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. ❤️🌹

OF BLOGGING... STORIES.... AND STORYTELLERS

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There is a diversity of reasons why people do what they do. In every area of our lives -- the whatever-however-wherever it may be -- is what makes up your story. Every bit and piece in it is everything that tells the world who you are. Because everybody is a story.
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But -- that is just one part of the whole..... Completing that is the listener. One is nothing without the other. Somebody tells -- somebody listens. Somebody writes -- somebody reads.
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Try cruising down a blog site, stop awhile and visit a blog or blogs and you will know what I mean. You will begin to appreciate such display of diversity, of interests, and the wide range of expression in telling it. The thing to remember is that it's not just all about words or pictures but it's all about people and their stories. and how it's told.
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Some people, as I have heard them say, remark that it's a frivolous or flippant world and is such a waste of time. I will disagree to that. If some blogs do appear as such it does not necessarily reflect the site or the activity itself but rather it simply points you to the person writing it. The work is reflective of its creator.
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Each day adds another page to our life story. Make it count, make it matter. Learn whatever there is to learn every time the learning comes to your doorstep. Recognize and appreciate the carrier of the lesson -- acknowledge its presence... the person who is simply sharing his or her own story. As you have yours and share it too in your own special way in your own corner of the world and universe.
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Blessings to you and your dear ones. Great day ahead; enjoy! God bless you.

 #learning   #writing   #blogging   #storytellers   #blogworkshop 

 

The What:  Blissful Blogging Workshop

  

The Where:   Tweedle Book Cafe

 

The food --- but of course!

  

The organizers.. and speaker.

 

The storytellers.

 

 

 

New friends.. seatmates.. teammates.

  

#TheLearningJunkies

 

MUCH LEARNED FROM SOLITUDE

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This was written in the blog a long time ago. But I'm bringing it here as the perfect platform for my return to writing after a brief hiatus which, by the way, was certainly enjoyed much.

THE INDEPENDENCE OF SOLITUDE

The independence of solitude... ahhh that's a beautiful phrase and thought. And yes, it's perfectly sweet. Knowing where you are, knowing that things are temporary and will pass, knowing that people will come and go in anyone's life, and knowing that anything that happens will happen because they happen for a reason, including love. Everything has its own place, time, season, and reason. (Ecclesiastes from the Book) -- All these are better understood in the presence of solitude.

Never deprive a man of his solitude because there he grows in self with self. He learns well when left to his musings, reflections, and insights. There he is restored to his core and once again regains his balance and true perspective. There he comes to terms with his inner demons and learns to sift through the grain to find his true gold. There he will argue with his God and who in turn will show him where he is right or wrong. There he sees himself without sham or masks and exposes his weaknesses as well as his strengths. There after all the battles fought he will finally come to a rebirth of self -- a renewed creative shining powerful version of his old self.

The independence of solitude confirms and affirms the independence of that person not only for his good but hopefully for the greater good of which we all must serve.

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinions;
it is easy in solitude to live after your own;
but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

-End-

Wish you all blessings for a lovely day!

SINCERITY MARKS THE WRITING

"Four basic premises of writing --

clarity, brevity, sincerity, and humanity."
(William Zinsser)

This is what I tell friends who ask what guides me in the writing. Sincerity tops the list, to my mind. Plenty of topics to write on or about perhaps but I'd rather pick something I feel sincere and honest about. So that when I'm found to be either right or wrong... Well, that'll be my honest right or wrong. :-) Makes for a wonderful learning environment.

WHY I WRITE AND WHY SOMETIMES I DON'T

Whenever I want to write something it always becomes a struggle between will I or not. To write doesn't take much as anybody would know a passion is a passion. Not even a hundred horses can take you away from that. On the other hand, I can think of three good reasons not to write.

Top on that list is the absence of an idea for writing or in more romantic terms – an inspiration. Second, 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. Thirdly, I'm enamored by my facebook because I find it invigoratingly spot-on-the-moment to put in What's On My Mind and then have friends coming in and liking it and not. Love it when they do; doesn't bother me if they don't. Free country, freedom of speech, and diversity does make it such an interesting pie.

Fourth on the list, I have this new interest of sewing a bag out of an old pair of denim pants. 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 for days... the measuring, cutting, and the final sewing – by hand and not with a sewing machine. I have an old 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. Ehow to the rescue.

Hey that's all of four reasons already. There's a fifth one but never mind. Oh okay, it's got something to do with great movies – if there's a good one in town my family and I go see it. Too there's American Idol, CSI, Leverage, CNN (and our local news too), Discovery, the Geographic channel, How'd They Do That, So You Think You Can Dance, Amazing Race, LifeStyle, Ellen Degeneres .. all those other interesting stuff that gets your eyes glued to the box. And it helps to have a nice cup of coffee, or iced tea, or some ice cream and cheese cake while sitting on a nice comfy couch.... and too have your family around you...and the pets cuddling close on the couch beside you.

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 meeting interesting people and wonderful friendships - I love them all. I can say this too that life as a mother to three wonderful daughters and as a fulfilled person to myself does create my greatest of blessings. Somebody up there must be smiling. :-) What a wonderful God!

Bye for now. See you in the next 'ish! :-)