In fifteen weeks, I’ll be able to spend more of my time doing what I did on Sunday: biking at the St. Marks Refuge (SMR).
My husband and I used to walk the 12-mile loop, although for me anyway the last two miles were more hobbling than walking. These days neither of us can manage walking the 6-mile loop. Bad knees, bad back, less tolerance for heat and humidity. But we have bikes.
Here’s a few scenes from our Sunday excursion. We were blessed by the sight of a bald eagle. I really think the bald eagles at SMR are naturals for photo-ops. We were surrounded by natural beauty. SMR is a special place for us, and spending time there always lifts our spirits.
The wildflowers were abundant.
A resting spot.
One of the many waterways at SMR.
My trusty hybrid.
A bald eagle posing as if he had been waiting for us.
The bayou filled with water.
Soft pastels gracing the trail.
It was a beautiful day, even if it got a bit warm (85 degrees). The horseflies were out and about, but thanks to our bikes, we could outrun them … sort of. I had been wanting to bike SMR for a long time. We biked it once, a long time ago, and I always wanted to do it again. Now that I know I couldn’t complete a 6-mile loop much less a 12-mile loop with my arthritic knees, biking is the way to go.
I hope you enjoyed the trip. And I hope you are all well and safe and holding onto hope.
As if I needed another reason to anticipate a new chapter in my life, I received word yesterday that an anthology of essays and poems on aging–including one of my own–has just been published!
Look at this cover! Isn’t it wonderful!
Nancy Peckenham is the editor of Crow’s Feet. Life as We Age, a Medium publication (https://medium.com/crows-feet). You don’t have to be a senior citizen to write for Crow’s Feet. You just have to write about aging, whether it’s a personal essay, a poem, a short story, or a researched article.
Crow’s Feet has published a few of my essays on Medium (most of them were about my hair, of which I have very little right now … hmmm … might be an essay there). And now Ms. Peckenham has done me the honor of including one of those essays in this new anthology.
You can get a copy at Amazon (click here) or Barnes & Noble (click here).
You can also follow Crow’s Feet on these social media:
I’m counting, that’s who. The remainder of my current employment. The number of weeks until I commence my new employment where I’ll be working for … me. Just me, myself, and I.
It’s interesting that the only “work” people seem to understand is that which you do for a company or a government. That if you say you work for yourself, people assume you don’t work at all. It makes me wonder how work is defined.
I think of my mother who held a minimum-wage job for decades (that is considered work) and who managed to keep a house and raise four children mostly on her own (isn’t that work?).
I work everyday. On average, I spend 40 hours a week tethered to an employer who pays me by EFT. The rest of the time I work to keep my house relatively clean, my clothes relatively clean, my cats relatively clean. We run errands (quickly) to make sure we have enough food, cleaning supplies and wine.
I work at staying healthy and fit. I exercise, take walks, work out in our garage, practice yoga.
The work that I want to do but haven’t been doing is writing and reading. Well, that will change in about 16 weeks. I’m counting down. The first thing I plan to do after I resign is sleep.
I’ll keep going for my early morning walks. I’ll still sit at the computer after my walk, but instead of “logging on” to my employer’s network, I’ll log on to my life as a writer.
In the meantime, I’ll take my bliss where and when I can get it.
The surprise of finding a paper wasp in one of our hurricane lilies.
Or the glory of a colorful morning.
Sometimes I get lucky with the sunrises. Sometimes I’m enchanted by a different vision.
While I hate driving in fog, this vision delighted me. I was walking, of course.
I have a bit of fun with my iPhone camera and an app (Insta Toon).
Don’t I look like someone who needs sleep? At least I no longer need a haircut. Temps around here went up to the mid-80s, with itchy humidity to boot. Impatient with trying to get a hair appointment, not to mention to pick out a hair style I can live with, I grabbed my husband’s beard trimmer.
Guide #4. Roughly a 1/2-inch all around. Greg, dear husband that he is, did the finishing touches. Then I had to trim off his hair. We’re twinses now :)
Wendy doesn’t think much of our antics. Here she is, sticking out her tongue in distaste.
I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe. I hope you all are finding some bliss–even if in snatches–during these strange times.
Good friend and great writer John W. Howell has a new novel available! Please follow the link to Jill Weatherholt’s blog where she is participating in the launch for Eternal Road – The Final Stop.
Today I’m so excited to welcome our friend, writer and blogger John Howell as we celebrate his latest release Eternal Road-The Final Stop. John is one of my favorite bloggers…kind of like a second father to me. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll snatch up a copy today. I’m looking forward to this book, […]
While you’re at it (and after you’ve picked up a copy of Eternal Road – The Final Stop), check out John’s blog at https://johnwhowell.com/. You’ll find short stories, “johnkus” (John’s variant on the haiku), visits through his lovely neighborhood and lots of puppy pictures. I don’t visit him as often as I’d like and that hurts because a visit to John’s blog always brightens my day. He also has the best sense of humor.
So off you go! Buy a copy of Eternal Road – The Final Stop and become a John W. Howell fan (if you’re one of the very few who isn’t already).
To help spread the word, those who share a photo of the book and tag Jill Weatherholt on your social media accounts, will automatically be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card of your choice. The contest will run through September 20th and the winner will be contacted.
You can find Jill on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. She’s the one with the amazing videos and photos of hummingbirds that grace (and sometimes dogfight) in her backyard.
Jill, if you see this post, I’m wishing you the very best of success. You’re a romance rock star!
“imagine three droll and talented writers as they chat–while laughing quite a bit–about this fairly magical but ridiculous business we’re all in.” Don’t imagine it. Just go and purchase Kevin Brennan’s Close to Perfect while you still can! Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085CMQ7W3
I’ve finally succumbed. The market is saying that 99 cents is too high a price for this entertaining and informative transcript of a podcast that never was.
But because Amazon won’t let me make it perma-free as a promotional tool, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before as an indie writer/publisher: I’m going to disappear it.
You can still get it for a limited time before I pull the plug, so jump in and purchase it soon. Like I said, 99 cents.
As you might remember, me and two of my writing pals got together one day and talked trade for a couple hours, covering everything from where ideas for fiction come from to navigating the choppy waters of indie publishing. And I recorded the convo, meaning to put it out as a podcast, but those darned California power outages of October 2019 disappeared the mp3 file for…
Hello, friends. You may (or may not) have noticed changes to my blog. When I downgraded to the Premium plan, my WP theme reverted to its original theme, and so I’ve been searching for a new one. There are so many! I’m keen on the “Responsive Layout” which means it should look good whether you’re reading on your phone, a tablet or desktop computer.
This theme is called Notebook. Initially I didn’t like all the white space, and I wanted to showcase my photos more. For a few days I sported Cerauno, but today, after mucking about with the social media widgets which never quite want to work for me, I decided to switch again. For the moment, I’m enamored with this side image that Notebook offers and the ability to change it whenever I want. By the way, the side image is one of my photos.
Photo by Marie A Bailey
I took this photo a couple of weeks ago when my husband and I were visiting the storm water facility in our neighborhood, where trash and birds and wildflowers and all kinds of insects are in abundance. I was playing with a macro lens my husband had loaned me for the excursion. The original photo was at 4x magnification. This is the original blown up and cropped. I was so excited to capture such a nice photo of this little guy on a little flower.
Made. My. Day.
So for now (all of 60 minutes), I’m happy with this theme. I can showcase my photos as I wish, but still have a nice, uncluttered site. I’ve removed the social media widgets for now. I know WP would help me, but I’ve no energy to spare today.
Let’s see … I wrote a blog post a couple of months ago about my current state of employment. The title was Work, Work, Work #MondayBlogs #WFH #writing. Well, it’s still work, work, work. We hit the ground running on Monday and keep running straight through to Friday evening. I know some people joke that Fridays for state employees are more like Saturdays, lazy days where sometimes you take off early to go fishing. Ha. Ha. Ha. I want to live in that world.
No, for me, late Friday afternoons are when we usually get the data requests that need to be done “today,” as in before you leave (or log off your computer, in my case). Of course, I and my staff never mind working another hour or two on a Friday evening to justify someone’s last minute decision for data that they probably won’t do anything with for a few days [sarcasm].
We comply. We always do. Of course, I do it with a fair amount of cursing and cussing. One of the benefits of working from home is that I no longer have to keep my words to myself. I at least have the freedom to complain out loud because no one but my cats and my husband can hear me. Such was yesterday and, of course, I worked longer than my staff because it is my responsibility. At the least, I need to be available for them while they work their magic.
After two-and-a-half months in this position, I’m already burnt out. I haven’t been reading blogs because when I have time to myself, I tend to close my eyes rather than read. It might not stay like this. I’m in the process of hiring to fill my old position and, the gods willing, I’ll have another position to fill as well. Perhaps I’ll be able to manage my time better after that. Perhaps.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 and Hurricane Isaias. My heart goes out to everyone who has to manage this double-whammy.
Bliss, according to Merriam-Webster, means “complete happiness.” Complete might be an exaggeration, unless I can add the word “fleeting” to the definition: fleeting complete happiness. Our world’s current situation makes any experience of complete happiness elusive for me, as well as it does for many others. My personal situation is not dire, and every day I am grateful for that.
During my work day, I’ll stand up away from my desk every so often and gaze out my window. My small view is of our back deck and the trees and bird feeders beyond. When I practice yoga in this room, I often gaze upward to see a blue or gray sky framed by tall pines. That connection with the natural world, even when I’m on the wrong side of the window, gives me these fleeting feelings of bliss.
My bubble is pretty much my house, sometimes extended to my neighborhood if temps are comfortable enough for walking. When we do go out, we go and come back quickly. No lingering in the gift shop at the native plant nursery. No contemplating at the produce aisle at Trader Joe’s. It’s grab and go.
But on my birthday, we expanded our bubble a bit and went to Mashes Sands Beach. I’ve written about this beach before. This visit was a bit different from the one we had four years ago. For one thing, a couple of hurricanes have come through since then. We suspect Hurricane Michael was responsible for the damage done to the otherwise impressive boardwalk and pier.
We had planned to walk the boardwalk to the beach. When we saw it was closed, we followed a path along the boardwalk that took us through some mucky territory. I almost lost a sandal when my right foot sank in muck up to my ankle, and one leg was almost flayed by thorny vines. But, hey, it was my birthday and I was outdoors!
Before Hurricane Michael:
After Hurricane Michael:
In Nature, there is death and life.
Death.
This guy met an untimely end. My theory is he was washed up on the shore during one of our recent storms. My husband’s theory is that he was caught by a fisher who didn’t bother to toss him back in the water. I like my theory better.
Life.
Not the best of pictures, but it was fun to sit near the seagulls and other wading birds as they fed.
Did I tell you I’m taking up photography … sort of? I haven’t felt like writing creatively since I’ve been working at home. The place where I do most of my creative writing is now my day job work space. I’m also writing a lot at work, although it’s not creative. So that part of me has fizzled for the time being.
I was starting to feel depressed about that until my husband encouraged me to try using our 9-year-old Canon Rebel T3i. I do take a lot of photos with my iPhone and the quality of those photos can be impressive. It has its limits, though, and I don’t feel I have as much control over how I take photos with my iPhone as I do with the T3i. Although I am on a steep learning curve with the T3i, that’s part of the appeal.
Later this month, my WP plan will revert to Premium from Business. I just can’t won’t justify the cost of a Business plan when I have no business. So, some features might change. Perhaps, with my new interest in photography, I’ll switch to a template that is less wordy and more visual.
Meanwhile …
Some of my novel writing friends have been busy!
Carrie Rubin has TWO new novels, one available now and the other soon to come in August. The first is The Cruise Ship Lost of My Daughter, a cozy mystery written on a pseudonym, and the other is the second in her Benjamin Oris series titled The Bone Hunger.
Katie Sullivan has completed her final novel in her Changelings trilogy, The Myth of Memory. Although Katie’s novels are considered Young Adult, I thoroughly enjoy them as an Old Adult. Her novels blend Ireland’s political history with its myth and magic.
Finally, or at least as much as I’m aware given how little I’ve been on the blogosphere lately, Kevin Brennan has been releasing some of his novels in paperback form. The latest to be released is Eternity Began Tomorrow. If you’re in need of a novel that will give you some hope for the future, while taking you on a crazy ride through cults, climate change, and romance, look no further than EBT.
My father was born on July 5, the day of this post’s publication. If he had lived, he would be 101. Well, Happy Birthday to you, Lenny, wherever you are.
Thanks for visiting. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!
Junior perching his big head on a magazine, settling in for an afternoon nap.
If you’re as much a fan of Kevin Brennan’s novels as I am AND you’re sick and tired of staring at electronic screens of any sort, you’ll be thrilled with Kevin’s news :) Read on, dear friends and fellow readers … Coming soon … EBT in paperback!
When I decided to accept a new position at my workplace (first mentioned here), I didn’t take into account the time I’d give up, the work I’d gained. Kind of like when I decided to share meals with the love of my life, not taking into account the clothes I’d give up because of the weight I gained. Choices.
The extra weight I carry is worth the 30+ years I’ve been with my husband, and I believe the work I’m now doing will be worthwhile, although not on a par with my marriage. Nothing bests my marriage.
I’m sure I’ll have plenty of times when I’ll slap my forehead and wonder out loud, “What was I thinking?!”. Oh, well. As I tell anyone who will listen, I’m grateful to have a job. We could take care of ourselves just fine if my new status in the office doesn’t work out. My bosses need me more than I need them, but that is what I respond most sincerely to: when someone needs me.
The time I’m giving up in order to catch up means I’ll have to make choices as to how I spend my even more precious free time. This past week I haven’t read any blogs, but I would like to change that. I’ll just be a more intermittent reader. I’ll definitely be less of a writer … for now.
Before this upheaval, I interviewed Megan Russo, author of A Daughter for Mr. Spider, a mixed media chapbook published by Nightingale and Sparrow. Here’s a link to the interview: http://nightingaleandsparrow.com/interview-with-megan-russo-author-of-a-daughter-for-mr-spider/ I had a lot of fun interviewing Megan. Even though it was done through email, I found Megan to be a wonderfully open and thoughtful writer. Her memoir is a lovely mix of flash narrative, poetry, photos, and collage. In roughly 50 pages, she gracefully tells a story of three generations of her family. I highly recommend A Daughter for Mr. Spider. Details for purchasing can be found here: http://nightingaleandsparrow.com/a-daughter-for-mr-spider-by-megan-russo/
For something not completely different because it’s still about writing: The book in which I have an essay arrived at my house recently. What’s not to love about seeing your name in print, to see your essay listed in the Table of Contents and … (drum roll) to even be cited in the index! I had written about this publication here: https://1writeway.wordpress.com/stay-at-home-and-stay-away-personalspace-socialdistancing/
Sexual Harassment is a powerful and timely reference book edited by poet and historian Merril D. Smith. Many of you already know Merril and enjoy the poetry, photos, and musings she shares on her blog at https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/. This was the first time I had ever received compensation for my writing so I did what any writer would do and bought a copy of the book. As a contributor, I did receive a very nice discount, but I would have bought a copy anyway. I like seeing my name in print.
So I have been writing, but will likely write less. You will see less of my writing here on my blog, but I hope to visit you all more.
My challenge now is to use my time more carefully, more mindfully. Yoga, forest bathing, knitting, and brushing my cats are activities I need to do to counter the effects of being on the computer even more now. Are any of you experiencing “technology fatigue”? That’s what I’m calling a kind of fatigue that overtakes me sometimes, often during the work day. My Skype Business meetings are often beset with inadequate audio and visuals. That is draining enough. Then, while in a meeting, someone else might instant message me while another sends an email and still another calls on my cell phone. I do have moments when I want to scream (and since I’m currently working from home, I do scream). We have technology that is inadequate for our needs but we behave as if we must use all of it all the time.
That is what makes it so hard to shift over to my blog, to open my WordPress Reader or Twitter feed or Instagram. I (again) deleted my LinkedIn account and I avoid Facebook (except my youngest nephew and his wife recently had a baby so … yep, gotta check Facebook). So I’m not pushing myself. I tamp down the FOMO anxiety and remind myself this (job) isn’t forever. I’ve got a whole other life waiting for me when the time is right.
By the way, my boss gave me permission to use this photo as my work profile picture.
Cool cats wear face masks.
We’ll see how long I can get away with it. Some higher-ups might argue it’s not “professional.”
Now that summer is nigh in Florida, we going to try and make a habit of walking in the morning on Sundays and feast on pancakes for brunch. Here are a few scenes from Sunday’s morning walk.
Hawk!
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I do love seeing hawks in our neighborhood. Lake Marc (sigh) is actually a storm water facility that is not well-maintained: Lots of trash floating around and a tree is growing in the concrete inlet. I managed to pick up some trash but not as much as I could have if I had a boat. But birds and insects abound, marking the area as having ample biodiversity. We saw the hawk again (assuming it was the same hawk), red-winged blackbirds, a merganser duck, bees and butterflies, dragonflies. The air shivered with buzzes and hums.
Summer is nigh (did I already say that?) and the cats are in their stupor, showing their bellies.
Marie at 1 Write Way 