BACK IN THE WRITING GROOVE AGAIN

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Sometimes writing becomes a struggle between ‘will I’ or ‘will I not’. Yet it really doesn't take much (as anybody would know that) if a bit of passion goes along with the writing. It comes easy when you love what you’re doing. As in other things whether that be cooking, singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument, traveling, reading, teaching, painting, and many more. Not even a hundred horses or a thousand can take you away from that, right?

Yet sometimes too I can think of three good reasons NOT to write….

Top on that list ----- the absence of an idea for writing or in more romantic terms – an inspiration. Some call that the writer’s block. There may be dozens of ideas churning inside my head but nothing seems to stay still long enough to make some sense of it. That’s why inspiration does play a great role (to my mind at least) because it is able to sort out things and knit them together to form a better-understood-whole.

Secondly ----- the excruciatingly hot weather makes it impossible to sit on the chair longer than I can say the word ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’. And I don't even know if I spelled that correctly. My butt’s on fire more often than I want it.

Thirdly ----- there’s something I’d like to do too. Have you an old pair of jeans lying somewhere inside your closet? I do. So why not sew a bag out of an old pair of denim pants. Yup an idea that caught my mind when one day I saw that I had about 3 or 4 worn out denims lying inside the closet for ages now. Since ‘tote bags’ is another passion, I decided to put the denims to better use and at the same time find out if Mom's creative sewing talents rubbed off on me. Been toiling at it on certain days... the measuring, cutting, and the final sewing – by hand and not with a sewing machine. I have a portable sewing machine here but I prefer not to work it. You see, I'm bad with machines although I have managed to drive a car before. I hope that counts. Well, the bag is now ready with only the zipper and the handle to attach. Now I'm figuring out how to do the zipper because it looks like a tricky thing to do on a bag. Or maybe use Velcro instead of a zipper...... hmmmmm... (Took the photos below of the finished items for you, ladies, to see that you can do it too.) 😃

But there's a fourth one ----- Oh well, it's got something to do with great movies and TV shows – if there's a good one in town my family and I go see it. Too on television there's The Voice, CSI, NCIS, The Good Doctor, Hawaii 5O, MacGyver, CNN Philippines (and our local news too), Discovery channel, How'd They Do That, Amazing Race, Ellen DeGeneres .. And all those other interesting stuff like reruns of great movies (old and new) which gets your eyes glued to the box. And along with that perhaps a nice cup of coffee, or maybe iced tea, then again a lemonade, or some ice cream and chocolate cake while sitting on a nice comfy couch.... and too have your family around you.

And a fifth one ----- read a book! Oh never mind if it’s an old one, if it’s good I will take it down from my tiny library and read it again. And again if need be. There’s The Purpose Driven Life, 1000 Stories, Tuesdays with Morris, Dare To Fail, Laugh Again, All I Really Need To Know I learned In Kindergarten, Jacob the Baker, The Alchemist, The Aladdin Factor, Traveling Light, and other books too that didn't make the best seller list but are just as engaging to read.

 

So maybe what I'm trying to say is there's life outside the writing and blogging. And truthfully, I'm saying that I'm having the best of both worlds. The writing gives me so much pleasure indulging in such a rewarding activity with the added bonus of wonderful friendships found in that journey. It’s a good life and creates my greatest of blessings. Huge thanks to the Big Guy upstairs.

I guess it would be alright to say that with this post I'm back into the writing groove again after a brief hiatus. Love to be here with you again, lovely people. Sending you big hugs and generous blessings from the heart of God. ❤️🌹

WHAT MORE CAN I DO?

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ---- Oliver Wendell Holmes

I used to bother about what had gone past and what was yet to come. The questions always fell on 'was it good the year that passed?' or 'what's up ahead in the future for me?'

Then I learned that... i was asking the wrong questions. I should be asking myself instead... 'what more can I do?' When you get satisfactory answers to that, then you can rest easy that it was indeed a good year that has gone by... and ...that future which you seek will be right there for you. You don't have to look elsewhere, it's all inside of you to create the life you want for yourself. God didn't create losers but winners who shine both within and out to the waiting world outside. Now let's make God proud.

Okay, "what more can I do?" Here's my tiny bit... at 64 - widow, mother, sister, friend, and others more God has lined up for me to do. :-)

As you may already know I do landscape sketches with pencil, some posted here in the blog. But have long toyed with the idea of painting in water color, just for the fun of it. Have never tried that before, after all have had no training whatsoever for the art; but it always had been a dream. 'Been drawing since I was a kid but that isn't a guaranty (as most in the know would say) that something on a bigger scale other than a sketchpad would come out fairly nice or a wee bit closer to that in the least.

So a few days ago, at the insistent prodding of my youngest daughter (like I said our children know us better than most people do..), 'took out the canvass 12"x14" (she always has a supply of one or two on stand-by for her occasional dabbling at the art) and borrowed her water color set, placed the canvass on the computer table leaning on the monitor, sat on the computer chair... and began!

Well, not quite immediately. First had to have an image of what to paint. And nature was and has always been the first choice for the drawings made.... and again this time. Remembered that one wallpaper on the desktop which was simply so pretty. Well, to make a long story short... here's a beginner's first honest step in water color painting :-) Am tip-toeing on this one.. Lols!

And my tribute to 'what more can I do'. And this I can truly say, 'have enjoyed myself immensely; 'had lots of fun with it. I guess that's what truly matters. A big bonus if that makes God smile too. Lols!

Hope to hear 'bout your own experience soon. :-) .. crocheting, knitting, cooking, biking, trekking, writing a book -- anyone??

WRITING FROM THE HEART

The other day someone said to me 'Love reading you.' I thanked the person and smiled carrying those words in my heart. It could mean two things really: she loves the writing -- or -- she loves seeing 'me (or bits of me, she thinks; curious aye? hehehe..)' in those lines that I write.

A writer can be both. Because a writer true to his calling and passion will only write from the heart. Life, within and without, as seen through his eyes translates itself unto the printed page. But why does a writer write?

In pursuing a 'passion', you don't bother to ask why. You simply relish enjoy - delight in the process. But writer or not, when you feel that you have something to say and you feel that nudge in your heart, go ahead and say it or write it. Just be sure that it's something which will bring a smile to another person's heart or day.

God's gifts are meant to bring joy and smiles into your life and if allowed -- to somebody else's life too. :-) God bless you!!

GET A HOBBY!

A friend once told me that all she ever knows is work, work, work. That didn't impress me at all, even if she managed to take home a fat no fatter paycheck. Because what I saw was a person all dried up, withering away as the years were adding up wrinkles on her face. So I said 'get a hobby!'.. and she replied 'I don't have any!'. Can you believe that?!

So okay my point in telling you about her is to say to you.... "GET A HOBBY!" Whatever it is -- needlecraft, photography, cooking, scrap booking, gardening, writing, etc. -- make room for your passion and creativity. Indulge in it because you got it, it's in there just waiting to be tapped or brought out to the surface... by you!

I have a niece in New York who loves to draw and I hope she gets to read this. The best way to draw is to -- draw!! Draw till your fingers drop. And if it's designing clothes... put your ideas down on paper immediately when the idea comes to you. It may look odd, absurd, or grotesque but it doesn't matter. The puffed skirt was grotesque when it first came out, but look how it's become a big influence in fashion now.

Well, not everybody will become a fashion czar or a famous artist but do it because you love doing it - it's your passion and that's all that matters.