Once again, I love your transparency. I find similar non-resourceful habits at play in my life. Being chill makes it hard to understand the gravity of stuff sometimes, or perhaps to differentiate a crisis from the other stuff of life. Best to you in your efforts to write your book. I'm on a similar journey. Planning on finishing a book proposal this Spring.
>>I think not planning what you are going to write is a smart plan.<<
Truthfully, my off-the-cuff newsletters end up getting the most engagement from readers! They are definitely full of more typos and mixed metaphors, but apparently they are also more relatable. 😂
I will definitely do a pre-order at some point, but I would feel more comfortable being a little further along before I do that. Your meditation retreat sound like the perfect salve for your non-chillness!
I feel this about my own book project: “I fear it will be one of those things that I just talk about all the time but never actually do.” Yay for another writing retreat for you! Also, you know about Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, right?
If that's too goofy looking for him, this is the camera we bought our son (age 19) for Christmas: https://www.campsnapphoto.com/
It looks and feels like one of those disposable cameras from back in the day, but it's digital and you can download and post photos via your computer. My daughter, who's had an Instax camera with poloroid-type film, said she would prefer this one more because she doesn't have to buy film for it.
This all resonates! I’m picking up Ross Gay’s Book of Delights from the library today and joining the Writing on the Dark intensive where we write based off one. It started yesterday and I was so excited because I remembered to participate.
This line really hit me: “And third, twenty-three and a half years into my marriage, I sense myself drifting into auto-pilot with my most important relationship.” We did that, my wife and I. Nearly cost us our marriage. We sat across from each other one dreary night in February and decided that we had something worth fighting for, and then we spent a year learning to love each other the way we should have (well, I should have) from the start. I should write about this at some point, only I don’t want my kids to read it. Until they’re 50 and looking at their marriage and wondering what the hell it’s all for. Good luck. Keep working on it. We passed through that dark time and are happier than we’ve ever been.
Thank you, Tom, I so appreciate this comment regarding your experience. I'm grateful my internal alarm bells were going off, alerting me to my own complacency before we got so far down the road. I live in a very internal/introspective world, and every once in awhile I have to remind myself to engage more intentionally with my people and the world around me.
I love this Jen, especially the ending, what would we talk about in the break room. I'm sure I'd be recommending yoga. What is the answer to good health? Yoga. How can you avoid X Y or Z?Yoga. I'm pretty predicable, lol. I'd also be hugging you telling you that I'm going to be a grandmother and that I just bought the material to make the first baby quilt. And I'd walk away with a tear in my eye, like right now, thinking of you struggling a bit. I'm sorry you've been ill and will light my candle for a healthy new year. 💕
This is so lovely. Congratulations on your upcoming grandmotherhood! I love hot yoga--it's the only exercise practice I'm willing to leave my house for (other than walking), but it's been more than five years since we moved away from my favorite yoga studio and I haven't found one in my new neighborhood. However, I'm friends with my neighbor who is also in her 50s, and we have decided to find a yoga class together.❤️
I have always resisted audiobooks, but for no apparent reason. Last fall I started listening to audio books instead of podcasts while I walk my dog, and it's changed the whole vibe. I feel like I'm consuming something creative and meaningful instead of information. This is how I've made room for more reading. (Yes, audio books are still reading.)
Once again, I love your transparency. I find similar non-resourceful habits at play in my life. Being chill makes it hard to understand the gravity of stuff sometimes, or perhaps to differentiate a crisis from the other stuff of life. Best to you in your efforts to write your book. I'm on a similar journey. Planning on finishing a book proposal this Spring.
Thank you, Andy! And hooray for your own book project!
I think not planning what you are going to write is a smart plan. Wait, can you plan to not plan? Well, if anyone can, it’s you.
I’m the opposite of chill. What is the opposite? Neurotic? Fidgety? Yeah, I’m those. But I’d like to incorporate a chill, gentle neurosis for 2025.
Good luck with the book! I’ll be on a meditation retreat the same week as your writing retreat!
If you want to push yourself to finish, maybe take pre-orders so there’s a financial incentive as well.
>>I think not planning what you are going to write is a smart plan.<<
Truthfully, my off-the-cuff newsletters end up getting the most engagement from readers! They are definitely full of more typos and mixed metaphors, but apparently they are also more relatable. 😂
I will definitely do a pre-order at some point, but I would feel more comfortable being a little further along before I do that. Your meditation retreat sound like the perfect salve for your non-chillness!
Happy New Year! I have an appointment next Tues to see if I need ADHD testing. Hoping I don't freak out 😅 Hope you are all feeling better!
Yay! I'm so glad you're getting it checked out!
I feel this about my own book project: “I fear it will be one of those things that I just talk about all the time but never actually do.” Yay for another writing retreat for you! Also, you know about Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, right?
Yes to Ross Gay! I bought that book based on your previous recommendation! Thanks for reminding me to get back to it.
what is the camera you guys got? my son would enjoy that too!
It's a kids' camera! The receipt paper it prints on is super cheap, which is nice. Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DC692CJS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
If that's too goofy looking for him, this is the camera we bought our son (age 19) for Christmas: https://www.campsnapphoto.com/
It looks and feels like one of those disposable cameras from back in the day, but it's digital and you can download and post photos via your computer. My daughter, who's had an Instax camera with poloroid-type film, said she would prefer this one more because she doesn't have to buy film for it.
Hope that inspires!
This all resonates! I’m picking up Ross Gay’s Book of Delights from the library today and joining the Writing on the Dark intensive where we write based off one. It started yesterday and I was so excited because I remembered to participate.
This line really hit me: “And third, twenty-three and a half years into my marriage, I sense myself drifting into auto-pilot with my most important relationship.” We did that, my wife and I. Nearly cost us our marriage. We sat across from each other one dreary night in February and decided that we had something worth fighting for, and then we spent a year learning to love each other the way we should have (well, I should have) from the start. I should write about this at some point, only I don’t want my kids to read it. Until they’re 50 and looking at their marriage and wondering what the hell it’s all for. Good luck. Keep working on it. We passed through that dark time and are happier than we’ve ever been.
Thank you, Tom, I so appreciate this comment regarding your experience. I'm grateful my internal alarm bells were going off, alerting me to my own complacency before we got so far down the road. I live in a very internal/introspective world, and every once in awhile I have to remind myself to engage more intentionally with my people and the world around me.
I love this Jen, especially the ending, what would we talk about in the break room. I'm sure I'd be recommending yoga. What is the answer to good health? Yoga. How can you avoid X Y or Z?Yoga. I'm pretty predicable, lol. I'd also be hugging you telling you that I'm going to be a grandmother and that I just bought the material to make the first baby quilt. And I'd walk away with a tear in my eye, like right now, thinking of you struggling a bit. I'm sorry you've been ill and will light my candle for a healthy new year. 💕
This is so lovely. Congratulations on your upcoming grandmotherhood! I love hot yoga--it's the only exercise practice I'm willing to leave my house for (other than walking), but it's been more than five years since we moved away from my favorite yoga studio and I haven't found one in my new neighborhood. However, I'm friends with my neighbor who is also in her 50s, and we have decided to find a yoga class together.❤️
"What’s going on with you?"
First, I hope everyone is feeling better!
Taking apps off one's phone is a gift. I want to read more books (like, actual books) this year, and am trying to find ways to make the time to do it.
Out here--and speaking of licenses-- my youngest just got his, which has meant a field trip through all the feels.
I have always resisted audiobooks, but for no apparent reason. Last fall I started listening to audio books instead of podcasts while I walk my dog, and it's changed the whole vibe. I feel like I'm consuming something creative and meaningful instead of information. This is how I've made room for more reading. (Yes, audio books are still reading.)
January in Seattle always feels like a rut, to me, at least. Sometimes I challenge myself to make 1 random change just to get momentum going.