JB Lynn

Hijinks, Hilarity and Heart

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6 things people said to me today

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This is a random post, but all of these comments amused or touched me today.

Little girl studying my purple hair: “Red and blue make purple. Does that mean you’re mad and sad?”

Friend 1: “I’m nominating you for the Pain in the Ass of the Day Award.”

Hours later from Friend 2: “You are worth waiting and fighting for.”

Neighbor 1: “Your best kept secret is that you’re actually a really nice person.”

Hours later from Neighbor 2: “I heard you’re the enforcer.”

My amazing VA: “You’re such an outdoorsy person.”

Did anyone say anything interesting to YOU today?

What makes a good day?

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There’s a lot to like about living in Florida, but the brutal summer heat isn’t one of them.

The heat index was over 100 degrees multiple days this first official week of summer, so basically if you hear someone calling weakly, “I’m melting” there’s a good chance it’s me.

But it rained last night for hours and knocked the temperature down, which meant that this morning’s walk was comfortable and it’s still cool enough that I’m able to sit outside while I do some work.

Considering that spending time outside is a high priority for me, this makes today a good day.
It doesn’t take much to make a day a “good” day for me.

Yesterday was a good day too because I had a sense of accomplishment after spending a significant part of the day and most of the night (until bedtime) working on story edits for ONE WOMAN’S JUNK.  The edits aren’t anywhere near done, but I felt like I made significant progress and I’m no longer in the “I’ll never be able to fix this” mindset that I had been battling.
(It probably helped that I wore ridiculous pants….one can’t take oneself too seriously if you’re wearing something like this.)

I’ve earned a day off from the edits, so today my creative focus will just be on writing. I’m excited to dive back into the 21st Hitwoman book, which I’ve been working on pretty steadily (more progress!).

I’ll also spend some time on the screenplay which is my “pure fun” writing project.
So those are three things that make a day “good” for me: time spent outdoors, progress, and creative work.

What sort of things make a good day for YOU?

Ideas are like wildflowers…or weeds

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If something blooms, chances are I love it.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a bush, a tree, a flower, or a weed.
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While on my writing retreat in North Carolina, I got to see a lot of wildflowers (or weeds…who cares?!?) as I hiked.
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I didn’t know when they’d show up on my trail, but I delighted in every time they did.
 
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I didn’t make any effort to identify them, I just enjoyed their beauty and cheeriness.
 
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Little bursts of color reminded me of ideas and the little bursts of inspiration they provide.
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You never know what’s going to show up next!
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Solo trips…Pros and Cons

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I’ve given up on having someone to travel with,  so this writing retreat was my second solo trip…though this one wasn’t technically solo, since I brought my dog.
A lot of women have told me they’d never be “brave enough” to travel alone. I tell them to connect with their inner badass and give it a try!
The big plus to traveling solo is that I get to do exactly what I want, when I want. My schedule, my interests, all the time.
So for example, I loved this view and spent a good ten minutes just standing and staring at it. It’s not exciting and isn’t on any “must see” list. I just liked it.
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The big minuses to traveling solo are safety concerns.
Taking a road trip alone with a dog provides some logistical hurdles…like I had to leave her alone in the car while I ran into places to use the restroom.
Then there are just the safety issues of being a woman traveling alone.
But by far, the most frustrating problem I faced was on the hiking trails.  I like to go off the beaten path, but that’s not the smartest idea for ANYONE hiking alone.
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If you sprain an ankle or take a tumble when you’re alone, it’s a lot easier to get back to your car if you have the help of a hiking partner.
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Plus, if something did happen, no one would miss me for days. (Especially when you consider a lot of the time I didn’t have a cell signal.)
I didn’t let this stop me, but I did move slower and more deliberately.  (And I’ll be honest, things were more complicated with the dog. More than once I ended up in a stream because I lost my balance as she tugged on the leash.)
I avoided some spots altogether if I determined the footing looked too unsafe.
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Obviously I survived, and you can too!!

Ingredients for a Creative Refill

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As a writer, I find inspiration in many things, but being out in helps to refill my creative well in a way nothing else does.
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I spent a lot of time on my writing retreat hiking trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I didn’t spend much time writing outside. I was too busy soaking up the beauty.
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The air was clean, the sky was clear, the water was cool.
(I know about the water because I MAY have slipped into a stream on more than occasion, lol.)
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