Personal Essays

Hello, Sunshine! (or, the Sunshine Blogger Award)

/ Katie / 50 Comments

Happy Friday, and I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week so far! I was so excited and honored over the weekend when I saw that The Soul Whispers Blog had nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger Award. I’ve never been nominated before, and it put such a big smile on my face. 😊

So, what is it, and what are the rules? Well, quoting directly from The Soul Whispers Blog (and thank you so much for nominating me!):

The Sunshine Blogger Award “is a peer recognition of the inspiring, creative and motivational work done by bloggers. It is given by bloggers to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community.”

If you have been nominated:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog. 
  2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you. 
  3. Nominate 11 bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. 
  4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or your blog.

So, here are my answers:

What or whom inspires you?

I’m lucky to live in a community full of creative people, and they inspire me every day to try new things and push myself outside of my creative comfort zone. But beyond that, Dolly Parton. She’s life goals. Her constant creativity, her immense talent, her kindness and love for her hometown, her authenticity and her confidence…I just love her. And in terms of writers, Neil Gaiman. I love his style, I admire his flexibility and confidence to work in several different areas, and I just enjoy his storytelling.

What is the last book you read?

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. Highly recommend this entertaining, and pretty quick, read. Next on my list is The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar.

What is your favorite spot in your home?

I quite like my comfy writing chair, which sits beside a west-facing window and right next to a cozy fireplace. Perfect for chilly days like today.

Oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or neither?

Yes. Give me all the cookies.

What was an unforgettable vacation?

Iceland was amazing, but Wales was just heartbreakingly beautiful. As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever forget how I felt walking around in Snowdonia. It was like living in a fantasy novel. So, so striking and desolate and full and alive all at the same time.    

What is your proudest accomplishment?

That’s a tough question. Looking forward, I hope it will be finally finishing one of the many novels I’ve started writing. But for now, I’m really proud of the volunteer work I’ve done, and also proud to have graduated from college (I was one of the first in my family to), and especially proud that I’ve been able to really focus on my writing and creative work in the last several years.

What is your go-to meal?

Spaghetti Carbonara. Simple, fast, filling, and super tasty.

How has a set-back turned into something better?

I worked in Human Resources for many years and made my way up the corporate ladder for a while before losing my interest and my drive. I really fizzled out in my last HR position, and felt like a failure. Then, I took some time to really think about what I wanted and realized that HR was not my path. The problem wasn’t me. It was HR. I left, and I’ve never once looked back, and I’m happier now than I ever was sitting in an office all day.

What is your tool of choice when writing (e.g. journal, notepad, computer)?

I jot ideas down on whatever loose slip of paper happens to be close to me at the time, but I do keep a notebook, as well. When I actually get down to the business of writing, I use my laptop. Oh, and I only use blue ink pens. I don’t know why. It just feels right.

Which do you prefer: a few friends or the more-the-merrier?

Both, actually, depending on the occasion. I love a big, loud party with lots of chatter and music. It’s fun seeing all of my friends together in one place. But I’m also a huge fan of a quiet sit-down with a few people to really spend some time together. Either way, I get a little tired. But it’s worth it.

What brightens your day?

I find joy in lots of different things. My dog and my cat, especially when they want cuddles or when they’re being silly. Time with Graham. A good book, a funny movie. A new tea, or a bite of something sweet. Life’s all about making your own happiness, so I appreciate any little moment that makes me smile.

And here are my nominees (I love all of these blogs, and you should check them out!):

1. Suzassippi’s Lottabusha County Chronicles

2. Happy Panda

3. Nick West Photography

4. It Ain’t Right Till I Write

5. The Skeptic’s Kaddish

6. Steve’s Country

7. Joseph E Bird

8. Social Bridge

9. The Alchemist’s Studio

10. My Inspired Life

11. The Plein Air Experience

And my questions for them:

1. What is your favorite time of day to create (be it writing, art, photography, etc.)?

2. If you could meet one person from history, who would it be?

3. Pizza or sushi?

4. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?

5. What’s one fear you’ve conquered?

6. Winter or summer?

7. The mountains or the beach?

8. Stealing from The Soul Whispers Blog, what/who inspires you? (It’s a good question, y’all!)

9. If you could go back (or forward!) in time, would you?

10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

11. Do you collect anything? If so, what?

(And of course, there’s an implied “Why?” in all of these questions. 😉)

This was really fun! And it was exceedingly difficult to choose only eleven bloggers to nominate. So here’s a thought: Should I do a monthly feature where I link to other blogs I read? Is that something y’all would enjoy? If you’ve stuck with me this long, let me know! There are so many wonderful creators in this community, and I’m just constantly inspired by all of you. 😊

Our First Jack O’Lantern!

/ Katie / 18 Comments

Okay, I know Halloween is over, and I’m totally ready to move on. I’m already thinking about Thanksgiving dinner, and wondering how soon is too soon to put up Christmas decorations. (This weekend’s probably too soon, right?) But first, I just had to share this:

Graham and I have spent thirteen (THIRTEEN!)  Halloweens together, and this is the first year we’ve ever carved a pumpkin together. Why? I have no idea why. It just wasn’t something we ever got around to.

I think it’s safe to say we’ll make it a tradition from now on.

October’s short story…

/ Katie / 7 Comments

…will be posted on Halloween. Sunday isn’t a normal posting day for me, I know, but here’s the thing – the weather today is dark and cloudy, rainy and windy, and pretty much perfect for writing a creepy story. So, I’m taking advantage, and time, and really sinking into this one. I can’t wait to see what it looks like once it’s done.

In the meantime, as a preview, here are the first couple of paragraphs:

We’ll never know who did it. Who cast the spell and brought the fog. It rolled in before dawn, gray and viscous, a blanket of cool and damp. It slithered over the grass and in the trees, and curled itself into every little nook, cranny, and corner.

Life was quiet on the mountain. That’s why we came. That’s why we built our homes and planted our gardens and settled here. High above the rest of the world, away from the noise and the hurry, we could live in peace, with no one but birds and bears and deer to judge us, and nothing but trees and stars and each other for company. This we wanted – this easy, quiet, slow turning of the days, this peaceful time together, this chance to build something better than we’d had before. We were all grateful for this place…

Are you intrigued? I hope so! And I hope you’ll pop by on Sunday and give it a read.

Revisiting the (maybe) most haunted house in Loudoun County…

/ Katie / 22 Comments

Around this time last year, I posted about what some believe to be the most haunted house in Loudoun County.

I wrote about it last year because I’d been reading a book of ghost stories my friend gave me , and I connected some dots and came to conclusion that the house in a story I’d read that day was very likely the same house.

Can I be certain? Well, no, but I’d like to think I’m right, because it’s a pretty cool connection. See, this house is just a few minutes away on the outskirts of our village, and Graham and I drive by it frequently. Of all the gin joints, right?

I’ve always been a fan of both ghost stories and old houses. I love walking into a space knowing that it has a history, that others have come and gone and loved it and built their lives there before me. And honestly, I think it’s just a fundamentally, very human thing to love ghost stories. Something in our primal makeup, in our DNA and our bones and the very oldest part of our brains tells us to be afraid of things that go bump in the night, and to ponder what happens to us when we die. I grew up in a town full of ghosts and legends, and I live in an area rife with them now, too. And this house is just one small piece of that larger puzzle.

Or, it was. Which is to say, it still is, but for how long is anyone’s guess. It was a ruin last year. It’s in worse shape now.

Graham stopped by yesterday and snapped this picture. Sad, isn’t it? Soon enough, the house will be gone, and the stories will be all that’s left. Then one day, they’ll be forgotten, too. But for now, the house is still here, crumbling away on the roadside, taking its secrets with it.

P.S. As I did last year, I’ll add this disclaimer:  This house is on private property, and there are no trespassing signs posted, so please don’t go poking around where you’re not welcome. It’s easy enough to take a picture from the road.

Let’s get back to it, then!

/ Katie / 6 Comments

Okay, so, today…got away from me. I feel like the first day back after time off (even, it seems, a short staycation) is often chaotic. And, well, I should have been prepared, but I wasn’t. So, just a quick post today. But come back on Friday for a post all about one of our staycation adventures! And enjoy this photo of some beautiful Virginia scenery as a preview. 😉

Staycation! (Or, come back next week.)

/ Katie / 5 Comments

We need a break, y’all. Our summer was pretty packed, and fall is shaping up to be a lot more busy than we thought, too. So, Graham and I are taking the opportunity now to step away, get some rest, and have a little staycation. I’ll be back next Wednesday, but for now, I wish each of you a lovely weekend, and a good start to next week.

A Friday in the Fall

/ Katie / 5 Comments

September is the month of gold –
the leaves,
the light,
the hours.
And there’s nothing quite like
a September night,
when the magic of
the harvest moon makes
lovers and poets of both
the young and the old.

I always feel a little melancholy seeing September come to an end. And yes, I know we’re not quite there yet. I’m thoroughly enjoying the slant of the light, the slightly cooler temperatures, the way the leaves have just started to turn… I love it all. And I just had to share this moment.

This is the sunset today, on the (small) mountain behind my house. I can’t get enough of it. And I know that soon enough, it will be dark at this time of day. But with the winter comes the stars, so I’m not complaining. I always have loved winter best. But for now, I’m soaking up this special September magic.

September Evening, 2021

/ Katie / 12 Comments

It’s been raining on and off today, and it’s nice and cool outside, and the sky is pink and purple, and the trees are starting to turn gold, and I just really think September in Virginia might be one of my very favorite things in the entire world.

Remember that time when we got married?

/ Katie / 27 Comments

Y’all, Graham and I have forgotten our wedding anniversary no less than four times in as many weeks. We keep reminding each other. It’s tomorrow, by the way, and we’ll have been married for eight years.

So why do we keep forgetting? Life. That’s all I got. Life’s just been busy, and we’ve had a lot going on, and it’s been really hard to focus on making plans with just each other. And I don’t think this is an uncommon thing for couples. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the outside world.

But at the end of the day, we only have eyes for each other.

So, this week, I’m planning to make some time (forcibly, if I have to) for just Graham and me. Maybe we’ll even go on a date! (I can’t remember the last time we actually went on an actual date…) But no matter what we do, if it’s the two of us together, it’ll be special and lovely and fun, and we’ll probably laugh a lot.

So, to my Graham, my guiding star and my favorite human: I love you. I choose you. I’d marry you all over again. Thanks for choosing me, too.