One of the reasons I chose to go to North Carolina in mid-April was that I miss Spring.
There are some really great things about living in southwestern Florida, but one of the negatives is that we don’t really have a a change of seasons. I wanted that, so I went out and found it for myself.
I spent a good deal of time on my writing retreat on hiking trails.
I realize that could sound counter-intuitive to getting writing done, but it’s actually a huge help. Being out in nature always fuels my creativity and helps me come up with new ideas.
The act of walking tends to help me sort through the jumble of ideas I’ve got tangled up in my head.
When I was walking with Donna of Girl Who Reads we came across this:
I must admit that I didn’t follow its advice. I hiked for miles alone. (Well, the dog was with me, but she’s no Lassie….if I fell and needed help, she wasn’t going to go find Timmy for me.)
Because I’d seen that sign, I did find myself humming Green Day’s “I walk alone” on a pretty continuous loop.
So if you see a character named Greenday in one of my future works, you’ll know where it came from…. 😉
self care
M is for Meditation — A-Z Challenge
It took me a long time to develop my meditation habit.
I knew the benefits of it such as stress reduction, increased attention, and improved sleep, but I just couldn’t make myself do it. I was too scattered. Too fidgety. Too impatient for it to be over.
Last year I finally “got it” with the help of Insight Timer.
Here’s what worked for me:
— I don’t sit cross-legged. (I have bad knees and this was just physical torture.) I don’t even sit on the floor. I do however have a physical cue that it’s time to meditate. I hold crystals like these. Since I don’t normally walk around with rocks in my hands, my body knows it’s time to be still when I pick these up.
— I started small. Three minutes to start. Even that was challenging. Now I do a minimum of 45 minutes, but my “sweet spot” is about an hour to seventy minutes.
— At first I used guided meditations, then I progressed to using the timer with “reminder” bells to keep me focused. I still use the timer, minus the reminders, because it keeps me from checking the clock.
My sleep has improved, my attention is better and I’m less stressed.
Do you meditate?
L is for Learn — A-Z Challenge
You know that saying, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.”?
I agree with that, but one of my pet peeves is LAZY questions, or worse, people who have no questions.
We passed the Age of Enlightenment a long time ago, but why isn’t this the age of Self Expansion? For the first time in human existence, we have access to the knowledge of all of mankind. All it takes is a Google search!
Part of me is a naturally curious person, but I’ve conciously trained myself to be more so.
If I see something in the news or in my life that I don’t quite understand, I look it up. Everything is there — history, science, politics, song lyrics, meanings (I recently looked up “tongue-in-cheek”after a moment of panic that I’d been using the phrase incorrectly my whole life).
I’m never going to be the smartest person in the room, but I’m always open to improving myself.
What about you?
F is for Flowers & Fromage — A-Z Challenge
The two purchases I’m most likely to treat myself to are flowers and cheese.
Because they make me happy, I buy myself flowers regularly. (Nothing fancy. I get carnations, for four bucks from the supermarket.) For the first week, they stay in this pitcher, which is one of my prized possessions.
It was hand-painted by a woman I met in San Antonio who didn’t take up painting until she was eighty. EIGHTY!!! Isn’t that inspiring??
After that, they get trimmed down and are placed in six tiny bud vases that are scattered around my home. Little splashes of color and scent that make me smile.
I’m pretty obsessed with flowers, so check out my Instagram for more blooms!
My other favorite treat is cheese.
I pretty much like all kinds, though recently I’ve been enjoying an espresso rubbed dessert cheese. Here’s the description from the maker….caution it may make you drool.
The Bellavitano style, unique to Wisconsin, features a rich and creamy texture with a great, cravable taste reminiscent of an aged, premium Wisconsin Cheddar balanced by a full flavored Parmesan. This Bellavitano is hand-rubbed with freshly roasted espresso, creating a truly unique flavor, delicious for breakfast, dessert, or whenever your taste buds desire! The combination of Cheddar and Parmesan give this Cheese a terrific texture, somewhere between creamy and rich and crunchy and granular.
What do YOU like to treat yourself to?
When you type a lot
After a long writing session my hands hurt so I like to indulge in a little self care.
I love the feel of this and it smells like marzipan…but doesn’t have the Valentine’s Day candy calories. 🙂
Do you have a self care treat you love?