by supertwigs | Jun 21, 2011 | Environment, Goals, Nature, Parenting, Photography, Writing |
As it turns out, 2011 is nearly half over. Today being the summer solstice, we are embarking on the second two seasons of the year. The latter half. Winter and spring passed for me in a flurry of activity, reflection and big life changes. And I find myself here, in the thick of things.
I wanted to find a good way to celebrate the summer solstice, but I hadn’t planned anything specific. So, I took the kids outside. We spent hours enjoying a blissfully warm (hot, but not too hot) day, hiking in the woods, wading in the river, and running (or crawling) through the buttercups. I brought my camera, and practiced snapping portraits. It felt glorious.
Today’s summer solstice also happens to be the first official day of my professional motherhood. Any other Tuesday night, I would be working at the library. Instead, I am at home, writing. That also feels great.
So, to cap off the celebration, I thought I’d go introspective. Take a look back, and also forward. For the first time since starting my blog, I have decided to go back and read over all of the goals I have set for myself this year. Some goals, I have accomplished with leaps and bounds. On others, I have made significant progress. And on others, I still fall woefully short (running…ahem…we’ll deal with that later).
It turns out there are so many, I will probably need a post to deal with each one. Which is a good thing, since it will keep me thinking and reflecting, on…oh… what exactly am I doing again? Regardless, just looking over them has invigorated me, and made me realize just how far I’ve come these past few months. Both in my own self-awareness, and the actual completion (or, more accurately, inhabiting) of my goals.
Which makes me, for the umpteenth time, so thankful that I started this blog. I can’t count the number of ways writing it has changed and challenged me (a topic for another post).
And because (as it turns out), I like to assume grand challenges for myself, and then state them here, reading over my goals has caused me to create yet another one.
I am going to use the seasonal solstices as check-ins. Times of reflection to go over my goals, re-focus and propel myself forward.
There it is, in quotes. Something about doing this for the solstices appeals to me. It just feels rhythmic. Beautiful and inspiring in a way that “quarterly reports” do not. So, there it is. The seasonal me. A new ritual to tie me to myself, and my environment, and to that elusive cycle of life. I’m sure there’s something incredibly symbolic in all of this, somewhere.
So, for the next few weeks, I’ll be checking in with my goals. Checking in, and stepping up. And, finally, a hearty welcome to summer everyone!
And you? How did you celebrate the solstice? And how do you stay focused on your goals as the seasons progress?
by supertwigs | Apr 6, 2011 | Uncategorized, Writing |
I have long had a fascination with birders. There is something lovely about spending your days learning about birds, and stealthily trying to find them in the quietest of places. I suspect there is a lot of waiting involved in this particular hobby. And maybe disappointments. But, I imagine time spent in nature, just waiting and watching, to be restorative and satisfying, too. Plus, I do love birds. The magic of their flight. Their sweet little hops, and their beautiful songs. There is something so sweet about watching a chickadee at work, hopping about looking for crumbs at a coffee shop, or flitting from tree to tree. Living in BC, I also get to spy the occasional bald eagle soaring through the sky, or surveying me from the heights of an evergreen. They truly are majestic birds.
Last week, I went birding. Okay, not really. But, when we stopped for a picnic lunch, I got out the camera and snapped. I didn’t capture any rare species, but I did take a minute to notice the creatures before me. And it was lovely. The photos warm my heart. And perhaps yours, too.
Hope you enjoy my feel-good post of the week.
Just found this. It seems to speak to something about the joy of being a birder.
- What Wonderful Fun Is Birding (abirdersnotebook.wordpress.com)
by supertwigs | Mar 31, 2011 | Education, Goals, Parenting, Writing |
I have started a new project. Recently, I have been doing an extensive amount of research on homeschooling, to see if it is something that I would like to do with my children. The more I read and hear, the more I like it. I am a bit of an idealist, and it sounds so wonderful to me. Taking the learning journey with my children, and helping them make the most of their lives. This, of course, can be done in a number of different ways. Homeschooling being just one of those.
Through all of this research, I have discovered a few things. There are a pile of other people out there doing the same thing. Wondering and researching the same things. And, that there is relatively (in comparison to what is available for Americans – much of which is still applicable here) little information out there specific to Canadian homeschooling parents. Less for Canadians who are considering homeschooling.
So, I have taken on a new project. I have decided to compile what I am finding into a homeschool Q&A for curious Canadian families. To save others the work of doing all of this research (which I, as a librarian, love, but others might find frustrating and tedious). Making resource guides, after all, is what librarians do.
I don’t know what the final product will look like. I am starting with the concept of a short e-book. I am looking at homeschooling from the perspective of a prospective parent to prospective families, so the end result might be a bit different from what’s already out there. Or at least, a neat and tidy starting point.
I can see the project becoming huge, but, for now, I am just working with what I already know, and what I have found. It is my way of keeping in touch with my academic roots. It feels like I am writing an academic paper all over again. Which is really exciting. (Sorry if that sounds lame to some of you).
I guess you could say I am already homeschooling my 3 year old, as he has yet to go to preschool (if at all, the jury’s still out). We do so much home learning that it’s hard to call it anything else. As I imagine most families with kids under 5 do (but that’s the topic of another post).
Any Canadians out there with ideas, thoughts or resources they love, please let me know. If you’re not Canadian, but you’re a homeschooler, your thoughts would be much appreciated as well. Or favourite blogs. Of which I am discovering new ones everyday. There are so many interesting, intelligent, inspiring homeschooling families out there.
So, another exciting venture for me. Following those whims and passions sure is keeping me busy these days.
by supertwigs | Mar 25, 2011 | Goals, Health, Parenting, Writing |
When I was a little girl, we had a picture book called Animal Tales. One of those tales was about a pig. It professed that little pigs that went to bed early, and rose early would keep their tails curly. (Looking back, it sounds like a bit of a ploy to get one’s children to sleep early. Then again, no one wants their children to rise too early, do they?)
Yep, he’s another one of those proponents of early to bed, early to rise. He has 210,000 subscribers to his blog, so maybe he’s on to something. He’s also a man with six kids, so I figure if he can do it, maybe I can too.
Maybe. Not sure it’s something I want to work on yet. But, the article tempts me with it’s promise of a glorious hour of sipping tea and reading a book, watching the sunrise.
When you think about it that way, who wouldn’t be tempted?
by supertwigs | Mar 21, 2011 | Goals, Parenting, Writing |
Night Mind
I’ve been reading a fair amount of non-fiction this year, from authors who have somehow made meaningful changes in their lives, or challenge you to make some yourself. Alright, you might call them “self-help” books. I’ll admit that some of them have been. And some have been good. Even really good. So there.
Anyways, one theme I keep finding is that of using your time wisely. Consensus seems to be that the wee hours of the morning, or at least the hours before noon, are the most productive. There are tons of books that recommend getting your best work done early. And I see the wisdom in that. I have used the technique myself at work. Trying to get something meaningful done at the end of a long work day is twice as hard as at the beginning.
Since becoming a mom, however, I have found that my mornings are, oh, fairly consumed. (In have, somehow, found a little 20-minute window to go running, however. Twice. Then I came down with this laryngitis/cold thing, and have been recouperating. A slow start to my march to 5K. On the bright side, I did find my running shoes! So, I’m not a total chump after all. For those of you wanting an update).
I don’t know about the rest of you parents out there, but I would hazard a guess that most of your kids rise before you do. Usually before you are willing to. And once they rise, they are on. It’s non-stop action around here from around 6am. So, at least someone in this house knows how to get things done in the morning. Unfortunately, that leaves me little time for productivity on the personal front. My solution is the only logical one. Use the evenings. Become productive after the kids go to bed.
Sometimes, I am feeling completely beat by this time, and my mind feels mushy. Like my morning oatmeal. But, somehow, just knowing I’ll get those few hours of “me” time gets me through it. When I was writing my novel (said so matter-of-factly), I used the hours from 8pm-10pm almost exclusively. And, something I found: I liked it. I really liked it.
And here’s why: at night, anything seems possible. The farther into the night you go, the more your mind seems to wander. Go there. Far away from the reasonable. The practical daytime mind. The night mind is so much more free. Less edited. Less inhibited. Have you ever had a great idea in the middle of the night? Upon waking it probably seemed insane to you. Far-fetched. Ridiculous. But, under the cover of night, you probably imagined it solving all of your problems. Forever.
At least that’s the way it works for me. So, I like writing at night. Because the darkness blocks my inner editor. It allows my mind to wander free. Explore the territory between waking and sleeping. And funny things happen then. My story opens up in a new way. Or, I find that I have written 2000 words without blinking. Or I come up with that brilliant plot twist I was looking for.
I’m curious. How does it work for you? Do you think you’d be a better writer if you wrote at night? Or would I be a better one if I wrote in the morning? And what of life’s other challenges?
Maybe I am fooling myself. But, I kind of like my nighttime mind. At least for fiction. Maybe my daytime mind should be reserved for non-fiction. Now there’s a thought…
by supertwigs | Mar 11, 2011 | Goals, Writing |
It is official. I am a novelist. I am a novelist. I’d like to repeat that again, but I wouldn’t want to sound pompous.
Not that I am. Not at all. But, I DID IT!
30 days ago, I wrote about my challenge. 30 days, 50,000 words. Boo-ya! (A ridiculous expression, that I will try never to use again, but just seems fitting).
Today I wrote that last sentence. 50,013 words. I’ll be honest and say those last 400 words were the hardest. I may have added in a few extraneous sentences at the end. Just saying. And, if I’m being honest, I had written 2500 words before I posted about my challenge. So, it took me a little longer than 30 days.
But, this is what I have accomplished:
- I, Kelly Woods, have written a novel.
- From the day I decided to go for it, for real, on February 12th, it took me 30 days to finish
- For 30 days, I wrote every day, no less than 1600 words, save 1 day, when I wrote 500, and one day I took off
- I have rediscovered my love of writing
Once I have time to decompress, I’ll have to reflect on what I have learned through this journey. One thing I know, I have eaten a lot of chocolate this month. Another thing, my husband has been feeling pretty ignored.
Finally, if I may be so bold, I think I will (unapologetically) start calling myself a writer.
Hi! I’m Kelly Woods, writer, mother & librarian. I write about beauty, creativity, green living and lifestyle design to help others live a life of inspiration, too.