an original poem

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I’m bringing you something a little different today. A few years ago, I took a creative writing class and we wrote a variety of poems in different styles and formats. Below, is my favorite from the class.

My Sonnet

I find myself compelled by unseen force 

To move onward, against my will almost

Then pushed back from that place, I am, of course

Propelled again and again to that coast

The crashing breaking whirling swirling, beats

Upon the shore leaving me so pristine

Undeterred the wave returns to the deep

Pushing me to retreat return retreat

This is the movement of my journeying

In and out in and out progress regress 

That if I could only find accepting

Would be to me my version of success

A peace that passeth all understanding 

Secure in a love that’s everlasting

quick lit – next page, please {february 2021}

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I can’t believe that I read 13 books this month. As I said last month, I have been not watching television mindlessly and playing Rise of Kingdoms on my phone and have been reading instead.  I have taken this time mostly from my evenings and right before I go bed. The number of books I have read this year makes me wonder how much time was I wasting watching television and playing games? It’s alarming!

A couple of caveats to this month’s numbers: (1) I participated in the 24in48 Readathon during a weekend in February.  During this time I completed three books I was halfway through.  (2) One of these 13 is a short story but Goodreads counts it as a whole book and I’m going to do the same.

I continue to make a dent in my Unread Shelf this month; I read four books and DNF’d one book. I read very broadly across genres: a couple of sci-fi, which I have found to be very enjoyable right now; two memoirs; a short story; and a book that was written and illustrated by the same person.

Read

  • My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown by Meera Lee Patel. I am fascinated by the intersection of words and pictures, writers and painters. This little volume about fear is beautifully written and illustrated by Meera Lee Patel. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Parnassus Book Store when this released. I love the artwork and the nuance you can find in each painting.
  • A Promised Land by Barack Obama. Very long but very informative. I loved how he took the time to tell us why and how he arrived at the decisions that he was making, even if I didn’t agree with his conclusions. I listened to this on audio.
  • Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles. One of the writers that I follow (sorry, I can’t remember who) recommended this little book. I got it from my local library and immediately wanted to begin highlighting and taking notes, ergo, I bought my own copy. A great resource, I will refer to again and again.
  • Artemis: A Novel by Andy Weir. A fellow reader, hi Brigid, recommended this to me when I told her that I was feeling like reading more sci-fi. A heist on the moon! Say no more.
  • Who is Maud Dixon?: A Novel by Alexandra Andrews. Thanks to Snail on the Wall and Edelweiss for this very fun read. I didn’t read the ending like I normally do, so I didn’t see the plot-twist coming, which was surprising.
  • Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. I loved Haig’s novel, How to Stop Time and how he explores time and depression in a lot of his work. Reasons to Stay Alive is his memoir about his depression and how he worked his way out of it. It was full of tips that he has found to help him with his mental health. A very meaningful read.
  • Mr. Death by Alix E. Harrow. This was a short story by an author who is fast becoming one of my favorites. I adored the ending. And Goodreads counted it as a book read, so I did also.
  • Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal. I read this because it was the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club February pick. Stradal told this story in a very unique way; the protagonist only had one chapter in her voice. The rest of the story was told in the perspective of everyone around her during the course of her life. I had not experienced this before and it was different. I don’t know if I would like all stories to be told this way, but it was very enjoyable. Plus, he was a sheer delight in his interview with Anne.
  • A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. This novella was WONDERFUL! A 5-star read and one of my favorite for the year. Engaging but comforting. I cried from relief at the end; it was the release I didn’t know I needed. I don’t typically read sci-fi but on a recommendation from Brenna, a fellow team member on the podcast What Should I Read Next, Episode 268, I read Chamber’s A Long Way to a Dark Angry Planet. With this title, I believe that I will read anything Becky Chambers’ writes. I wish that “Psalm” would release immediately; all of my friends need to read this because, as the dedication says, it’s “for everyone who needs a break”, and after the year we have had, we all need this break. A HUGE thank you to Snail on the Wall and Edelweiss for early access to this one. It releases July 13.
  • Save Me from Dangerous Men by S. A. Lelchuk. This is the first in the Nikki Griffin Series. The second releases April 13. It is on my TBR.
  • The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life by Ally Fallon. This was one of those that was sitting on my Unread Shelf. Yay! This one is great if you are looking for a way to get out of your own way and change your life. Highly recommended to anyone curious about a way to do that without hefty therapy costs.
  • Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Reiss. Another one that was sitting on my Unread Shelf.
  • Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York by Elizabeth Passarella. This is laugh-out-loud funny and I love LOL memoirs. Entertaining but thought-provoking, a very good combination.

Currently Reading

What’s some books you have enjoyed recently? Did any of these pique your interest? No? No matter. The real point is that we…

…enjoy life.

what i’m into – keeping me sane {february 2021}

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My main wish is that 2021 is kinder to all of us than 2020 but if that is not possible, than that I, at the very least, will be kinder to myself. I have been focused on that. One of the things that keeps me sane is reflecting on the previous month (I talk about how I reflect on my year over here). What these What I’m Into – Keeping Me Sane posts do is allow me to reflect on the previous month.

  • Playing in the freshly fallen snow.  I talked about it here.
  • Participating in the 24in48 Readathon. I only managed to read about 12 hours out of the 48 but I was so tired and needing to prioritize some self-care.  I took a few afternoon naps between my reading hours and it was wonderful.
  • Reading, instead of playing video games. I continued this from January and read 11 books this month and will have that round-up in this month’s Quick Lit – Next Page, Please post. All of this reading has me about halfway to my numerical reading goal of 41 books in 2021 and it’s just now March.
  • Reading children’s classics to the Buddy Man. This month we read Where the Wild Things Are, Stuart Little and A Book With No Pictures. I think Stuart Little went over his head and he didn’t get the point of Wild Things. He loved A Book With No Pictures, however. I’m getting joy in the fact that he seems to be enjoying the habit we’re forming.
  • Purging my To-Be-Read Shelf. The Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club has been participating in a series of classes about reading intentionally.  I have had so much fun whittling my TBR from over 300 books down to around 225.  It’s so freeing.  I tend to organize when I get stressed. And on that note…
  • Organizing my work files, paper and digital.  I don’t know if you have picked up on this but I am a bit OCD when it comes to organization.  But 2020 somehow – OK, not somehow, I know exactly what happened – got me off my rhythm.  I took a day or two and just organized everything.  I feel so much better about my work and I find myself being way more productive.

What’s keeping you sane, right now? Share in the comments below. If you have a blog post about, link it below also. We will do this again on Friday, April 2. See you then.

…enjoy life.