Hello from the other side! Of Christmas, that is. We had a wonderful holiday – busy, but so good, and I’m grateful for it. We ate lots of delicious food, spent time with my parents and a few good friends, and made so many happy memories.
And, you know me. Of course, there was music. So we made some musical memories, too.
I mentioned in a post a few months ago that Graham had really taken to the mandolin my Dad brought the last time my parents visited. This visit, we were able to actually sit down and play a couple of songs. It was so much fun, and so cool to see Graham get more comfortable. And luckily, my mom took a couple of videos. I wanted to post them here, because good memories, and especially good music, should always be shared.
This one’s an old gospel song I used to hear all the time growing up.
And here’s a new classic.
Both songs were keyed a little low for me, but it made things a little easier on Graham, so it’s all good. 😊 I hope you enjoyed listening!
And I hope you had a lovely holiday – or, just a lovely weekend – as well!
As 2021 comes to a close, I’m spending a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve learned, what I’ve accomplished, what I haven’t, and how I want to set goals for 2022.
I didn’t always do this. I’m not a great planner, and sometimes it hurts to think about missed opportunities and bad moments from the previous year. But 2020 changed everything. I want to set goals. I want to make things happen and keep improving myself. I want to live every day with purpose, and live knowing that I’m doing my best. 2020 showed the world just how fragile life – and all of the things we’ve built around ourselves to be comfortable and happy – can actually be. So, here I am, looking back on this last year, and planning for the next one, knowing that all of my moments and all of my dreams are precious.
So, that was a big lesson from 2020. And I’m thinking tonight about what I’ve learned in 2021.
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Be gentle and patient with yourself.
Life’s hard enough without having your own self as a critic and an enemy. Things won’t always turn out the way you want them to. You can try and still fail. You can fail to try, and then have to deal with the consequences. That’s not a moral failing, or a sign that you’re not a good person or capable. That’s human. We’re all human. We are worthy of our own kindness and grace.
Life may get in the way of your plans. Make them anyway.
I had some big creative plans for this year, and though I’ve made a little bit of headway on them, they clearly haven’t materialized yet as I wanted them to. For the first half of the year, there was a bigger issue – an issue that affected more than just me – that required my full attention. So, I gave it. And it mattered. It made a difference. I made a thing happen. It meant changing up what I thought I’d be doing with my time this year, and that’s okay. I’ve still taken steps forward. And I’ll continue to take steps forward, even if they’re tiny ones, until I see my goals become real.
Failure is a teacher.
To be fair, I think I’ve always known this. I think we all do, but it’s a lesson we have to learn over and over, because it sucks to fail. There are few things harder for a human, I think, than to do your best and still not succeed. But it happens. And it will happen again and again. There’s nothing for it but to learn from it and take those lessons forward to the next task. If you’ve failed, at least you’ve tried, and if you’ve tried once, you can try again.
Every single second is a chance to start over.
Don’t give up on a day because you had a bad morning (or lunch hour, or just a bad moment). I’ve had to really contend with this, in the last year. It’s so easy to lose motivation, ambition, willpower – even hope – when things go south. But every breath you take is a chance to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. Don’t wait. Don’t waste precious seconds of your life.
You’ll be scared. Do it anyway.
Hit send on that email. Type “Chapter One” on that blank page, and then keep typing. Send that text, make that phone call, book that ticket. If it’s important to you, do it, even if it scares you. You’re afraid because you care. And because you care, it’s worth doing. So do it.
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It’s been a strange year for me. So many ups and downs, moments of absolute relief, and joy, moments of abject fear, of sadness and worry. But it’s been good. I’m glad to be here, to be alive and to be working and loving and trying and singing and dancing (badly) and eating and breathing. And so as I close out my 2021, I look forward, and know that every step I take matters.
Well, I’m not even surprised. It’s a running joke in the DC metro area and Northern Virginia that we live in a snow hole. It can snow all around us, and we’ll see nothing but clouds.
And, yeah…
Let me back up.
See, about a week ago, the weather powers that be were predicting 1-3 inches of snow today. Not enough to cause major problems, but enough to coat the ground and look nice. And, living in Virginia, I’ll take what I can get in terms of snowy weather. But, as usual, over the last few days, predictions dwindled to perhaps an inch, then maybe a dusting, and now, nothing at all. Nary a flake nor flurry to be found.
Sigh.
Am I disappointed? Yes, I am. But there’s a lot of winter left, and I’m nothing if not an eternal optimist. This one’s a bust, but tomorrow is always another day.
What a wonderful milestone to reach on this first Friday in December! I’m so grateful to each of you who read my work and keep coming back for more, and so happy to be part of this amazing creative community. I’ll be celebrating tonight with a glass of bubbly and some Christmas movies, and I’ll be back on Sunday with a new Sunday Supper post. So come back and visit! 😊
In the meantime, I wish each of you a very lovely weekend!
We got our first snow flurries of the season this morning! They didn’t last long, and it would have been pretty impossible to get a picture anyway, but they were enough to put me in a very happy mood today. So, here I am, musing about winter, and working on November’s short story. It’ll be posted tomorrow, so stop by then and give it a read.
And in the meantime, I hope you’ve been having a good Monday, too. 😊
I haven’t had much time to write today. It’s been a busier week than I’ve expected, and I’m really just happy it’s Friday. I’m hoping for a more relaxed weekend, putting up Christmas decorations and prepping for Thanksgiving. And speaking of Thanksgiving…
Do you think Annie’s excited?
(Picture’s from a few years ago. I wasn’t in the room when it was taken. I hear she was actually having more fun than she appears to be. With Annie, sometimes it’s hard to tell.)
It’s beginning to feel a little wintry around here! (If you’re new or just stumbled across this blog: Hi! My name is Katie, and winter is my favorite season.)
Not quite cold enough for snow, but most of the leaves have fallen off the trees, and yesterday the sky was cloudy and silvery gray. I know some of y’all have already seen your first snowfall, and I am super jealous. But I think we have reason here in Virginia to hope for some white stuff in the coming months.
In the meantime, I’m just enjoying the cooler weather and trying to decide how early is too early to put up Christmas decorations. This week’s fine, right? RIGHT?! (I don’t know why I’m asking. I’m just going to do it anyway…)
Some of you may recall a post from August of 2020 – Three Insomnia Haiku. And well, folks, here we are again, in the Land of Little Sleep. At this point, I feel like I must be among its most frequent and loyal inhabitants.
The facts are these:
I have never been a good sleeper. Not once in my entire life.
I’m apparently a good enough sleeper that I don’t qualify for heavier sleep aids (and I don’t really want to use those anyway), so melatonin and chamomile tea it is.
They…don’t really work.
See Number 1.
I don’t know how many of you know the feeling of staring endlessly at your ceiling in the dark, or of tossing and turning and never quite finding that comfy spot on your pillow, or of flipping through the channels trying to find something (anything) that might bore you to sleep or drown out the invasive anxieties running through your head. But if you’re dealing with any of that, then know that I am with you, my friend, and man, it just really, really sucks. And if you’re not, consider yourself lucky and enjoy that blissful rest you’re getting.
Why am I writing about this now? No idea, honestly. It was just on my mind. It’s been on my mind all day, as I’ve groggily moved from task to task, never quite focusing completely and thinking way too much about the possibility of maybe, just maybe crawling into bed tonight and closing my eyes and cozily drifting off with a purring Gatsby snuggled up beside me.
But I digress.
Or do I?
You know, I’m honestly not sure. I’m sleepy, y’all.
At any rate, if anyone has any clever tricks for falling (and perhaps more importantly STAYING) asleep, feel free to share them! At this point, I’ll try just about anything. Except warm milk. Ew.
It’s Graham’s birthday today! And you know I couldn’t let it pass by without writing a little something.
We don’t have much planned in the way of celebrating – it is a work day – but I’m planning to make his favorite mac and cheese for dinner tonight, and I’m hoping the day isn’t too chaotic in between. And also we have pie. Pie makes everything feel just a little more special, I think.
*WARNING – Mushy, sentimental, and generally lovey-dovey stuff ahead. Sorry not sorry.*
I’m so lucky to have Graham in my life, and so grateful we chose each other, and continue to choose each other every day. And in the spirit of this month of giving thanks, I’m so thankful that I get to spend my days with him, and certainly very thankful indeed that he was, you know, born.
He is my favorite human, and I hope (every year) that his birthday is just as special and memorable and fun and just plain wonderful as he is.
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:
Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
Nominate 11 bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
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. 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. 😊
A Virginia Writer's Diary 