Grounds for play
28 Jul 2011 8 Comments
in Body, Mind, Spirit Tags: care for the earth, children, health, nature, parenting
Sometimes I’m tempted to create a questionnaire to administer to kids who want to come over. You know, to find out if they are going to be high maintenance, because it sure would be nice to find out ahead of time. The first question would be, “Do you like to play outside?” and the answer would be most revealing. A sturdy, definite “Yes” means that this is a kid that will blend into our household nicely. If it is too hot, or too cold, or you don’t want to get dirty, or sweaty, or you don’t like the bugs or you think the compost pile is weird, then, maybe this isn’t your kinda place.
I think I’m in line with what we’ve known all along about child development, and science is continuing to back the idea up with research. And the latest? Here’s an article with new research showing yet another advantage to outdoor activities: The Sun Is the Best Optometrist . The natural world is a healthy place to be, and our culture needs to head back outside.
In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv shows the critical need for children to spend time outside. It’s a classic, if you haven’t read it you should consider picking up a copy. So that covers the why to go outside. But how? What about children growing up in urban areas?
Access to nature is important in designing areas for children to play and for families deciding where to live. Cities across America are developing an awareness of the need for parks, and there is a program in the works to help pediatricians encourage families to spend time outside by matching them up with local parks that will meet their needs. According to this Washington Post article, the National Park Service is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics on this initiative.
Another sign of the growing enlightenment: the state of Maryland is now requiring high school students to develop environmental literacy. A good idea, in theory, but I’m curious to see how it will be implemented. Textbooks? Tests? Classroom time? (Maybe we should start at birth?)
It’s a wonderful thing, environmental literacy. But I think that in order to preserve this planet, we need to get to know it on a more personal level.
If you ignore it long enough, it’ll go away
21 Jul 2011 4 Comments
in Body, Mind Tags: chaos, mess, order, organization, priorities, work space
Not true, admittedly, in the case of my sprained ankle that never quite healed up right, or most other medical issues, so, I’ll leave you to decide on proper action in those cases.
Also, not true when it comes to a kid’s messy bedroom. Not only will the mess not clean itself up, but it will multiply. And start to smell bad, depending on whether food and wet clothing is involved.
Blogs. Blogs will not go away. I’ll go through periods of having other priorities, and yes, this blog gets ignored. But it is still here! Hurrah! (And to prevent that busy streak blankness, I’m writing ahead and scheduling. Look for posts on Thursdays.)
click on photo for source
On the other hand, I have discovered that the mess on my desk can be ignored for quite a while. My theory is that the active papers will rise to the surface, so the bottom layer that forms the cushion can safely be ignored. If I need it, I can dig for it, right? When my desk gets this bad (the photo is not my desk, mine is sparkly clean at the moment so it wouldn’t do for this post), and I finally get around to sorting out the papers, I find that I can chuck a pretty good percentage of that bottom layer straight into the recycling bin. Outdated papers from the schools, things I meant to research, notes about events that have passed, recipes that obviously didn’t excite me enough, poof!
Seems to me that it is a sign that I’m saving papers that could go straight in the bin, or get filed. Maybe I should be more picky about what lands on my desk. It’s prime real estate.
Do you have a strategy for keeping your desk tidy?
Treats for you sci-fi and fantasy lovers
14 Jul 2011 3 Comments
in Mind Tags: fantasy, fiction, fun, history, horror, Orson Scott Card, reading list, science fiction, short stories, stories, time travel
Here’s a list of science fiction and fantasy treats I’ve been accumulating. Enjoy!
- I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to promote this upcoming anthology of fantasy and science fiction stories: Altered States, edited by Amy Locklin. Published by the Main Street Rag, it includes an urban fantasy story written by yours truly (scroll down on the page, you’ll see me there in the list of contributors). I would love for you to order a copy for yourself or give it as a gift, it’ll be a treat!
- This History of Science Fiction map, created by Ward Shelley. You’ll want to order a large print so you can read the detail and see just where Philip K. Dick, Jack Vance and Mary Shelley fit into the grand scheme of things. So much literature originates with fear and wonder, take a look. I dare you to resist.
- Just for fun, see how old you are on other planets, and gain a few more birthdays: Your Age on Other Worlds. If you write these types of stories, I suppose this could be useful in character building too.
- A summer reading list of fantasy titles for you. (I’m loading the Kindle for vacation with a few of these.)
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Time Travel. Advice from Orson Scott Card is always welcome.
- And, finally, here’s a link to the Absent Willow Review. With science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, it’ll pull you out of your orbit for a little while.
click on the photo for source information
Launch yourself in the right direction
07 Jul 2011 9 Comments
in Mind, Spirit Tags: focus, goals, growth, intent, intention, organization, project management, resources, writing process
Accomplishing your goals takes focus and organization. Carving out the time in your schedule for a writing session is the first step, but once you sit down at the computer, considering your short-term as well as your long-term goals is key to making the best use of your time. Here are a few places online you can go to create goals, stay organized and focused, and track your progress:
Create goals at Mindbloom. Your Mindbloom tree has a branch for each area of your life you’d like to grow. You can add theme music that will play as you set specific action steps to reach your goals, then schedule and complete them. This is perfect for anyone who would like to have some external discipline. I have branches set up for health, life balance, and writing; and for each area I’ve got daily actions that will contribute to these areas. The key to succeeding here is not just setting up specific, measurable goals, but being aware of what your intentions are. If you set up on Mindbloom, come find me and join my forest. We can encourage each other!
Stay organized with iGoogle. You can set up your home page with the things that you need so that when you open your browser, your documents, dictionary and email are handy. Google Docs is one of my favorite ways to stay organized. Storing your documents online means you can log on to any computer and work, and you never have to worry about lost writing.
Focus with a spreadsheet. At the top of my list, staring me in the face first thing in the morning, is my project management spreadsheet on Google Docs. I use a notebook and pen for capturing ideas, but once something is ready for typing, it goes in my spreadsheet. I’ve got all my writing projects listed and organized according to where they are in the process, from idea to drafting and revision, to finished. Headers for length, genre or form, markets, theme, and status all tell me what I’ve got. I can see at a glance what I’ve set in motion and which pieces need action. I color code my most active piece with orange, so that line jumps out at me, and I color pieces that are pending with an editor a pleasant, prayerful shade of lilac. Whether you use Google Docs to create your spreadsheet or some other application, keeping an organized record is essential.
Track your accomplishments with Duotrope’s Digest. This is a most treasured site. Duotrope’s Digest is a searchable database of over 3,450 fiction and poetry markets. Once you polish up a piece of writing, hop over to Duotrope’s and plug in the parameters of your piece, then peruse the resulting list of possible matches. Visit websites, order and read samples of your target publication, read submissions guidelines, then send off your work!
Who shall I be today?
30 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Mind, Spirit Tags: change, David Byrne, growth, identity, Marilyn Monroe, Pippi Longstocking, possibility
You wouldn’t think that there would be a relationship between David Byrne, Marilyn Monroe and Pippi Longstocking, but in my world today there totally is. I’ll explain.
Has anyone ever told you that you didn’t seem like yourself? And did you wonder, “Who am I then, if I’m not myself?” It is a conundrum that goes along with the statement, “Oh, you seem like yourself again!” Which, I know is intended to be a positive statement, but it has always made me uncomfortable. Aren’t we always ourselves? Even on bad days? Even when we gain weight or commit some sort of social flail? David Byrne sings this: “I’m just an advertisement for a version of myself.” So remember: I’m just today’s version.
After all, who wants to be the same person, day after day? Being dynamic is good, growing and changing are good. We’re different each day. Maybe not for the better, sometimes life feels like a horrid game of Mother May I, and I might spend a week or two taking giant leaps forward, but then a week comes along that requires a humble step back. Or two resentful steps back. No, we are not always our best selves, but we’re still always a viable version of who we could be. The bad moments, the challenging days, those times lay the foundation for better days, I must believe. Even in that darkness, there is a desire for light and a way to move forward.
And, when we’re headed forward, I would like to think that with each new insight, each discovered truth, our person shifts ever so slightly. Like when you take the word “should” out of your vocabulary–that will brighten your world, just that one word. When I was teaching 9th graders, I used to give them words to remove from their vocabulary in addition to adding a few each day. I’d banish words like “like” and “alot” (NO! that’s not a word!) and as an adult, I like to see the shift in life that simple language changes can cause. But that’s another post for another day. My point here is that positive growth will lead you to be the person you want to be.
When you look back at past versions of yourself, how does it feel? Sometimes it is not so good. Every now and then my daughter will see a picture she drew four years ago, and she’ll recoil in horror. “It looks like a baby drew that!” and we cycle through these topics. Who we are. Who we used to be. Who we want to be. Sometimes we look back and have to decide to have compassion for that past self. She drew the best picture she could with her experience level and mechanical ability. That version of me that picked out those horrid copper bathroom fixtures, she thought she was doing something splendid. (The new me knows differently, of course.)
Marilyn Monroe said, “If you can’t handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” We’re each a package deal. Take one of us, take us all. Every version. Hopefully, it is within our control on most days to be who we truly want to be. So, with that said, I present Pippi Longstocking, whose theme song can be overlaid with the words, “Who shall I be today?” It is catchy and ever so enthusiastic and full of possibility.
Variety is the spice of life
10 May 2011 6 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: awards, deadlines, project management
It’s been so long since I’ve written here that I had to look up my log-in credentials! I’ve been busy working on a variety of projects, scrambling to meet deadlines. What a sweet reminder of the existence of my blog, finding this award from Sheila Siler over at SheilaScribbles in my inbox:
Thank you Sheila, I’m feeling quite versatile these days, although I try to be mindful not to spread myself too thin. I’m only one woman! Here’s what I’m currently working on, and I should offer up the info that I got a TON of sleep last night, so this list will excite me now and probably freak me out in six or seven hours:
My official list of current projects:
1. Transcriptions of interviews for a management consultant firm. (Yes, paying work comes first.)
2. A book review for Ruminate Magazine, that I’m still drafting and need to turn in by the end of the month.
3. A piece of short fiction that I plan to submit to an anthology with a May 31 deadline.
4. A Quaker history play that I’ve written and my little First Day class has produced. The script needs to be cleaned up for use next time around.
5. A piece of memoir about my adoption experience, something that will likely sit at the bottom of the list here until I can get some of these other projects completed and sent out.
Here are the rules for accepting the award:
1. Thank and link back to the person that has given you this award (check!)
2. Share 7 things about yourself (I’ll count my project list as 5? And add 2 more things here somewhere!)
3. Pass the award along to other blogs that you think deserve it. (Share the love!)
4. Contact those bloggers and let them know about the reward (But of course!)
So, for 2 more things about me:
1. I officially became a visiting grad student yesterday and signed up for a class in American Naturalism and Realism. I ordered a big huge Norton Anthology to add to my collection and paid my big huge tuition bill (I didn’t like that part!).
2. Last week the pollen was bad here in NC, and one of my power sneezes dislodged some vitreous gel from the back of my right eyeball, causing some large floaters. Boo! It’s like there’s a flock of mosquitoes swarming my periphery, but the eye doc said that maybe gravity will settle them down. Let’s hope so!
And, last but not least, I’m passing this award along to three bloggers:
1. M.J. Fifield over at My Pet Blog
2. Ana at The Artistry Collective
3. Laura at Daily Dodo
Goals, please?
19 Apr 2011 8 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: commitments, goals, organization, time management
For me, my top priorities are my family, my marriage, being healthy, and raising my kids. But, in looking ahead, on the horizon, I can just barely see the day that the children leave the nest. Where do I want to be then? How will I get there? What do I do with myself for the next decade? Hmm, I think it is time to take stock. Maybe even do some color coding.
I think it is important to match up your daily schedule and use of time to your goals in life. Of course, it isn’t a simple task, because first you have to know what your goals are. So, think on those, if need be, then see if they match up to where your time is going. Oh, you don’t know where your time is going? Well, think on that too. It is an accounting task that, in my opinion, everyone should do monthly. Along with budgeting your money to see that your resources are flowing in the right direction, you should budget your time as well. I may be a tad obsessive in these areas, but I like to see progress towards my goals, it feels good.
One way that I do this is to gather some colored pens and assign each goal a color. Then I look back over my planner at the used pages, circling everything in the designated color. At a glance, I can see how my time has been allocated. I don’t get so nitty-gritty that I do the math, but you could if you are so inclined. A pie chart could even be fun for the right person.
This session, I’m taking a look at all the meetings, appointments, and helping. I’m coming along now to the end of the school year, and the end of a committee rotation, and it is a natural time to take stock of my commitments. All of the writing related work is staying, everything else is questionable. The hardest part for me is to drop my volunteer work in areas that are valuable, but I think that teaching related work is getting dropped. Tough decisions, but my theme this year is focus, and focus I will. I’m only one woman, after all, right?
Among my short-term writing goals are a few short projects: a book review, a bit of memoir, a piece of flash fiction. Once those are done, my next project is a longer piece of fiction, which will likely be an ongoing thing. And, my long-term goal, professionally, is to finish my MA. So, I’m working on getting enrolled for fall; History of Rhetoric, here I come!
Anyone out there thinking through their goals? Reallocating their time? How often do you do this?
