Wednesday, November 28, 2018

NaNoWriMo

   As I've done for the past three years, this November I am participating in NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writers Month. A group challenge to write a novel with a minimum of 50,000 words in 30 days. It is tough. And I wish it was not in November because there is just so much going on in this month. Thanksgiving, all the prep for that, and then general holiday stuff. Decorating and things like that. I lost 4 writing days doing family things. That is not a bad thing, the family stuff was important and I enjoyed it (mostly;). But that equals almost 7,000 words behind schedule, and that gets intimidating. So now I am plugging away, trying to meet a challenge I set for myself. There is no other reason. I'm not obligated to finish. But now I've started a story and I want to see how it ends. So, I will plod on.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Frustrated Tears

    I am fighting tears of frustration at this moment. I could probably avoid the whole mess if I cut out all social media, but I like to see pics of people's dogs and plants, and falls. I want to know how big your babies and grand babies are and what great things they are doing. And something is screwing it up.

    I take pride in the fact that I have friends of every race, color, political view, sexual orientation, religion, you name it, I probably know one. I love to have conversations with people different from me, about whatever topic comes. Key word CONVERSATIONS. And I can with most of my people. But lately, it seems that people have lost the ability to communicate without generalizing, and blaming. Yes, I am a middle aged white woman, so I would have presumably never felt the sting of racism, right? WRONG. I'm not a lesbian, or transgender, or the child of lesbian parents, so I must be unable to empathize with the struggles, private and public of people living their lives this way, right? WRONG.

     Let me just tell you, no one gets a pass anymore. I've been judged for not breast feeding, for being a working mom, for being in law enforcement, for being married to a cop, for being a gun owner, for being a dog owner, just to name a few. Living in this country means that we get to do A LOT of what we want to. Everything, no, of course not. But for the most part, I believe that our country gets it right more than it gets it wrong. It just seems to me that when it gets it wrong, people are WAY MORE WILLING to point fingers and place blame. And that gets nothing fixed.

      My main point is this, if you see something wrong, do something to fix it. Posting a blame and hate filled diatribe on an Instagram post from your safe home with power, water, Internet, and the significant other that you get to choose, doesn't make a difference. Educate yourself at the very least.

     Finally, we all have those things we are unbending about, and we should. I don't post on social media about most of my political views. I don't give my opinion on vaccines. BUT. I will forever support properly trained and supported law enforcement. Without it, we are a lost nation.
And I am a Christian. The Jeses I love and believe in loves and died for EVERY SINGLE PERSON. His command was simply. love everyone. If you have a conflict with this, then you have a conflict with a church, or a religion, or were treated badly by a person. But Jesus said to love everyone. Not the ones like you, or that agree with you. Any church t aching this is wrong. Try another church.

     I'm just exhausted by everyone looking for someone to blame ALL THE TIME.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Two Handed Again!🙌 (Sort-of)

     On December 21st, I did what I had been putting off for literally years, and had my torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder repaired. After the trauma from surgery before, I had previously said that my arm could just fall right off and I would just deal with it. The passage of time and the increase of the pain changed my mind. The procedure went fine, but as would be my luck, the line for the nerve block that is supposed to keep you "comfortable", and keep your whole shoulder and neck numb for like 36 hours, came out. Not only was my pain relief gone, but the line was leaking fluid all up under my packing where we had been told it needed to stay DRY DRY DRY. So at about 11:30 or so that same night, we had to go back to the ER. They can't re-insert that line, it's an anesthesiologist problem.😩😩 So I'm just basically screwed. I did have pretty good oral pain meds that were supposed to be for the breakthrough pain, so I was ok. And most of the time it only got to the point where I was practically doing labor breathing and mediation and visualization techniques to get to the next dose age time. But I got through that bad part, and am getting ready to start PT. I think that will go good because I have some decent motion with my lower arm and hand now. I'm typing again.👍
     In the downtime, I have been involved in launching two really great books. The first one is called Girl, Was Your Face by Rachel Hollis.  The tag line on the cover says "Stop believing the lies abowho are so you can become who you were meant to be." Who does not need that their life? The book addresses common lies that women believe, and breaks them down one by one, with some suggestions to find YOUR TRUTH about the subject at the end of the chapter. Some examples: I'm bad at sex; I'll never be a great mom; I'm defined by my weight; I should be further along by now. The suggestions at the end of each chapter are kind of open ended, because it's really up to you to figure out your truth once you confront the lie. Sounds tough, but such satisfying work. Read this book. Then get one for every woman you love. 
     The second one is called A Midwife in Amish Country. It is just an amazingly heartfelt memoir of bringing babies into the world and the good, the scary, the sad, the exhilaration of having this calling on your life. I'm still reading it, but I know it's one I will suggest for anyone interested in memoirs, and women's interest books. I'll finish my reviews when I finish the book.