Tag Archives: writers

Mar5

Different Things

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Different Things

I slept in this morning. My first cup of coffee was at eleven. Breakfast was pasta alfredo at about 1 pm. It’s humpday and it’s one of those days.

Today I read a blog post written by a friend in Missouri. It began by mentioning memoirs, evolved into family life, and from there went on to a craft project. Despite the fact that the rain exacerbates her knee and back pain, she always plows her way through to finding something positive. You are an inspiration to all of us, Ty. Thank you.

Sea snakes are harassing beachgoers in Puerto Vallarta. These poisonous creatures are dangerous. It used to be just the tides we had to watch out for. And I guess we can throw the jellyfish in with that too. I detest snakes so won’t be going to Puerto Vallarta anytime soon.

Time to embarrass one of my kids. My daughter just competed in the CPU Nationals (Canadian Powerlifting) and qualified for Internationals. She is off to Panama in October to compete. It’s exciting that I get to watch her live online. It’s almost like being there.

I found a great dentist here in Aguascalientes. His office is only a five minute walk from my house. A visit to the dentist isn’t one of my favorite pastimes, but he was excellent and I actually felt quite relaxed. I’ve even forgiven him for the white diet he put me on after the whitening process.

I won’t comment on Trump’s speech last night. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m not interested in sparring with friends who are staunch Democrats and friends who are staunch Republicans. We’ll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

I just signed up for a virtual program with NCW Libraries. This one is being presented as a part of Women’s History Month and deals with homelessness.

I’ve started to think about returning to Washington in May but, as usual, am procrastinating the arduous task of booking flights.

Have a great afternoon!

Jul5

From One Extreme To Another

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From One Extreme To Another

I was in Winnipeg for two months. It rained at some point every single day and the temperatures were cool with the odd 70 degree sneaking in. Here in Washington it’s sunny and temperatures are in the 90s predicted to reach 100 in the next few days. I prefer to be here.

Last weekend I volunteered at a book sale in Cashmere on Founders Day for Friends of the Cashmere Library. We raised just under $1000, up from last year’s $600. The money goes towards funding the amazing programs this library offers. I’m actually registered for a woodburning coaster event this coming week. Other programs I’ve attended in the past have included such activities as pastels and painting with acrylics.

It was great to be back at my writers group the other day at the Wenatchee Senior Center. What a variety of writing was presented at this meeting! Members come from all walks of life as well as very different places. Poetry, memoirs, fiction, non-fiction……………it’s all here and the two hours flies by quickly.

Another highlight of the week for me was going back to Shears in Leavenworth to have my hair done. I know. There are salons in East Wenatchee. But Lisa knows my hair and I don’t mind going a few towns away every few weeks to pamper myself. Another bonus is that Linda and I pick up lunch at Dan’s and then go back to her place to visit and binge-watch Netflix.

And yes, I’ve been back to Costco a couple of times and we won’t even discuss clothes or the bag of Hershey kisses I bought. But I did pass on the dark chocolate sea salt caramels LOL.

Cashmere Valley Bank I am annoyed with you. I got a new debit card from my Canadian bank and you wouldn’t accept it at your ATM. But Numerica did. I guess I have a new favorite bank now.

Please pray for my friends in Mexico as Hurricane Beryl bears down on them today.

Apr20

Mindful Musing

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Mindful Musing

It’s been a relaxing couple of weeks since I’ve been back. I’ve made an effort to be more mindful and I’m actually feeling the rewards. I’m not nearly as stressed as I thought I’d be seeing as I’m still settling in and will be traveling again in less than two weeks.

For one thing, I haven’t dived back into teaching yet. I have gone to a training session and I did do a CPR refresher. But I haven’t gone back to Tai Chi classes as I’m still waiting for this sciatica to let up. And it probably will just before I have to board that next four hour flight to Minneapolis. But the long flights take a toll on my back although I make a point of getting up every now and then and walking a little. At least I’ll have a layover and will be able to walk around a little before my connecting flight to Winnipeg.

The highlight of this week was going to writers group on Wednesday. It was great to see everyone again and meet new members. The stories and poems we shared were especially amazing. I have missed the support and encouragement of my writing friends. Unfortunately it was a bit of a tease as I won’t be back now until June.

I’m looking forward to doing some volunteer work on Monday with my friend in Cashmere. Joanne is a professional volunteer in her retirement years and always has interesting things I can help her with. This time I’m helping her prepare for a kids event.

After church tomorrow, Joyce and I are going to a concert in Wenatchee. It’s a benefit for the Ukraine. One of the women in my life group will be singing and I’m sure I’ll recognize a few others in the different choral ensembles who will be performing.

I’ve started coloring again. It has been relaxing and I must admit I sleep better since I’ve cut back on the videogames and turn to my gel pens and markers instead. When I get back in June I intend to pull out my paints and pastels that are currently hidden away in my closet.

The course I’m taking online has now switched topics from nutrition and reading food labels to mindfulness. And I’m making a serious attempt to have mindfulness become my middle name.

The other day I was sitting outside waiting for a friend to pick me up when a cat sauntered by. He eyed me suspiciously through the fence. Yes. He. I’ve decided that Marmalade is a male. I gave him that name because of his coloring. And his tail has these magnificent ring-like stripes. I watched him as he nonchalantly made his way down the street.

On another day I was treated to a small procession of quail strolling across the street. Mama in front and the babies trailing behind. They were all oblivious to the traffic that had stopped for them so that they could safely proceed to their intended destination.

It’s common to see cats in the neighborhood as well as quail. But I know I looked at them differently this time. Mindful musing.

Feb10

Zoom Zoom

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Zoom Zoom

The pandemic has subsided but I still find myself taking courses and attending workshops via Zoom. The month of February is a busy one.

This past week I began attending programs sponsored by the North Central Washington Libraries. The first topic was Learn to Listen-Listen to Learn. It was a good review of listening techniques that I studied decades ago when I was going for my counseling certification. And it reinforced the idea of acknowledging and validating the feelings of others.

The second topic was Conflict. Definitions as well as characteristics of conflict were discussed. Five different styles of responding to conflict were explored focusing on relationship and our own agenda. A link was provided to assess our own individual style as well.

On both evenings we were able to go into smaller breakout rooms and ponder the above topics. It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to the remaining four evenings coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Another Zoom experience this week was for writers. The topic was The Art of Writing Immersive Worlds. The speaker was Cat Rambo, a Nebula award winning author of science fiction and fantasy. Material covered here included techniques and tools for making a reader feel totally immersed in the world of our characters.

Another Zoom group I do regularly is a Bible Study with my life group back in Wenatchee. We are currently studying John, one of my favorite books.

Do you Zoom?

Sep15

No I Haven’t Yet

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No I Haven’t Yet

It’s crunch time but I still haven’t booked any flights. I’ve been too busy doing other things. Of course yesterday I did take a cursory glance at available flights but decided to delay the frustration a while longer.

My granddaughter Madeline started kindergarten this week. We did a video call yesterday and she looked very tired. She goes to day care after kindergarten so it’s a long day. And she has finally given up her afternoon nap. As I recall her mother gave up that afternoon nap when she was just a few months old. Very different. But Madeline is doing the same activities her mother did at her age – ballet, swimming lessons and Sparks. Seems like just yesterday….

On Monday I volunteered at the 9/11 service at Spirit of America in Cashmere. When I first came to Washington state back in 2016, this was one of the first places I checked out. And I’m amazed at how many Washingtonians I’ve met who have never been here. I’ve brought friends here for the first time. And many have never actually even attended the event on September 11th.

This has also been the week for Mexican food. I normally don’t eat Mexican much while I’m up here. After all, I get the real thing when I’m down south in the winter. But on Sunday after church we went out for Mexican. And on Tuesday after Tai Chi we checked out a new restaurant. My favorite restaurant in Cashmere just opened up a place in Wenatchee. How convenient!

I have my story for writers’ group done and printed and it’s a week ahead of time. Bittersweet though. It will be the last meeting I attend before I head back to Mexico. We come from all walks of life and the talent in this group is amazing. I will miss our discussions over lunch and will attempt to keep in touch by email. But it won’t be the same.

Today I got a ride home from Tai Chi with new friends who have led quite an interesting life. Originally from California, they came here back in the eighties with two very young children. When they retired, they traveled by motorhome and motorcycle for five years. Did they ever have adventures!

Time to visit Duolingo.

Hasta luego!

Dec7

Why Write?

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Why Write?

I’m often asked why I write. There is no simple answer to that. I enjoy writing. I never had the time to write before. I can choose the topic unlike when I was back in school in English class. I don’t have to count words although I do have to be cautious when it comes to spelling and grammar. I’m retired so I can write at any time I want, day or night. I choose the background music, something I never got to do back in school either. But mostly, I find writing relaxing, almost a meditation.

Writing is challenging. Although I’m currently writing fiction, I’ve still had to do considerable research along the way. While the story primarily takes place in some small, fictitious town in California, my main character is struggling with a health issue. And that requires research. And then there are issues in the legal system that need to be considered. These tend to vary from state to state. Of course I’m drawing on psychology when it comes to family dynamics and resolving conflict.

There are days when my characters don’t talk to me. That is quite discouraging. I’ve had days where I’ve totally erased every single word I’ve written. And yes I still find that relaxing as well as frustrating. After all, the reality is that life is like that. The road is not a straight one and it’s often necessary to meander here and there. So why shouldn’t writing be like that?

Why do I write a blog? That started when I was living in Guadalajara years ago. I was sharing a house with two guys who were computer geeks. One was a web designer and the other was running a business in the USA while living in Mexico. They got me going on WordPress. At first it was mainly to let my friends back home know what I was up to. And I must admit that I could be doing a lot more on this site. But I’m content with what I’m currently doing. It serves the purpose. And I’m flattered that I now have followers from all over the world.

However there are always things I will not write about. I tend to shy away from religion and politics. These are very controversial topics and I don’t want to offend my readers. I also have friends who tell me things in confidence. While these would make great material for blog posts, it’s not my story to tell.

I have my own story to tell. I’m not as forthcoming as some writers about my more personal life. My reasons for that have changed over the years. There are details that I care to share only with my closest friends. That may change someday, but write now I’m comfortable with the way it is. And I respect and admire writers who are able to put everything out there for everyone in the world to read. I have writer friends in Missouri and Illinois who bravely do this and I always look forward to their blog posts.

Remembering you today as always, Koal. I can’t believe it’s fourteen years since you left us. Sending lots of love to doggie heaven.