Tag: #write24in24

Simply A Moment | 10.15.24…

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OH! To be rested, caught up, focused on the best direction …to be relaxed, relieved, revitalized, on spot…Today ‘s Simply*A*Moment and time to write the blog post. Technically, and it’s simply a convention I created to help me remember and focus on “the moment”, I stop and pause on the moment that equals the time of the day that equates to the month and date, e.g., This is October, the tenth month and the fifteenth day – so at 10:15 AM, technically I’m to stop whatever and focus on that specific, precise, moment . As I type this, I have absolutely no idea of what I’ll be doing at 10:15 AM today, 15th of October! Time will tell* <couldn’t resist!>

Currently, at 8:15 AM, I am sitting at my computer desk, in my little zoom box, “alone yet together” with folk from around the world. Today, 199 of us, in our little Zoom boxes, ostensibly writing. Some of us, as moi, are looking at others who are writing, maybe eating ,thinking, listening, engaging in conversation with some one in the room, scrolling Zoom to see who is there and how they show up: live or just a photo. One participant appears to be having quite an animated conversation ` perhaps with someone else or her character; several are “cat ladies” and/or dog or both? And some are clouds, lakes, sunsets, sunrise … Whatever and Whoever we are, we all showed up to focus on our craft, task for the 8 AM ESDST London Wrters’ Salon session. I also have the opportunity to join the Pacific 8 AM – technically 11 AM for me – session…and I may – should I need to -put the finishing touches on this blog post …

Periodically, I stop to check my stats: I’ve been writing for approximately 16 minutes and have 309 words, thus far. The goal is 1000 words per any writing session. I don’t know that I’ve ever hit that number tho’ I also don’t know that anytime I sit to write – be it via pen or keyboard and occasionally, a verbal note – I care to do so. I did wonder where the metric originated and thanks, to the “web”, learned it was from Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks. A book I’ve read and have not one, but two print copies and I daresay, a digital version, too. T’wouldn’t at all surprise me if t’were the case.

412 words— WH is ending and I’ll move on. A busy Zoom & Writing 1000 Words today.

*Circa 10:15 AM – Actually, it’s now 10:43 AM -I’m currently ensconced – a fancy way of saying settled in/at the dining table. Just finished breakfast: Scrambled egg with shredded cheese and green grapes – just five. Not sure why I settled on that number. Currently, it’s sunny and cool – 55 degrees AND the expected high? Just 58 degrees. Seriously? Seriously!

This morning, as has been the agenda, the street’s being torn up. The gas company is installing lines to meters in most houses on this block. Not my house ‘cause my meter’s already in place. Every day, the leaves on the trees are turning color and/or gently falling to the ground. Leaf collection’s scheduled to begin the end of the month.

512 words at 10:58 am. Not bad . Won’t make the 1000K mark this session but that’s OK with me. Besides, I have two more journaling sessions scheduled for later this afternoon. The last one is at 7PM, ESDST; last week, I completely forgot about it. I know NOT WHY! Not this week, tho’!

608 words …

TBC…

welcome October | 10.1.2024…

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I begin most days, M-F, writing /journaling during London Writers’ Salon 8AM Writer’s Hour, a platform that attracts people from all around the globe who have one common goal: writing – perhaps a book, short story, play, blog post, Julia Cameron’s morning pages, etc.

I use the platform, DayONE and each day, we’re offered a prompt – just in case we might be stuck or without a topic, a starting point. Today’s prompt: What is one thing I’m looking forward to this October? My response: Finally getting my “life on paper” under control!

I have a “few” – and I say this facetiously – projects always swarming around in my head: Write/publish blog post – happens to be Numero UNO for today. And: Get a handle on October -December writing and holiday season goals…this of course doesn’t include the plethora of writing and journaling/memory keeping projects and daily paperwork , e.g., bills, emails and texts; “bright ideas,” to-do”and “someday-maybe” lists, and the occasional blog post.

I often think : Paper! The bane of my existence! But OH! What a wonderful invention, especially when coupled with pen/pencil; paint; stamps and acrylic inks; crayons, etc. As evidenced, people have been making “marks” on surfaces for “time in memorial”. Clearly doing so is a ‘natural’ inclination. I know t’is so with me. Always, I have a pen/cil and paper, at hand…consequently, a lot of flotsam and jetsam on both paper and in my mind … occasionally a digital version.

Tho’ I don’t have samples, I’ve always written – well, ‘er scribbled – since I was able to hold a pen or a crayon , approximatley at age 2-3 years. In the early ‘90s, I began, in earnest, the practice of morning journaling, encouraged by overwhelming feelings of spinning at work. I took to paper and pen and poured my heart and soul out, ostensibly, trying to come to terms with my current status and a path forward, but more importantly, needing to acknowledge and deal with a path for “freeing up my future.” And I did…but in the interim, I took to writing, journaling in the mornings, often times, even weekends. Always with paper and pen. Mornings, especially for the words I wrote gave me strength and the courage to not only “face the day” but/and also, the future and to do/give my very best to staff, the publics the library served and most importantly , myself.

In a way, I served two or more roles – one to my place of employment,and the other, to myself – finding me. The latter, accomplished with daily AM journaling and eventually, any/all times of the day as I engaged not only with work but also, more importantly, LIFE!

At the time I began daily journaling, , I’d no idea that the journey would last this long with no signs of being over. WH is about to wind down! On this first day of October and the tenth month of 2024 – just three months, 92 days left in 2024.

493 words. To be continued…

“Happy Birthday USA”…

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This morning, on the Nation’s 248th birthday , those of us who live in the capital city, were greeted with a “Do NOT Drink the Water” alert! OK! OK! ??? Apparently, on-going testing revealed a problem and thus the alert. Not only are we not to drink the water before boiling but also, don’t brush teeth, wash face, etc , using water from the tap. OK! Got it!

We also apparently lost power for all clocks powered by electricity had to be reset. Done!

So, now – 8 AM EST – I’m settled in for Writers’ Hour with about 150 other “writers” from around the world, in our little “zoom spaces, writing alone but together.” Q: How does one create a habit? A: One day at a time … I’ve been engaged in this practice going on two years and counting. I’ve always – or so it seems, even during my childhood – started my day with a pencil and/or crayons in hand and paper. And slowly as I grew older graduated to journals and eventually, the computer tho’ I don’t know QWERTY – but who needs it? As the days have passed, my skills have improved, admittedly enhanced by technology’s anticipation of the word and filling in the spaces… I’m not into AI – artificial intelligence – tho’ I was initially intrigued. Decided I had enough of a challenge figuring out how I think let alone turning that over to someone/thing else…

Besides, I’m too much a paper and pen person to completely turn my daily journaling over to digital.

Tonight’s weather forecast suggests thunder and rain… if so, definitely will rain on the “parade fireworks.” Fireworks are not illegal in the District so I expect to hear a lot of zooms and bangs and bursts once darkness arrives. Depending on the atmosphere, we are sometimes capable of seeing and hearing the fireworks on the Smithsonian Mall – a distance of about 3.5 – 4 miles.

8:31 AM – Precautionary Alert re: Water LIFTED! “Tap water can be used for all purposes…” We end as we begin!

Happy Birthday to Ya, USA! I’ll drink to that!

Cheers~

#1000wordsof summer2024

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For the first two weeks of June, writers of every genre across the globe are participating in the global #1000wordsofsummer2024.* Totally free. Totally up to each writer what s/he aims toward and achieves, any day, any number of days.

Daily writing/journaling is not a problem for me. T’is a habit I’ve had nearly all my life – since maybe I was 2.5/3 years old, could hold a crayon and/or pencil, scribble letters and eventually words on a piece of paper. Journaling/Writing is how I start my day. Is how I’ve begun the day, daily since the mid 1990s…

My initial plan for this two weeks’ #1000wordsofsummer2024 stint was to establish a writing practice to end the day. Such a practice eludes me – I’ve been trying, off-n-on since 2019 (?) … I’ve even dubbed it Ten.10.X. The idea: identify ten things that represent the day, ranging from the weather to activity to thoughts, surprises, events, etc. So, I told myself: “Turn the calendar page to June and have at it!”

Well, I turned the page but I didn’t “have at it.” The seven o’clock hour usually signals that my day is rapidly approaching a full-on wind down. Shower. Dress for bed. Gather reading and WRITING materials and settle in for the balance of the PM. Occasionally, I’ll manage to watch TV, 8-ish to 9-ish but I usually fall asleep. And I DON’T write Ten.10.X. The thought rarely (ne’er?) crosses my mind! [Growl! Growl! Growl!] What’s a person to do?

Try a DIFFERENT approach. What a novel idea! (And the author – c’est moi- falls out laughing at her own witticism). The problem isn’t I don’t have the desire or the stuff to implement Ten.10.X, it just doesn’t cross my mind. So, I’ve concluded that my approach is all wrong. I need to focus on establishing a new habit: Interstitial Journaling So, instead of just writing a daily “to do” list, I create an evolving list- a daily “done”diary, record, tracker, ongoing summary of the day’s activities, accomplishments, inspirations, discoveries, postponements, words of wisdom, creative ventures, etc., written down throughout the day at specific intervals …

Perhaps I’m making this project more difficult than it really is. I will soon find out, providing I actually implement and experiment with the process. Clearly it’s a process I can create and control. I’m the boss of me! I turned to a page in my Full Focus Planner and this quote at the top of the page greeted me: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt.

Or as Gretchen Rubin says: “Onward!”

Time will tell.

Cheers~

P.S. This post is 469 words … and the photo of the lovely flower was in my iPhone photo library. I took the photo several years ago and Apple, in its infinite wisdom, decided to profile it today!

*There is a FAQ : 1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/ on Jami’s substack Craft Talk.

Simply a Moment | 4.15.24 …

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Monday! Monday! Mondays! are generally fairly well filled with household chores: laundry; trash out for Tuesday’s collection; planning the week’s agenda…

Today’s list also included going to the post office to mail state income tax return and walking Hazel – or rather I should say, being walked by Hazel – to/thru the park. The weather was delightful: sunshine , warm but not too hot; and the park was filled with children, caregivers – all enjoying this delightful Spring Day – not only a Monday and TAX filing day.

One neighbor delivered a bag of apples and cheeses; another – who likes to bake – a little box filled with very tasty mini-cakes. I made a long overdue list of this week’s “to do”agenda; one item included making an appointment on Friday for a mani/pedi. It’s been way too long for this treat.

We’ve had a delightful Spring day – not too hot and I’m feeling that I “done good.”

Plus, I had 4 Zoom sessions. One’s coming up in a few minutes so I guess I’ll review this post one last time and hit PUBLISH!

Cheers~

Simply A Moment | 3.15.24

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My Christmas Cactus has a third bloom; it delights me so – and is a welcome symbol of a spectacular time of year.

Note to Self:

“I am writing this post in the DayONE journal app. Perhaps I can make this DayONE journal entry also the focus of my blog post – it’s the 15th of the month and on this date, each month I try to post to my blog*, this space that you are now reading. Also, every morning, 8 -9 AM, Mon-Fri, for the past two years and 15 or so days, I’ve been writing during Writers’ Hour, with people from all over the world, joined by Zoom and heralded by hosts and hostesses of the fantastic . Covering all the time zones in the world and offered M-F, four times daily, WH provides encouragement, companionship, camaraderie, celebration. The latter, for many people proudly share the advent of publication of their book or play… their writing!

How do I deal with uncertainty?

My aim is not to publish a book, persé; the closest format might be called a photobook tho’ my emphasis is on the words, not the photos.

Today’s DayONE prompt asks and my answer: …with uncertainty – pun intended. Life gets in the way of one’s plans. In my last entry, I shared that I was going to relocate this blog. I am still on that path though a wee bit behind. Determined it will happen; stay tuned!

Whatever. However. I have enough fodder that could/would constitute a goodly sized “book.” My aim is to create a new “publication date” so to speak. My assignment (to self): Get busy proofing the past two years accumulation of words and photos… To Get It Done! To take this habit and platform of focusing on writing nearly every morning that yields the results of my intentions and efforts.

I can do it!

WH is winding down; the music calling us back. I updated my journal entry. A word count is apparently a measure, barometer of progress and persistence. Today, I tallied 274 words. I think that’s a good start for my blog post for today and resumption of my aim to reestablish my goal to “make every day count.” I also added the hashtag #write24in24.

I love this quote’s photo background : sun rising over the mountains as a man climbs upwards on one. The word: CONFIDENCE in capital letters.

I think, wonder, if/that sometimes, perhaps many times, we are thwarted by our own lack of confidence in our abilities to create. I’m sure that relates to me and has all my life of 81 years and counting (hopefully).

To be continued. Stay tuned … and thank you for visiting and your support. Always welcomed and appreciated!

Cheers~

in with the new | 2024 …

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I started this post on Sunday, 12.30.23, listening, as I have most Sunday mornings, to the wshu radio musical program: Sunday Baroque. I know, feel it in my bones, that I’ve been listening to this radio musical treat for at least 24 years of Sundays… Sometime, earlier in 2023, the program’s start time shifted. It appears to me that streaming took over. I know I can/could figure it out or at least contact the station or consult the website but I haven’t…”Next week,” I tell myself… the good news is this Sunday I get to tell myself “next year”! Solving this puzzle goes on – to the top ?- of my 2024 list…

What happened to Monday?

Today, Tuesday, 2 January 2024, I am writing this post during my daily 8 Am Writers’ Hour zoom session. I started this gig in 2022 ? (date escapes me ) and have been “faithful” to starting each day, M- F and within the 55 minutes circle of time, to writing. Some people do a word count; I haven’t —-yet!

This is the time of the beginning of the New Year when many resolve to make this the “best year ever.” I do not exclude myself. My plan is to “get my life in order” which is no small feat – I’ve been focusing on just that task for decades – and I do mean decades! Some days I win. Some days, I manage to take those three steps forward, backwards…

Many also choose a word of focus – a one word to guide one’s actions throughout the year. In my writer’s room, I am surrounded by my words, gathered since 2009, when I first started this practice of focusing on a single word for 365 days to help guide my thinking and actions. My first word : JOY.

This year, rather than choose a single word, I’ve decided to revisit all my words chosen and incorporated in my daily life these past 14 years. I have almost all those words in wooden form, each made for me by a dear friend’s husband.

I’ve shared the fact that I am also a big fan of Gretchen Rubin, as she often describes herself: “the Happiness Bully.” I first “met” Gretchen via her book, The Happiness Project, a 2009 publication. I have purchased and read all her Happiness -themed books; I listen to her weekly Happier podcasts with her sister, Liz Craft, also a writer, and prior to Covid’19 pandemic, attended her writer’s book tours (also with her sister). This year, 2024, I am participating in the year-long Happiness Project Revisited .

And, for me, a major component of Happiness is staying true to my daily intentions to bring peace, calm, order, via implementing beneficial habits to my daily life. One of those habits, dare I say life long, is writing. Write2024 also happens to be this year’s focus to listeners of Gretchen’s and Liz’s annual challenge. Again, dare I say “ A match made in heaven” ?! (Currently I’m typing this on my iPad and it is being uncooperative with making an Interabang: a combination question and exclamation mark. Grr!)

It is 10 AM. Writers’ Hour has been over an hour and I, distracted trying to make the Interrobang on the iPad, lost track of time as well as my train of thought. I see I shall have to take a photo of my words, A – Z…

To be continued…Do you have a word for 2024? Please share in the comments and a link to a blog post if you wrote/published.

Write On!

Cheers~