Friday, August 22, 2014

New starts.



Well the kids survived their first day of school. They seem to like the new place. I miss them being around all day, but at the same time this is my chance to get back on a good schedule. 

Writing for me is best done with some sort of structure. If my life feels chaotic my writing time suffers. Even when I have free time to write my brain feels too scrambled to do so. 

So that is one thing I will enjoy about this new school year. I have a lot of plans before next summer and I really am ready to jump back into it. It is time to break out the laptop and some lemonade and jump on the porch for some amazing writing sessions. I can't wait to share it all with you guys.

Anyway off to be with the family for a bit. Hope everyone is well. As always, have fun and keep writing. 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Depression and loss.


I wasn't sure if I wanted to post about this or not. This death, like it did many others, affected me greatly. This is someone who brought joy and comfort to the world and left it, presumably, quite sad. 

Depression is something I myself have struggled with and my mother before me. It is a deep hole you can find yourself down and climbing up can feel like an impossibility.

Good friends, family and some ability to vent your feelings seem to be the only ways to fight it. The only problem is if we don't reach out then we can't be helped.

Suicide is never the option. If anyone out there is going through something and thinks there is no one to listen my email is always open. If not me there is family, or friends, if not them then there are numbers and websites that offer help. Just don't give up. 

Life is a gift, sometimes it is hard to see that, but trust me on this, every single day is a chance for a new start. Find your happiness and hope. 

Love you all and I hope you are well. 


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

IWSG 8/6/14

Hey if anyone is interested in joining up to this awesome group click HERE



So, today is my return to blogging. Today is also my birthday. 32. Just over three decades spent on this spinning ball. Long enough to learn that the statement "The only constant is change" is quite accurate. In my 32 years I would wager I have moved maybe 15-16 times. I have become quite the pro at it in fact. I can have a house packed and moved in days. 

Well that theory was tested as I just recently had to move again. I won't go into the details, but let's just say the environment had become toxic. So we moved and on very short notice. When these changes happen in our lives we tend to take stock, so to speak. So over the last week and a half I have been reflecting.

The questions hit. Am I where I should be? Do I have the strength to get to where I want to be? Is my skill enough to get me there? Those type of question haunt us all I believe. In fact, how we answer them often define us. 

The place where we moved has some land, 5 acres. Some of that is woods, but there is still a hefty amount of yard work to be done. My son is 10, he has mostly been an inside kid. Playing video games or reading and occasionally going outside to play. I figured it is a good time to change that here so yesterday morning I woke him up and made him go outside to help with the yard.

Handing him the rake I instantly got a flashback of a younger me. I grew up for part of my life on a dairy farm. Coming from the city I was clueless. Luckily a great uncle of mine took me under his wing. I learned so much from him and have benefited from his lessons to this day. I have a step-father now that reminds me of him and I am learning all I can from him as well. 

Some of you may be thinking, "Interesting tale my friend, but how does this apply to a writing group?" Great question. The answer is, there are many stages in our craft. Like in life. You have to start as the one holding the rake, but given time you will be the one who can teach others what to do with it. 

Wherever you are in your writing is where you should be for this moment. It is through being open to learn and striving to continue and grow that we can become a master at this craft or any other. If you are having doubts at this moment just remember we all do and it is by pushing through them we become great. 

Anyways it is good to be back, hope you have all been well. As always have fun and keep writing. OH and as a p.s., don't fear change sometimes it brings you a pool and a rainbow. 


Monday, August 4, 2014

I have returned...um...Wednesday.

Okay so I am back, but I figured I would really really really come back for this Wednesday's IWSG. 

I have missed you all and can't wait to have my blogger family back. See you all soon.