Back and flying

Ever have an experience that was so amazing on several levels that you don’t want to talk about for fear of somehow disturbing or diluting the memory?

That’s what the poetry weekend retreat was like for me. That’s also why you won’t be getting many details, except that it was a much-needed creative and spiritual boost. I will say that I had one of the best runs of my life, thanks to the freakish January weather. And I wrote a lot of poems – none are fit for public consumption.

Today is Christmas #3. The last of our brood is up visiting with a buddy and if they ever wake up, the presents are waiting under the tree. Tomorrow the decorations will come down and the new year will truly begin.

I finally figured out my Resolution. (Back story – I have been working on this for weeks. Instead of writing a resolution, I kept making to-do lists, which is a very different thing.) My resolution this year is to live with kavannah, a Hebrew word that refers to mindfulness, especially in prayer, directing the energies of the heart, and an awareness that I rarely have, and would very much like to cultivate. When I get busy, I tend to let life blur around me, and then I complain about it. I don’t want to do that anymore. So I will work on being a little slower and a little more aware this year. Yay! (Thanks, Deb H., for the word I was looking for.)

Last night we celebrated my mom’s 76th birthday. The best part was watching her argue with dad because they couldn’t agree how old she was. Heh.

Back to deadlining….

6 Replies to “Back and flying”

  1. For me, it usually takes about 2 years from when I start thinking about a book until the final, final, final draft gets handed in. (The thinking and early note taking can take from 6 months to a year.) And then it takes another year until it comes out in bookstores.

    But other authors work differently. There is no right or wrong way, there is just finding the way that works for you.

  2. “The best part was watching her argue with dad because they couldn’t agree how old she was.”

    Hehehe. Tell her happy (belated) birthday from our ‘quirky’ family. 🙂

    little q

  3. Research paper

    Hi Mrs. Anderson!

    My name is Sofiya Momtselidze. I am writing about you in english for my research paper and i was wondering if I could ask you a question?

    Who was your literary influences? Hope you answer!

    -Sofiya

  4. Re: Research paper

    That is a tough question. In high school, I only read scifi and fantasy… but I don’t think that has influenced my work so far. James Joyce had a big impact on it, as have Christopher Paul Curtis and Francesca Lia Block. I’ll go with those three.

    Good luck on the paper!

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