Resolutions: Just Say No

I'm not the type of person to make New Year resolutions.

For some reason they grate against me--as if somehow I've allowed the universe to coerce me into doing something that everyone does, just for the sake of pretending I will actually do it, because "everyone does it" and somehow it will "be an improvement" on my current habits. My current habits are fine, thank you very much.

I'm not a saint or terribly good at committing to exercising, or getting to bed by 10, but frankly, if I want to exercise I will. If I don't want to I won't. I don't need a note written on January 1st where I commit to exercising for 30 days to start doing it!

Actually, I'm so stubborn a note like that sometimes makes me NOT exercise because I want to be contrary!

Oh brother. I guess I really am crazy, or just Scrooge-like (forgive me, please).

So there will be no 2015 resolutions, no 30-day commitments, no 365 days to a new me. I'll take the old me, thank you very much.

But something interesting that I did run across...was a blog where someone said they were picking a WORD for the year. Yes, a WORD, like

hoopla

joy

manifestations

And a bell went off in my head. A word! A word I can do.

So, I'm going to go for it. I'm going to pick a word, something that will help me when I'm going a little crazy with my writing drafts or life begins to feel overwhelming, with juggling writing, family, full-time teaching...

I think it's going to be old-fashioned and probably very 1997, this word, but who cares.

My word is...

CHILL.

Just chill and enjoy life. Chill and enjoy writing. Enjoy my kids. Enjoy my amazing students. Even enjoy the tropical heat! Enjoy American Idol for goodness sake! Just enjoy all of it, because the next time it will all be different. The chapter, the students, the age of my kids.

I'm going to enjoy the moment....the sun on the horizon, the laughter in my chest, the smile on my daughter's face...because this exact moment won't ever come again.

A short short

I was teaching my students about writing concisely. I thought if I wanted to challenge them I had to challenge myself, so here's a short short I wrote...

      Regrets

       by Tracy Woodward

Nothing has really changed. Life, a string of empty moments—even more now that he’s living alone. No more arguments. The doorbell rings, phone alerts to important things. Child hollers, dog barks. In a week he’ll be back where he started: TV addict, beer guzzler, Internet surfer. The end is the beginning too.

What would it hurt? Another bad decision can’t do much harm now, he thinks.  The pulse behind his temple expands like a swollen river, but finally he writes the email and pauses, index finger lingering above the keyboard, then drops it like he’s squeezing a trigger. SEND.

Nepal!

Nepal with my students involved the most breathtaking and shocking sights.

The mountains...not much can compare.

The city...it was fascinating.

No More Boring

I'm certainly the world's worst blogger.

I went to a Google conference this weekend and they had so many snazzy photos and videos, I realized I need to get with the program...as in, actually post something interesting once in a while.

So, I found this video and think it's great. Who doesn't love dogs and peanut butter? And the combination? Priceless.  Click here or click on the tongue down there....

I'm sure I'll get 10,000 hits now because of this.

Ha.

Historical Fiction: revealing history

It's pretty cool when you're researching for a historical fiction novel because you learn SO much information about a time that you thought you knew, but come to find out, you actually know NOTHING about it, at least not in the practical sense. It would be so embarrassing for my 10th grade history teacher if she knew.

Of course I knew that in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed, as most people do.

But, I didn't know these things about our fledgling country:

• women wore fingerless gloves (but there was a cap for the thumb- thumbs are colder I guess??)
• a woman's corset was called a "stay" 
• eggs and bacon was NOT a common breakfast; cornmeal mush was 
• soldiers were REQUIRED to keep their faces shaven and clean at all times; we imagine scruffiness would be more bold, courageous, even soldierly, but no. (maybe because more chance for lice in close tent quarters? I doubt that's it. Looks like it was just culture back then.)
• and of course I found out that it takes twice as long to write a novel of this sort because you have to spend 30 minutes researching not only the type of utensils they used, but what ale they drank, what they called their parents, and much, much more, with every page!

It's been quite an undertaking but also a fulfilling process. Exciting to have my novel come together into a real, live book! 

Fingers crossed we get things to the next level. ;)