Confessions of a Writer in Transition

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything about writing, and very little about reading for that matter. I'd like to say the reason for the former is because I've been incredibly busy (which I have), but that's an empty excuse. The truth is I've been afraid. If you remember my Moving On post I wrote, then you know that my goal at that time was to take the bull by the horns and really focus on this area of my life. As I was looking up this post, I realized that I wrote it more than a year and a half ago. That was a real eye-opener.

Like everything I seem to do, I did take the bull by the horns. I immersed myself in self-study, wrote every day, noted every topic, idea, word, phrase, sentence, and feeling I would use in my prose. And then I freaked out. Literally. I couldn't pick up a book or notebook without sending shock waves through my system. I was losing sleep and my heart started to race. Reading for enjoyment went out the window because now I was studying every author's style instead of enjoying the story. Pen and paper—some of my favorite things—became the enemy. I even bought a beautiful refillable leather journal that would become my bible and then felt enormous guilt over the cost. I cast it aside.

I knew that anything that I wrote would not become a best-seller. I had no illusions of grandeur. All I wanted to do was complete a few projects just for the sake of accomplishment. I wanted to continue blogging about life and family. And I wanted to see my name in print every now and again just like I had been doing the last ten years. So what was all of this fuss about?

Fear of failure. Fear of success.

Over the summer, I finally picked up my journal after months of neglect, But it's been sitting in my room ever since I returned, unopened. I get my writing fix through my safe, easy-to-write blog posts. I told myself at least it was something. I hadn't completely gone over the edge and buried writing forever. It was a start.

So why am I confessing all of this now? I'm throwing this out to the universe to see where it lands. My sister-in-law took a leap of faith this past summer and up and quit her job and moved out of the city. She'd been in a rut she thought she could never get out of and it was eating her alive. She needed change, a big change, and she was brave enough to walk through that door and never look back. I envy that. I used to be like that.

No, I am like that. I just lost my way for a time.

I'm reading again, albeit not nearly as much as I used to. I'm writing again, but in fits and starts. I am clearly not the same person who wrote that post a year and a half ago. Big changes have occurred in my life over the last year and a half—some of them negative and some of them positive. Ironically, and as it usually happens, the positive aspects were born from the negative. I got healthy—physically and mentally. It's been a process and it's not over yet. But I can finally see over to the other side.

Photo: literaryinklings.com

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Our annual apple picking trip is coming up soon and I'm already thinking about what I'll plan for our picnic lunch. Regardless of the menu, the one thing I have to bring along is a batch of peanut butter cookies. It's tradition.

I stumbled upon this recipe and wanted to share. It's so easy.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.
In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture about 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the cookies.

Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes, switching the position of the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Image via Thepatternedplate.wordpress.com. Recipe via foodnetwork.com

Small Spaces

 

Make the most of what you've got. After moving my daughter into her dorm room over the weekend, I was reminded of how challenging arranging (extra) small spaces can be. When floor space isn't available, you have to take advantage of every other space. That includes walls, and sometimes even ceilings. Let me deconstruct the photo you see above.

This galley-style apartment is probably one of the most challenging spaces you could come across. There's no room for a comfy chair, a separate dining area, or much of anything else for that matter. The counter on the left serves as both a work and entertainment area. Notice how although close by, each area has been given separate attention. A bank of cabinets stores a coffee maker, pots, books, and other office supplies. Because this area is so small, the sliding frosted-glass doors are perfect for this space. They reflect light and keep visual clutter out of sight without making you feel boxed in. The bench along the back wall and the removable stools in front of the sofa can be pressed into additional seating, and the stools can be used as a coffee table. And in case you missed it, one less sofa arm lets the space breathe a little bit more while keeping the sight line open to the back wall. Last but certainly not least, you can use dark colors in small spaces, just choose wisely which area you'll delegate for each color. The gray wallpaper separates the task area of the apartment from the lounging area. Because it's such a small area to begin with, it doesn't overwhelm the room. Balance light and dark, like they did here, with art and lighting that uses darker tones in their design.

So if you have a room, apartment, or dorm that is challenging you, think up, think multi-purpose, and keep it simple.  

And to learn how to decorate, for pleasure or as a profession, visit the Academy website.

Image via Pinterest

August 31, 2013

 

Happy, sad, proud, envious, elated, sweaty, dirty, amazed, joyful, exhausted, sore, awe-struck, thankful, confused, hungry, rushed, heart-broken, insecure, loved, uncomfortable, achy, delighted, bewildered, enthralled, present, mindful, aware, hopeful, excited, scared. Blessed.

 Poetic.