Personal Essays

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!

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.  

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 Pre-Spring Break

/ Katie / 4 Comments

Yes, indeed. And much needed.

Graham and I are heading to the coast later this week, so I’ll be taking a bit of a writing break. But I’ll be back next week – I’m sure with lots of stories and pictures – and February’s short story will be posted on Monday, February 28th. It’s a good one, if I do say so myself. So, check back next week, and in the meantime, happy creating, y’all!

There Is Love

/ Katie / 8 Comments

Everywhere. All around. In the brightest and the darkest places. Written on the faces of fathers and mothers, siblings, partners, and friends that become family. On every road, down every path, no matter the wrong turns and false starts, it’s still out there.

And you’re worthy of it.

You deserve it.

So, here’s your reminder, if you need it:

In this world, there is love. Yes, there’s hate, and fear, and anger, and sadness, but also, there is love.

You are loved.

Fool’s Spring (Or, Some Thoughts and a Poem)

/ Katie / 9 Comments

I don’t know if this is a thing that happens in other places, but here in Virginia, before we get on with actual spring, we usually have a first spring, or what some people call a “fool’s spring.” And, well, I think we’re there.

It’s beautiful and sunny and in the 60s (Fahrenheit) today, and will be tomorrow as well. But I don’t think winter’s quite ready to let us go, and it’s supposed to be cold and possible snowy on Sunday before warming up again next week. So, I guess we’ll see.

Virginia, y’all. She always keeps her people guessing.

Anyway, I wrote a poem about it, because it just felt like the right thing to do.

**********

Winter’s chill softens.
The sun and air and wind
turn gentle and warm
and the ground begins to thaw.
All around the sounds of new life –
a world rife with breeze and birdsong –
but first impressions
can be wrong
and beauty’s a fickle thing.
Here in Virginia,
it remains to be seen
whether this is truly spring.

Just writing…

/ Katie / 13 Comments

Today it’s cloudy but not snowy, and as of this moment, we still have a hole in our basement wall, and I’m just feeling sort of…blah. It’s been a stressful week. We ran out of propane yesterday, a problem which has since been sorted but was terribly uncomfortable for the better part of the day. And we’ve both been busy and trying to balance work things with the house chaos.

All of that to say – today, I’m just going to write.

I’m just going to write, because aside from reading, it’s the thing that makes me happiest. The writing zone – that spot when you’re really into what you’re creating, and the rest of the world just sort of melts away – that’s one of my very favorite places. I love the feeling of letting everything else go, and just being carried away by words and by story. It’s magic. There’s nothing else quite like it, and no other place I’d rather be right now.

And it comes with the advantage of marking some stuff off of my very long and ever-growing to-do list! I’m working on a script for an upcoming podcast episode, and a longer-form fiction that I have some ambitious plans for, and of course, January’s short story, which I think will be very inspired by the winter season and the quiet, cold time in between Christmas and spring.

So, that’s me. Just writing. And also there’s coffee. As Fridays go, this one’s not so bad. And hopefully by the end of it, I’ll have some good stuff down on the page.

Happy Friday, and if you’re spending time writing today, too, then I hope that it’s fun and rewarding, and that you create something amazing!

The First Snow Day of 2022

/ Katie / 18 Comments

What an utterly unexpected and incredibly lovely surprise!

And quite a nice way to start the new year, I think.

Until yesterday, forecasters predicted this fast-moving snowstorm would go south of us, but here it is. And I am so happy.

I hadn’t planned a busy day today, anyway – Graham’s off of work until tomorrow – but I think I shall officially declare today a Snow Day, and spend it reading, drinking tea, generally lazing about in my pajamas, and gazing out on this beautiful and fleeting winter landscape.

Yes. Perfect.