m writing for NaNo this year.

Let’s do this thing!

Posting at least once a month

Another month comes to a close. Yet again I realize I have not posted here this month - so it’s time to do so. Good thing I made that commitment to myself to post at least once a month.

Of course, only one post per month can feel pretty lame, but it feels better than not having written at all.  And so here I am, looking for something to write about.

Perhaps I happened upon the perfect title for this place.

Wondering as I wander

I wonder about so many things.

I also wander around... here and there with thoughts on one topic or another.

On this last day of August, I find myself thinking about seasons. 

And about writing.

About my writing seasons.

My writing habits and patterns.

About my writing future.

Do I want to continue writing?

Am I in fact a writer?

Reminder to self: 

At some point I decided that I am a writer if I am indeed writing.

And I am hereby taking note of the fact that I am writing today.

Therefore I am a writer.

Today.

What shall I write?

I want to write … so why don’t I?

Is it lack of discipline?

Maybe.

Lack of focus?

Quite possibly.

So many things around us are so confusing.

So much fear and frustration and anger and hate.

How do I know where to stand?

I don't know what to say.

I don’t even know what to think.

What to do with the heartbreak and empathy and fear.

What to do with my anger?

With the grief of so many people?

I so badly wish that I could make things better.

That I could fix things for the people who are terrified.

The anger pops up so easily.

I just wish I could shake perpetrators and get them to stop.

I want to be a hero but don’t know how.

I am quick to assume that those other people are villains.

I mean… if I’m right then they must be wrong.

I wish I could convince them to shape up.

I realize that I am judging.

I am pointing my finger at those I perceive as villains.

But wait... Finger-pointing is part of what I am so sad about.

Part of what breaks my heart…

That so many wonderful people have been assumed to be bad guys.

As villains who must be run out of town.

Banished from our borders.

That they have been collectively labeled as “what is wrong with our country” - often for no other reason than the color of their skin or that they don’t speak perfect English - or just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Or maybe just because some wannabe hero needed to meet his quota for the day. 

I still don’t know what to write about.

I can’t seem to make sense of my feelings - or of what is happening in our world.

I don’t know what to think.

Or how to help.

But I do know that I don’t want to automatically point my finger at others.

To be so quick to judge.

To be instantly and constantly angry.

I want to slow down to consider what is really happening.

To take the time to listen.

To really care about people. 

How would my dad treat this person?

I am heartbroken these days by the scary things happening to so many people in our world.  I so often wonder what I can do to help… and feel like I can’t do enough.

Today is my dad’s birthdate so I’ve been thinking about him and reading through some things people have said about him - like the former neighbor who said “this world needs more Lee D’Arcy’s” - which reminded me that we can continue his legacy.  The things we saw in him are things that the world needs.  Those things give us an example we can continue.  

I paused to remember some of the comments I often hear repeated about him:

• He always took time to ask how we were doing
• He listened to what mattered to us
• He might disagree with someone but still love them
• He always made me feel special

Sure enough, the tactics my dad practiced could be helpful to the people I know who are struggling or fearful about the future.  Making someone feel special or listened to is definitely a good place to start.

So now I want to read some of these other things I’ve collected about him…