tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16453904557936223562024-03-05T13:16:59.923-08:00A Dream and a ScreamAs an author of horror, sci-fi, creative non-fiction, and memoir, I document my process as a writer. I discuss struggles, successes, obstacles, and support on the road to better writing craft and publication. Wrapped up in my kit are mental health, ADHD/ADD, physical health, understanding who I am as a person and why I write.Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-85869921019004278702023-05-10T17:39:00.000-07:002023-05-10T17:39:12.422-07:00Seattle Writing Day Workshop Seattle 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UHBGoCcyx5lClVZC0KmQjAPucXq9HJF8Vsw1-58iebRAO3tTZWTDd5Ywff2AStC7z_tw6XvH3B7iMKjbIk2mut7PYCDQxAZJckv4eztqz1P30xTnffzTjGq9ydROvpARbEkxcbM2cxs1nCMz-bNSBTGPL2eBa68YtYJRnDYfbXs0YU5vPNlxXncj/s1079/Screenshot_20230501_125720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1079" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UHBGoCcyx5lClVZC0KmQjAPucXq9HJF8Vsw1-58iebRAO3tTZWTDd5Ywff2AStC7z_tw6XvH3B7iMKjbIk2mut7PYCDQxAZJckv4eztqz1P30xTnffzTjGq9ydROvpARbEkxcbM2cxs1nCMz-bNSBTGPL2eBa68YtYJRnDYfbXs0YU5vPNlxXncj/s320/Screenshot_20230501_125720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>April 29th was the Seattle Writing Day Workshop, at the Seattle Convention Center. I have participated as a volunteer with them for years, but this was the first year I was a presenter. I'm such an overthinker, I prepared three different handouts, 3-4 pages each. Everyone seemed happy to have them, though! <p></p><p>There were around 150 attendees to the conference. After lunch, I led the "Writers Got Talent! First<br /> Page" panel, with four of the attending agents giving feedback to the anonymously and randomly chosen first pages. Always a valuable experience to listen to the impressions made and advice given by the folks who do this on a daily basis. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEEA5BzmWK7Pjf-6lpOgv7PrCODEWx2lKTf-Dqktk9i7GYN4SZI_D5_EW_Ez4ryhf18jCTuIbPSCkUQ8HxFcYAgXulWTI5Wv5QC_8gbq28CrhlXYvJ_4ArX0CP7n7CniyyZkizWI8yg4FWncO3n86NBaSTkkYl01JErgrsrwsVJ3oSgwLm619n1x2/s1278/Screenshot_20230501_125835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEEA5BzmWK7Pjf-6lpOgv7PrCODEWx2lKTf-Dqktk9i7GYN4SZI_D5_EW_Ez4ryhf18jCTuIbPSCkUQ8HxFcYAgXulWTI5Wv5QC_8gbq28CrhlXYvJ_4ArX0CP7n7CniyyZkizWI8yg4FWncO3n86NBaSTkkYl01JErgrsrwsVJ3oSgwLm619n1x2/s320/Screenshot_20230501_125835.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />Following that, I made my presentation, "Writing Is Not a Solitary Act," where I discussed different types of writing groups and their benefits, how to find one or create or your own, and the basics of giving and getting good feedback.<p></p><p>Surprisingly, I forgot to take photos all day! Very unlike me. Thanks to Edwin Staples, I have these two shots of me in my presentation. </p><p>Despite people coming in and out (mostly to attend their appointments with agents, to pitch their manuscripts), I had a good audience. Most attendees were very engaged, and I was happy to be able to answer many questions regarding writing groups and feedback. I love you question-askers!</p><p>I will be happy to present again in the future, on this or another topic. </p><p><br /></p><p>It was fun to meet a few members of my Monday night writing group in person, for the first time, since we have been meeting on Zoom for three years. As always, chatting with my writer friends that worked as volunteers at the event was great, too. It's hard to make time to see everybody... events like this are a good excuse to catch up!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-73020923686807437802023-04-24T20:47:00.000-07:002023-04-24T20:47:22.465-07:00Seattle Writing Day Workshop 2023 <p> I'm excited to be a part of the Writing Day Workshop, here in Seattle this coming Saturday (4/29). I'll speaking from 2:45 until 3:45:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Writing Is Not A Solitary Act: </strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Understanding Writing Groups, Beta Readers, and Exchanging Critiques</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: start;">. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: start;">How do you find writing peers? How do you gauge a peer’s skill? How do you give and take useful feedback? This class will help you find writing group friends who can aid your journey and help you improve your work, whether you meet with those people online or in-person.</span></p><p> You can still register ahead of time or on site. Check out the details here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/">https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy8NMrn4nmGLTRd8jkIuyYHspvwK2-0pyhlMZXi4Ws7E1Y58y_S5wehs1e-NccdCBS9OfUhaBWI_6nIdeA32gGbZ6s79LrdMjc6Xz8nhsQRTb2sVQP6fqJryOc7yQ5_7NMJ22fBCOfVvqf1wtGcfDrTCUsv6y2WnycUPPeNbOBvwrKIHdRzNhVNIZ/s388/Writers-groups-feather.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="388" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUy8NMrn4nmGLTRd8jkIuyYHspvwK2-0pyhlMZXi4Ws7E1Y58y_S5wehs1e-NccdCBS9OfUhaBWI_6nIdeA32gGbZ6s79LrdMjc6Xz8nhsQRTb2sVQP6fqJryOc7yQ5_7NMJ22fBCOfVvqf1wtGcfDrTCUsv6y2WnycUPPeNbOBvwrKIHdRzNhVNIZ/s320/Writers-groups-feather.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-92198795977674895562021-05-11T17:34:00.001-07:002021-05-11T17:34:35.677-07:002021 Writing Goals & Resolutions May Check-in<p> I've been setting Top 3 Priorities for each month, and, so far, that seems helpful. </p><p><u><b>April's Goals: </b></u></p><p>😃 1. Camp NaNoWriMo -<b> 20K words</b> on a new NF book on women in business. - Yes, I wrote just over 20K!</p><p>😕 2. <b>Submit </b>4 Pieces for publication - Nope, but I have 3 things ready to go that I plan on homing soon.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVjZ3N1SFC-mXnjYpqgSAQBpmusYRjcqkPqsDATirSK2uPz5iN6nDIixOdPEsJT8xl_EMyJjlC0UeUGAXjIROOomY_BvnSLhPDrCPxXcTPer9_k5b0ou7m08ICodEYiN5Mm-Axnz3GsY/s474/monthlygoals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVjZ3N1SFC-mXnjYpqgSAQBpmusYRjcqkPqsDATirSK2uPz5iN6nDIixOdPEsJT8xl_EMyJjlC0UeUGAXjIROOomY_BvnSLhPDrCPxXcTPer9_k5b0ou7m08ICodEYiN5Mm-Axnz3GsY/s320/monthlygoals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>😃 3. <b>Go through the drawer - </b>Find pieces to work on, finish, edit, etc. and submit them - I went through the folders of 2014-2019, and found 14 pieces that have promise. I am working on them.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>May's Goals: </b></u></p><p>1. Revise and polish four poems to send out.</p><p>2. Revise and polish one old short story (from the drawer)</p><p>3. Make four submissions (carry-over)</p><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><p><span> I recently discovered a writer I know sends forty submissions out each month. That floored me. I started out years ago with my first submission goal of 3 for the year, then hit that in three months, so moved it up to 6. I have been aiming to get one piece out per month, maybe even one per week, but the thought of forty.... that's more than one per day! I'm sure she is submitting the same piece to multiple places, and tweaking it for reuse, but still-- I am feeling challenged. I am not going to raise my bar just yet, but I am doubling down on making those subs this month.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the number of unfinished projects I have going. I feel the need to finish them and get them out, but keep switching from project to project, getting each closer, but not yet done. Hoping to overcome any internal blocks I may be putting up myself, as a self-sabotage or procrastination.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepz0R1-R2R3Brt10zJiwx7vkejhGd5ZgxMuaOFeBid7B7vqvCjAwjcZHGoJEh_wFn-rht9v5vYM3VhqZyhryLyNDxHpNGX-9ymPKHBZgWXjW_ioIavw9CZpomfTiq2dc4cfSuNBlSWNs/s474/emotional-vulnerability.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepz0R1-R2R3Brt10zJiwx7vkejhGd5ZgxMuaOFeBid7B7vqvCjAwjcZHGoJEh_wFn-rht9v5vYM3VhqZyhryLyNDxHpNGX-9ymPKHBZgWXjW_ioIavw9CZpomfTiq2dc4cfSuNBlSWNs/s320/emotional-vulnerability.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Every time I look to submit my poetry, I get weird about it. It's personal writing. It feels more personal and more vulnerable than prose, even my memoir stuff. So, when I look at publications, I feel like I am not ready, or maybe I'm not a real poet (old fears about not going to college), and they aren't good enough, or I don't have enough good, finished poems. I am taking a Hugo House class this weekend on Poetry Revision, so hopefully that will help me get over that doorstep to publishing poetry.<br /><p></p><p><span><span><span><span> So, that's where I'm at in my writing journey. I have more plans for revision and submission in June, and plans for a new screenplay project in July. </span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></p>Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-90745031674845222112021-02-15T18:17:00.005-08:002021-02-15T18:17:55.223-08:002021 Writing Goals: The 2020 Reboot<p> Hello... it's been a long time. Like most of you - and the world - I feel like I'm simultaneously standing on a cliff, hanging from this time one year ago (when the world stopped for COVID-19), and speeding through time, barely registering, much less remembering, all the crazy things that have happened since February of 2020. </p><p>Since my birthday is the first of February, I've always treated that as my new year's day. January is just the warm-up, where I shake off the previous year and reset myself for the year to come.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOGALMGbKu1M8nh9yx-viDYW9Mg_yxOHuOC_et9romL_SSfa8MyqnFXZIXRjjMJp58-8wDedK5g2cHfDR_x-VmJNA4s0AMMMqFvcKD1-UtWgtJ4fWjTLYNbhHyZtEMSEElhTsdSo6T3w/s800/newyearsgoals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOGALMGbKu1M8nh9yx-viDYW9Mg_yxOHuOC_et9romL_SSfa8MyqnFXZIXRjjMJp58-8wDedK5g2cHfDR_x-VmJNA4s0AMMMqFvcKD1-UtWgtJ4fWjTLYNbhHyZtEMSEElhTsdSo6T3w/s320/newyearsgoals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In a nutshell, my 2020 Goals / Resolutions included:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Rebuild Writing Routine</li><ul><li>Schedule Write-Ins (at cafes, etc.)</li><li>Create and Maintain Checklist of Tasks and Projects</li><li>Use Spreadsheet to track Writing Goals</li></ul><li>Get back to submitting short stories for publishing</li><ul><li>incubate story ideas</li><li>write stories</li><li>edit and revise stories</li><li>find appropriate markets</li><li>submit stories for publication</li></ul><li>Write Non-fiction book</li><ul><li>On Writing (Holistic)</li><li>Massage & Health Related Topics</li><li>Ocean</li></ul><li>Finish Poetry Project</li><li>Finish Memoir</li><li>Editing Projects - keep a few going throughout the year</li><li>Teach six writing workshops</li><ul><li>Jan: From Page to Print</li><li>Feb: Vision Boards for Life and for Projects</li><li>April</li><li>June</li><li>September</li><li>November</li></ul><li>Platform Building and Marketing</li><ul><li>Create and update Wordpress site</li><li>Make Health Newsletter more widely available through sign-up</li></ul><li>Health Focus </li><ul><li>Continue to raise mental and physical energy: build iron, work towards optimum balance and health with vitamins, food, exercise, etc.</li><li>Daily Meditation (at least 5x week)</li><li>Daily Act of Spiritual Practice </li><li>Daily Walking</li></ul><li>Financial Health</li><ul><li>Build Sanctuary Fund to allow for more time off for writing and travel</li><li>Open a SEP-IRA Retirement Fund</li></ul><li>Travel</li><ul><li>LA in Sept</li><li>MD & NY in Oct</li><li>Florida - when?</li><li>Scotland? </li></ul></ul><div><br /></div><div>So, how did I do?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlCST_cPaQo0cNXeN7oj0XGFdYhfg2VsQTfpc9ZlAfOOktjL1YNexyr7rGAzm691KdvClfVucplPFc9XoPI3xmxprIOZflZWPdwNxZoiD0U9DDjEwZ71SrNWFDLSCKXKLDW1iRStKBJo/s957/oh-well-pony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="945" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlCST_cPaQo0cNXeN7oj0XGFdYhfg2VsQTfpc9ZlAfOOktjL1YNexyr7rGAzm691KdvClfVucplPFc9XoPI3xmxprIOZflZWPdwNxZoiD0U9DDjEwZ71SrNWFDLSCKXKLDW1iRStKBJo/w221-h224/oh-well-pony.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>Clearly, the travel plans did NOT happen. I also did not open an IRA, or get money set aside for writing trips and travel. Lockdown sapped my creative energy for a few months, too. And there was always the worry about money - would I get unemployment assistance as a self-employed person? (Yes, but not much.) Would I be able to see any clients for massage therapy? (Yes, a few... managed to keep the business open and the bills paid.) How long would this pandemic last?!? I knew it wouldn't be over by May 2020 or even September 2020, as I heard so many say. But here we are in February 2021, and I think we will be still masking up and dealing through this year... possibly into 2022. Sigh...</div><div><br /></div><div>I did not finish any of the listed long-term projects, although I have worked on most. I also have yet to submit anything for publication...that will be a carry-over goal! I do have a number of nearly-ready pieces, though, and plan to get most of them homed in the next three months. I kept up on my spreadsheet of writing goals (need to start the one for 2021, though!), and I planned and produced the first two workshops - Jan & Feb - but, of course, the pandemic put a stop to anything beyond March. I could have shifted to online classes, but felt unmotivated to teach from my bedroom or my massage office. I need the designated space of a classroom - I had rented community center space to hold my classes, and I set up the tables and chairs and snack station and everything the way I wanted it. I will look forward to resuming those in 2022.</div><div><br /></div><div>While my writing routine did not go as planned - I like to write in cafes, and had been meeting other writers to add to that energy - I did manage to get much writing done. I joined a friend's small writing group in July for Camp Nano (of NaNoWriMo.org) and wrote 3/4 of a NF book. The group continued, and we still meet up to 6 times a week (not all of us make every day) for writing time, workshopping, and games. I aim to make 3 each week, and usually manage that. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was great at daily walks, daily meditation, and regular workouts through most of 2020, but fell off the wagon around Oct/Nov and have been avoiding the wet outdoors since. But I chalk 2020 up as a WIN for health, fitness, and meditation goals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaapjukEbu8fIL-HNFPGoWMH9VjPct8SlIykdTpxZ1g6reotJDP86B7bxemDAYzaLWZhOkm03L3E6o-0Pkc_AAvHOfvZQE1egPGii-Z1UkKFEn1gyAAu-S84Rl-iccWwjBZrHmQSVejs/s600/GoalsAreDreamsWIthDeadlines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaapjukEbu8fIL-HNFPGoWMH9VjPct8SlIykdTpxZ1g6reotJDP86B7bxemDAYzaLWZhOkm03L3E6o-0Pkc_AAvHOfvZQE1egPGii-Z1UkKFEn1gyAAu-S84Rl-iccWwjBZrHmQSVejs/s320/GoalsAreDreamsWIthDeadlines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, what's my 2021 Resolution List?</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Continue Building Writing Routine</li><ol><li>Camp Write-Ins 3x week</li><li>Make new Goals spreadsheet and maintain</li><li>Aim for earlier-to-bed and earlier-to-rise schedule so I can get some writing and tasks done before work/family time/etc. (my goal is to sleep between 1/2/3 AM and 9:30/10:30/11:30 AM)</li><li>Tweak Calendar system to better find and hit deadlines and goals</li></ol><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjTFDIWFgw7jCs1VPvYbueJDeDCSNwURkCAyhpHW5uxb6SUqPqaX2neC6H1Z-F6nQ0KFHOGoJpjSMrgP0cBsD0HhYFgt8oauH6RTaSnYi0Sfpmq7vrxdT_Ej9fN2PE0AP14eVxoKSlHc/s1700/PostitBoard-FeelGood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjTFDIWFgw7jCs1VPvYbueJDeDCSNwURkCAyhpHW5uxb6SUqPqaX2neC6H1Z-F6nQ0KFHOGoJpjSMrgP0cBsD0HhYFgt8oauH6RTaSnYi0Sfpmq7vrxdT_Ej9fN2PE0AP14eVxoKSlHc/s320/PostitBoard-FeelGood.jpg" /></a></div>Writing Projects</li><ol><li>Get those short stories out for publication - at least 6 this year; 3 by June</li><li>Keep working on memoir</li><li>Finish NF book</li><li>Finish Poetry Project and find a home for it</li><li>Finish MG Ghost Story book</li></ol><li>Platform Building and Marketing</li><ol><li>Reconnect with writing and publishing community</li><ol><li>Hugo House</li><li>Conferences?</li></ol><li>Finish websites so all are connected and people can sign up for newsletters</li><li>Blog regularly</li><li>Look at doing shorter online workshops?</li></ol><li>Health Focus</li><ol><li>Keep working on creating optimum health </li><ol><li>Vitamins & supplements</li><li>Healthy Eating</li><li>Check-in with Naturopath</li><li>Get iron checked when possible (post-COVID- July?)</li></ol><li>Daily Routines</li><ol><li>Walking</li><li>Meditation</li><li>Workouts</li></ol></ol><li>Home Office & Writing Space</li><ol><li>Try to make time and money to finish clearing out Spare Room and set up a new desk and workspace for myself - open shelves, project boards, etc. </li><li>Keep motivated at home with dedicated writing time and space (currently folding desk in BR)</li></ol></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExq0YbyVZkoWsPmRsFqs_j4oX-EbjBfuztnbp6SynTSzoM8IFEa1iUbvOtTQdQjJCHmGBH6hK-OETukeD6kJB0T6KxSJOkkrteTZi6EPV3w460i7_nYJqGnJb-NhuTJi4CkVtWsCm_AQ/s1170/BigJourneysSmallSteps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExq0YbyVZkoWsPmRsFqs_j4oX-EbjBfuztnbp6SynTSzoM8IFEa1iUbvOtTQdQjJCHmGBH6hK-OETukeD6kJB0T6KxSJOkkrteTZi6EPV3w460i7_nYJqGnJb-NhuTJi4CkVtWsCm_AQ/s320/BigJourneysSmallSteps.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div></div><p></p>Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-45669411059451232552020-10-01T02:35:00.009-07:002020-11-11T01:33:39.043-08:00October Update<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGfE-vOgxvq9y6CBhp3nQ3V07VlpfJMsYXJ9Dzh1RJ3_fC53AYAr_nWY2QdniN7rlY9WkbkWN_pWyTFMkPiGWrEmo3yLFY6y3K-vju5-0rPc2oL2X1KlL4n2OUVu-rrAeB8ZljuMYU8s/w404-h220/alphonse-mucha-the-four-seasons_-fall.-winter.-spring.-summer-%25284-works%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />These past nine months have been both slow and fast. Some of the slowness is much appreciated; the chance to stay home and rest, develop close relationships, and not feel guilty for not "getting out there" and "doing more" has opened eyes to the way we've set up our lives and the manic pace many of us maintain. But so many more people are not able to find those pleasures, because the stress of being an essential worker or, conversely, no longer having a job to work at all. Trying to navigate the unemployment system, scrambling to keep food on the table and a roof overhead - and none of us knowing how long this quarantine and pandemic life will last. I'm lucky that I have a partner, and we both managed to get approved for unemployment. We each work a fraction of the time we used to work, but we have little debt and are managing. <br /><br />I've had every intention of posting a new blog. My last one here was August 2019. I had a family trip to Florida in September 2019, where my husband, my brother, and I visited with our mother and spent time with our dying father. He passed away August of this year, and I'm sorry I didn't get one more visit in, but am grateful for that one last year.<br /><br />I had a half-formed idea for a novel that I tried for NaNoWriMo 2019. I wrote almost half - 22k words - before I shelved it for another time. (Still fighting that anemic fog!) <br /> <div>In December, I focused on creating six writing workshops. I built a new website on Wordpress (But I have to admit, I'm still learning how to do it!). I rented a great space, and held the first one in January. The second one was visual storytelling through vision board collage, held on Leap Day. There was already a weird buzz in the air about the highly-contagious respiratory coronavirus, and my turnout was very lower than expected. We had a good workshop, anyway. Of course, a week later, the world was shutting down for quarantine. </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI3LliqGLSe9670Iuu-LOHshEGFDxGQ0oLZPsWul4AaO3tGchjDwCHpIYt_DA-q0nTAwTZNPRra2bjqPULCMR5yK5iHXmjymQVKwy0fyLJ8bgDSby1qB63utI1ABwv6jjQzeH5s3-8q0/w281-h282/Screenshot_20201001-033046_Photos.jpg" width="281" /></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGoG5WZghyphenhyphenafClEBpVbquCntUwaVLUH4C5WfzljuQS8n3UTEeQ2PmA8KF-OU02HTotTnfYT_EcnRSNDcP20Yf3AF40aV2ftp7at8LR-a0dCYTA2KhOuU3qHm56npuOvHho3U5mcQIkmI/w284-h284/IMG_20201001_034454.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br />My day job as a massage therapist was out of the question. I've never had so much time away from it! My husband's catering business dried up in a flash. And yet, with all that free time... I could write nothing but cleaning protocols and health tips.<br /><br />Some days in May, more in June, I managed to work on a poetry project I had started in December (still in progress).<br /><br />I joined a friend's writing group for Camp NaNoWriMo in July. I set a goal of 35k words, and came close - 30k - on a non-fiction manuscript (still working on it!)<br /><br />August started with my annual GISH scavenger hunt, and I did a lot of fun things, including painting on black velvet, creating watercolor with tea and coffee, writing and recording a slam poem, a protest song, and an interview with a shelter dog. I donated my voice to the Human Voice Bank, and helped raise money for charities benefiting Criminal Justice Reform and Nothing But Nets (fighting malaria around the world). All this creativity gave me a good kick in the pants. <br /><br />Finally, half-way through September, I started to feel a few fiction sparks. I did a flash fiction story for a NYC Midnight competition, which I actually like. I plan on working it a bit more soon - making it longer and developing the concept more. I also wrote a short screenplay that will most likely stay in the "thanks for the practice" category, and one more this past weekend that I like better.<br /><br />I've gotten more tips to tweak my health recovery process - taking my iron and magnesium supplements thirty minutes apart, and thirty minutes before or after eating, with just vitamin-c/OJ. Seems like that is improving my absorption rate, and my iron (ferratin) was up to 37 in July (on a scale of 15 to 150, where I started at 5).<br /><br />Three months to go until 2021. I am NOT about to say "I can't wait", "good riddance to 2020" etc. because in 2020 time, three months is equivalent to half a decade. And, we can make significant changes in our lives on both the micro and macro scale in those three months. If nothing else, I believe this crazy year of pandemic and disaster will push everyone to re-evaluate what's important. <br /><br />I bought the latest oracle deck created by Colette Baron-Reid, called The 7 Energies.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjff86FDiHkzQzNoL31jjRtDvp8viQrTMMBIT_g-gpX2gpNB2KFJ5Dceu9bZNrYsKA1xbfXhvpreRbASc7DlS8KceVoI9IOAc7EGtUhDn2QPx5-q4-swmTICZi92foahrne20e5HorYhQI/s320/Screenshot_20201001-031402_Photos.jpg" /></a></div> As I become familiar with these cards (used as focal points for meditation and reflection), I've drawn three cards about once or twice a week. Inevitable, no matter what question I pose, one of the cards that turns up is that number 33, "Ears Wide Open," which speaks of deep listening as a way to immerse ourselves in the truth of the world/ When we are fully present, we open our hearts and minds to that which is communicated through more than words. And, often, it is in these subtle clues that we are given opportunities for more than we could have imagined.<br /><br /><br /><br />I am doing my best to put down the phone and be fully present in each moment. Attempting to do less multi-tasking, and more mindfulness. I am interested to see what I might see that I might've missed, in the coming months.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2wMVIiweyGFptcMaissAgI0OqNyUAwfFHbT1HuJjRXCU7Ygk3WVr_nshBN5yRW95wSHZb4nO5nseUc9dWMP7ADn8FnHNzqTmk0NdhzHdYBTZDsHjNPnVsD5F1cFlj_X8BRtqs-wmDOU/w431-h265/DeepLiteningQuote.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Palatino, "Palatino Linotype", "Palatino LT STD", "Book Antiqua", Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-52247417354313029882019-08-29T18:50:00.000-07:002019-08-29T18:50:38.948-07:00Overcoming Obstacles to Writing Consistently<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA0KYvGdrBPfEy5K0fk_0CtKeixOV6Sse48oIVrpN8mD1-XfBe186pYJRHu1FvM7Pd9Qv0v_QNqTjX3px3Z2OT9U2CK7QNCdMJ1iCQJygKOR5yC5vbveAbWQgOCMxp5n7vwBy5jGU5HU/s1600/sit_down_and_write_ornament_round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA0KYvGdrBPfEy5K0fk_0CtKeixOV6Sse48oIVrpN8mD1-XfBe186pYJRHu1FvM7Pd9Qv0v_QNqTjX3px3Z2OT9U2CK7QNCdMJ1iCQJygKOR5yC5vbveAbWQgOCMxp5n7vwBy5jGU5HU/s320/sit_down_and_write_ornament_round.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sit down and write. Butt in chair, words on page. Just write something - anything - every day. We all know these mantras, right? This is classic, stalwart, trustworthy advice. But most new writers ask, "how?" </div>
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I'm not a new writer. But I've had some setbacks the past few years in my health and my energy level was barely enough to function at the minimum level of my life; nothing left for creativity. I was unable to maintain many practices: Social events, exercise, walking, summer lake swimming, reading, writing, attending conferences and classes of any kind, teaching classes of any kind, housework, etc. I didn't even realize how much I'd eliminated from my life until this summer, when my iron levels are finally starting to rise above chronic deficiency.</div>
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Iron deficient anemia and the ensuing lethargy and low energy was my main obstacle to writing. I couldn't stay awake long enough to even think clearly. I'm better, still improving (I expect to hit my prime iron level target in 15 months, which is November 2020), but feeling foggy as hell whenever I sit down to write, still. I sit, like now, and wonder where my notes are, which project I should work on, and how to get back to where I was in the revision process on now four-year-old works. I also have a couple of important projects I am editing and assisting other writers with, and one joint project that needs attention. </div>
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Is it a case of the shoulds? I "should" be writing, I "should" be editing, I "should" be submitting...</div>
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Perhaps. There is something to the idea that we often self-sabotage and talk ourselves out of even the most rewarding aspects of life. Shoulds are things we worry about, avoid, don't want to do, don't feel able to do, feel overwhelmed by, feel guilty about, think we need to do, feel expected to do by others, or otherwise get weighted down by. This burden weighs on us, limiting our happiness and ability to be in the moment. And Lightness, Being in the Moment (Presence), and Feeling Free are all needed to be creative, open, exploratory, and productive. </div>
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Here is a list of things I do (and plan to do) to get out from under the weight of the Shoulds:</div>
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<li><b>Make a List.</b> Write it down, write it down, write it down. This is my go-to advice for most problems! (I am a writer, after all...) Today, the first thing I did after sitting down to write (and thinking all those foggy thoughts) is pull out my notebook and a pen. I write down all the things I "Should" be doing - working on memoir, editing book, writing query letters, researching topics, submitting shorts and poems - and write about the feelings I have about those things. Is anxiety a feeling? I mostly feel that. And guilt, for how much time has passed without progress. I also feel a physical lump in the pit of my stomach. And a rush and a push to get going! Those feelings are actually stopping me from doing the items on my list.<br /><br />So, you make the list. Everything. I should walk every day. I should cook more at home. I should go visit my parents. I should call my relatives. I should cancel my subscription to a magazine I don't read. I should save money. I should get that tooth implant. I should figure out to build my brand. I should finish organizing that spare room. I should buy shelves. I should practice my foreign language skills. I should clean out my car.</li>
<li><b>Breathe.</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>Take a deep breath in. Fill your lungs, stretch your rib cage open, relax your shoulders. Breathe out, letting all the worry float away with your breath. </li>
<li>Breathe in, feel the air flow into your head, neck, back, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers... breathe out and let them all relax. The air flows through your body like a river, cleansing.</li>
<li>Breathe in, down your spine, through your hips, thighs, knees, legs, and feet...breathe out and let your feet sink into the floor. </li>
<li>Picture your invisible roots, like a tree, spreading into the earth deep below, and let the little knots, anxieties, worries, negative thoughts, etc. flow out into the ground, away from you. The deep elements of the earth will recycle unwanted energy. </li>
<li>The roots draw clear, clean, nourishing energy up into your body, like a tree or plant draws energy up through the roots. Picture this flow of energy. Breathe. Feel grounded.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Go Back to the List. </b>No write down why you should do each thing.<br />I should clean out my car because I'll get better gas mileage, it's safer, and it won't be bothering me each time someone else gets in my car.<br />I should work on my memoir because I want to get it published.<br />I should work on the editing because I told that writer I would do it.<br />I should get the tooth implant because my bite could go wrong in time without it.<br />I should buy shelves and finish organizing so that I can have more room to do art and stuff.<br /><br />Dig deep; find the origins of those shoulds.<br /><br />...to do art and stuff... because I am an artist that is frustrated by a lack of working space and easy access to art supplies. I want to be more creatively productive.<br /><b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>Questions to ask yourself about the list items:</b><br />1. Is this something you want/need to do for yourself or is it someone else's expectation? (i.e. I "should" get up every morning by 9 AM... because that's what society expects adults to do. (not good reason for me!)<br /><br />
2. Is your should-item realistic or based on unattainable ideals? <br />For example, if you are always on a diet to lose that last ten pounds, are you keeping yourself from enjoying food, social activities, certain clothes or trips or events? What will that "perfect" weight or clothing size really get you? Or your housework - do you never invite guests over because your home is not magazine-perfect? Is it relatively clean and functional? Isn't that what's important? If not, what is? Why?<br />
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<li><b>Take time to reflect on these answers. </b>Use these list items and responses as journal prompts, exploring further the ideas of goals and priorities, influence and self-image. <br /><br />Shoulds often mask deeper fears and resistance to change. If we should do something, and we know it, why aren't we? Is it time for a change in your life that you are reluctant to make? Why? Are you afraid of failure? Of not being perfect? Of not being good enough? Of not having anything to look forward to in the future if you accomplish your "someday" goals?<br /><b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>Shift your focus. </b>Rewrite your list, substituting the phrase "If I really wanted to, I could..." for every "should". This change from guilt-ridden "I should" to the positive possibility of "I could" opens us up to what we really want and what we are capable of.<br /><b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>Creating a path forward: </b>How do these new sentences make you feel? Is it clear which ones you actually do want to do, and which ones you don't?<br /><br />Ask yourself these questions:</li>
<ol><ul>
<li>What truly matters to me right now?</li>
<li>Who has done what I want to do successfully? Who are my role models? Whose advice do I trust?</li>
<li>How do I want to live my life? What are my core values? What makes life worth living?</li>
<li>Will striving towards these goals bring about the changes I want to see in my life? In the world? How will achieving these goals make my life and/or the world a better place?</li>
<li>Are there other ways to achieve these goals? Have I considered all my options? Have I left room for the unknown and unexpected? Sometimes help comes from strangers, answers come in leaps and bounds, and we don't always know the outcome of our actions. Be open.</li>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-10951653352330995152019-07-22T16:02:00.002-07:002019-07-22T16:02:24.237-07:00What We Take In Influences What We Put Out - Media Influences on Creativity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8truXCkzKLRIuQv5c2K57EgajkRPe7kcYn4izlarCDtV1mXrNCPUGnIYRzVDEAt2BC8z_HpQ6FsSn0LL1O5P09CldFy6JSNJxtiE51aGxjVUMbgu9ym3JIBE6_i1FlrEvilEE7eqzl0/s1600/AtticSalishLodgeExtandFalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="292" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8truXCkzKLRIuQv5c2K57EgajkRPe7kcYn4izlarCDtV1mXrNCPUGnIYRzVDEAt2BC8z_HpQ6FsSn0LL1O5P09CldFy6JSNJxtiE51aGxjVUMbgu9ym3JIBE6_i1FlrEvilEE7eqzl0/s200/AtticSalishLodgeExtandFalls.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
Been trying hard (I think) to get back on a regular writing schedule since recovering my energy (still working on that - 2-3 years of anemic lethargy). I've made some strides - planning a 4-hour writing afternoon mini--retreat once a month with my writing group (we've done two), setting up some times to work on writing and editing projects at home, my office, and at my current favorite cafe... attempting to set up some accountability partners and such. But results seem to be...not as expected.<br />
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I am at that cafe now. I've been here for two hours. Planned to work on some writing. But, alas, I have not... what have I been doing instead?<br />
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<li>Online chatting with 2 friends in other countries - good to catch up, though!</li>
<li>Texting with a local friend regarding a mutual friend in another country...</li>
<li>Group chatting with my scavenger hunt team - our annual hunt begins in four days!</li>
<li>A little bit of emailing and updating event pages...</li>
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Not entirely unproductive, but not what I planned either. </div>
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And now I am at a crossroads - my car repair is complete, and I can go get it and help a friend with some apartment hunting before my writers group meets tonight, or I could stay here and actually try to get to some of the writing tasks I had planned to do. So, obviously, writing this blog post is the logical next step, LOL.</div>
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I have been feeling very "out of phase" lately. Like an episode of Star Trek, I am in a time bubble moving slower than the world around me. I don't actually feel slow, but since time is speeding by me, I must be in another space-time dimension, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvOsGAP60RmkSo06LT9D5WBZ3B8FwzkjMsHR6QnA_C9MFxgvRsNSpNLXWKfquydKh8LKZCpHA2_sASepNd-Bcc_oj5Wh4qUYJEgz9LdEVyBvbz9Bvf6exK3jYsnKba-dBSPkMz2gdZh0/s1600/space-time-continuum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvOsGAP60RmkSo06LT9D5WBZ3B8FwzkjMsHR6QnA_C9MFxgvRsNSpNLXWKfquydKh8LKZCpHA2_sASepNd-Bcc_oj5Wh4qUYJEgz9LdEVyBvbz9Bvf6exK3jYsnKba-dBSPkMz2gdZh0/s320/space-time-continuum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've downloaded an app called Podcoin, too. Unrelated, I know, but it is incentivizing me to listen to more podcasts, something that has been on my To-Do list for years. IN the past, the only podcasts I've enjoyed and listened to with any frequency have been Writing Excuses and Welcome to Nightvale. Starting in February, after much prodding by a friend of mine (and fellow Buffy fan), I began listening to Buffering the Vampire Slayer, and a I caught up to season 4, the accompanying podcast Angel on Top. I am caught up now - they are both on summer hiatus. So, I've been trying other podcasts. </div>
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Two that I am really enjoying are My Favorite Elliot Smith Song (each episode is 15-20 minutes long - yay - and features a musician or celebrity discussed their favorite Elliot Smith song) and My Favorite Episode (a Variety produced podcast hosted by Michael Schneider), where TV stars and producers gather to discuss their favorite TV episodes ever, from classic shows to current series and their own work. At 20-30 minutes each, My Favorite Episode is also a digestible chunk of time. I recently tried to listen to Dax Shepard's podcast called Armchair Expert...good premise, good guests, but most episodes are about two hours long! I mean, can't he hire an editor? I may still pick at an episode of it here and there, but I have a lot of other media to consume. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5v6lyBpOOGjcZ9kYJBbTVYE86duAEg7CDpl1vKcTSmdgHOBeuKGkS0DS383TFzXszpCp-qOYLctTJHg7QcU1zk4PLA2LzuNvS2X-ZWpdQT-HMIM6c05MYAjROctOu0ZxH5Rsz3raYds/s1600/elliotsmith-fromthebasementonthehill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="474" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5v6lyBpOOGjcZ9kYJBbTVYE86duAEg7CDpl1vKcTSmdgHOBeuKGkS0DS383TFzXszpCp-qOYLctTJHg7QcU1zk4PLA2LzuNvS2X-ZWpdQT-HMIM6c05MYAjROctOu0ZxH5Rsz3raYds/s200/elliotsmith-fromthebasementonthehill.jpg" width="200" /></a>As writers and creators, what we consume can influence and inspire us in a multitude of ways. Obviously, the aforementioned podcast has kicked up my interest in listening to the music of Elliot Smith, as well, and I'm really enjoying (in that good, sad way) his last album, From A Basement On A Hill. I've also been listening to a few of my favorite classic Cure albums, mostly Faith, Pornography, and A Head On The Door. That retro audio trip has come about since I randomly had a dream I had last week about hanging out with Robert Smith and Simon Gallop and the band behind the scenes at a concert at the Moore in downtown Seattle. (That never happened never would happen and was sparked by I-don't-know-what!). I also went on an alt-80s binge, inspired by seeing Howard Jones (a dear favorite of my 14-year-old self!) and Men Without Hats perform live (my first time for both).</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8RV6D0vJSZp4059fBQDfoKrHJPoTpRobrAGX8_rxJPW7uRFIB4RBToc6LmZl-TakLVykX2Q2M39ua36bRQKsWMxGQPUynxR5Y1Slr-WbhJfOw5ZihYffveb1YPBfpWaMtoEoK846t9E/s1600/80s-collage-music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1077" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8RV6D0vJSZp4059fBQDfoKrHJPoTpRobrAGX8_rxJPW7uRFIB4RBToc6LmZl-TakLVykX2Q2M39ua36bRQKsWMxGQPUynxR5Y1Slr-WbhJfOw5ZihYffveb1YPBfpWaMtoEoK846t9E/s200/80s-collage-music.jpg" width="200" /></a>I was a volunteer for Lifelong AIDS Alliance last weekend at the Bellingham Pride Parade and Pride Fest. Decorating a Jeep as a float, passing out condoms and candy in a twenty-minute parade route, while a beautiful drag queen performer danced atop the "float" to such great songs as I'm Every Woman, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I Feel Love, and Born This Way. </div>
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I'm currently keeping up in real time TV with Fear the Walking Dead, Claws, and some late night TV, of course. I've watched the latest series of Stranger Things on NetFlix, and caught up on the latest Supernatural - seasons 13 and 14 - this past week. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_h2V-NB2uoFQFr0lgQwxhC6ai1mjmkhylLymY_Kokl97jSE3d4cOwVzO8tmgeCHXnNKabRC8_EILpU5OzLLi9H9FHgoKmOrFoGSoQZkdzDqnCojG4Qk6wjvxuraSOV41-woaZt7OBmo/s1600/strangerthingsseason3_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_h2V-NB2uoFQFr0lgQwxhC6ai1mjmkhylLymY_Kokl97jSE3d4cOwVzO8tmgeCHXnNKabRC8_EILpU5OzLLi9H9FHgoKmOrFoGSoQZkdzDqnCojG4Qk6wjvxuraSOV41-woaZt7OBmo/s320/strangerthingsseason3_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrSb7tFIYkWaeHCgnhiLSEnuo0N5ftq0A2f_VZ0c0lTa2QbaG2-pBGYdRac_jP7ohvh4XdKQdgpYSZ0GYbM-jjomGkZw7ISm1vyGo0r-MFneBqgGytWGXLuxVSDyXp6HfWNcNiK84qhM/s1600/supernatural14title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1200" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrSb7tFIYkWaeHCgnhiLSEnuo0N5ftq0A2f_VZ0c0lTa2QbaG2-pBGYdRac_jP7ohvh4XdKQdgpYSZ0GYbM-jjomGkZw7ISm1vyGo0r-MFneBqgGytWGXLuxVSDyXp6HfWNcNiK84qhM/s200/supernatural14title.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I've been terrible about making time to read...spending way too much time playing games on my mobile phone: my forever ones - Words with Friends, Boggle with Friends, Wordox, and Scattergories, as well as My Singing Monsters (been playing nearly 2 years) and the newly added Board Kings, Cookie Jam, Happy Glass, and Draw This. Yikes! Too much!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK4i_pSWuoctuFoRtuuDPxBroAUB9H6STTq1j1iNfNvz1TWJUH_f3MpswrTpZS3DbnNeuZTSt21Ve8q4sO2bfBa_w3ka2jP3PttR03iwiVrdB1OHPqDPltY3Tr57urPhhxmLYzdv37_I/s1600/CraigFerguson-RidingtheElephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK4i_pSWuoctuFoRtuuDPxBroAUB9H6STTq1j1iNfNvz1TWJUH_f3MpswrTpZS3DbnNeuZTSt21Ve8q4sO2bfBa_w3ka2jP3PttR03iwiVrdB1OHPqDPltY3Tr57urPhhxmLYzdv37_I/s200/CraigFerguson-RidingtheElephant.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMiJhv3WPC4icqnrY0jMpvcbI-_I1mB22yuP7Jx6JgmjRxzEpVpcB6uFrVu6zsL93pEYCRQXs29yomTvNwKEZ_0_nUc3FCVlQ5CRi_odcQfaTDh1IbJCE1b7JQcdlIAg3M7Iob8gqLB0/s1600/Book-SicilianFood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMiJhv3WPC4icqnrY0jMpvcbI-_I1mB22yuP7Jx6JgmjRxzEpVpcB6uFrVu6zsL93pEYCRQXs29yomTvNwKEZ_0_nUc3FCVlQ5CRi_odcQfaTDh1IbJCE1b7JQcdlIAg3M7Iob8gqLB0/s200/Book-SicilianFood.jpg" width="132" /></a>I am in the midst of reading some massage work related stuff - Oncology Massage, catching up on some industry journals, and refreshing my knowledge of Body Mechanics For Manual Therapists. I'm also (not) reading Craig Ferguson's newest memoir, Riding the Elephant, and a 1989 book by Mary Taylor Simeti called Sicilian Food: Recipe's from Italy's Abundant Isle. I am amazed and sometimes brought to tears by the familiarity of this book to my childhood. I had no idea how much of my family food history and personal food choices were so closely related and inspired by the history of Sicily... my blood speaks to me! Great stuff, as I delve back into those memoirs around my Sicilian family stories. </div>
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So, my current media consumption seems to be centered around:</div>
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<li>My Sicilian heritage</li>
<li>The melancholy music of my formative teenage years and twenties</li>
<li>The television of my youth - childhood, teens, and twenties - and more recent favorites</li>
<li>Stories of urban dark fantasy and horror</li>
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And I'm writing (or working on):</div>
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<li>Memoir from my teenage years and twenties</li>
<li>Essays on women, culture, and alternative stories in media</li>
<li>Short stories of dark urban fantasy, horror, and fairy tale</li>
<li>Historical Fiction around my grandfather's teenage life</li>
<li>Expanding my writing community and education</li>
</ul>
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There's a lot going on, and I'm just trying to encapsulate and understand it. It's been an uphill battle to reclaim my creative life (as well as my social life), energy, and health, and it's not done, but I'm trying. I want to really build that train track and ride the momentum of routine, inspiration, and creative productivity. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PYmRTrONBoCZc1GiB028o_aaMQpjor2JT3in2G-s_VbxZP-SFmqX1Z59lagqOuO6Ym1aCxB3NhCs0nzQNMicboKigP-jceFia8hIhaCDSCfl4w8x-IA2-SUOCRSxlB3JQjRNDVmBXK8/s1600/ifocusbusinessplanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PYmRTrONBoCZc1GiB028o_aaMQpjor2JT3in2G-s_VbxZP-SFmqX1Z59lagqOuO6Ym1aCxB3NhCs0nzQNMicboKigP-jceFia8hIhaCDSCfl4w8x-IA2-SUOCRSxlB3JQjRNDVmBXK8/s200/ifocusbusinessplanner.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I bought this business planner called ifocus, to help me organize my project goals and time, but I haven't really sat down with it yet to learn it. I spent about half an hour with it, writing up my planned goals and uses for the journal...but I need to do more. On the to-do list...but maybe for AFTER my scavenger hunt week...</div>
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I also just downloaded an app called Time Track, to help me track how I spend my time. I did this the hard way last year, with an excel spreadsheet and color-coded entries... it is useful to see how we are spending our time. I will probably post about that progress in a few weeks.</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-84462779939900040482019-07-04T21:13:00.003-07:002019-07-04T21:27:14.951-07:00I Attended the 2019 Chuckanut Writers Conference. Here's What Happened. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SBXYbZV_RRfhz_VVpImq3vHWH4j1o2B6vim0AXhq-B0P061n-_cq6oMFj6VuBYhDyOBqGX9yW_ToRx3XYW1N9qYjKGxDb-Pvgvx6h6aoe2VtNaHyzH_Cmk6nh_IhyphenhyphenCke33y6tBl7334/s1600/20190620_170019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SBXYbZV_RRfhz_VVpImq3vHWH4j1o2B6vim0AXhq-B0P061n-_cq6oMFj6VuBYhDyOBqGX9yW_ToRx3XYW1N9qYjKGxDb-Pvgvx6h6aoe2VtNaHyzH_Cmk6nh_IhyphenhyphenCke33y6tBl7334/s320/20190620_170019.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdW3MJBlkgPm6V5xM71t9ifSku1c8Rb1hnutHU6COxFXdSapfpW7QVbxLrGgVhyIOLyksk9ezHnMYwclt9AkI_-EqQy2gga9a6RodAq0vc4dHJULfjbjF0ngluo-Cp6rDQL3O4Hdr35E/s1600/20190620_170014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdW3MJBlkgPm6V5xM71t9ifSku1c8Rb1hnutHU6COxFXdSapfpW7QVbxLrGgVhyIOLyksk9ezHnMYwclt9AkI_-EqQy2gga9a6RodAq0vc4dHJULfjbjF0ngluo-Cp6rDQL3O4Hdr35E/s320/20190620_170014.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The 9th Annual Chuckanut Writers Conference took place at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, WA, June 21-22, 2019, with optional events and master Classes on Thursday, June 20th.<br />
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I've been wanting to attend for several years, for several reasons:<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Bellingham is not far from my home in Seattle - roughly a 90-minute drive makes for convenient attendance. I find it challenging to coordinate all it takes to travel to other cities.</li>
<li>I want to constantly learn, grow, and improve myself as a writer, a writing community leader, and a person. I find structured events like this work well for me. I can interact with other writers and people who love learning - a shared purpose. Perhaps I'll make friends, though that is not my primary goal, and perhaps I'll make contacts to connect with in the future, over writing, teaching, conferencing, travelling, publishing, etc. I love the energy that comes from sharing experiences and goals with others. </li>
<li>I am hoping to attend several different conferences to see how they are run, what works and what might be improved/different, and help me to develop my own courses and conferences for writers. I think it's important for all of us writers to support each other every way we can.</li>
</ol>
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I finally registered this year because:</div>
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<ol>
<li>I've been taking my iron and supplements for over a half a year and am feeling more energy. Previously, I knew I would likely miss much of any conference due to my constant need for sleep. Iron deficiency was stealing my time and my life.</li>
<li>I'm feeling slightly more energetic, and motivated to get back to all my previous goals, abandoned over the last few years in the wake of my anemia.</li>
<li>I have a friend in Bellingham who was happy to let me stay a few nights, which meant a.) I got to visit with him a bit, b.) I didn't have to do the 90-minute commute three days in a row, and c.) I didn't have to find a hotel room (challenging for my planning deficient ADHD brain, and added financial expense)</li>
</ol>
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OK. I am compelled to share a quote from a stranger here, from an exercise in a Julia Cameron Artist's Way Workshop I took in April. These positive comments we give each other after sharing are called "popcorn" in her world:</div>
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You are a powerhouse and taking care of your energy levels is setting you up for a whole new experience.</blockquote>
I am feeling that, now.<br />
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Back to the Chuckanut Writers Conference. I signed up for a Master Class on Thursday. I wanted to sign up for at least two of them, but the Laurie Frankel "Work + Magic: Strategies For Gettin' It Done" sold out fast. And to be honest, it was at 9 AM and I never would have made that. I woke up after that at home, and left around 11 AM to make it to my 1 PM class with Anastacia-Renee, and I still walked into the room 15 minutes late (sorry!). That class was called "Time Traveling and Time Keeping: Conversataions With Audre Lorde and Octavia E. Butler". There was another class that sounded great with Claire Sicherman called "Exploring The Authentic Voice" but that was also at 1 PM, and I had to choose. Since the Anastacia-Renee Time class was about interdisciplinary writing and dealt with peotry and sci-fi and literature, I went with that one. It required students to be familiar with the works of Lorde and Butler, which I am somewhat...Wanted to read more before attending, but that didn't happen. As it was, I have read Butler's novel Kindred and a several short stories (I own more book, in the waiting-to-be-read pile) and some of Lorde's essays and poems. I was eager to learn more - both about their work which is imaginative and strong, and them as women- feminists, queer, black, marginalized, ignored despite the merit of their work and words. I am so interested in the complicated tangles of gender and race, society and revolution, perception and imperception.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6ctWuLaXruK9-sVXRqQ0DhJ30mX2JOtvFvaijnWA60QJ8UPKSJQPmomZT0-iKUjmscVQBBKeS-5-RjbOrbMwEYGHdp7ISKQCLc8268gyiEu0_jwmGrGLF07STlNASsP6M2HYs0cZNCQ/s1600/20190620_152248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6ctWuLaXruK9-sVXRqQ0DhJ30mX2JOtvFvaijnWA60QJ8UPKSJQPmomZT0-iKUjmscVQBBKeS-5-RjbOrbMwEYGHdp7ISKQCLc8268gyiEu0_jwmGrGLF07STlNASsP6M2HYs0cZNCQ/s320/20190620_152248.jpg" width="240" /></a>The class was small - 7 or 8 of us - and Anastacia-Renee is a seasoned professor. She clearly adapted the material to our levels, allowing us all to remain engaged with the material and the subject at hand while challenging us to break out of what we think has to happen. Writing exercises included learning structures like Haibun, a Japanese form that begins with one or two paragraphs of non-fiction/autobiographical statements, followed by a Haiku or Tanka centered beneath, creating a fat T-shape on the page. We also tried various methods for wringing the truth out of our subjects, conveying story and emotion in various ways, and just being brave and curious enough to try new things. New structures, new genres, new combinations of forms...whatever brings our work to the next level.<br />
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I wish there were more of these three-hour master classes - I would totally go to this conference another day or two to fit in more of these events.<br />
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After the class, I had two hours before attending the Chuckanut Radio Hour in Heiner Theatre on campus. They do these every month, open to the public, for a $5 ticket. Mine was included with my registration for the CWC. First, I got dinner at Goji Fusion - a not-very-spicy-but-pretty-tasty tofu phad thai - across the street from WCC. I also pored over the schedule to come, choosing my classes and planning my time.<br />
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The Radio Hour was scripted banter, sketch comedy, and local endorsements performed onstage (and broadcast on local radio station KMRE 102.3. It's probably available to stream somewhere, like <a href="https://tunein.com/radio/Village-Books-Chuckanut-Radio-Hour-(L)-p953402/" target="_blank">here</a>, and as a podcast or something, too, but I am leaving that to you seek out. This night's musical guest was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Louis-Ledford-169071496475664/" target="_blank">Louis Ledford</a>, a humorous reading from a local poet, and sci-fi author legend Terry Brooks was interviewed by Spencer Ellsworth. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-MU3jL2hkJZx-jkmeJmrZlN-6WZxVEphFRMpRZ_7GXImvniKR9Nzd1JTUBydlyz6KtgPD1J_qPy02D33arT16TpojAgYoTpplbl_VxjuStxnxQjJn_lCgxX2AaW3H_HUlG0u4X6V8HQ/s1600/20190620_191501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-MU3jL2hkJZx-jkmeJmrZlN-6WZxVEphFRMpRZ_7GXImvniKR9Nzd1JTUBydlyz6KtgPD1J_qPy02D33arT16TpojAgYoTpplbl_VxjuStxnxQjJn_lCgxX2AaW3H_HUlG0u4X6V8HQ/s320/20190620_191501.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwWnMCMRxqJfSLn15WFJSOHjSKjOPbKEZA2XXC1_tQvEdWrFcVbTgZKUnY4p-fSfXhczLvepWUUK57wB2XReaGeWoe2jYLcYxAKVuGEvvLHFyqCmKsaYcgZe3Dd5MaRyQs7nIMAoVGNM/s1600/20190620_191614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwWnMCMRxqJfSLn15WFJSOHjSKjOPbKEZA2XXC1_tQvEdWrFcVbTgZKUnY4p-fSfXhczLvepWUUK57wB2XReaGeWoe2jYLcYxAKVuGEvvLHFyqCmKsaYcgZe3Dd5MaRyQs7nIMAoVGNM/s320/20190620_191614.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasY_1osN3S77BJ8MHXf8UgG7iFp8E2ZGCh1rQRMkAquxKWoklPs0my6y0yA8_PJNDyl55hb5cE6GqdfB48aXzBYeiqm7J8mS59qIQSqrm6vxSlPQ9fiMKqIoceadYYO9ABUJilhjX-kY/s1600/20190620_195233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasY_1osN3S77BJ8MHXf8UgG7iFp8E2ZGCh1rQRMkAquxKWoklPs0my6y0yA8_PJNDyl55hb5cE6GqdfB48aXzBYeiqm7J8mS59qIQSqrm6vxSlPQ9fiMKqIoceadYYO9ABUJilhjX-kY/s320/20190620_195233.jpg" width="240" /></a>When I left the theater, I stopped at the Fred Meyer to pick up a few things on my way to my friend's house. He works from home, and was behind on a project, so after I settled in a bit and we had chatted for an hour or two, went back to it and I got some sleep.<br />
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The next day was Friday, Summer Solstice, and the official start of the CWC. The whole schedule of events is <a href="http://whatcom.edu/academics/community-continuing-education/chuckanut-writers-conference/schedule" target="_blank">here</a>, but basically it went like this: one speaker/lecture in Heiner Hall, four break-out sessions to choose from, lunch, another Heiner Hall lecture for all, a second break-out with four more class choices, followed by various evening events. Thursday was the Radio Hour, Friday was a Faculty Reading and Reception, Saturday had a final reception and book signing, followed by four Open Mic Events in four different locations around Bellingham's Fairhaven area.<br />
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I could talk more about each class and teacher, and I probably will, but for now, I just want to share my Final Thoughts and Impressions from the weekend of events. I think I will do that in another post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1bNlLEic6m9hn8Jhr_UxPjeeTAMK-PD4A2ADR1c4BRLAtgagqgexl9ZvuUQSjAqcxgqdSxUZ5ZdY-1SYPC2J4nd2RPVx5K9C5ZRr5uubbQ1qPtHsbGZqHn8UFIp60InUhb3SUP3SKX0/s1600/20190620_213117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1bNlLEic6m9hn8Jhr_UxPjeeTAMK-PD4A2ADR1c4BRLAtgagqgexl9ZvuUQSjAqcxgqdSxUZ5ZdY-1SYPC2J4nd2RPVx5K9C5ZRr5uubbQ1qPtHsbGZqHn8UFIp60InUhb3SUP3SKX0/s320/20190620_213117.jpg" width="240" /></a>I had not yet made it back to my friend's house to catch the sunset over the lake there, but did snap a picture from the Fred Meyer parking lot. Such a large and lovely sky.... full of clouds and colors that just make my heart soar, even here, over an expanse of asphalt and automobiles. </div>
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I've pretty much only been to the heart of historic downtown Bellingham in the past (usually stopovers for breakfast or lunch on the way to Canada) and on actual Chuckanut Drive - the most scenic road anywhere - but never in the outlying areas of the city. A lot of seemed rural enough to remind me of my childhood home in Harford County, MD, with rolling hills, pastures, small farms, green fields, horses, tractors, and tree-lined winding roads.<br />
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I wonder if the sunsets are always spectacular, if it's special to the solstice and surrounding months of summer?<br />
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The rest of the weekend was filled with classes and discussions, lectures and readings, writing and connecting. Here are a few photos I took during readings and classes:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqyAjvtz11PH3jaTI4fMhSaX0rnhJVIFEFWQxtUSTclhkB0Ywp3qH1A-RaNOigNcfeJsO1P3Y5PsCqx04q8aFwq03XGqB06nrTAczUh209DTVkxNYjJKJQilh9lTT3345EAR5r-B7gbM/s1600/20190621_151707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqyAjvtz11PH3jaTI4fMhSaX0rnhJVIFEFWQxtUSTclhkB0Ywp3qH1A-RaNOigNcfeJsO1P3Y5PsCqx04q8aFwq03XGqB06nrTAczUh209DTVkxNYjJKJQilh9lTT3345EAR5r-B7gbM/s320/20190621_151707.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurie Frankel teaches "Writing About Writing"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ7w-4lOWAC4ew8WIs-MBy5_l88astPu80McPKEeiD6-oayqXjhzjtXqj7PV9TkDqGOgZUVkCXRtof41qYWMFBzaFML0cYdPlHdECWtIVEzIHzaOKBN-CO0Pd9-el5vrtRICyQfye4ag/s1600/20190621_111536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ7w-4lOWAC4ew8WIs-MBy5_l88astPu80McPKEeiD6-oayqXjhzjtXqj7PV9TkDqGOgZUVkCXRtof41qYWMFBzaFML0cYdPlHdECWtIVEzIHzaOKBN-CO0Pd9-el5vrtRICyQfye4ag/s320/20190621_111536.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyanda Lynn Haupt discusses "How To Manage Creative Anxiety and Procrastination" </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jDOBvlFC6cho50jPG_KKKMl0nZ8znW5ZfB_d4UUflFiw4pv7RAMYWfqhKCluZ9J8wquXW46YMrghfTdjKunY85NNwqFQn7WfklNJBrFRCILfjAjVAI9XldcvKbfuIc5PVlcVOQtWXzg/s1600/IMG_20190622_195403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jDOBvlFC6cho50jPG_KKKMl0nZ8znW5ZfB_d4UUflFiw4pv7RAMYWfqhKCluZ9J8wquXW46YMrghfTdjKunY85NNwqFQn7WfklNJBrFRCILfjAjVAI9XldcvKbfuIc5PVlcVOQtWXzg/s320/IMG_20190622_195403.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faculty Readings on Friday Night</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubGNXizcr_obvgL_Fc-x9oIGdfjmL2ZRTiOZ6gMUsvvHXW5_RAImDE1MAI710up6ogd5Q8V3VUGHuF3CRY5_lHDKTgyq3C-JQgZILGjGmRiIQ8CTLebNAGBKsXzLbHKOBFX-FTXT8tkE/s1600/IMG_20190622_195631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubGNXizcr_obvgL_Fc-x9oIGdfjmL2ZRTiOZ6gMUsvvHXW5_RAImDE1MAI710up6ogd5Q8V3VUGHuF3CRY5_lHDKTgyq3C-JQgZILGjGmRiIQ8CTLebNAGBKsXzLbHKOBFX-FTXT8tkE/s320/IMG_20190622_195631.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faculty Readings on Friday Night</td></tr>
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It was great to hear the variety of work presented by the Conference Faculty. Some were funny, some were serious. There was poetry, excerpts from novels, pieces of memoir, and others. Some read from published work, others read from their works in progress.<br />
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It made me want to seek classes from some of the authors that I had not made time for, since one cannot do it all in a conference with simultaneous offerings.<br />
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Books were made available in Syre Hall throughout the conference, but some were sold in the theater lobby the night of the reading and reception. Attendees had the chance to talk to each author and get as many books signed as they desired. All books sold by Bellingham's <a href="https://www.villagebooks.com/" target="_blank">Village Books</a>.</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-9544730771998757232019-07-03T05:52:00.001-07:002019-07-03T05:52:55.247-07:00Another Mercury Retrograde Post - Great for Writers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofhKvYEBahGgfwQdzVc_ejV8z1eCE19A0mg4lo4T1YheIOHhDk9HU7qVuZfMTK3LiajcPwFFjn-i_rNkrwm0Jah9oFGLbp12LqwyI4Ff1I0aZDKNgzEG-QTZCdRtKJZQHI4QVmz8vDB0/s1600/Agatha012.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofhKvYEBahGgfwQdzVc_ejV8z1eCE19A0mg4lo4T1YheIOHhDk9HU7qVuZfMTK3LiajcPwFFjn-i_rNkrwm0Jah9oFGLbp12LqwyI4Ff1I0aZDKNgzEG-QTZCdRtKJZQHI4QVmz8vDB0/s320/Agatha012.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't help but notice the common element shared by my last two posts. One in March, and one five minutes ago in July, what do they have in common? They were both written during a Mercury Retrograde (Rx) period!<br />
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OK, we are not officially in that astrological phase again yet, but we will be in 4 days. (At 4:14 PM PDT, Sunday, 7 July 2019, the three week Rx of Mercury begins.) There is often a Pre-Rx and a Post-Rx effect, and this month I am definitely experiencing that. I have written a bit about the Mercury Rx phenomenon before (<a href="http://michelecacano.blogspot.com/2019/03/percolating-and-planning.html" target="_blank">here</a> and briefly <a href="https://michelecacano.blogspot.com/2013/11/nanowrimo-2013-am-i-crazy.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and there is plenty more available at other sources (like <a href="https://www.almanac.com/content/mercury-retrograde-dates" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.horoscopes.guru/mercury-retrograde-july-2019/" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.revelist.com/wellness/self-care-mercury-retrograde/13130" target="_blank">here</a>. I won't go into it again...but suffice it to say, the Led Zeppelin song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnfgRfhdpeQ" target="_blank">Communication Breakdown</a>" is its regular theme song.<br />
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So far, the Rx shenanigans are evident in these issues:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Hulu has decided to be glitchy and do things like keep raising the volume with no way to stop it except unplugging the TV</li>
<li>Cable Box started blinking and the Guide and ON Demand are both in Error Mode</li>
<li>Random bad timing with banking deposits and auto-withdrawals for extra fees</li>
<li>Mobile banking app not accepting deposit (can't read a check)</li>
<li>Massage client having wrong time recorded for appt. ( luckily we sorted beforehand)</li>
<li>Phone connection spotty (calls and web)</li>
</ul>
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So, I'm expecting a bit of a rough July. Mercury goes Direct at 8:58 PM PDT Wednesday, 31 July. Then there's that shadow phase... But, I love the particulars of this event for us creatives:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Franklin"; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
These periods are great for writers, who can now go back and polish off written material. It is now easier improve the material with detachment when proofing, rewriting and revamping. This typically leads to a better result.</blockquote>
Perfect! Exactly what needs to happen. What else is Mercury Rx time good for?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Franklin"; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Overall, these three week periods are great for getting caught up with paperwork, and mundane, routine chores. Return phone calls from months ago, etc. Chances are that you get to leave a message rather than communicate in person. Should you opt to buy something with wiring then keep the receipts handy or buy adequate replacement insurance.</div>
</blockquote>
I also think of these periods (typically 3x year) as good for any "RE-" task:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycMStcqGbkXB-F69IJgnJJaAZ0pvs1iY-wg1y3IsLM6ULbq7sDnZgRkKkiXb2WHt_Zp-DJMS8JlWgKxtIZks2onP27qQ2eeOEcI1vAMWlnAWgBhLYp_X97vX8lMNzTWlof_iXCm596BQ/s1600/mercury-retrograde-2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="700" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycMStcqGbkXB-F69IJgnJJaAZ0pvs1iY-wg1y3IsLM6ULbq7sDnZgRkKkiXb2WHt_Zp-DJMS8JlWgKxtIZks2onP27qQ2eeOEcI1vAMWlnAWgBhLYp_X97vX8lMNzTWlof_iXCm596BQ/s320/mercury-retrograde-2019.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<li>Reflect</li>
<li>Re-check</li>
<li>Re-evaluate, re-assess, re-analyze</li>
<li>Revamp, rearrange</li>
<li>Restate, reiterate</li>
<li>Reclaim, re-assert</li>
<li>Rectify</li>
<li>Recommit</li>
<li>Refine</li>
<li>Rewrite</li>
<li>Respond</li>
<li>Reconnect</li>
<li>Recharge</li>
<li>Reinforce</li>
</ul>
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Off to recharge.</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-6122947717536561292019-07-03T00:54:00.001-07:002019-07-03T00:54:28.120-07:00Did I Write That? Rebuilding a Writing Practice After Health Issues or Getting Derailed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I remembered a story. It involved a woman...and her daughter? on a drive in the country, who end up staying at a remote estate with their genius host. The host is a philosopher or a scientist or something, and as they women spend more time at the estate, more is revealed to be out of the ordinary. I don't recall many of the details, and as this tale popped into my head, I tried to recall where or when I had read it, or who the author was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXo1cNe3e2F5eHJmEb3J5A5FU6yl6kCjTvU8SqAyYQk-tE6Yo7FAnW8Qm1PTcadp0_8JWxXG7ZUJvivThNrWz-89b1f-G_XiUyrQ5GLcC4IFhFsV1_aA0Hdyx6Q5DaPv3FUkTMy9q7Qw/s1600/Surprised-illustration-wow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXo1cNe3e2F5eHJmEb3J5A5FU6yl6kCjTvU8SqAyYQk-tE6Yo7FAnW8Qm1PTcadp0_8JWxXG7ZUJvivThNrWz-89b1f-G_XiUyrQ5GLcC4IFhFsV1_aA0Hdyx6Q5DaPv3FUkTMy9q7Qw/s320/Surprised-illustration-wow.jpg" width="320" /></a>Then I surprised myself by recalling that I was the author.<br />
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I started this story half a dozen years ago, during a NaNoWriMo month. I don't think I hit my 50,000 word goal, and I never finished it. I think I remember getting bogged down in that middle-of-the-book-bog that so often grips me in the process of longer works.<br />
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Now, I've mentioned before that my iron levels have been dangerously low, and I've been dutifully taking my iron supplements twice daily for eight months now. I am fairly certain my ferritin (stored iron) levels, while still in the "normal" range, have been dropping steadily for several years. Which has resulted in a major decrease in my physical and mental energy, ability to be active, productive, and even awake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ575LPd29zsNYyvDnuWjxekWVj2MCRdfTDSiiAzYh_91wj06e3ro-qk_3aFtrdWA_8uM0Zym5cWXSRIA_ASpgwS-_HpULEdAGtvv7q3yPLF3Bfk7OD0W60tRP8CGnfLFQOJkGPIuad1s/s1600/Rip-Van-Winkle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="526" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ575LPd29zsNYyvDnuWjxekWVj2MCRdfTDSiiAzYh_91wj06e3ro-qk_3aFtrdWA_8uM0Zym5cWXSRIA_ASpgwS-_HpULEdAGtvv7q3yPLF3Bfk7OD0W60tRP8CGnfLFQOJkGPIuad1s/s320/Rip-Van-Winkle1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I've been remembering projects, ideas, plans, and dreams lately, feeling like Rip Van Winkle waking up to realize that years have slipped me, unused. I've lost a lot of time.<br />
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I didn't submit anything for publication the last two years. I didn't finish the memoir I was sure would be done two summers ago. I failed at every planned task of writing, editing, planning, and even attending workshops and writing conferences.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_7k70ruCNWp18sVNRdbt2PIFXKUtiuYWFq8vntB6C-gvRJi-mRR2s3Uk0zcPqihE4BSMjNvcc5fkGiVHytPZWrSDA6RPdxK4WMW9xJlUSo0O2_AveSFi1nOd_wnLoddNdkJs7T-Stzg/s1600/Rip-Van-Winkle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="595" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_7k70ruCNWp18sVNRdbt2PIFXKUtiuYWFq8vntB6C-gvRJi-mRR2s3Uk0zcPqihE4BSMjNvcc5fkGiVHytPZWrSDA6RPdxK4WMW9xJlUSo0O2_AveSFi1nOd_wnLoddNdkJs7T-Stzg/s320/Rip-Van-Winkle2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I don't know that I will go back to this story of mine, but the fact that I had completely forgotten writing it is telling. I sometimes feel the need to give myself a bit of space to grieve what I've lost (health, time, productivity), but also feel maybe more of a push just to get back to it. I'm still rebuilding my work schedule - my regular writing hours, time to the business of my writing, time to do the editing and work of other writers I've made agreements with... I'm sometimes asked: Do you have to time to do this? And the honest answer is, "I don't know," but I am eager to try.<br />
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-64494438521675328732019-03-14T07:33:00.002-07:002019-03-14T07:40:40.790-07:00Percolating and Planning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mercury is in Retrograde... from March 5th until March 28th. If you are unfamiliar with this, it just means that from Earth, it looks like Mercury is going backwards in the sky. Actually, the fast little planet is just making its way around the other side of the sun ahead of us. Why does this make any difference to us? No idea, but it sure seems to. Mercury is the planet of communication, and when it goes retrograde (about three times a year) we experience breakdowns in communication: inexplicable network failures, computer glitches, failed credit/debit transactions, phone problems, failed alarms, and human interaction errors, too - missed appointments, misunderstandings, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VpG0khK9g7ocb0GvR2gMp_UPlxyolpIHCWPn-pPrLs55hbPkitcCD0dHxVDS9WAWa6tJwKLA7ehSHpWQbuejsVrzQQTGqNy9igEGf9Gxypa9ySUy15xXVshUTztesGekRmaaY2mp87U/s1600/Mercury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="693" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VpG0khK9g7ocb0GvR2gMp_UPlxyolpIHCWPn-pPrLs55hbPkitcCD0dHxVDS9WAWa6tJwKLA7ehSHpWQbuejsVrzQQTGqNy9igEGf9Gxypa9ySUy15xXVshUTztesGekRmaaY2mp87U/s320/Mercury.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's been helpful to me over the past couple of decades to be aware of this event, because I used to get really frustrated with my computer, spend hours trying to fix errors or glitches, then give up just to find everything mysteriously in working order the next day. I also make sure to double check and confirm all my appointment times/days/places, and do any of the "Re-" and "back" items on my list: repair, re-tune, reiterate, review, reassess, and back up, backtrack, back off. Rest, ruminate, and research.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmmUWtPk0MUUSNXwbguw2Gxnb9RCUSlw1dCiN4vQnDmClqYSlQJbY4hod8U1dngYNM1gccqnhFOuJyylka4GE2rJXGZTD_BPyGuF9YWsdnrHV6rJgy1JeOMRv4ejEB8CHBFHXa26b-94/s1600/CalendarPlanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="869" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmmUWtPk0MUUSNXwbguw2Gxnb9RCUSlw1dCiN4vQnDmClqYSlQJbY4hod8U1dngYNM1gccqnhFOuJyylka4GE2rJXGZTD_BPyGuF9YWsdnrHV6rJgy1JeOMRv4ejEB8CHBFHXa26b-94/s320/CalendarPlanner.jpg" width="320" /></a>OK, so anyway... I've been active on research this week. I've been researching writing conferences, workshops, and events and filling in my calendar, planning on which events I want to do. So far, I'm definitely doing a Spring Revision workshop with my friend and amazing writing coach, Sonya Lea in May, and I am leaning towards attending the Write on the Sound conference in Edmonds. I've always wanted to check it out, but it's in early October, and I always take my big two-week trip in September/October, so it's never worked out. Also, the PNWA Conference is in September this year, rather than July, so that will be a busy time.<br />
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I wrote up a list of some of these events, calls, and events of interest for a newsletter to my writers group. I used to keep a calendar on the Meetup site, but they removed some of the features I used for this. I switched to sending out news every month or two, but totally fell out of that habit during my Year of Anemia. No energy for those things...now it's coming back.<br />
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I have two major project ideas that I have been sitting on for at least two years. I am currently researching both...gathering information and hoping to get a plan of feasibility in place soon. More to come later!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPGXpKfUBvMa9GIavNji6jfLEcGOsj38P0KySKDal7bpPScR8YYKj3l4A8D4_rHP3QZO_WtNskviaBfh0KIw1k5r0IMNPeUkkhGxFG_HtoderJ8Y9B8hd-EKaK3WyzmI2_JXWQBQml2g/s1600/shh-text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPGXpKfUBvMa9GIavNji6jfLEcGOsj38P0KySKDal7bpPScR8YYKj3l4A8D4_rHP3QZO_WtNskviaBfh0KIw1k5r0IMNPeUkkhGxFG_HtoderJ8Y9B8hd-EKaK3WyzmI2_JXWQBQml2g/s200/shh-text.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSWBh_u2AaXk8hpZ1zJC2SlhT_yIl0SlRvzj1Hkk2564k_1wINpJP2wPyXd79C_Q8l-o3s6GDjHD_KUUSSQZN09LRNrQp2vjZGcKjcYK5755kOBw5ecxBjD6G7z3gVuUVL2U-lx4uWjs/s1600/sh-cloak-hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="357" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSWBh_u2AaXk8hpZ1zJC2SlhT_yIl0SlRvzj1Hkk2564k_1wINpJP2wPyXd79C_Q8l-o3s6GDjHD_KUUSSQZN09LRNrQp2vjZGcKjcYK5755kOBw5ecxBjD6G7z3gVuUVL2U-lx4uWjs/s200/sh-cloak-hood.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-71429852371158834892019-03-12T04:15:00.000-07:002019-03-12T04:15:13.795-07:00First Post of 2019? Picking up where I left off...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now, where was I?<br />
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Oh yes! Anemia! My January blood test showed my iron level up from 5 (on a scale of 15-150) to 18. I'm over the crest of "healthy" levels... although how can there be a 135-point range of healthy iron levels to begin with??) I am still taking iron supplements twice a day, and my brain and body are starting to wake up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuIz6WllkOTJ1_kQQpvHp0XDmXDEiKed3g_2Od1mSj7d_DBuWLR0Sdr5nLFhNdbMcRlPn9c_OsC5uyvOfT5kcw_OlwIhJthoUukugi9urd9HkME0CXR3gdutNJ_v2fPB6lwisA8uP1e4/s1600/Enthusiasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="494" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuIz6WllkOTJ1_kQQpvHp0XDmXDEiKed3g_2Od1mSj7d_DBuWLR0Sdr5nLFhNdbMcRlPn9c_OsC5uyvOfT5kcw_OlwIhJthoUukugi9urd9HkME0CXR3gdutNJ_v2fPB6lwisA8uP1e4/s320/Enthusiasm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I still have a LOT to catch up on:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oLUK7SIJmcrjL2ezl4JTP6hqzeDD_IUmRF47OiGjDnJdnwDV5CM84jYVupdZGRgmC8mr2fUouWpIjLiGO1D4rupBTTbm7qzsIzywwCsVvDTHw2-43YwIyvpUxRaH9u2QTfxUrcjJTyI/s1600/creatingideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oLUK7SIJmcrjL2ezl4JTP6hqzeDD_IUmRF47OiGjDnJdnwDV5CM84jYVupdZGRgmC8mr2fUouWpIjLiGO1D4rupBTTbm7qzsIzywwCsVvDTHw2-43YwIyvpUxRaH9u2QTfxUrcjJTyI/s320/creatingideas.jpg" width="233" /></a>
<li>Friends, family, social contact that was lost to the narcoleptic haze.</li>
<li>Getting back to marketing and newsletters - both my massage therapy business and my writing group newsletters have been idle. I started several articles, started several update letters, but never could keep my eyes open or my energy up long enough to finish the writing and send them out.</li>
<li>Writing Practice! Very important one, here. I bitched and moaned a few times the last two years, as my energy fizzled, about not having the right place/space and time to write available to me. There may be truth in that, but my lagging health was not helping. </li>
<li>Submissions! Goes along with the inability to stay focused and awake. Since my progress was in such small increments, I never really finished anything and therefore had nothing ready to submit for publication. Must rectify that gap in my resume, now. </li>
<li>Plans for further creating classes and teaching and facilitation writing events. </li>
<li>Personal goals like getting back to regular exercise and continuing to go through, sort, and purge old papers, books, media, and stuff; declutter and organize.</li>
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I keep remembering ideas I had before my energy was depleted. Now, these ideas are coming back to me and I am trying to prioritize them and the steps I need to take to make them reality. Everything from business ideas to travel goals to story ideas... they are back on the front burner.</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-3667869834895671912018-11-23T17:39:00.001-08:002018-11-23T17:39:44.382-08:00Do You Feel Tired All The Time? Do You Fall Asleep at the Wheel?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNbwTxm62bi_y4jAaClWHNmupo7ZITgbSXkkxayE0t03PEPiOdrokhXuCforYiA1S98C-FAeOEsGftrcgnheXKw02EpG80wMw1nbJqa-u4_vwrEDAOE1j6oqZOtGC0LobJ1tya4U0RAs/s1600/fallingasleepatthewheel-anchorman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="695" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNbwTxm62bi_y4jAaClWHNmupo7ZITgbSXkkxayE0t03PEPiOdrokhXuCforYiA1S98C-FAeOEsGftrcgnheXKw02EpG80wMw1nbJqa-u4_vwrEDAOE1j6oqZOtGC0LobJ1tya4U0RAs/s320/fallingasleepatthewheel-anchorman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I do. When I'm driving my car, I sometimes hold my eyelids open with my fingers. If it's really bad, I pull over, take a nap for 10 to 20 minutes, then get back on the road. And my commute is only 20 to 35 minutes long. I have been falling asleep a lot the past 18-24 months - at the wheel, in my office, while watching TV or movies, while reading, while writing at my laptop... just all the damn time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYY21zl9lhq-qQ8nHmkfp1t0DOkqJCHudFZxGoHlETvi_kpafmqfuBOBbU2Tu65lthTCk2vzTspNyzlvdiWIfn7V0pGhoX84z9ysDE7pAqwwWGyEU-p2tbdRRP6QZiAXTZie-5Dx8tdGc/s1600/fallingasleepatthewheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="481" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYY21zl9lhq-qQ8nHmkfp1t0DOkqJCHudFZxGoHlETvi_kpafmqfuBOBbU2Tu65lthTCk2vzTspNyzlvdiWIfn7V0pGhoX84z9ysDE7pAqwwWGyEU-p2tbdRRP6QZiAXTZie-5Dx8tdGc/s320/fallingasleepatthewheel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Regular Writing Time Is Regular.</b><br />
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Routine.<br />
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It is the backbone of any practice. My routine is different every day, but tends to have larger patterns over weeks or months. Historically, my writing practice has looked like this, after years of development:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Sunday: Write at Starbucks from about 3pm (sometimes 4 or 5) til 7 or 9pm.</li>
<li>Monday: Make copies of work for my Monday Night Writers Group feedback read</li>
<li>Tuesday: May write between my massage therapy sessions, depending on time</li>
<li>Wednesday: Day off</li>
<li>Thursday: Often write between sessions or after work for an hour or two.</li>
<li>Friday: Depending on schedule, may write here and there between sessions at work.</li>
<li>Saturday: Write for about 2 hours after work. </li>
</ul>
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Additionally, I keep a dream journal that I write in every day that I recall my dreams...</div>
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I also keep a log on my phone (I use Evernote) of story ideas, character names, inspiring prompts, etc. to work with in the writing hours.</div>
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But this past year (or longer), my energy is been at a serious low. I sit down to write in between sessions at work, and within minutes have closed the laptop and gone into napping. I force myself to get out of bed at the last possible minute before I have to go to work or wherever I need to be; otherwise, I will just stay in bed and sleep...for hours - 10, 12, 15, 20...however long I can get away with. </div>
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I have felt guilty about my lack of productivity. My fitness and exercise, housework chores, my business upkeep (newsletters, mailings, contacting colleagues, clients/patients, etc.), my reading, and my writing have all suffered. I just can't seem to make myself stay awake and get stuff done.</div>
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I have always tried my best to listen to my body, tend to my self-care, and respond to signals as best I can. For the past two years, I continued to ask myself these questions:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAw3r4BBhPzqZ435JqrD2FMs4B33U3icv7aG0EnsoLalXTNsLIn4G66ZRGX0R0yONcWYx3WUhKXI-d9DissKUw8Vros1QlOH-__TH4hF3o68JlXDg6C17MbvhCx_XnShS8DEHMUfgzEA4/s1600/fallingasleepatwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="708" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAw3r4BBhPzqZ435JqrD2FMs4B33U3icv7aG0EnsoLalXTNsLIn4G66ZRGX0R0yONcWYx3WUhKXI-d9DissKUw8Vros1QlOH-__TH4hF3o68JlXDg6C17MbvhCx_XnShS8DEHMUfgzEA4/s320/fallingasleepatwork.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<li><b>Is this normal?</b> Obviously not. </li>
<li><b>Am I depressed?</b> I have no history of clinical depression. I am a fairly self-motivated, positive thinker, with a ton of ideas and inspiration sources. I know depression is not tied to our will or desire, but other than all the excessive sleeping, I do not feel depressed.<br /></li>
<li><b>Is it politically driven? </b>Oh yeah, except for the fact that I am a woman in tRump's America...that is pretty damn depressing. Every day is a battle for equal rights, civil discourse, freedom of the press, freedom of/from religion, freedom of speech minus the spew of hate, body sovereignty, clean air, clean water, protection for endangered animals and nature, and more. The news is depressing, infuriating, and unbelievable. Ignorance and intolerance is rampant, and these fossil fuel pawns and anti-science dweebs ate destroying our very planet. So, I ask myself once again: am I depressed?</li>
</ul>
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEvlpDXHsMUbzV6LMvM21v0wHjT5EvOeigFj9RKkdadFXENncOy2ELswYxSz63EathZ3pCMwC28rWUW-AKVtKpkWudjji8vV8yn-hlijT6xyRWy2hBeaASc-6E7Z8uwb6IZ-bGBHV0lk/s1600/nightowlwriter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="547" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEvlpDXHsMUbzV6LMvM21v0wHjT5EvOeigFj9RKkdadFXENncOy2ELswYxSz63EathZ3pCMwC28rWUW-AKVtKpkWudjji8vV8yn-hlijT6xyRWy2hBeaASc-6E7Z8uwb6IZ-bGBHV0lk/s320/nightowlwriter.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Is my erratic sleep schedule to blame? </b>I basically live like a vampire.</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I have always been a night owl - I come from a long lineage of night owls - but it has gotten way out of hand. Instead of going to bed by 5 am, I have been going to bed/sleep at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, sometimes on a day off not til 10 am. I sleep as long as I can - maybe 3 hours, maybe 2 or 4 or 5. 6 is the minimum best, but even when I sleep 9 hours, I still wake up tired, so what difference does it make? I know regular (-ish) sleep hours are the best for health, and I experienced the effects of sleep deprivation firsthand when I was in massage school in 1998 and working two jobs and only sleeping 4 to 6 hours per night. Even with naps, I was not getting enough sleep, and my brain was unable to think a way out of that. I also gained fifty pounds that year... definitely a side effect of not enough sleep. <br /></li>
<li>So, have I allowed myself to create this exhaustion cycle myself? Why can't I just go the eff to bed? Once I'm in bed, I usually fall fast asleep, so it's not insomnia. I am awake, in the living room, either reading, or writing, or watching TV or movies, or chatting with friends in other time zones, or whatever. My brain is very awake and active (even if my body is not) between midnight and 6 am.<br /></li>
<li><b>Is this related to my Adderall use? </b>I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and have been trying to find the sweet spot for dosage for a few years now. It's all trial and error. Since spring of this year, I've mostly been taking 15 mg when I first get up/have breakfast, then another 15mg 4 to 6 hours later.<br /><br />But Adderall can affect sleep. I don't take it anywhere near my "bedtime" but I wonder if it could be affecting my sleep, anyway?</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0_rNgtNIIwgYYzsd30nQrvq_EPGs0mQ87QXei5gYHWu4v97PDE-582DWqlI7OQlOIqzgm902QjaOywBxhqmizCAlY8sw7BEcuMSRTpoyWkGoSJVsKDQ-ZQbG9znurX4mfwPX9F3zYME/s1600/vampire-in-coffin-cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0_rNgtNIIwgYYzsd30nQrvq_EPGs0mQ87QXei5gYHWu4v97PDE-582DWqlI7OQlOIqzgm902QjaOywBxhqmizCAlY8sw7BEcuMSRTpoyWkGoSJVsKDQ-ZQbG9znurX4mfwPX9F3zYME/s200/vampire-in-coffin-cartoon.jpg" width="131" /></a>I spoke to my doctor once again in October about my exhaustion and lack of energy and motivation. This time, she noticed just how pale I am, and decided to do a blood test on me for anemia. </div>
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Two days later, the results are in: I am full-blown anemic! My iron level was 5, which basically means I had five red blood cells (not really, but may as well have been). The healthy range (according to allopathic western medicine; naturopathy and eastern medicine have more detailed ranges and meaning) is 15 - 150. Mine was 5. My other levels were low, too, and my doc told me to take iron supplements twice a day for three months and then get a follow-up blood test. She also told me to take vitamin C to help my body absorb the iron. </div>
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I have been taking the iron and C twice every day for just over a month, now. I definitely feel the difference - I noticed I am more chatty, for one thing! I do recall wanting to tell someone some story or other over the past year, and thinking to myself, "meh, it's just not worth the effort." I have had several mornings where I wake up before the alarm clock and don't go back to sleep! I am excited at the prospect of being alert and having more awake time to be productive. Maybe I can get back to more exercise? Perhaps even the morning workouts at home I used to do? </div>
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As of the diagnosis of anemia, I had only read 19 books (in 10 months?). I usually read about fifty to sixty a year, so I was behind by half. I can now stay awake and read more than 2 pages, so I'm happy about that, too. Especially since my book-BUYING rate has not slowed down this year... so much to catch up on!</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-25661475570065766462018-08-30T20:31:00.001-07:002018-08-30T20:31:58.699-07:00When Excuses for Not Writing are More Than Just Excuses...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2018 seems to speeding by. Here we are, on the eve of Labor Day Weekend, and the proverbial end of summer.<br />
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Do you, or did you, have summer writing goals? Did you meet them?<br />
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Do you have a writing schedule for the year?<br />
(When to write, when to revise, when to query, submissions deadlines, etc.)<br />
Have you stayed on schedule?<br />
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Has your writing been clear? Easy? Or difficult, and muddled?<br />
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Have you been able to keep up on anything you planned this season?<br />
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If your answer is "yes" - congratulations! Job well done. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress in print!<br />
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If your answer was "no" or "not really" - welcome to my world. Join the club. I do believe a number of us are feeling down about this unfinished business in our heads...<br />
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I have been working on my memoirs, still, but in smaller and smaller spurts as the summer continued. I feel so behind on everything! Writing projects, travel plans, class scheduling plans, housework, shopping, reading...basically, life.<br />
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I don't know... it seems like I keep repeating myself, but my main obstacles to being more productive are:<br />
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<b>1. Lack of writing space.</b><br />I've been working all year with an organizer to go through my apartment, pare down my stuff, reorganize my space, but I have not yet gotten to the office area. The current goal date is before my trip at the end of October.<br /><br />The coffeeshops that I have always written in have all changed their hours, and I have been even more of a vampire with my own schedule, and I just haven't found a consistent time and place to work. When I force myself to do it at home, the bad seating gives me body pains. Must get the right new desk set up!<br />
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<i>How I sit at a good cafe table, like my Starbucks...</i></div>
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<i>Positions I end up at home, that make me ache!</i></div>
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<b>2. I'm just busy, gah! </b><br />
This is true. I have stayed busy at my day job of massage therapist, in months when I usually have slowed down in the past. I'm grateful for the work, though! My social schedule has also been busier than other times of the year - lots of music concerts and events, several extra events for writers and even some extra group projects to take on. More on those another time...<br />
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I haven't been able to keep up with my book reading and editing schedule, either.<br />
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<b>3. Smoke gets in my eyes...</b><br />
Yeah, so living in the PNW, we are surrounded by wildfires. Especially the 800 or so fires on Vancouver Island... they make our air hazy, and also our brains!<br />
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<i>Photo from KING5 News</i></div>
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Thank goodness the air has cleared in the past day or two, with wind and rain. Today, I saw clouds in a blue sky. But the mild headache all month, the need for hours of sleep (because the quality of sleep is not great), the fuzzy inability to focus (it's not just me!) and think clearly... all of this has cut into my productivity, and I need to accept that I am not fully responsible for this. These factors are real, and while I am feeling bad about not getting stuff done, I have to just get the rest, take the time, and know that it won't last. Already feeling clearer-minded, and here I am, at least writing this blog entry!</div>
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Know when to take responsibility for your work or lack thereof, and know when to stop fighting the negative influences of time management (don't lose sleep over losing writing time!), air quaility, health issues, and other unforeseen events. </div>
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DO what you CAN, WHEN you CAN: if it's fifteen minutes of journaling, or five minutes of jotting down an idea for your story, or researching where to submit to publish instead of writing at that moment, DO IT. Any action taken towards bettering yourself as a writer, as a person, is a worthwhile effort. </div>
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Don't kick yourself over what you didn't get done, be proud of what you did. Plan on writing a 15-page chapter this week but only get 1 page done? That's one more page than you had before! Move on. </div>
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I have to constantly battle the voices that say I am lazy, or I never finish anything.... Just Keep Going. I keep a running resume of pieces I have finished, and pieces I've gotten published. See? The voice is wrong!</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-8525356978794365502018-03-14T02:18:00.001-07:002018-03-14T02:18:20.134-07:00Life With Adult ADD: Things (Not) To Do Before Leaving on a Trip <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's see... I need to leave for the airport in three hours, so let's do a checklist of where I'm at in the process of preparation at 2 am:<br />
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<li>Packed suitcase - mostly - 85% done</li>
<li>Packed carry-on - mostly - 75% done</li>
<li>Continue to update and check off packing lists...</li>
<li>Followed up on last minute emails, updates, etc. Even did my newsletter last night!</li>
<li>Updated monthly budget - does this need to be done now? Sure? 97% done (as much as able)</li>
<li>Petted the cats relentlessly - mostly done - 80%</li>
<li>Done Annual Periodic Expenses - Why? Why now? But, yup - 90% done</li>
<li>Started reading a new book on Non-Fiction Publishing Markets - Started- NO! WHY? Stop.</li>
<li>Ate a snack. 100% done. (But there is still food in fridge...it will go bad...FAIL!)</li>
<li>Painted toes... nope, will take polish on trip.</li>
<li>Laundry - done! </li>
<li>Sorted wallet - done!</li>
<li>Changed purses - mostly done - 97%?</li>
<li>Revisited work-in-progress for editing - NO! Save that for some other time! Don't you want sleep? A nap??? </li>
<li>A bath... when?</li>
<li>Breakfast? </li>
<li>COffee? How soon? Now? At 4? Let's start a new book...NO!</li>
<li>Should I sleep a tad? Or just stay awake and sleep on the plane, as is my usual routine? How much did I sleep last night? 2 hours?? </li>
<li>2:06 am - Update blog - done!</li>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-34065961864455813962018-01-22T05:15:00.000-08:002018-01-22T05:15:15.067-08:002018: New Year's Resolutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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January is nearly done.<br />
<br />
Every year, I do a series of meditations on my life goals and world hopes. I make a vision board (I don't care how hokey you think it sounds, I like it) of what I want to focus on. I revisit last year's resolutions list, see how I've done, figure out what I did or didn't do and why, reassess, and make a new list of goals for the coming year.<br />
<br />
As 2017 came to a close, I did none of that.<br />
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We're three weeks into 2018, and I just did the list look-over, and have started a new Pinterest board for 2018 goals, but that's all.<br />
<br />
Basically, this was 2017:<br />
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My tolerance for bullshit is .002%. </div>
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My interest in the news is -400%, but I maintain...I do enough to know what's up in Congress, call and email my reps and senators, and hang on to a thread of my hope and sanity. </div>
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It hasn't done much for my creativity.</div>
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I just looked at the list of <a href="http://michelecacano.blogspot.com/2017/01/2017-happy-new-year-resolutions-part-1.html" target="_blank">resolutions for 2016</a>. There were just five, as opposed to my usual 17.</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>✅ Sleep better - Well, it turns out I have an allergy to wheat (or whatever chemicals they are calling wheat these days) so a gluten-free diet has solved those pesky sleeping and breathing problems. And my random rashes, yay...</li>
<li>✔𝗑𝗑 Writing goals - the only one I did was work on the Allan ms - not done, though.</li>
<li>✔ Massage networking - a little... but business has been busy, so yay, there.</li>
<li> 🆇 IRA - nope, but still in the plans...</li>
<li>✅ Support Journalistic Integrity - I did this one! I paid for subscriptions to quality news outlets like The Guardian and Washington Post. I donated to several causes involving public interest, education, and the arts.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So far, this is my plan for 2018:</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Organize home</b>. I already have an organizer hired. Today will be our second session.</li>
<li><b>Make a writing area at home. </b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
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<i>Ok, it won't look like this because I live in a small apartment, but the atmosphere is close...</i></div>
</li>
<li><b>Finish 1989 memoirs.</b></li>
<li><b>Finish draft of Baltimore Boys.</b></li>
<li><b>Do some performing - </b>Storytellers, Moth, Salon, etc.</li>
<li><b>Make two submissions.</b></li>
<li><b>Read 30 books. </b>Include classics by non-white authors, new releases, and both fic & nonfic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNqwGNexjWtSAzSssuQbd_IRDQUz3pdKPNwSesoVnuVE-z6ty8v_rQK9LDowSxcKT5a9wYyFMkQKosJxcnHLjWELSrHfOyrDmCW7fOUqpgW_AlemvA5TP3D0KzmOAbCC9GyZpVxcUfDw/s1600/read-books-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNqwGNexjWtSAzSssuQbd_IRDQUz3pdKPNwSesoVnuVE-z6ty8v_rQK9LDowSxcKT5a9wYyFMkQKosJxcnHLjWELSrHfOyrDmCW7fOUqpgW_AlemvA5TP3D0KzmOAbCC9GyZpVxcUfDw/s320/read-books-800.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><i>Last year I aimed for 52, but felt rushed. I need time to absorb. I also need time to read manuscripts for my writers group, and to write, myself!</i></div>
</li>
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<b>Seek teaching opportunities. </b>Work on panel submissions and written material. </div>
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<b>Get involved. </b>Find ways... politics?, writing, cons, community arts, etc.</div>
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<b>Travel. </b>Victoria, Florida, Italy. </div>
</li>
</ol>
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That's my list so far. </div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-87679864135803004542018-01-12T17:35:00.000-08:002018-01-12T17:35:32.963-08:00Word Splurge! Writing Time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As you may recall, I have a very hard time writing the past six months or so. No writer's block, here, just a conundrum of not having the "stars" align... and by stars, I mean the necessary components of good writing:<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Time</li>
<li>Space</li>
<li>Energy</li>
<li>Mental acuity</li>
</ol>
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Nope, that's not a breakdown of one of Einstein's theories, it's a very simple list that I have not been able to complete simultaneously lately. </div>
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But, today... I had a cancellation at work and a long block of errand-running-time that I co-opted into writing time. And, believe it or not, I DIDN'T TAKE A NAP! I always fall asleep when I meant to write or read at my nice, warm, cozy massage office with the soft lighting, soothing music, and warm blankets and pillows at my disposal. But not today! I wrote! </div>
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First I did a couple of massage office related things that needed to get done. But, that didn't take me very long, so I opened up a blank page and wrote about my first car! It's crap! But I wrote it! On another day, I will go in and re-order the content to make it less crap. It's called SCULPTING...like clay...I have a big six page pile of clay! It feels good. In fact, it felt so good, I started another one. It will be an important part of my larger work, the memoir, but for now, it has three opening sentences and a few paragraphs about my godmother. WONDERFUL! I am truly excited to get back to the page. </div>
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I met with a woman yesterday to plan a home organization and de-cluttering. We start tomorrow, and I wonder if that action nudged me into action in this other area of my life that has been cluttered with busywork and other tasks...? Hmm...</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-79728043876694322752017-12-17T01:48:00.001-08:002017-12-17T01:48:36.319-08:00I Miss Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Hello, laptop. I've missed you. I carry you with me nearly every day, but rarely interact with you, anymore. I see you, across the room, while I'm doing my work as a massage therapist, and I think, "soon." Yet, there's never any time. When I do have time, either in between sessions, or at the end of the day, I'm too tired, or fried, or sore, or behind on other tasks to pick you up. I miss you.<br />
<br />
I miss writing my newsletters. I miss scouring calls for submissions and browsing my writing morgue, looking for that spark to write a new tale. I miss the thrill of the pressure of meeting a deadline, of racking up those resume points, of exploring my own ideas. I haven't even been journaling... the few dreams I can recall, I jot down in highlights and bullet points. Less than satisfying.<br />
<br />
This month, too, is already filled...with work, with work, with work, with parties, with shopping, with wrapping, with holiday cards, with exhaustion, with sleep.<br />
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Maybe in January...</div>
Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-70476079083897710932017-10-21T19:20:00.001-07:002017-10-21T19:20:11.176-07:00How Do You Make Up For Lost Writing Time?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can't believe it's nearly November. Seems like I am always in disbelief at the speed of time, anymore, but there it is. Here's the short list update since my last post, in June.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I am competing in NYC Midnight's Flash Fiction (1000 words or less) contest for the first time. There are more than twice as many contestants in this one than in the Short Story Contest that I have done several times.<br /><br />Everyone writes for two rounds, and points are tallied to progress towards Rounds 3 & 4. My assignments were:<br /><br />Round One: <br />Genre - Drama<br />Setting - Beauty Pageant<br />Object - Cash Register<br /><br />Of course, I kept having to rewrite it with less humor. I was less than enthused with my elements...I wanted to write it funny! So, then what happened?<br /><br />Round Two:<br />Genre - Comedy<br />Setting - Superstore<br />Object - Parrot<br /><br />Great, comedy! But, a parrot? My mind was clouded with images of Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch. I wrote my first story (1800 words) but it was not funny. My second story (1200 words) was funny, but had no story or plot, to speak of. I sketched out a few other possibilities, and finally wrote one that centered on a thief and a talking parrot (1550 words). I cut it down to 996 words and submitted it in the final hour. Of course, the next night at my writers group, I read it and notices a handful of typos and errors...sigh. Hopefully, I will make it into the third round, anyway.<br /></li>
<li>My Microsoft Surface, which had been finicky about accepting a power charge since at least February, wouldn't charge at all after Round One of the contest, in late July. A month later, I replaced it with a Lenovo Yoga laptop/tablet. I really never use the Tablet function, but I love the lightweight and small size of these convertible things. Another month later, I got my lost files retrieved (OneDrive snafu) via the help of a friend. That was this week...<br /></li>
<li>I am so behind on everything. I feel like I barely get anything done, every time I sit down to do all the things I need to do. (These include budget updating, newsletter writing, meetup upkeep, editing, reading, collating information for working writing projects, writing, editing, submitting, querying, posting on this blog, etc.) Today, I updated my meetup calendar, posted in the Nanowrimo forum, and finished my massage newsletter from July...finally! (But so much I didn't get to, and I'm running out of time, so I decided to do this blog post!) Plus, my day job has been soooo busy that I haven't had many writing sessions set aside. I work, eat, pass out, repeat.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Work, eat, pass out, repeat.</div>
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<div>
Okay, so my plan is to write a novel this November, as a participant in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the TENTH year. I am undecided on the story, as of yet, but will be going through some brainstorming and notes this week.</div>
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That's it for now. Join me at NaNoWriMo! @divinerebel </div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-340659463778426692017-06-03T20:47:00.001-07:002017-06-03T20:47:12.588-07:00Scrivener: The Learning Curve is Worth It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
I've set my sights on conquering Scrivener.<br />
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It's not difficult to use, just takes some time to get to know it. The first time I used it was for a NaNoWriMo novel, and I seemed to muck things up unnecessarily. (Starting with forgetting to get my NaNo participant's 50% discount on purchasing it!) I couldn't keep my folders organized properly, I mislabeled scenes, it was messy. I wanted to use the corkboard view mode feature, but couldn't figure out how to incorporate that into my text-doc style habits.<br />
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But, I know the benefits of streamlining later down the road. A writer in my writer's group used Scrivener (at my suggestion, even) to great advantage when self-publishing: the program makes instant Table of Contents, easily accessible Chapter Headings, and publisher-ready formatting for ebooks.<br />
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So, as I revise my memoir modules and look to assembling them, I ventured back into the Scrivener world. I chose to use the Non-Fiction Template. I watched a couple of How-To videos on YouTube to refresh my memory and perhaps help me avoid making the same mistakes I made before. Immediately, the difference is noticeable. I keep my chapters as folders, and my modules as scenes. I add more scenes - variations on the modules, notes, etc. - and manage to label them in a logical way.<br />
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The only trouble I've run into, so far, has to do with pictures. A tutorial video has espoused the benefit of using photos as the covers of the scene chapter/scene cards, in corkboard view mode. Sounds good to me - I'm a pretty visual person. But, alas, I believe that is not an option in the Non-Fiction Template mode, unfortunately. I manage to learn how to include photos, at least, by opening a new text inside a folder, adding the photos to the text document, and saving it as a scene within the chapters I want them.<br />
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Okay, so, now...I'm going to employ the use of "Stamps" - so each folder or virtual index card is stamped with a word of my choosing: Rough/First/Raw, Needs Polish, Needs Research/Editing/Citations/Photos, etc.<br />
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Videos I used:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEKLey1ecOg" target="_blank">Scrivener: A Quick Review of How It Works and Some Of Its Cool Features</a> (Karen Price)<br />Fifteen minutes long. Good overview, nice pace, but doesn't get into the different templates and modes as much as longer tutorials, obviously. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLXjMLEZ00E" target="_blank">Scrivener Bootcamp</a> (Jason Hough)<br />This one is about an hour long, and covers just about every thing you'd want to know how to do. Very well organized, but still slightly overwhelming for me...I had to take pauses, try things out, and go back to the video.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdwnHo23Ub8" target="_blank">Scrivener Basics For Windows</a> (Literature & Latte) <br />Ten minutes in length, built for beginners, but is six years old, so some features have changed.</li>
</ul>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-33464911677837717022017-04-10T17:42:00.001-07:002017-04-10T17:42:27.180-07:00NYC Midnight & Writing Report (Is it April, already??)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Janubrumarchapril.<br />
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That's what this year feels like, already. A blur of days and nights and weeks and rain...I am not daunted by the rain, or the greyness of Seattle. But the greyness, edging into darker territory, as we watch the world turn to shedooby, shattered...that is taking its toll, no?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMkWoC0S2CrvUQhgvUhJYiCRDCPScnJdt_1rBdC9t9DQYOChrF8zVgyWJKutEUmki5WptBgW11x-QqqtFMhfli48XEhLkiY2FXsuOCTS-htajCcmkIwkHYPunh_5MuJSWJ2uk4rvHqOQ/s1600/IfYouDontWrite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMkWoC0S2CrvUQhgvUhJYiCRDCPScnJdt_1rBdC9t9DQYOChrF8zVgyWJKutEUmki5WptBgW11x-QqqtFMhfli48XEhLkiY2FXsuOCTS-htajCcmkIwkHYPunh_5MuJSWJ2uk4rvHqOQ/s1600/IfYouDontWrite.jpg" /></a>But the last thing I want to talk to about is the encroaching evil in our world. It is always there, but the wheel has spun to bring much of it into the light, and I only hope we can treat it effectively, making the light we still have brighter and stronger.<br />
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But this is a blog about WRITING.<br />
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This year's <a href="http://www.nycmidnight.com/" target="_blank">NYC Midnight</a> Short Story Contest began with my assignment:<br />
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Genre: Horror (yay!)<br />
Character: Security guard<br />
Theme: Retirement<br />
Prize: HM<br />
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I was pleased with the genre, to say the least. I wrote a story about a retiring guard passing the secrets of the nursing home to his replacement. I received an Honorable Mention, which I was pleased with, even if disappointed that I did not get to on to Round Two. There were three times as many contestants this year (About 3100-3200) as years past.<br />
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The three judges from whom I received feedback gave me inarguable remarks. I was happy to hear the opening was very well received, and my dialogue was credible and story driven, which I humbly recognize as one of my truly natural skills. I agree with the judges that my ending was vague and somewhat unresolved...I left it very ambiguous about the nature of the magic at hand. This was somewhat intentional, and somewhat a product of the time and word limit of the contest; I had ideas of changing the story, but didn't want to take too long and miss my deadline (like I did last year!). Instead, I chose to submit a finished story that may have some missing elements but felt strong and contiguous. In the end, the creep factor was barely enough to keep me qualified. I must work harder and not allow the time/word limit keep me from getting my ending to a fully realized point.<br />
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My plan is to practice some 2500, 2000, and 1500 word stories in the meantime.<br />
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<b>My Memoir Project 1</b><br />
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Slow going on those painful passages of years past. My 1989 recollections are tough, and it takes me several hours to get the bones down, after which I must take weeks to process the grief and get to a point where I can read it without crying. Finally, the editing can occur, although I am not sure how efficient this process is. In any case, that is the process. It is difficult, emotionally wrenching, and time consuming.<br />
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<b>My Memoir Project 2</b><br />
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I a now referring to this as a memoir, despite the fact that I am not in it. It is the story of my grandfather and his brother in the 1920s, and I require much more information. I still have not gotten a hold of my cousin Tina, but will redouble my efforts in the coming weeks.<br />
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-11321194199160900702017-01-03T19:41:00.000-08:002017-01-03T19:41:17.993-08:002017: Happy New Year! Resolutions Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's face it: none of us in the arts is looking forward to what January 20th will inaugurate. This new "leadership" model is fraught with fears about getting tossed into a new war, undoing the the good works and strides made so far in civil liberties and equal rights, causing massive damage to the planet, our economy, and our lives. But let's put that aside for the moment.<br />
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I love making New Years Resolutions. I see them as Goals & Guidelines, aspirations, and a focus for my attention and intention for the year. It is a lengthy process for me.<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>I think about what I am doing, what I want to be doing, what I am happy with, what I want or need more of, and where I want to focus my energies and efforts. </li>
<li>I begin collating words, thoughts, ideas, and images around what I want to manifest in the new year.</li>
<li>I read over last year's list. How did I do? Did I accomplish what I wanted? Why or why not?</li>
<li>I create this year's list. I write in a journal, and/or a blog. I do art on it. This year, I started a Pinterest board on it...with tips, images, and ideas of what I want to accomplish and focus on.</li>
<li>I make goals and milestone markers for the items! ("Write more" is vague - "Daily 15 min writing," "set aside two hours a week twice a week to write," "take a writing course," or "submit five stories for publication" are much more specific and likely to get done.)</li>
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My Pinterest board is a new thing. I mean, I've been on that site for several years, but have gotten more active on it the past year. I like having a visual scrapbook of things. I try not to go overboard, but I do enjoy it. </div>
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That said, The 2017 Resolutions board I've made has images and infographics for my goals: </div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Sleep better </b>I've been waking up in a panic a lot this year, not long after falling asleep. I also <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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have trouble feeling comfortable - too hot, too itchy, too deflated pillow... 2016 my husband and I made plans to buy a new bed and pillows, which we did. (I'm still on the sofa most nights...we aren't very sleep-compatible.) I've learned that I actually suffer from something with a name - "night terrors" - and it doesn't have to be me, screaming. It is a type of sleep paralysis that is often brought on by stress, sleep deprivation, asthma, and sleep apnea. Well, guess what? Yup, I have all that...although I never really feel stressed.<br /><br />Okay, so now what? I am using asthma meds as always, but am also adding aromatherapy - mint, clary sage, elemi, even Vick's VapoRub seems to help. I also use saline nasal spray. And sleep on an incline. I try to stay calm, breathe deeply, and meditate on a healthy system. Now, I am adding more exercise - it always helps. Walking 20-40, sometimes 90, minutes a day. Yoga - certain stretches are helpful for better sleep. Doing 20 min of those poses every night. Diet - cut out most dairy, wheat, alcohol, and aiming for five veggies and two fruits a day.<br /><br />So, this one resolution - for better sleep - has basically turned into five: <br />walks, yoga, raise veggie intake, lower processed food intake, and increasing meditation time and regularity.<br /></li>
<li><b>Write </b>Yes, it's still undefined. I am working on those goals. At the moment, I am thinking of this year's goals being:<br /> - get that interview with Cousin Tina and mine resources for story details about great-grandparents for the Historical NF book.<br /> - Write that HNF book, at least first draft.<br /> - Do the HISMZA revision<br /> - Finish Allan's story, London, and collate for editing<br /> - ?</li>
<li><b>Massage Career - </b>New network referrals</li>
<li><b>Retirement Investment - </b>Start!</li>
<li><b>Support Journalistic Integrity</b> - In addition to continuing to support as many charities as I can that fund women's health, equal pay, equal representation, civil rights, equality, animal rights, arts, and education, I am devoted to funding REAL NEWS, not "fake news" aka propaganda, or soft-hitting infotainment. I want real news. Hard-hitting, investigative journalists, working to tell us the truth about our government, politics, the economy, and the world we live in, without fear of blacklisting, imprisonment, or death. I want Real News on TV, in the papers, and online. I am supporting Free Press this year.</li>
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I usually have about <b>17 Resolutions</b>, so I am a ways from completing this list. I haven't even looked at 2016's list, yet, either. I'm wondering if I got anything on it done at all? I was so filled with angst and grief for so much of the year...</div>
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I'd love to know what you all are planning to work on this year. </div>
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What are your goals? What steps will you take to get there? How do you measure your progress?</div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-46794968452356594812016-12-01T20:14:00.001-08:002017-01-03T18:55:09.002-08:00End of the Year: 2016 - Bye, Felicia! (Numerology)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's December. The final month of a tragic and frustrating year. Most people would agree with me, I'm sure, since this year has seen so much loss, death, trauma, sadness, and anger.<br />
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So, what will we do in our last thirty-one days?<br />
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Let me start by talking about the numbers. Numerology is a long-time interest of mine, and, if you care to know, I use the system Pythagoras taught in Ancient Greece. I dig the ideas of Pythagoras. So, the short of it: Everything goes in nine-year cycles, and every pattern is repeated in those cycles over the years. 2016 is a 9 year, so that means this is the end of this cycle, that began in 2007. Makes sense politically, huh? In a 9-year, closure is sought after, loose ends are tied up, humanitarian issues come to the forefront, and the Big Picture is looked at, assessed, and acted upon accordingly.<br />
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The Big Picture for me, includes:</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>My personal life goals </li>
<li>My career as a writer</li>
<li>My massage business plan</li>
<li>The World as a whole, and my place within it, including my contributions</li>
<li>The state of the nation I live in</li>
<li>My local (state, city, neighborhood, etc.) community (-ies) and my place/contributions</li>
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1. I've never been great at seeing myself in the future (Where do you see yourself in five years? In ten years? etc. I have no idea! Same place I am now...?) or planning personal stuff. But, in the past nine years, I have made some progress:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I have a personal money coach that I work with to learn how to change my bad habits and get ahead. It's a great combination of psychological research (what beliefs and knowledge/ignorance did I inherit from my family? What is important to me and how to I enhance that? etc.) and practical skills (Money income and outgo tracking, budget planning, shifting attention, intention, and focus as needed).</li>
<li>Steps have been taken towards home organization, health care, relationships, and other personal goals, even if I haven't achieved what I had hoped (yet).</li>
</ul>
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2. The last nine years (plus) have seen me focus on a (mostly) fiction writing career. </div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I've successfully run a (now) weekly writers group, thus building a working writing community.</li>
<li>I've published several short stories and flash fiction, both in magazines and anthology books.</li>
<li>I've attended several writing conferences, made great contacts in the publishing industry, and successfully pitched my novel and my memoirs.</li>
<li>I've developed a pretty good structure and routine of writing days and times. </li>
</ul>
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3. As a massage therapist, I've moved into a newer office, increased my client/patient base, and made several changes to my networking platform.</div>
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4. The world is always a mixed bag of extreme goods and evils. I do my part to make it a better place, which, in the past nine years has included:</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Participating in global healing rituals and groups.</li>
<li>Donating money to working organizations on issues of environmental protection, animal welfare, human rights, and animal rescue, among others.</li>
<li>Being the best example I can of a conscientious person. </li>
<li>Cleaning up litter in the parks.</li>
</ul>
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5. The nation...I have spent much time in the last nine years educating myself on current politics. I have signed petitions, donated money to support democracy, transparency, justice, and fairness in voting and the media. I have participated in caucuses, acted as a delegate in the election process, and volunteered at the democratic party headquarters. I do my best to walk my talk and spread the love.</div>
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6. Locally, all the above applies, and I continue to participate in local events, staying up on local politics, bills, and issues, and engage in discussion with other voters and politicians. </div>
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<b>2017</b> will be a new year, and a new numerological cycle (1). What will be in store for us? As a nation, we are starting a new political cycle with a new leader. The world, too, has been going though many changes and there are several new leaders of prominent nations.<br />
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At the risk of losing you completely, my personal year is actually a FOUR, so I will personally be dealing with issues of rebellion against authority, building foundations and structure, and stability. (If you are curious about yours, let me know, and I will fill you in!)<br />
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In the past, my FOUR years have been difficult, yet ultimately rewarding. The short history is thus:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Age ONE: Don't remember much, but obviously I was working on a very basic, physical level of stability, and getting to know my family world.</li>
<li>Age TEN: Eh, the year puberty hit me. Ch-ch-ch-changes...</li>
<li>Age NINETEEN: OMG, this was a major traumatic year. I was back at my childhood home, after spending six months on my own in Europe. I was recovering from losing my sanity at the hands of a violent boyfriend while living in England, and still grieving the loss of my best friend to suicide. I basically had to rebuild my self-image and my world-view.</li>
<li>Age TWENTY-EIGHT: Another shaken-up year - I quit my job and went to massage school, completely changing careers. Exhausting but rewarding year.</li>
<li>Age THIRTY-SEVEN: This year isn't as clear to me. I was three years into an intensive Japanese language and culture immersion, and actively traveling more than usual. I was two years into my writing career, and I DID take over the writers group that year, so I stepped up my accountability. </li>
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<b>2017 is a "1" year: </b>A beginning of a new 9-year cycle. A one year is about starting new things, being a leader, exploring new ground, and being true to yourself and your unique identity.<br />
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As a rule, you can expect nuances of whatever you were going through in 2008 to resurface in the coming year.<br />
(For your personal year number, add the month and day of your birthday to 2017 - mine goes: 1 Feb = 1+2=3, + 2+0+1+7=10, the 3+10=13, and reduce to a single digit, 1+3=4.)<br />
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In any case, everyone I know is more than ready to say goodbye to 2016. I am still looking for the silver linings, the lessons to be learned, and the good to come out of it, but, yeah, bye 2016.<br />
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-70430384058874669222016-11-25T18:23:00.003-08:002016-11-25T18:23:45.697-08:00Writer's Block: Funky Depression Pt 2: The Final Week of NaNoWriMo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is the day after Thanksgiving. I had a massage, hoping to loosen up my body and my mind. I did a free online Tarot reading:<br />
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Your Question: What Should I Focus On In My Writing This Month?</div>
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The Answer Received: </h1>
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SELF: </h2>
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True justice balances the scales to serve the greater good.</div>
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<raw content="The Justice card asks you to distinguish between desire and need. Justice carries the scales and sword of legal probity, but in her heart she is attempting to understand what is behind the conflict so she can meet the needs on both sides.
Justice is not always meted equally across the board, however. Sometimes one side must be treated differently than the other. The fundamental concept is the greatest good for the greatest number." style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Justice card asks you to distinguish between desire and need. Justice carries the scales and sword of legal probity, but in her heart she is attempting to understand what is behind the conflict so she can meet the needs on both sides. Justice is not always meted equally across the board, however. Sometimes one side must be treated differently than the other. The fundamental concept is the greatest good for the greatest number.</raw></div>
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Justice <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</section>Well, that sounds about right. I have been putting a ton of energy towards counterbalancing the new gestapo. I want to help other creatives be strong and put their work out there, as examples of what positive action can accomplish. When humans are free to be themselves, be creative, help each other, and act out of love, not fear, we can move the entire race forward towards utopian ideals.<br />
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I know this concept is not universally accepted, understood, or even acknowledged, but I don't care. I am happy to engage in debate and am always looking to expand my understanding of the world we live in- the world we each contribute to creating - on all levels. I am looking for ways to help the world, not hurt it. I have always lived as honestly and creatively as I could, and love to support others in discovering their own talents and putting themselves out into the world. It's not about competition, scarcity, fear, validation, or vanity. It (and by "it" I mean Life, The Point, and Purpose) is about being open to love, knowledge, wisdom, multiple perspectives and experiences.<br />
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I will continue to write every day this month, despite no longer having the focus for NaNoWriMo. My projects will move on: The HF novel Baltimore Boys will continue, with more research available. The Woman-and-her-Horse-Ranch story will probably be converted into a short story, and all my grief-ridden angst rants will feed some greater purpose, hopefully doing the world some good, in the end.<br />
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1645390455793622356.post-47340666670833209242016-11-25T18:04:00.002-08:002016-11-25T18:04:53.767-08:00Writer's Block: Funky Depression Pt 1: Thanksgiving & NaNoWriMo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don’t even know how it happened. I was starting on the story of the two brothers, which was giving me lots of good progress – for every scene I wrote, a dozen or more questions would present themselves. I can take those questions to Dad and his cousins, Tina and Joan, for more interview material. I want to get this story written, for sure. This is the historical fiction book I've been preparing to write for over a year, based on my grandfather and great-uncle as teenagers. I threw caution to the wind and decided to make this my NaNoWriMo 2016 Project.<br />
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But, then, the election hit. I sat up watching the horrific results roll in, triggering a PTSD-like shock and semi-catatonic response. For days, I drank and scrolled though the feeds. Article after article, report after report, my depression was deep and hopeless. I vacillated between thoughts of suicide, homicide, withdrawal and action. I was unmotivated to write, unmotivated to create…just wanted to turn back in time, but that was not possible. I was not alone; many people were going through similar stages of grief and emotional response, many of them also white, American women - those of us that did not cast those silent votes for neo-nazism. But, this is not about those details; this is about how I, as a writer and artist, respond.<br />
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I started writing about it. That became Project number two, a wandering collection of thoughts and essays that I hoped would help me sort out my feelings and formulate a response. I wanted to – and still do– keep the momentum for progressive and proactive action. I thought about starting a support group for progressive writers and artists, or healers, some sort of community action group. Still thinking that, actually. I have an ongoing list of acronyms and mission statements towards that purpose.<br />
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And yet. Two weeks have passed, with no words added to my nano count. Traditionally, I sit at my mother-in-law’s table after Turkey dinner on Thanskgiving and power through several thousand words. So, here I sit. I wrote 52 words on my original HF novel, Baltimore Boys. Felt stilted and ridiculous. I started a blog post, felt disconnected there, too. So I randomly wrote 1100 words about a woman and a horse on a ranch. I have no idea what the heck that is, or will be.<br />
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I am looking at a low battery and 5481 words to write each day for the next seven days in order to finish on time. Will I? Should I? Do I commit to one of these projects or do I focus on other evils at hand? I am not sure, but I must write this week, and that is a fact.<br />
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There is the story of the Rule Breakers. The Rule in NaNoWriMo is that you write a complete novel, fresh, perhaps using pre-prepared notes and character drafts, etc, but beginning to end a fresh new novel. If you decide to write something else, you are a Rule Breaker – a collection of esssays or short stories, a play, a revision of an earlier work, a nonfiction book of some type…these are allowed – anything is allowed, but against the stream of the intention of the project.<br />
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By going into two or even three possible projects, I may have been able to call myself a Rule Breaker, this year, but I won’t do that unless I actually make some damn progress this week. Serious word count – not just words on a page, which a lot of this is, but something to work with. Some pile of raw clay to be molded and shaped into something readable, publishable, workable. So tired of this wallowing, aimless feeling when it comes to these NaNo projects. I have not felt the fire of fiction since 2011’s novel, HISMZA. My memoir project has fire, but it burns me out, limiting my ability to work actively on it. It is intense, and I am uncertain of its final shape and form, which is exhilarating yet terrifying, as expected.<br />
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So, I continue to vent - stream-of-consciousness writing - in the hopes of spewing the dregs and uncovering the gems. </div>
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Michele Cacanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07975542864221772259noreply@blogger.com0