Author: Katie

Third Winter

/ Katie / 9 Comments

Or maybe fourth? Frankly, I’ve lost count. But it’s cold and flurrying in Virginia today. It was cold and flurrying yesterday, too.

And it’s sunny, and flurrying at the same time, which is very strange. It’s actually sort of beautiful, in a disconcerting way, seeing snow fall against the bright green buds on the willow in our back field. I’d take a picture, but I don’t think I can really capture it.

Suffice it to say: Spring in Virginia is weird, y’all.

*Also, this is a short post, because I’m focusing today on March’s short story, which will be posted on Wednesday. It’s a good one!*

Friday Writing

/ Katie / 11 Comments

Hello, Friday! Hello, Spring!

It’s so hard, when it starts to get warm again, to focus on work, and it’s been a busy week. But I’ve managed to stay on top of everything, and I’m spending today just writing. And drinking coffee. Which definitely helps with the writing.

And you know, I think this is honestly my favorite way to spend a Friday.

Imagining the Unimaginable

/ Katie / 6 Comments

This is not a book review.

For one thing, I don’t really do those, and for another, I haven’t finished the book yet. But I started reading Imaginable by Jane McGonigal yesterday, and I’m finding it really interesting so far.

I have anxiety. I don’t talk about it a lot, but it is something I’m dealing with. I tend to catastrophize when I’m stressed, and I fight off invasive thoughts – especially about the future and what I can and can’t do about it – all the time. Not as often as I used to, but still pretty often.

Like many people, these last couple of years have been a challenge for me. And with the news coming out of Ukraine, the state of American politics, the very real threat of climate change, and just the general list of “unknowns” that we as humans have to accept every second of every day, it’s easy for me to get bogged down in desperation and hopelessness. I’m a positive person, and I look for and work for good things, but man, it’s hard sometimes.

So when I came across Imaginable, I was immediately intrigued. McGonigal is a professional futurist (what a cool job!) and a game designer (also a cool job!), and the combination of those two fields makes for a really compelling exploration of how to imagine possible futures, how to think about the unthinkable, and how to then cope with it and get our minds around it.

I have a big imagination. It works for me creatively, but can definitely lead me down some dark alleys and scary paths when my anxiety decides to join the party. I’m really looking forward to diving into this book more deeply. I’m about three chapters in, and I’m hooked. I expect to finish it today.

And if you read it, too, let me know your thoughts!

The Why (A Poem for World Poetry Day)

/ Katie / 21 Comments

I write poetry
to leave a piece
of me
behind.
I write to
look back and
forward,
to dance
on the edge,
to quiet the
frenzy
in my head.
Or just to sit back,
and look
and see.
There’s no wrong
reason,
I think,
to write poetry.
A slant
of words,
a twist
of the tongue,
can change
the world.
How fortunate
are we,
the writers,
that such a
magic
can be ours?

Sunday Supper #8: City Lights, A Good Friend, and a (Sort of) Lazy Sunday

/ Katie / 10 Comments

Though we live fairly close to Washington, DC, Graham and I rarely make it into the city. With traffic being what it is (everything you’ve heard is true…DC traffic is, in fact, a nightmare sometimes), we just don’t think to drive in and spend time. But, we should, because DC really is a beautiful city, and there’s a lot of cool stuff to do. And perhaps most importantly, one of our very best friends lives there. So yesterday, we did.

We visited her, her new place, and watched the sunset over the Washington Monument from her rooftop terrace.

Country life is amazing, but cities are pretty cool, too – the bustle of cars and motorcycles, the snippets of conversation, the sea of bright lights against a setting sun or dark night. And seeing a good friend. That’s always wonderful.

Today, on this lovely first day of spring, we’ve been taking it easy. A leisurely breakfast, some very nice coffee, an afternoon of movies and a little bit of catch-up work from the week. And for supper? Probably beef stew and mashed potatoes, because I actually have time to make it.

Happy Sunday, y’all, and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Just a little Flashback Friday

/ Katie / 7 Comments

Around this time, back in 2019, we were enjoying a cool, rainy day in downtown Reykjavík.

As it turned out, Iceland was our last major trip before COVID. Had we known what would happen, we probably would have tried to squeeze a lot more travel into that year. But, hindsight and all that.

Today in Virginia it’s (once again) beautiful, warm, and mostly sunny. I hear birdsong. I see little blooms and buds. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But it will be nice to travel again, one of these days.  

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: On Virginia Weather

/ Katie / 14 Comments

Today, it’s mild, bright and sunny. The crocuses are already blooming, and the daffodils are well on their way. The sky is bluest blue and absolutely cloudless. It’s a beautiful morning.

Hard to believe that just this weekend, things looked very different:

Oh, Virginia, you chaotic darling. I adore you.

One Last Snow Day

/ Katie / 14 Comments

Here in Virginia, March always gives us one last snow day. It’s not a hard and fast rule, sure, but it’s true enough, and this year was no exception.

It snowed about five inches on Saturday, and we enjoyed it for as long as we could.

(I know…she doesn’t look like she likes it, but trust me, Annie is a Snow Dog.)

It’s all melted now, and this week is supposed to be pretty warm. I’m ready for spring, but I’m always a little melancholy when winter comes to an end. So, until next year. And for now, bring on the daffodils!

A Shadorma for Graham

/ Katie / 11 Comments

I’ve really been enjoying the monthly poetry challenges over at Fake Flamenco! March’s challenge is to write a shadorma around the theme of light and darkness. I wrote two, because it was fun. 😊

Here’s one for Graham, who I often call “my guiding star.”   

You’re my light
A star in the dark
Shining down
On my path
A guide in the deepest night
To bring me home safe

And here’s another one, revisiting a poem I wrote back in 2020, called “Free Will.”  It was already sort of composed around a theme of light and shadow, and it was interesting to take a look at it two years later and retool it for a specific poetry form.

We are light
And also darkness
Both reside
In us all
And we choose how they balance
Each moment we live

I’m looking forward to April’s challenge!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: A Good Kind of Messy

/ Katie / 10 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, we went to an oyster roast on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I don’t particularly like oysters, but man, I love an oyster roast. I love the smoky, briny smell in the air, and the gathering around the tables, and the sense that this is an old, beloved tradition that connects us to the people who came before, and will connect us to those who come after. And the mess. I love the mess.

Oyster shells everywhere, spilled butter and sauce, dirty knives and grimy gloves. I just love it. I think there’s something homey and comfortable about it, and about making that kind of mess with other people who appreciate the tradition, too.

And Graham does like oysters.

So, that’s a plus.