Spring - The Season of Creation

Spring is here!  Ok.  Technically, it actually isn't until the 20th, but it's beginning to feel like it anyway.  When I first stepped outside yesterday, I was delighted by our first real taste of spring.  The thermometer bragged of temperatures in the 60's, and although we've had a mild winter, it was a treat none-the-less.  In eager anticipation, I walked the premises of our property in search of snow drops, crocuses and tips of tulip leaves barely breaking the soil.  By the time I completed my rounds, I caught the fever - spring fever that is.     

I love spring.  It's definitely one of my favorite seasons.  Confession:  I've never really been able to narrow it down to one, but I can say with certainty that winter is at the bottom of the list, despite the fact that even it has it's own special qualities.  But what I love about spring is that it's the season of creation.  Birth.  New life is everywhere and it's so exciting.  I can only imagine how God must have felt as He created it all in the beginning!

But for me, the best thing about spring is the way it makes me feel.  Like many people, I find myself inspired by all things new.  Sometimes it comes in the form of cleaning my house from top to bottom, but at other times, it plants a seed within my soul.  I want to soak in all the beauty around me, but I also want to be an active part of it.  I want to create.  So I set aside my inhibitions and do what I love to do: I write. 

That's why I'm here today.  I'm partnering with mother nature and letting that seed of inspiration sprout into a blog post - my first in nine months!  Say what? Yep.  It's true, but even though I haven't been diligent here, doesn't mean I haven't been working on other things.  Last spring, I actually outlined my first book, but then did nothing with it all summer long.  In fact, I did nothing with it until my dear friend and writing partner, Betsy Henning, approached me about wanting to participate in Nanowrimo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month.

For those of you who don't know, Nanowrimo is simply a project coordinated by the Office of Letters and Light, a non-profit organization with the goal of helping people (young and old) attain their writing goals.  Specifically here, the goal is to write a 50,000 word book in the month of November.  According to their website, "it is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing.  I'll say!

"Let's do it!" Betsy challenged.  She spoke of it throughout the entire month of October, even going so far as to sign up for an online Nanowrimo preparation class.  She meant business.  She really wanted to do this thing. 

"Yeah.  Sure.  I'll do it," I said, unenthusiastically.  But when I went back to the outline I worked out the previous spring something moved me.  I don't know if it was belief in my story, the fact that I knew I had something to say and needed say it, or if it was that I just needed to know if I could write a book from beginning to end.

Whatever the reason or reasons, I committed wholeheartedly.  Betsy and I worked diligently all month and completed our first manuscripts slightly ahead of the allotted time.  It was a victory for us both.  We completed the writer's equivalent to the marathon.  Of course, I know mine needs a lot of work.  It accurately fits Anne Lamott's definition of a "shitty first draft," but I am comforted by the fact that according to her all good writers write them.  And hey, I did it!   I outlined and wrote a book and now I need to move on to the next step - revising and editing.  I know I will spend many hours at it, but eventually, I hope to end up with a good second draft and maybe even a terrific third draft (that's what she says happens if you keep at it!).  


So here I am, sprouting my little seed of inspiration once again and hoping that with hard work and diligence, great things will begin happening elsewhere in my writing life as well.    
        

Summer Vacation - Relaxed and Structured Time

Summer vacation has begun for my children.  For me, it actually means a little more work around here.  I have two extra bodies to feed, entertain, and keep in clean clothes for a couple months.  In addition to that, I will be subjected to extra sibling rivalry, and the typical comments made out of boredom, like, "There's nothing to do.  Will you play with me," and of course, "I'm hungry."

Despite all that though, I LOVE summer vacation.  I get to see my childrens' bright sunny faces all day long every single day.  That's great insurance for me that the sun will always shine at Lisa's house even when clouds loom and rain is inevitable.  We get to relax a little bit on tight bedtime schedules, and things do not have to be quite so planned out. 

Our days will actually have a little structure though.  I like to do meals and snack times at specified times.  It really helps to eliminate the "I'm hungry" complaint.  They know there's no point in asking for food because the time has not yet arrived, thereby diminishing that gripe - at least most of the time. 

Later today, I will also sign them up for the summer read program at our local library.  It's great.  It makes reading and learning fun and exciting -- and teaches responsibility at the same time.  Even three-year-old children can grasp the fact that a book does not belong to them so we must take good care of it and return it when we are done.  And of course, just think of all the stuff that they get to learn between the covers! 

For me, it serves one more great purpose.  Bringing them home from the library with all those great books to read will give them something to do and give me some extra time to write.  Trips to the library will be in the morning.  We will come home, have lunch, baby will go down for nap, children will read quietly, and mama will get in some good writing time, right? 

Well, it sounds like a great plan, but I realize sometimes life has other things in mind.  I can bend if necessary, but have every intention to keep at it.  Well, baby girl is up from her nap so off I go.  Hope you are all enjoying a beautiful day!  Take care!      

Happy Memorial Day!

I don't have a family member who is a soldier, nor do I have a real close friend who is in the service right now, yet every time I watch one of these videos, I sob.  I ball like a baby.  Seeing that mother greet her son, or the little girl crying when she unexpectedly realizes that her very own hero is standing in the room with her is at once heartbreaking, yet poignant and beautiful.  The mother in me completely relates to the emotion from both the perspective of a mother (because I am one) and a daughter (because I have four).  

Watching videos like these reminds me of another experience in my life.  There is an army base established right on the outskirts of our town.  Last year, troops came home by the busload.  Hoards of people stood out on sidewalks waving flags, holding their hands to their hearts, and saluting these men and women who sacrificed so that we (and the rest of America for that matter) could stand on those sidewalks and wave our flags.

It was incredible, momentous even, and in that very instance, I felt so proud to be an American - so proud that we have men and women who are willing to sacrifice their very lives.  Not only are they willing to literally give up their life at any moment to a rogue bomb, or gunfire, but they are also willing to give up moments of their life that are truly fleeting.  Some of these men and women have babies and then boom, they are gone for a year or more.  They lose some of the most precious moments of parenthood because they love their country.

The day those men and women came home loaded on buses, I cried too.  How could I not?  All those soldiers, all their sacrifices, and all our love for a country where freedoms and privileges abound.  If you haven't already, take a moment and remember what's been forfeited for you.

Thank you, to the servicemen and women for giving up so much of their lives for us!  Happy Memorial Day.

"The Author To Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet

THOU ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,

Who after birth did’st by my side remain,

Till snatch from thence by friends, less wise than true

Who thee abroad, expos’d to publick view,

Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,

Where errors were not lessened (all may judg).

At thy return my blushing was not small,

My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,

I cast thee by as one unfit for light,

Thy Visage was so irksome in my sight;

Yet being mine own, at length affection would

Thy blemishes amend, of so I could:

I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,

And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.

I stretcht thy joints to make thee even feet,

Yet still thou run’st more hobbling then is meet;

In better dress to trim thee was my mind,

But nought save home-spun Cloth, i’th’ house I find.

In this array, 'mongst Vulgars mayst thou roam,

In Criticks hands, beware thou dost not come;

And take thy way where yet thou art not known,

If for thy Father askt, say, thou hadst none:

And for thy Mother, she alas is poor,

Which cas’d her thus to send thee out of door.  

                                                                     ~Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)

Parenting and Writing: Five Tips to Help Get More Writing In

"Mommy, I'm bored. Will you play with me?"
"Mamma, I'm thirsty."
"Mom, can we go shopping?"
"WHAAA," which translates into something like, "My diaper is dirty, Mommy!  Come change it NOW!"

Do any of these sound familiar to you?  Maybe your title is actually Daddy, Nanna, Auntie or Uncle.  Regardless, if you're here, chances are you're a writer, too.  It's these very questions and those like them that sometimes make it challenging to work at home and be a parent at the same time.

As a writer and mother of four children I usually get one of two perspectives from friends and family.  The first is, "Well, you are a stay-at-home-mom so you have lots of time to do the things you enjoy."  Hmm...No comment.

Yet other more perceptive people may ask, "Wow!  You have four children!  How do you find the time to write and keep up with everything in your life?"  Unless I'm in one of those incredibly rare moments in my life where I feel I've got it together, I reply by saying that I really don't keep up with everything.  There is always something that suffers, and that for me it's choosing what is ok to let go for that day.

Despite that, there are some things I try to do to help me stay as productive as possible.  The following are five tips that enable me keep it together enough to make me feel as though I've accomplished something good for my day.   

(1)  Prepare your children for their day and for what you need to get done.  If they're dressed and ready for their day, fed, and they've even had some one-on-one time with you reading a story or playing with some toys, then they're more likely to allow you to spend a few minutes on your writing.  Usually my girls understand when I tell them "Mommy's going to spend some special time with you, but then I need to work for a little while."  Most of the time they are content with that because they know what to expect, and their physical and emotional needs have been satisfied for a while.

(2)  Make lists and stick with them.  Are you familiar with the "handy dandy notebook" that Steve or Joe use on Blues Clues?  Well, I have one of those, but instead of writing down clues, I make lists.  I work far more efficiently on everything in my life if I have a list going of what I need to accomplish.  That list includes house related chores, errands, appointments, and all things writing related.

The list motivates and focuses me, but there's one critical element regarding list-making that keeps it useful: I don't put too many things on it at once.  I keep it simple and limit the number of things to do to five or six items.  Once I cross everything off, then and only then do I add more.  I find that if I put too much on at one time, it's counter-productive and overwhelming.

(3)  Utilize nap time as efficiently as possible.  I don't mean your nap (although a quick 20 minute nap can rejuvenate the most exhausted of caretakers), but rather your kiddo's nap.   I know that my writing time is extremely limited.  This is not the time to be checking up on my friends on Facebook, reading email forwards, or surfing the web (unless it's writing related).  Instead, try to decide what the priority is for the day and then focus a specified amount of time working on that project.  It is wonderful how much you can get done in a focused period of time. 

(4)  Multi-task, multi-task, multi-task.  When I work on house chores, I try always to be as efficient as possible.  My children are young, so tubby time still requires my presence.  This is when I try to quick clean the bathroom.  It's amazing how quickly I can get the sink, mirrors, and toilet cleaned as they sit, splash, and play in the tub.  While dinner is cooking, I fold and put away laundry or vacuum the floors.  Ask yourself what you can easily slip in while you have something else going.

(5)  Get your children involved in housework.  This is actually one of my favorites.  It took me a long time to realize that I can't do everything on my own and that it's ok to have my children help.  I'm not depriving them of playtime by having them work.  I'm instilling a good work ethic, teaching them how to do things they otherwise would not know how to do, and helping them to understand how families work together to get things done.  If I'm not doing all the chores by myself, then I can spend that much more time on my writing.

There are lots of solutions to managing our families and the other responsibilities we have in life.  What do you struggle with and what have you found that works?