For Those Who Serve - Let Us Pay Tribute

This morning I read a moving post by Elizabeth Harper on her blog Gifts of the Journey in honor of Memorial Day, specifically in tribute to Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander who served in Vietnam.

While most of us will celebrate this Memorial Day with family and friends at a cook out, a day at the beach, or some other activity to celebrate the beginning of summer, I hope we'll all take a moment to remember the real meaning of this day.

Today, and every day, we should remember those who serve our country both here and abroad, to protect us and others. Though we most often honor those who have died in battle as warriors, our military is also made up of men and women who serve in all capacities, from food service, to mechanics, to medics. They leave behind spouses and children for months on end, with no assurance that they will return at the end of their tour. Many of our military actually sign on for multiple tours, extending their exposure to danger beyond their original assignment.

When I lived overseas, I had the pleasure to meet men and women of our military and I must say that there are no finer people. They love our country and have dedicated their lives to its service.

Thank you to all who serve.

 

Damn the Critics, Live Your Dream!

A couple weeks ago I was reading Erika Liodice's blog Beyond the Gray, in which she highlighted an article by Christine Egan, entitled:  'Overrated: Following your Dreams'. In the article Ms. Egan, ironically the Editor in Chief of a website entitled Blisstree.com, recommends the following:

I am about to share with you the key to a contented existence. Once you understand the following life lesson, you will be much, much happier. I promise... Do NOT follow your dreams. Doing so under any circumstances will only lead to wasted years and immeasurable heartache.

I was so outraged by this article that I was going to use this post to refute her article's counter-intuitive, ill-logical, and yes, insipid argument. 

Instead, I'm going to take the high road (ahem) by profiling three women who are at this very moment following their dreams. 

So, touche' Ms. Egan, here's three clever women who know better than to take your advice...

First up, my friend, Mariellen Roemer, and her blog The Full Life. Mariellen recently left an impressive job with a major corporation to pursue her dream to become a videographer. Today she posted a video that she created for a pizzeria owner who wants to promote his family owned business. She hopes to use this video as a marketing tool to entice other small business owners to have a similar video made (by her) to use as a marketing tool. Here's a look at the video. By the way, if you know of any business owners who would benefit from this unique and compelling source of advertising, contact Mariellen.

Second, my friend, Larramie, creator of The Divining Wand, a blog dedicated to introducing and promoting debut authors. Her blog began modestly with reviews of books, but has quickly evolved into a literary salon featuring author interviews, guest posts by authors, and insights into the writer's psyche and process that you won't find elsewhere. The Divining Wand is becoming the 'go-to' source for not only first-time authors, but New York Times best-selling writers  as well. If you are an aspiring writer or an avid reader, The Divining Wand should be part of your day.

And finally, coming full circle, my friend Erika Liodice, creator of the blog, Beyond the Gray. Erika's blog is a constant source of optimism and positive thinking encouraging us to pursue our dreams as well as how to overcome the inevitable ups and downs that come with the pursuit. At the beginning of the year, Erika shared her list of goals for 2010. Remarkably, Erika is quickly knocking out each and every one of those goals, including completing her novel in progress and I believe she's soon to be on her way to obtaining an agent and a publisher.


So there you have it...three impressive women who are pursuing their dreams, and I'm guessing, a lot happier as a result.

And for the record Ms. Egan, there was no JK Rowling until an unemployed woman with a burning desire to tell a story, and fulfill her dream of becoming a writer, sat down to write.

Elk in the Yard in Evergreen

While I frantically search for a home to move to in June, I thought you might enjoy our very first sighting of elk in our yard. We came home yesterday afternoon after a day of looking at houses to find these beautiful creatures grazing in our yard. While we have grown used to seeing white tail deer moving through the yard, this is the first time that we've actually seen elk in our yard. There were seven of them, and they made themselves right at home. We were so excited we actually took our evening cocktails out on the deck to enjoy their presence along with the setting sun. I'd have to say that this will become one of my favorite memories of my time at our little red house in Upper Bear Creek.

So without further ado, here's the elk...

It's May 12 and it's SNOWING in Evergreen

Let's see, the first day of Spring was uh,.....March 21? Well maybe in some parts of the country....but here in Evergreen, we've got snow in the middle of May! WOOT!

As I promised last week, I will continue to document snow days until I capture the last one of the season. (I've been told that it once snowed on the 4th of July).

For your viewing pleasure....here's what I woke up to this morning.

Update: It's now 6pm, guess what? It's snowing cats and dogs!

Slow and Steady Wins the Day

I now have a greater appreciation for Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Some time ago, I set a lofty goal of writing 1,000 words a day in my novel in progress. On some days I met my goal, but on others, especially when I had no idea where my novel was going, I simply didn't write anything because meeting the required goal seemed too daunting. It became an all-or-nothing circle, where 'nothing' too often won the day. One day led to the next, and quickly I realized that a week and then two had gone by without a single new word written.

Last week, I replaced my daily goal with a more modest one. Instead of one thousand words (four pages), I decided I would simply shoot for one page each day. Remarkably, this benchmark seemed so attainable that I actually looked forward to opening my novel's file each day and knocking out the the requisite page. What surprised me was how good I felt each day after I finished my modest goal. It became a bright spot in the day, a feeling of accomplishment I could point to in the midst of all the other things I do which don't provide much feeling of progress (e.g. my job hunt).

At first my critical brain poo-poo'd this small progress as inconsequential. Still, each day I opened the file and wrote my page, saved my work, closed the file and wrote my word count on a pad by my computer. Last night as I wrote my latest figure, I realized that in course of just seven days I'd written two thousand words, or eight pages. More than I've written in the past month. The anxiety I felt about where the novel was going, is gone. The process of crafting one page allows me to simply write that one part of that one scene, and trust that the rest of the book will take care of itself as I move forward. That is a liberating and exciting feeling, which has brought joy back to the writing process.

What works for you and your writing process?



image credit

Snow in May in Evergreen, CO

 Last Thursday we woke to snow on the ground. I keep taking these pictures thinking that this time will be the last snow of the season, and I want to capture it....today I turn on the news and hear that we might get another dusting of snow next week, so stay tuned for more boring pics of snow in my yard. Sorry I just can't help myself, I'm a Florida girl.

Scenes from Evergreen

It's been a while since I've posted pictures from Evergreen and as we move from winter into spring and as my lease here ends in a month, it seems apropos to post pictures that represent my favorite keepsakes of my stay. Although these might look familiar, I promise they are new.

For instance, last week I awoke to snow....yes, snow at the end of April, albeit fleeting.

While I have taken hundreds of photos of snow out my window, there are some that I will always remember. Like the view of Mt. Evans at six a.m., on the morning of my first day here, when I'd walked downstairs and looked out the window and was simply shocked at the mountain's luminosity in the pre-dawn winter light.


My monthly book club is still going strong and has evolved into a themed pot luck dinner party built around the book we're reading (or our own personal tastes of the moment). This month we're doing French food and I'm making beef bourguignon, Emmental cheese mashed potatoes, and strawberries / blackberries, fresh whipped cream and Champagne for desert. Bet you wish you were here!

I've included a picture of some new visitors to our bird feeder. I don't know if they have winged in with the Ides of May, or if they've simply just found the trough, but we welcome the lovely yellow finches that have joined our regulars at the little cedar house.

 If you wonder what I do all day, here's a peek. After reporting on the breakdown of my third PC in the past year, a couple months ago I finally bought a Mac. So now I spend my days sitting at computer with a much larger screen, which is thankfully easy on my eyes, and as you can see, I sometimes even eat lunch there.

One of my favorite memories of Evergreen will be the lovely, gentle, wildlife that have graced the meadow outside my window. On an almost daily basis we've seen white-tailed deer, like these, a black fox, and the majestic elk.

 And finally, there's my darling Coco. She's been my constant companion and an opinionated commentator every step of the way.