Get to Know Me Monday

Happy Monday Everyone.

 

I claim Mondays as Get to Know Me Monday to share things other than writing. It helps clear the fog when I take a few hours out of the week to think about things other than writing. Not because my life is particularly fascinating or, that you would even be interested enough to hear the mundane details of my daily existence. I will however, try to spice it up a bit by sharing things that happen each week in the hope that you will find some of it amusing, entertaining or informative.

 

This week I will be talking about the way I spent my summer. Remember as kids after summer vacation when we went back to class how the teacher had us stand in front of the class and share what we did over the summer? No? Do they still do that? Anyway, I am going to break my rule straight out of the gate because this post will mention writing, a bit.

 

Part of my summer was spent in a 29' travel trailer on a mountain in the southeastern United States. I am extremely fond of the area and visit as often I can and stay for as long as I am able. There was no television reception, no landline telephone and *gasp* no internet connection. As you might guess, being in a TT for an extended period without outside distractions leaves a writer time to, well, write.

 

Since I was lucky enough to have all that free time, I made good use of it and wrote a novel. Yes an entire manuscript in only a few short weeks. I was shocked at how quickly the characters and story came together. Mind you, words being written do not necessarily make it intelligible. I will be sharing excerpts here on the blog as well as on my facebook author page throughout the editing process.

 

I did other things while on the mountain this summer. I spent time with my daughter, son-in-law and sweet little grandson. I enjoyed being with them on their place. Several goats, chickens, geese, ducks, dogs and cats escorted me on my daily walks through the pasture to their house. It was a sight to see.

 

I was also able to spend a good deal of time with my dearest friend in the world. We have known each other for nearly three decades and have celebrated good times and seen each other through bad time. In my mind, that makes her more of a sister than a friend. I will always claim her and her children as family. I was blessed to visit her home on Saturdays with one of her daughters where I watched as they created a memory garden for another of her daughters who, in April of this year, was snatched from this life by cancer.

 

We also spent some time in the thrift stores while I was there, one of my favorite pastimes. It was in some ways a frustrating couple of months but when I think about the happy moments I experienced, I realize just how wonderful my summer turned out to be, in spite its rocky start of which I have spared you the details here.

 

If I could leave you with one thought today, it would have to be that I hope you take time to be in the moments of your life. They are so very important. Simple moments in life are central to healthy growth and well-being. They also hold the most genuine pleasure. Grab them while you can - learn from them, savor them and store them deep inside your heart. There will come a day when these memories will be more precious than gold.

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