My sweet little house panther asked me to tell you Happy Halloween. Black cats get a bad rap because so many people believe they’re somehow bad luck or evil.
The only evil in the equation involves humans who neglect or abuse a black animal. The only bad luck is when someone misses out on giving one of these beautiful creatures a safe home.
The day little Scout decided to make his home with me was the luckiest day of my life. He knew I was alone and kittyless and that I needed him to make my life better.
If you have a chance to adopt a black cat, do so and you’ll be rewarded with a lovely, quirky little friend who will bring you laughter, joy and companionship.
If you have a black cat, keep them inside and safe – especially today. Too many people do cruel things to black animals. The world is a dangerous place for them.
Meanwhile, from me and from my little batcat, have a Happy Halloween!
Routine can be comforting. It can be efficient and helpful. It can be how we get things done.
It can also be as confining as a straight jacket.
I’m wavering somewhere between needing more routine to improve my productivity and commitment to goals – and needing less to encourage creative thinking and happiness.
I have previously been stuck in routines that weren’t so healthy, the kind where I hit snooze for an hour and go screeching out the door, late for work. I’ve come home nightly to the same tv shows, same dinner, same bedtime and same lack of motivation that kept me stuck in a rut. These are the straight jacket variety of routines that hold us back and keep us making unhealthy choices.
Change in routine last week helped me create a more structured morning. These were less rushed, more satisfying mornings as well. The structure of a routine keeps me honest and keeps me in line even on busy days.
Of course, all hope for routine goes out the window at work. I don’t have that kind of job most days so I just acknowledge that every day is a new adventure and go with the flow.
Meanwhile, last week I began looking for ways to exercise my brain and to think differently, to think outside my usual boxes. I listened to different music on my commute and found ways to enjoy chores I might ordinarily avoid. I suppose you could say that looking for the small ways to be different became part of my routine.
Whether it’s going on adventure, trying a new restaurant or finding a new way to do something ordinary, any break from routine is welcome. Plus, doing one thing that’s different often inspires looking for more changes.
Consider your own day. What needs better structure? What changes can you make to improve even one piece of your day? Start there and begin looking for more ways to change, build and improve.
Life is easier when we figure out how to work within our own boundaries and how to take small steps to improve. Whether you’re breaking free of unhealthy routines or building creative new habits, even thinking about it can spark an interest in being better.
And, whether you’re thinking inside the box, viewing that box from afar or taking a sledgehammer to it, just considering the box at all is a great first step.
Yesterday finally found me sitting in a movie theater to watch Killers Of The Flower Moon. At 3 hours and 26 minutes, this Martin Scorsese film is inspired by the David Grann nonfiction book of the same name.
I had the distinct pleasure to hear Grann speak about this book back in 2018. If you’re interested, click this link to read about that experience. At the time, he was excited to tell us his book would be adapted into film and I have anticipated this day ever since.
There was a time I struggled to watch a movie after reading the book. Film adaptations rarely measure up to the written word. I purposely didn’t revisit the book because I didn’t want to be biased against whatever creative liberties would be taken.
It’s an extraordinary book about a shocking series of murders that took place in Oklahoma’s Osage Nation in the 1920s. I lack the proper words to describe how horrifying, how evil these murders were and they were committed in the name of nothing more than pure greed.
Scorsese took several liberties with the story but I forgive most because he still tells a compelling story and shines a bright light on this shameful chapter in our nation’s history that had been all but forgotten by time.
The sets and costumes are spot on and there are some creative choices in casting. Musicians Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson are among the surprises that I enjoyed most. This movie downplays the extent of the murders and it paints one of the perpetrators in an oddly sympathetic light.
If you get a chance, read the book. It really is better because it fills in many blanks and details the extent of the crimes. If you have about 3.5 hours, watch the film too.
This story deserves to be heard by whatever means you can manage.
One week ago, author William Kent Krueger encouraged me to write every morning before the day gets busy. On Monday, I got up early, cracked open my new book of writing prompts and got to work.
I wrote every day this week, exploring fiction topics both familiar and foreign. This week I used a different prompt a day. Next week, I intend to use the same writing prompt every day to encourage finding new ways to look at the same idea.
Honestly, I’m already sold on the effectiveness of writing before the world gets its hooks into me. However, the practicality of getting up at 5 or 5:30 in the morning is hardcore unpleasant for someone who dislikes mornings. Bit I will keep it up either until it’s a habit or until I just can’t take it anymore!
Want to read about what inspired me to turn over a new leaf? Click here!!!
Nature never fails to surprise and fascinate me. Most of the flowers in my yard have died off with just a few late bloomers clinging to life. I went out before sunset last night to enjoy the crunch of leaves beneath my feet and to examine what’s left in the flower beds.
The flower beds have seen better days. It’s a lot of the usual suspects like mums and sedum, some coreopsis, a rose and some beautiful black eyed susans.
And then there was the flower pictured above. While most of the hostas are turning yellow and dying off, this one continues to flower and thrive. It reminds me of a fine lady, dolled up in a pretty dress.
Time in nature never disappoints. The world changes with each season, with each day and even each hour as the moving light alters the appearance of everything around.
Finding this single flower made my day better and made me marvel at its resilience, at how bravely it swayed in the Autumn breeze.
When in doubt, look to nature for all of life’s important lessons and skills. Resilience is keeping that flower going well into fall just as it will keep you going through the hard times.
This conversation reminds me of a quote I will leave you with today. Consider it food for thought and something to aspire to in your daily life.
“Live close to nature and your spirit will not be easily broken, for you learn something of patience and resilience. You will not grow restless, and you will never feel lonely.”
This blog has been quiet while I have wrestled with whether I want to continue writing at all. When I started writing here in 2018, it was a place to tell stories about my travels for friends and family to enjoy.
Since then it has evolved into a daily creative and accountability exercise. Lots of strangers have found their way here and become new friends. I hold myself accountable to show up every day and write something or to at least match a quote with an original picture of interest.
I took a break, thinking it would last for three days, but the respite has stretched into weeks. The more distance I put between me and writing, the less I missed it. I also journaled less and spent absolutely no time thinking about other types of writing besides what I do for work.
My brain felt tired and I was lacking in motivation.
Then something special happened. I received some encouragement from an author I admire. William Kent Krueger spoke Saturday at the West Virginia Book Festival. If you aren’t familiar, he is a New York Times bestseller and popular mystery writer. Known for his Cork O’Connor mystery series, as well as three fabulous stand alone books, he earned a spot in my heart with This Tender Land. If you haven’t read it, you should.
On Saturday, he talked about how he became a writer, crediting his parents for reading to him as a child and encouraging him to understand that there are no limits when it comes to storytelling.
He talked about his career, his failures and second chances. He wanted to write the great American novel but couldn’t find his voice so he just stopped writing.
He didn’t write a thing for years.
Then one day, he woke up in middle age and decided that he was going to write again. This time it wouldn’t be a botched great American novel. It would be something people would actually want to read. He got a laugh at that comment! So he did something unexpected. He embraced the Mystery genre even though he had never read a mystery before in his life.
After a grueling period of daily writing and stretching to find his voice, Cork O’Connor was born. This character would elevate the writer Kent Krueger to the New York Times Bestselling Author William Kent Krueger, making him a household name for readers far beyond his chosen genre.
I’m sad to say that I didn’t discover his work until he published This Tender Land a few years ago. This stand alone book captivated my imagination and won a spot on my bookshelf as an all time favorite.
This is what brought me to the room where Kent (he asked us to call him Kent!) told his own story.
He spoke about writing with a sense of profound joy, inspiring me to go home and write something of my own.
He seems like a common guy, reminding me of some librarian friends and a little of a favorite college English professor. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to sit in a writing class with him!
It ended all too quickly but he did sign books afterward and you can believe I took my two favorites to be personalized. I used my time in front of him wisely and acted like a fan girl as he signed my books. I let him know how much I love his writing and that he made me want to go home and write. That caught his attention and he asked some questions and offered encouragement.
He encouraged me to not let my writing projects at work sour me or get in the way of writing for myself. He advised writing every day and working to find my voice. When he worked a regular job, Kent said he got up early every day to write for an hour before work.
This advice makes sense to me because it would give a writer an opportunity to use their authentic voice before venturing out into a noisy world that insists on crushing our individuality.
I walked away knowing that I wanted to accept his advice.
My first act is to try reviving this blog because I need the accountability exercise. The next step is to dust off my journal because journaling is akin to a daily tidying routine for my mind.
The fiction piece is harder. I have a writing project in mind and it’s manageable. There’s another writing project that is less manageable. While we were out book browsing after the festival, I procured a book of writing prompts to help establish what I hope will be a morning writing exercise habit. I’m not a morning person so this may get shifted to another time of day to humor my morning failings.
I can at least try.
Something else I need to work on is my inability to call myself a writer. When one of my favorite writers took an interest in me and asked if I’m a writer too, I honestly didn’t know what to say. So I stammered out some nonsense about how I write but am not really a writer. In my mind, I just scribble and have never written anything that really mattered.
Yet, my professional resume includes writer/editor positions and two other jobs where writing has been a central responsibility. Personally, I practice writing here, drop thoughts in a journal and occasionally work on a short story.
I shared this with someone important to me the other day. He aptly responded “that means you’re a writer.”
And so it goes.
Will I ever be a writer like Kent Krueger? Not a chance. The man is brilliant. However, I will enjoy the journey as I work to improve myself. In this results oriented world, we forget sometimes that there’s merit in simply bettering ourselves – even when no one less is looking.
Meanwhile, I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.
