Creative Climate

This winter continues to be relentless, the snow, the ice, the extreme cold, and some major winds have been taking its toll on everyone's spirits and pocketbooks.  Cars don't want to work, pipes are at risk of freezing, our one hot water heater never stays lit for long because the wind keeps blowing it out which is very aggravating.  Hubby has tried many things over the years to combat this problem but nothing seems to work.  It's just been an endless stream of challenges for everyone. 

I've hardly subbed at all because we've barely had any real school days.  So my time has been spent revamping the house and doing some repurposing and preparations for house projects when the weather breaks.  We've got a lot of deconstructing to do before we re-construct.  Mostly this entails packing up stuff and moving furniture.  I have half of the house neat and organized the other half is the "in progress" side. This is nothing new to me since I've always seemed to live some sort of double life. [smile, wink]  Also, decided to relieve some boredom by doing a repurpose project, painting and changing out knobs on an old dresser from my mom's house that is now the "credenza" for my new office space.  What do you think?

I know the color choices are a little out there but I like it.  And this is my new office space.  I've been working to get organized and move into a more professional attitude with my goals for writing.  Got a new laptop and have been relearning the most basic functions on this newfangled system that you're forced to have on your computers.  Arg.  Also loaded the Scrivener program and files for two novels I've composed and am in the process of editing, polishing and completing.  Honestly for a few days there I never felt so stupid in my life when came to navigating through this new set up but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

My brother sent me an awesome book for Christmas called "the War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles" by Steven Pressfield which is absolutely fantastic and just the shot in the arm I needed.  The first section talks about the 'resistance' or basically all the big and little things that keep you from that creative goal.  "It's not the writing part that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance."  I've just entered the second section "Combating the Resistance" and again, great stuff.  Also came across an article in a Writing Basics magazine about tips for success, Number 1: Never do laundry!  Meaning don't think you're going to "just throw in one load" because it will escalate from there and the next thing you know you're reorganizing your kid's closet instead of writing.  I've been trying to write daily, something, either for the novel, a grant, my journal, random articles, or this blog post.  Something.  Anything.  Even if it's just one page, one paragraph, one sentence, just write words on the page.  They may turn into something more concrete later, they may not.  That's not the concern at this point, the idea is to just keep the creative outlet open and flowing.

What's coming up for the Parton gang next month?  Fox will be visiting the Wayne State University and Saginaw Valley State University campuses for Model U.N. events.  Ethan will be polishing his Poetry piece for the Bronco Bullpen Forensic Tourny and making his debut at the 3rd Degree Burns Annual Fundraiser, and Ben will continue work on Team #5201's robot (Spartonix)  that will need to be bagged by mid-month.  And hopefully we'll all be enjoying some kind of break in this tundra-like climate we've been having.

I leave you with a little writer's humor. 

Stay Warm.  Stay Safe.  Stay Grateful.

Lovely Staycation

Greetings. It's been a while again, just haven't been as motivated to blog lately. Last week the kids were on their spring break from school and Rob took a few days off also so we were all home together (except for the 18 y.o. who is always on the go). The decision to not go to Florida was a good one, it was nice to just be home and work on stupid little decluttering tasks that never get your attention. There are a lot of projects around the house to do but before we begin we have to be able to get to those areas so that is the current focus. Every time I take a load to the thrift shop I am elated. The beginning of June we have a "dumpster day" at the township hall so a lot of junk will go there and also our church hosts Care & Share Days which is basically a huge free rummage sale (or swap) where people bring things in good condition they don't need and others take what they do need. We always make a considerable donation and I really try not to bring a new batch of junk home with me.

I've also been working on my VP of publicity duties for the Lapeer County Concert Choir, getting contacts at newspapers, filling out forms to use public marquees, and preparing to start procuring ad space. Click HERE to see an article from the LAView. This from a press release I sent out, they only changed one sentence but unfortunately didn't use the photos I sent.

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The boys, Rob and I also took advantage of the time together to have a marathon game of RISK that started on Monday and didn't end until Saturday! It was an interesting adventure but it will be some time before we'll have the luxury of doing that for a while. Ben's soccer coach called, practices start this week. Ethan's baseball coach called, practices will start probably next week. Fox is already practicing for track, first meet is at the end of the month....so it is gonna get crazy!

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Finished John Grisham's "Testament" over the break too, one of the few books I've read in a long time that I didn't want to end and was surprised at the way it did end. For several days after I began writing the continued story in my mind, what I would like to have happen to the characters and their situation. I'm also still reading about and minutely applying Feng Shui principles, there's a lot to it not sure how serious I'll get about it but I do know I need to get the mirror out of my bedroom so I don't keep "looking back at old emotions." Still plugging away at "The Creative Call" and doing some assignments from the book in order to get a fresh shot of inspiration for future endeavors.

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When the weather broke on Saturday we were all outside working, my favorite work outside weather, sunny and cool but not hot. Made the rounds on the property and picked up runaway trash, cleaned out some perennial areas, pruned the spireas and started putting wood chips down, got the Gramma Garden done first and laid it on thick just like gramma used to. Ben and I had fun sharing 'gramma-isms' about gardening as we worked. The boys would go down during spring break every year and help her with her gardens so they knew the drill when it came to the wood chip procedure, Ben said when they were finished working gramma would always exclaim 'whose beautiful garden is that? isn't that beautiful? is that the most gorgeous garden you've every seen!?' It's weird as soon as he said it I could totally hear my moms voice in my head saying it and I could see her decked out for working in her gardens (gloves, sunglasses, big hat). I really hope the rose bush makes it, I pulled it on my last trip down to the house and it was still blooming. When I first replanted it, it looked pretty grim but I'm hoping it will bounce back....I'll let you know.

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Sorry there's not more excitement going on at the moment, things have been pretty laid back and that's just fine with me. I leave you with a Sonnet from which the text is used in one of the pieces the LCCC is working on called "I Am In Need of Music." Such a beautiful arrangment to these words. --

I am in need of music that would flow

Over my fretful, feeling finger-tips,

Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,

With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow.

Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,

Of some song, sung to rest the tired dead,

A song to fall like water on my head,

And over quiviering limbs, dream flushed to glow!

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There is a magic made by melody:

A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool

heart, that sinks through fading colors deep

To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,

And floats forever in a moon-green pool,

Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.

~Elizabeth Bishop (1911-79)