Vacation From Writing

I'm back from Seattle. It was a very good time and the first time I've allowed myself to really take time off from writing. I see my writing as a new business. I've heard it said that when you open a new business, you should plan on not having a life for the first three years. You should work at it 24-hours a day, seven days a week. And I've tried to look at my writing career that way. I go to Seattle twice a year...sometimes more often. I always take work with me. I work on articles. I work on my book. I check my email and respond accordingly. But this time I didn't.

Before leaving, I had a crazy week. Entering a literary contest took every moment of my writing time. So I gave myself a break. I actually "took off" the whole four days. And it was lovely. I highly recommend it.

Now, all I need is the oomph to start up again! ~Karen

Happy Thanksgiving

Somewhere between preparing three...yes three...turkeys, setting the table, mopping the floor, loading and unloading dishes, and cleaning and re-cleaning counters, I had a thought. I know, amazing I could think at all. I thought about how strange it all is. We prepare this fabulous meal and then clean the kitchen so that it looks as if we secretly brought take-out food in the back door. Why do we go so crazy cleaning? Why do we spend all that time preparing a meal and then try to make our kitchen appear as if it had never been used at all? Weird, right?

Yeah...weird.

A few years ago, I realized that when I had company over, I spent all my time in the kitchen BEFORE dinner, preparing. I then enjoyed my time DURING the meal. And then I spent all my time AFTER the meal cleaning up. By the time I rejoined my company, they were ready to LEAVE (or lying on the sofa in a turkey-induced coma). So now I do it differently. After the meal, I put a few things away but I don't stress about it. In fact, if it weren't for my sister, the dishes would be saved for when my guests left or maybe even for the next morning. And me? I simply enjoy the day, like everyone else does. We laugh. We share. We talk. We have dessert and then start all over, building happy memories one at a time. Ten years from now, I can guarantee you that no one will say, "I sure enjoyed the way Karen did the dishes right after dinner." But they just might be able to share a special memory - one which I was a part of.

As we begin yet another holiday season, lets be cognizant of the things we do just because they were always done that way. Lets build new traditions and lets tear down destructive ones. Lets start a revolution! Who's with me?

Karen

Tree House

This one is a tad crazy. I mean, what if there's a thunderstorm and you hear a creaking branch. Yikes! However, it could be fun. Perhaps this place would only work for people who write...uh...well I don't know. Maybe it's just for those who like to live dangerously, live on the edge (ha ha!). I'm not sure I'd want to go there, let alone try to write there...talk about distracting! My distractingly chaotic family life is looking mighty good right now. -Karen

And another one...

How about this for a writers' retreat? I'll be the first to sign up. Who's with me? Wouldn't that be just incredible? I'm having fun with these photos. More to come. -Karen

If Only

I wanna live there. Or at least visit. Doesn't it seem like you'd get so much writing done, "if only"? If only my home were more peaceful. If only I didn't have kids. If only I didn't have to be the family chauffer. If only I could take a vacation. If only I didn't have interuptions. If only didn't have any responsibilities (ha!). If only there weren't cell phones, televisions and Tivo. If only the world weren't so scary. If only everyone would just leave me alone...hence the photo. See that little cable? That's the only thing keeping the outside world out. And if it were me, I'd let only those who I like come to my house-on-a-rock, like my loyal blog-readers...oh and I might miss my kids too. But one little slip, and you're outta there. One negative word and back to the cable-car you to. I think I'd rig it with some kind of an auto-programmed ejection seat. I could program all the words that discourage me, like "can't" and "realistic." If someone said the word, out they go, flyin' through the air. Talk about immediate consequences.

Well, since I don't know where that house-on-a-rock is, I'll just have to figure out my own way to cope. And that's what I'm tryin' to do. I can't get rid of all the distractions of life, and truth-be-told, they are what makes my writing interesting and real. But I can learn to balance it all. At least I think I can. In the meantime, I know one thing I can do; I can keep writing. No matter what comes along, I can keep writing and keep sending things out.

That's all I know for now.

-Karen