Where Would You Go If You Could?

If nothing else, staying home for the past few months has given me time to write, and time to think.I tend to focus on my darker, sadder thoughts so, too much time to think isn’t usually a good thing for me.

But sometimes, I think about what’s on my list of things I will do when (if?) the pandemic is over. I definitely want to drive down to the Outer Banks again. I fell in love with the picturesque trip as well as the entire area. From our hotel, the beach was not even a stone’s throw. We stepped onto the balcony and right into the ocean breeze. It sure was beautiful.

I think I’d also like to take an Alaskan cruise, or maybe even a land/cruise combination. Not only are the mountains and icebergs breathtaking (even in pictures), but the Northern Lights...What words can describe this? I imagine being there, seeing this, would be a spiritual experience.

Given the chance, where would you go?

One of Those Days

One thing I know for sure is that if one thing goes wrong in the morning, the rest of the day is in trouble.

First, I have to admit that I overslept, so getting out of the house was rushed.  As I was leaving, the phone rang and I saw it was the arborist who is supposed to check our tree.  This appointment has been delayed by a tropical storm a couple of weeks ago and then a storm with tornados last week.  The arborist was called to help with tree damage, so our poor tree was put on hold.  I knew he was calling to reschedule but there was no time to check calendars so I told the phone (and myself) that I would call him later.

Tuesday is errand day.  I have to be out for our farm shares pick up so run other errands. When I attached my phone in the car, I received the message that the phone was offline.  Now, this phone is about a week old and one sim card has already had to be replaced.  Here we go again I thought.  Followed by “I’ll have to call them later.”

Off I went and picked up the farm shares and decided not to do the other errands to save time. I arrived home, showered, and put everything away.  I grabbed last night’s leftover lasagna and heated that for lunch. 

During lunch a friend called needing to borrow something, medicine was delivered, and a friend kept texting complaints about his day. 

Actually, it was worse than this looks.

Finally, I headed to my office to get started on my workday, only to learn that the internet was down.  I did the usual magic, but nothing happened.  I spent the next 3 hours on the phone with the tech guy who told me one thing to do, then totally changed what he wanted me to do until I was completely turned around.  I checked for loose cables, traced the cable back to its entry to the house, but honestly I wouldn’t have recognized something wrong If I had seen it.  There were multiple wires going in every direction. Did we really have cable in six rooms?  Seems we do even though they are hooked to nothing.  Finally, the tech and I decided that a new modem should be sent.  Great.  How many days?

I also teach remotely, and guess what is needed for that? Yes, an internet connection.  Using the hot spot on my phone I was able to hold the class.  Miraculously when my class ended, the internet came online and then it was gone again.

So here I sit with blogs to post, email to send, and classes to get ready for tomorrow.  But I have no internet.  What’s a person to do? I think I will go to bed and make sure tomorrow starts on time.

Really? Pumpkin Lattes Already?

I'm feeling like this little guy. My partner and I went out today to grab a cup of coffee (we had a touch of cabin fever) and coffee shops are already selling Fall flavors. 

A bewildered owl. Courtesy Skitterphoto on Pexels

Fall? It's 90 degrees where I am. 

Granted, classes are starting up for the Fall semester, which is a marker of the next season. I've been buried in school prep, student advising, and orientations for a few weeks so I suppose I hadn't noticed that time was passing so quickly.  

Tell me, are you a person who years for Fall flavors? I like a few. Apples, caramel (which I consider Fall-ish) and some pumpkin flavors—although not in coffee. I’m a coffee purist.

If Fall flavors are your thing, I have a good recipe for a unique snack/dessert. The recipe is one that has been in my family for decades, although to be honest I have no idea where or with whom it originated.

Pumpkin dip:

2 cups powdered sugar

8oz cream cheese softened

15 ounces of pumpkin (canned or pureed)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (or to taste—I sometimes like a little less)

Makes approximately 4 cups. Recipe can be doubled easily.

Serve with ginger snaps for dipping! YUMMY!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

To Write, or Not to Write Short Stories

I’m a member of a writing group that has decided to publish an anthology of our short stories.  Sounds good, right? Yes, and no.

On the positive side, anthologies offer readers an opportunity to sample new authors, usually at a bargain price. It also enables authors to reach new audiences, and sometimes. to try their hands at new genres.

On the other hand…

While I’ve written a few successful short stories, I don’t easily write “short”. I have a few stories, but they are closer to flash fiction in length.  I don’t like to read long rambling tales so it stands to reason that I also don’t write them  I do tend to write stories that involve the cast of characters who appear in my longer works.

Unfortunately, that creates the problem of how to explain who these people are without lots of backstory. There isn’t time or space to do that in a short work of fiction.  I suppose I could identify it as a Living After Midnight story but what if the reader hasn’t read those books?  How do I make this interesting enough that it might make someone new want to read more? Maybe I would be better off using new characters as long as it takes place in or around Unakite. 

Decisions decisions.

If I’m being honest, I have to admit it doesn’t usually work for me to try to go outside my fictional world. My characters are so pushy they often manage to insert themselves into anything I write— if only for a cameo.

What do you think? Do you read short stories?

Cookies. Yes, I said it. Cookies.

Being home more than usual has been a challenge in many ways. By nature, I’m what my partner calls a slugabed. Meaning, given the option, I might just slug around and stay in bed. I wouldn’t go that far, but it is true that I don’t get nearly the exercise I did when I had to go into the office.

MMMM. Cookies.

So, I’ve been sitting around more, working at my job and writing, and trying to make sure I do stretches and get up, away from the computer, and walk throughout each day.

I’m also coming down off of a baking binge. You name it, I baked it. Banana bread, cranberry orange bread, cookies, actual bread.

See where I’m going here? None of that is good for me. NONE. But what’s a writer to do? Cranking out words is hungry work.

Fortunately, I found a recipe for cookies that is gluten-free and therefore not that bad for me. They’re made with coconut flour, almond flour, eggs, chocolate chips (YAY!), sugar, and butter. They are very rich. You can only eat one at a sitting. And they are really satisfying.

Drop me a line if you want the recipe.

Time to Change Things Up

I am currently slogging my way through Camp NanoWriMo and bemoaning the fact that I did not get a single word written during Camp Nano in April.  The self -flagellation reminds me that if I had only done the work in April I would be doing rewrites and edits instead of staring at a blank screen, trying to figure out what my outline notes meant.

Another worry for me has been nicknamed the Covid-15.  That’s the fifteen pounds the average person gained in the first months of sheltering in place.  I’d previously worked very hard to eat healthy meals, drink water, and exercise.  But with the quarantine, the lethargy that affected my writing also affected my healthy habits.  Months of sitting at a desk, followed by sitting on the sofa, and topped off by sitting at the dinner table, well, let’s just say I developed a fear of weighing myself.  Eventually I had to face the fact that some of my clothes were uncomfortably tight. 

I forced myself to the scales and was relieved to learn I’d only gained six pounds. It was still too much.  Even worse was the result of sitting.  Walking to the end of the driveway a couple of times a day just didn’t do the trick

My reasoning, such that it was, was that I deserved a break from work and good habits because it helped deal with the stress and worry of Covid-19.  Things would be back to normal by summer.

Obviously, that hasn’t happened.  Parts of the country reopened to devastating results, so the quarantine continues, at least in my state. My family continues to practice social distancing and #stayingathome. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that the next leg of the pandemic can’t be the same as the first four months.  I have set goals and planned baby steps for walking and exercising more, I’ve swapped my cola for water (most of the time), ceased eating so many carbs, and exchanged frozen veggies for fresh. 

I’m also creeping my way through Camp Nano.  I may not hit my goal,  but I am writing every day.  Those are great starts.

Now that things have lasted longer than we’d hoped, is there anything you’re going to do differently?

Once More Unto the Breach #CampNano

I think I’m addicted to NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. Every November, I sign up with millions of others around the world to pledge to write a new 50,000 word novel in thirty days. No one is expected to have a polished novel at the end of that time, rather a draft that you can edit and turn into a finished work. Sounds good, right?

It is. It is also incredibly stressful. Writing is not easy. In fact, is it one of the most difficult ventures I’ve ever taken on. Sometimes the words flow like water. Most of the time, however, it’s like bleeding on the page. Stripping pieces of your soul. Add to that, trying to write at a much faster pace than I manage normally, and you have a grueling, stressful process.

Camp Nano, which takes place in July, is a kinder, gentler version of NaNoWriMo. You still have 30 days, but it’s not in the middle of the biggest holiday season, and you can pick any project you choose—something new, or a project you’ve worked on before. You also don’t have to add 50K. My goal is to finish the novel I’m working on by adding 20K words. I should be able to accomplish it.

What both programs have in common is the camaraderie, the sense of “I’m not in this alone”, unlike the rest of the months I write. As I’m also a competitive person, the drive to claim the winner’s badge also helps me to focus on achieving my goal.

So…here I go. Wish me luck.

CSA and Me

Scientists and epidemiologists insist, pretty much across the board, that the pandemic isn’t over and I trust science. I understand that the more people who #stayhome the greater our chance of eliminating the virus. Or at least buying us time until there is a treatment or a vaccine. Consequently, I’m not going anywhere—for the most part.

I’ve had to take the dogs to the vet. I’ve had to go to renew my license. And I took a drive around the block for curbside pickup of a couple of Cafe Mochas because my partner was going a little stir crazy. I wore lined masks for every outing, kept interactions brief, kept an appropriate social distance, and only left the house for necessities. Starting this week, however, I have to pick up my CSA.

My bounty for Week 1. Yum!

CSA. Community Supported Agriculture. This is a program that supports local farms. You buy “shares”, which gives the farm money to buy seeds and other supplies in advance of the season. In return, you get a “share” of the farm’s yield.

I am now obligated to go out into the world every week to pick up my farm shares. A part of me wonders what the heck I was thinking. My partner and I buy into CSAs because we support local farming, largely because I know the vital role they play in our food chain. I think corporate farming is a bad idea, but I’ll save that for another post. (In case you’re interested, this is a pretty good article.)

It’s a risk, I know, going out every week. But sometimes, you have to take risks, or as my mother would have said, “put your money where your mouth is”.

Huh. I just realized that I’m doing that quite literally.

Time is Moving Weirdly. Or is it just me?

A serene beach with the shade of a palm tree.

I’ve been home with my partner since March 13, except for a very anxiety-riddled visit to the vet (no contact delivery and pick up of my pooches) and a quick stop at Dairy Queen (we were RIGHT THERE. Don’t judge me.) For the first month, I was in a fog. Panicked all the time. Unable to sleep or eat. Obsessive. Hypochondriacal.

Thankfully, it did eventually end. Then I became focused on being productive. WRITE. CLEAN. ORGANIZE. Work on the yard. Get arts and crafty. There are days that I am very productive.

There are also days when I get up, have a cup of coffee, glance at the clock—and it’s 3:30PM. Then suddenly it’s 9:00PM. Then 11:00PM. What the hell?

I have a few guesses about what happens. Sometimes, it’s a social media time suck. Sometimes it’s a Netflix binge. Or more likely, my to-do list is SO BIG I wander around my house unsure of where or how to start.

The consequence is that I accomplish nothing on those days. Zilch. In fact, it’s all I can do to drag my exhausted for no reason self to bed. Fortunately, I found a fix for it. I pick ONE thing that I MUST accomplish each day, instead of my usual multi-item list. I nearly always do more, but when I don’t, I can still look back on the day and feel good about it.

Does this weird passing of time ever happen to you? How do you deal with it?

By the way, this beautiful picture here has nothing to do with what I’m writing about today. It just makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy, too.

It's Okay. It is.

A cup of tea…and a moment of peace.

There are so many unimaginable things going on around us today. It is difficult to take it all in, let alone focus on it for extended periods of time. It saddens me to know that several of my friends feel guilty about not being able to watch the news all day, or go to every rally, or even stay on FaceBook and chat with their friends about world events.

But it’s okay. It really is. You don’t have to overload yourself with news to the point of hopelessness or stress. You DESERVE to binge-watch Cloak & Dagger and lose yourself in their quest. You are WORTHY of the respite that comes from taking a long walk, or sitting in nature watching the birds. And you are entitled to give your self a break, make a cup of tea (or the beverage of your choice) and escape inside a book.

So take a step back from the insanity and find a few new reads. Here are some free (or pretty cheap). Just click on the picture.

Be well.

Myth and Magic, Free EBooks for Fantasy Lovers

Sexy Short Reads, EBooks $4.99 and Below

Welcome to My World, free fantasy and SciFi EBooks

Pineapple Fried Rice

Sometimes you just have to go for it.

I’ve been craving Asian food since just before the lockdown, I mean, quarantine. So tonight I took the plunge to make some.

Mind you, any other time I’ve tried to make Asian food it came out HORRIBLY. I just could never replicate the taste of my favorites. Egg Foo Young. Lo Mein. Korean Barbecue. Tempura anything. So today I was looking up recipes (#foodporn) and I didn’t have the ingredients for any of them.

But I was determined. So I combined a couple of different recipes and made a leap of faith in my improv cooking skills. Mom was, after all, a caterer.

Here is the result—Pineapple Fried Rice and Tempura Shrimp. OMG, it was delicious. I used these ingredients:

• jasmine rice

• onion

• whole salted cashews

• raisins

• frozen pineapple

• soy sauce

• curry powder

• eggs

I am so excited. My mom would be proud of me.

Tho I did cheat with the shrimp. I had some frozen, already tempura’d shrimp in the freezer.😊

Next on the agenda: Homemade Eggrolls

Taking Care of Ourselves

We’re all talking about the effects of isolation on our mental health.  One of the suggestions experts are making is to start a journal.  The theory seems to be that this is such an unusual time and circumstance we would value a record in the future.  That sounds like a wonderful idea.  I wish I had been able to do that.

But the pandemic and social isolation/social distancing have had the opposite effect on me. I’ve kept a journal for most of my life.  During stressful times in the past, I have written up to 10 pages a day dealing with the circumstance.  Journaling this spring should have been easy.  I am, after all, a writer.

Since early March, it has been difficult for me to “orient to time”.  I do clearly understand day-to-day events but often not the exact date. Time compresses, too. I often can’t remember if something happened last week or the week before. My sleeping has become erratic as well. At least twice a week I find myself still awake at 5 am, with the sun peaking over the horizon

Yesterday, I picked up my journal because I thought it had been a few days since I had written.  The last entry was April 3rd. My new plan is to follow Julia Cameron’s recommendation for Morning Pages. This means writing for three pages, longhand, in the style of stream of consciousness. The idea is to do this first thing in the morning to have a clear mind for the day.  

I don't want to. But I will. It will help me keep track of time. It will also enable me to discharge some of my anxiety on the page.

I also found a few things that really help me to reign in my uneasiness. Besides writing, I find deep breathing to be helpful. The Calm app is for iOS devices is a goto for me, There are options that you can get if you pay for them, but the breathing exercises are free (so far) and they really help. Calm Of course, the master of breathing exercises is Dr. Andrew Weil. You can find his exercises here: Dr.Weil

If that sounds too boring to you, many places are offering virtual tours. I find it pretty meditative to watch an aquarium, or meander through a museum. Here are a couple of links to explore. YOu might find something to take you away from your worries, if only for a little while.

Best Virtual Tours According to Goodhousekeeping

Best Virtual Tours According to Town and Country Magazine

How are you managing? Be well. Stay safe. #stayhome if you can #washyourhands