I feel like I'm not putting in enough writing time these days. I still write my short - ten-minute - poem every morning and a journal entry every night before I go to bed, but I have three started memoirs that I need to work on and finish once and for all. But all is not grim. I still attend my memoir class every week and read a piece there at least twice a month. I also still write in my writing group the first and third Tuesdays of the month. At the start we're given a prompt, write for about forty-five minutes, and then read what we've written in real time to the group. I have that opportunity this afternoon. As always, it's very nerve racking. Here are four recent poems I wrote lately about my current writing life. Why do I keep at it? Why am I so obsessed? I don’t have to write A poem a day I don’t have to write A journal entry every day. But still I sit down here And open my computer, pull Up my ten-minute poem doc And scroll down To the end, Three hundred and Thirty-two … [Read more...]
What’s my coronavirus lockdown life like
The coronavirus, COVID-19, has indeed affected my life, as I’m sure it has affected yours. We’re all in it together to try to survive - helping ourselves and others to stay safe and healthy. I live with my eighty-three year old husband of almost fifty years, so his health and safety are on my mind much more than mine. He has had, over the last few years, mild pulmonary problems and is under a doctor’s care for high blood pressure. Fortunately, I don’t have any of the usual old folks’ ailments. I may be turning eighty in two months, but my body has never acted like it. So what’s my usual lockdown day like? First of all, I get up early. In the normal past I would get up before daylight and go to the gym every day. These days I wait until sunrise and then take a morning walk every day. I had until four days ago the perfect route. I would walk from my house to the beach and walk along the full length of the beach Strand. Unfortunately, the Strand and the beach are now closed, and … [Read more...]
What do I see for the future
This is another possible chapter that I’ve written for my new memoir about aging successfully. Again, I’d love to know what you think. Would a memoir with these kinds of thoughts and information interest you? I’m optimistic. I think Bob is caring about his body more. He’s gotten himself some pills which he thinks will help him get stronger and more in balance. I think his willingness to do something about his state of health is a good thing. I just wish he’d eliminate sugar and cut down on his alcohol intake. But I wouldn’t say that to him. Also, he’s committed to personal training once a week, spending another hour or so at the gym on another day of the week, and walking several times a week. That’s all good. We walked the other day and he’s definitely moving better and seems less wobbly. I think the illnesses of some of our friends have gotten his attention. They’ve certainly gotten my attention. I used to say I’d probably be ready to give up my health program as I got … [Read more...]
How I spend my time
I’ve been working on a new memoir for the past year or so about aging successfully. One chapter is like this one about how I spend my time. So I’d like to try my thoughts out on you. Would you be interested in a memoir with information like this? I spend a lot of my time at my desk in my writing room. I d write a lot but I must make a true confession – I also spend a lot of time on the internet and on social media because I have a great relationship with my Facebook community. This morning I got out of bed at five forty-five, went off to the bathroom, got on the scale after shedding my pajamas, and then I dressed in my leggings and shirt to go to the gym. Once there, I vary my workouts. Lately I stay on the elliptical for about thirty-five minutes and then walk on the treadmill for twenty-five to give me a full hour of cardio and about nine-five hundred steps. I am truly obsessed, probably motivated by my Fitbit, with getting at least twelve thousand steps every day. After … [Read more...]
Why reading is important to writing
I'm thrilled to host Ava Louise while she tours her Intergalactic Matchmaking Services series with WOW! Women on Writing. She discusses one of my favorite topics - how very important it is for an author to read. I'm always reading something - lately books by Philip Roth and John Updike. I'm notorious for buying a new book or two before I've finished the to-be-read pile on my bedside table. Before I introduce you to Ava, please make sure you enter to win the Intergalactic Matchmaking Series by commenting here about your own reading list. Here's Ava: Thank you, Madeline, for having me as a guest. I feel safe in saying that for most authors, the road to writing is paved with books. As my bio says, I came to this writing life much later than many authors. While I joke that it took me over 40 years to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up, I've always known I needed books in my life. I don't recall a time when I wasn't an avid reader. Reading allowed me to escape … [Read more...]
Little Free Library
We installed our Little Free Library last week, and I couldn't be happier. The library box started getting action almost immediately - the first fifteen books I put into it are almost all gone and have been replaced by people who stop by. The plaque on the top of the box encourages neighbors to: Take A Book - Return A Book. Here it is, standing just back of the sidewalk in the front corner of our yard. When I first posted about it on Facebook a lot of friends wanted to know where I got it. Here is the Little Free Library website. It offers several different models and many kinds of plaques and accessories. It also provided instructions for making a stand, which our handyman easily and quickly built for us. Here are the Little Free Library site's own words on their wonderful invention. Once you visit the website you'll find out the possibilities for its look and use are endless. Plus I think it's a great way to promote reading - imagine a place to borrow a book right in your … [Read more...]
