The Rhthym of Writing

The cadence of the tapping of the keyboard beats like a heart, bringing life back to a mind that lay dormant during the long winter of events. The wings of the mind begin to unfurl as creativity swirls in the brain. As the wings begin to rise and fall, they sync with the rhythm of the keys. Slowly, at first, the sentences tumble onto the page and begin to level out, beating strong, developing a life of their own. Fingers arched, hovering over the keys in perfect formation, the thoughts begin to fill the page. Inspiration, the desire to be someone else, someone new, brings a novel out of the steady beat. Thoughts, contrasts, dreams take on a life of their own. The excitement causes the pace to pick up. With determination, she begins to tap her teeth with her tongue to the rhythm of the keyboard. Her feet begin to join as the characters become real. Her heart soars over the dismal weather and the shoddy circumstances as she lives a different life on paper. The anticipation of what is to come fuels her fire.  Hope begins to take flight as she labors over this work of art. The disappointments that she has seen take on a whole new life. The bitterness begins to dissipate as the wheels turn in her head. The fate of the people she writes about is bringing healing to her own disappointments. The steady beat of the battered heart as it begins to beat again is living on the pages of creativity. She finds joy and happiness. There is resolution in the masterpiece that brings the healing process to a complete cycle. Moving forward, she picks up momentum. The jubilant triumph of giving birth to something new puts a fire in her heart to truly live again, instead of merely writing about it. As she retires that night, exhausted with creation, she hears that rhythm that she typed with, resonating in the chambers of her heart to the depths of her soul. She falls asleep satisfied, full of hope, promise and dreams of what can happen tomorrow. 

April 2009

Rainy Day Prose

Under the rainy sky, the rest of the world slowly turns emerald green. The brown robin with his red breast looks cheery for once as he busily prepares his nest in the tree. The smell of dirt permeates the humid air. The rhubarb grows in epic proportions, unfurling its twisted leaves. The warm glow of a lamp makes the house cozy and bright. In such circumstances the creative mind delights. 

My Very Own Time Machine!

For Mother’s Day, I received my very own time machine! It is sleek, compact, has a touch screen and beautiful curves.  It has the capability to take me from everyday life into a myriad of new places waiting to be explored. The possibilities are endless. As I plugged it in, I giggled with glee and began making plans for all sorts of new adventures. 

I don’t usually make big purchases on my own. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Pandigital Novel e-reader. My heart raced as I walked through Best Buy to make the transaction. I was reassured that if I didn’t like it, I could bring it back within thirty days. I really thought that it was going to take me places. (Well, honestly, I thought that it was going to save me fuel for the weekly trips to the library, both of which are on opposite ends of town from us.) 

After a couple of weeks of use I really just wanted to throw it at the wall and be done with it. It was one of the hardest devices to figure out. No stranger to new electronics, my husband and I both felt it was difficult to use. Being the indulgent man (okay, maybe observant would be a better word after the many sighs and groans that I emitted while using the reader) that he is, Wayne offered to upgrade it to the Nook Color. 

I had originally wanted the Nook Color, but went with the Pandigital Novel for most of the same features with a lower cost. The Pandigital Novel was most definitely a time machine in itself. I consumed many hours trying to figure out how to use it, download books to it and where everything was. I also spent a lot of time trying to get it to load or reboot, just turning pages. That doesn’t even count the hours that I spent troubleshooting on Google. I was really bummed, because I put a lot of time and thought into this new toy. 

Thankfully, Best Buy was good to their word and exchanging it was quick and efficient. On top of it, they gave me a $25 gift card! Boosted by their goodwill, I went home to plug it in and see what I had been missing. When you have done things the hard way, the easy way is a very obvious transition! It was like going from a gas guzzling here to there car to a luxury ride. 

I was so pleased to spend less time working on loading my expansive reading material and more time actually reading it! It worked! I troubleshooted a few of my questionable files and was able to build an enviable library in one compact little screen. My doubt in my technical skills was immediately eliminated. But the return of my ability to travel from the Paleolithic era, through early American History and into the future was the most valuable.  

As I sit here just about to dive into another session of reading on my Nook, I want to take the time to say: 

Thank you Wayne, for your love, your support and being my partner in crime in this Mom thing! Thank you for the thoughtful addition of a bouquet of flowers, running errands, helping with the household tasks and breakfast. You're the bestest... ;)

Thank you to my three funny, strong, independent kids who keep me on my toes and fill my blog with funny and sometimes satirical experiences of being a Mother. You aren't just work, you are my specialty, in all of your unique ways!

To my mother, my mother in law, my sister, my friends, who are wonderful mothers, to the ones that are mothers in their own way, to all of the women who nurture, provide and protect those who they consider their own: Happy Mother’s Day. May you find the time to travel new paths that sustain you and bring you to the next adventure, through books, through song, through sewing or just being you!

Pinchin’ Pennies, Clutching Plants

Inside this crazy girl is a nurturing gene. If you blink, you might miss it. But if you ever see me pushing a cart full of ugly plants out of Lowe’s you will believe it. It all started out as a game. I’d grab five dollars of change out of the change jar, go to Lowe’s and buy house plants off the clearance rack. Usually they are about a buck a piece. I’ve had some good luck and some bad luck with it. I’m not too bad at recouping. 

Towards the end of the summer season last year, I realized that since I have a grow light in the laundry room, I could do it on an outdoor level. I experimented with a couple of different plants. To my delight, several of them survived and a new level of populating our yard began.  Several of the perennials that I bought last year on their way out, are popping up through the dirt now! 

Today, I went to Lowe’s to get some plants for my planters out front. Looking at the sparse collection, I reminded myself that it IS a tad early in the season. The kids were thrilled to be walking up and down the aisles, adding their opinions on what to buy. At last, we came to the marked down section. It was like Christmas in there! (It always is in May, in Bend.) The cold nights have done their damage to their stock, but not enough that I can’t fix. After grabbing a few of the more healthy looking prospects, I went through their regularly marked selection again. I just couldn’t do it. 

I had talked myself into this big brave “I am going to populate my planters” frame of mind only to give in to the penny pincher in me. Walking slowly back towards the clearance section, I tried to convince myself to grab a few of the other ones to ‘intersperse’ and give in to the instant gratification. But that nagging cheapskate in my head said no. So I grabbed three more containers of ugly plants and clutching them to my chest, went to the checkout. 

I almost heard angels sing as I checked out. I am pretty sure. Because I rescued them and paid attention the miser in me. It may be debatable… but try it… I am pretty sure you might hear them, too. In a couple weeks or so, I may get some more plants to join them, from the non-ugly variety.