October and The Air is Sweet IWSG

 

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Have you heard of the singer Jackson Browne? 

He sang a song when I was younger called "Running On Empty". 

That is how I feel today, as I send my thoughts out into this crazy sad changing world. I mean, I know the world is always in a state of flux. The world is not stagnate and that is a good thing. The changes happening right now however, feel more threatening than changes I've lived through before. I am concerned for my children, for whether they will even have their own children and that if they do, what will their lives be like? Not like mine, that is for sure. I understand people reminiscing for the "good ole days" now. For me, that is BC... Before Covid. I've been doing well I thought until now. I've been very busy finishing a novel, moving, creating a new garden/yard, building shelves, building a gardening shed, taking care of our son. Busy. And happy to feel blessed to be able to do all these things. Now I see autumn and the colors starting to appear outside and I know this part of my life is done. I put my lawn "to bed" yesterday, mowed and weeded for the last time till spring, and I felt like a chapter closed in the book of my life. What will winter bring with people having to stay indoors more than they had to during the summer? Will our country smarten up and make more of an effort to end this devastating virus in a united front? Will the ones who refuse to wear masks for others finally realize that we need to stick together on this? That we can beat it, or at least slow it down if we just do basic steps to help? I feel the only blessing is that the majority of the time when the virus hits, it does it gently, that the majority of people do not die or have horrible consequences. That is indeed a blessing I am thankful for. Still doesn't mean I want to get it!

Anyway, I'll stop now and think about the breeze carrying autumn that blew over my face yesterday while I worked outside. I'll think about the love of my family, and my friends. I will listen to a favorite song that seems to speak to my soul no matter where I am every time the seasons move from winter to spring or summer to fall, "The Southland In The Springtime". I wish you all peace, health and happiness...

The wonderful co-hosts of the IWSG this month of October are....

Jemima Pett, Beth Camp,Beverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner!

Please go visit their websites and thank them for being here for us all!

ISWG September in 2020

Okay, this new format on blogger is definitely a challenge, especially at 2 am. This alone is enough to add to insecurities! Of which I have many at the moment. My current WIP is with the editor and all I can think of is what I should have written here, or there, how it really isn't any good, after all these years of working on it. I don't have a real title for it yet. Is it actually boring? Is it interesting to anyone else but me? This is the part of writing that scares me, makes me feel vulnerable and constantly questioning myself. 

And I guess there is nothing I can do about that right now, so I should move on to other projects and let that one be until I hear back from the editor. Meanwhile, back in this crazy virus-laden life of 2020, I've been gardening like a mad woman, and building a garden shed with my husband, and putting in a new walkway, and reseeding my torn up lawn, and trying to raise a caterpillar, and, and, and... I'm getting a lot done but somehow don't feel a sense of accomplishment, unless I actually stop, sit out on my deck, and stare at my garden/yard. That seems to be my only place of peace right now, and I am grateful for having it in these strange times. Do you have a peaceful place? I hope so, because I think we all need one right now. 

OUR AMAZING CO-HOSTS THIS SEPTEMBER ARE

PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner,Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, 

and Louise - Fundy Blue!

PLEASE, GO PAY A VISIT AND THANK THEM

Also, the IWSG WEBSITE  is an amazing site full of information 

and other folks just waiting to hear from you!

 I know the photos are out of sequence, but hope you enjoy them anyway, like I said, we've been busy!

Straw down after seeding this side of yard/garden

The After shot!

The Before shot

The brand new shed we built from the ground up!

Flowers from the garden...

One of the new flowerbeds we put in

To give an idea of where the old path was and the new beds

How the yard was when we bought the house...

The new (using the old pavers) path!

The old path...

IWSG 2020! Another Year Has Gone By...

IWSG 2020

2019 has come and gone and now we move into a new decade. For some reason I used to think decades lasted forever, but of course as I am older now, they don't last long enough.
This year is starting with so much uncertainty in the world. It is also starting with uncertainty in my life. I have only vague ideas of where I/we (my husband and I) will be in six months and even those ideas might not be what actually happens.
So, my word for the beginning of this decade, the beginning of this year is uncertainty, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. I will do my best to "go with the flow" and take one day, one month at a time. I know in reality the next five months will fly by, so I want to be where I am until the future unfolds.
I wish for all of you a wonderful beginning and continuation of 2020. I hope if you too, face uncertainty, that we face it together and roll with whatever comes our way. Good luck in your writing and good luck in life! Happy IWSG day for January!

My hubby and me!

 Question of the month: What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?
Honestly, I think it was my father who planted the idea first. When I was very young, my sister and I had to write a story (with or without drawings) only a page or two long, for our allowance. I liked doing it. I think that's where the bug bit me. I went on to keep journals, and then to write seriously. It's a love/hate relationship, but one I can't seem to give up or ignore...

Please go by and thank the awesome co-hosts for the January 8 posting of the IWSG: T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!