Upside Down Cats

I have been searching for the road back to blogging after my last post which was a tribute to our wonderful AbbeyCat who passed away last week leaving a hole in my heart.

Well, I want to thank Courtney T. who hails from our neighbor to the north, Montreal, Canada, for providing the perfect absurdity to follow up such an emotional outpouring.

Courtney, you are better than an icy cold lemon sorbet - ahh...refreshing!

Continue reading "A Palate Cleanser" »

This entry could be considered part deux to my continuing saga of reinventing myself...
(You may want to read part one from earlier this week for some background...)

Although I've always been self-employed as a child care provider, there has always been a writer living inside me, awaiting the opportunity to be realized. In my case, life happened and squashed my ability to pursue writing as a career. In fact, English was my first choice as a college major. Upon considering my choices for careers with that degree, however, I changed my mind as a high school senior and studied human development instead. Through the years the writing urge has survived. People have often told me I had a "way with words" - an ability to clearly and compellingly express ideas. I have always felt I could express myself in writing much better than I could verbally.

Okay, so thanks to our economic climate, I find myself with a nearly non-existent daycare business. For the first time, I actually have the chance to seriously pursue writing...but making a living at it...that's the rub for me. I've proven I can make a living at child care...provided I have actual clients - which I don't at present. It is very scary to step into an untried field after twenty years and truly believe I can make a living at something completely new - even if it would fulfill a lifelong dream. While I am trying to see this as the opportunity (or kick in the pants) I've been waiting for all these years, I feel that I'm literally starting my life over from scratch. This pursuit of my heart's desire will also exercise completely different "working muscles" than I've ever used. While my husband is as supportive as humanly possible, I feel this decision and its consequences are on me. I have no safety net - emotional or financial, no Plan B...this is all I've got.

Continue reading "When I Grow Up To Be A Writer" »

I have previously mused about the subject of how becoming a "professional" writer might affect my love of writing and/or my ability to write what and when I want. Well, recently I've had the opportunity to explore that very question. In February I was privileged to be hired as a writer for a Women in Business web site. I am writing syndicated content that will be sold to other sites on the topics of Finance, Technology, Procurement, Mentoring and Work/Life as they pertain to women business owners. I was thrilled to see the assignments rolling in quickly and steadily - it fueled my passion. The things I needed to do and learn to get up to speed really consumed my March, though. As you can woefully see, I posted here on my own blog only once last month.

Continue reading "Writing And Preservation And Deadlines...Oh, My!" »

I wasn't planning to participate in NaBloPoMo this year. There was too much reality clogging up my mind, sapping my creativity...or so I thought. At some point mid-October I was reminded of it and quickly dismissed the prospect of it for this year.

Then, on the fateful afternoon of November 1, Scott asked the question, "So, are you going to do NaBloPoMo this year?" To my surprise, my negatory answer did not slide effortlessly past my lips as I was certain it would. Instead, somewhere between his question and my pre-determined answer I managed to play out an entire scenario of guilt and remorse for missing the NaBloPoMopportunity this year. I actually answered, "Maybe...I'll think about it..."

Continue reading "The Official NaBloPoMo Debriefing" »

I've been uncharacteristically paranoid that I will somehow forget to publish a NaBloPoMo post today, thereby failing my National Blog Posting Month mission to post every day of November about a person I know/knew in exactly thirty words. Well, I just finished writing the last one at 12:20 PM so there's little chance of any mishaps: Vignette #30...here it is...

Fake Lame Guy in NYC

You walk briskly down Broadway along with the rest of us every night toward the Beacon Theater. As we approach you gradually transform into crippled homeless guy, begging for handouts.

*Victorious NaBloPoMo Participant's Note: I did it! Whew! Yea!

Click.

Wow...once I publish this post I'll have only one more day of participation in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo)! That means I have only one more opportunity to share a thirty word portrait of a person I know/knew. Here's a little thing I like to call Vignette #29...

Eddie

You were our paperboy and the older brother of a girl in my class. Mom thought you liked me. I thought you were a nerd. So was I but still...

We're definitely in the home stretch of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) now with only three more days to go! Here on the twenty-eighth day of writing about a person I know/knew in exactly thirty words, please meet Vignette #28...

Our UPS Delivery Man

You're friendly, conscientious and quick with a smile. You wave to the daycare children who watch at the window. Once you cut your finger and I cleaned and bandaged it.

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of my NaBloPoMo project. Today on the twenty-seventh day of National Blog Posting Month I share with you yet another person I know/knew in exactly thirty words in Vignette #27...

Diana the Bitch

You were the teenager teaching the gymnastics class we took when we were eleven. You told my friend Elaine she was too fat to do gymnastics. We quit that day.

I'm still chugging along on the NaBloPoMo Express! Here I am at National Blog Posting Month, Day 26, writing about yet another person I know/knew in exactly thirty words. I'd like to introduce you to Vignette #26...

Puny Supermarket Security Guy

You wander aimlessly around the store pushing three items in your cart every week. I hope you only work plain-clothes surveillance because I'm pretty sure I could overpower you.

As National Blog Posting Month draws nearer to it's end, I am still posting daily throughout November. This year for NaBloPoMo I've been writing about a person I know/knew in exactly thirty words. Meet Vignette # 25...

Sam

You were the kindly janitor who helped me find elusive Room 3 my first day of junior high school. I covered your retirement in a feature for the school newspaper.