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A Bittersweet Christmas Present

/ Katie / 22 Comments

After over a year, we’ve finally sold our beloved Tail Feathers.

It’s a relief, and honestly, feels like a gift after the financial panic we’ve been feeling. We didn’t anticipate it taking so long to sell, but things in Northern Virginia being as uncertain and unstable and scary as they are…well, that’s all I should probably say without getting overtly political.

ANYWAY.

It’s been really tough on both our wallets and our hearts to carry it for so long, is what I’m getting at. And now, it’s done. And boy are we feeling lots of feelings.

It’s bittersweet, saying a final goodbye. It was the first house we ever lived in together that truly felt like a home, and the first we made our own. We’re heartbroken, and we’re relieved, and we’re happy to see it no longer sitting empty and waiting. We left it better than we found it, even if we left it sooner than we thought we would. I hope the new owners enjoy it, and take care of it, and fill it with joy and good memories. I hope they love it just like we did, and more.

With all the stress of the sale – and some health news in the family that is not mine to share – it’s not been quite the holiday season I wanted. But I’m still grateful that we are where we are, able to get back on even footing money-wise, here and happy and loved, and constantly chasing after our beautiful, brave Lucy, who is fascinated by all things Christmas. Sometimes you just have to choose to be happy, and this year, in spite of everything (again, not trying to get overtly political), I am choosing to be happy.

And I hope you are, too. I hope you have a wonderful and happy whatever you celebrate, and that your season has been full of peace and light and good things. As we come into Christmas week, I wish all of us warmth and calm, and love. So much love.

Merry Christmas, and here’s a big hug from me to you. I needed one, and now you have one, too.

A Christmas Wish (A Poem)

/ Katie / 12 Comments

‘Tis the season
for light and dreams,
and holly
and jolly days,
parades and parties and presents,
and also
busy-ness.
So busy,
in fact,
that it’s hard to enjoy
the holly
and jolly
and cheer.
But we’re here!
One more year,
one more tree,
and so many reasons
to be merry.
We’re here,
and we’re happy,
and yes,
‘tis the season.
But man,
I’d love a nap.

Announcing: The 2022 Short Story Challenge!

/ Katie / 35 Comments

Last year, I challenged myself to write twelve short stories – one story each month – around a central theme. A few other wonderful writers joined me, and it became a really fun and interesting creative project. So, of course, I’m doing it again.

The rules are the same: Write and post one story each month of 2022. Posted whenever you/I want to (for me, that’s usually the end of the month), and written around one theme. And the theme this year is:

Folklore.

I thought about several options, but this one wouldn’t let me go. How does a story become folklore? What are the necessary elements of a folk tale? What drives us to share folklore? How long does it last? Why does it last, and why, sometimes, does it fade away? Folk tales and folk traditions tie us to our ancestors. They connect us to our cultures, and to each other. Folklore is powerful, and I want to dig into it and see what I can learn along the way.

And if you want to join me, that would be wonderful! If you do, when you post your stories, you can use the tag “2022 Short Story Challenge” and mention this post. But just reading is good, too, and I’m glad you’re here for this journey.  😊

I think 2022 is going to be a wonderful year for stories!

************

If you haven’t read them, or if you want to revisit any of them, here are all of my stories from 2021. Some of them I really liked, some of them I didn’t, and some were certainly easier to write than others. But they were all worth writing, and they each taught me something (or, sometimes, a lot of somethings) about myself, the art of writing, and how to tell stories. I’ve put asterisks by my two favorites, though, because why not?

*The Roads

This Place

Talk Out the Fire

Quiet Neighbors

The Return

Old Friends

*Jesse’s in the Back Room

Just Like Magic

Stage Fright

Cloud Dwellers

Old Enough

The Making of Annie’s Auld Lang Syne

Enjoy, and thank you so much for reading!

Q&A! What do you want to know?

/ Katie / 14 Comments

At the end of last year, I wrote a post about my goals for 2021. I’m normally pretty shy about sharing goals, but I figured putting them out there would help to hold me accountable this year.

Which brings us to today. One of my goals for 2021 is to start a YouTube channel. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I don’t love seeing myself on camera, despite years of being completely and totally comfortable acting and singing on stage. But I do love the idea of sharing stories about old house living, days in the beautiful Virginia countryside, writing poems and stories, music and singing and songwriting, and eventually, when it’s safe again, some bigger travel adventures.

I’m planning to start putting together some content in the next several weeks, once it starts to warm up a bit outside. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to reach out to all of you, wonderful readers and fellow bloggers, and see what kind of content you’d be interested in.

Like, I know my everything about my very old house is fascinating to me, but what aspects of living in an older home would you like to explore? And though I love driving down dirt roads in the country and sampling craft wine, beer, and cider, what would you like to know about Virginia’s historic and scenic countryside?

And as part of the fun, to get started, I thought I might do a Q&A here, so you can all learn a little more about me. I’ve seen other bloggers do this, and I love it. 😊 So, ask away! What would you like to know?

I’ll plan to post some A’s to your Q’s in the next couple of weeks.