These are a few of my favorite things ...
I’ve been running around all morning (when I should be writing, duh!) trying to think of a blog topic. I just got back from a trip to my parents house in Albany, NY, dragging my kids kicking and screaming from their 4 day Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, which they would much rather have spent at home with their friends. Tough!
As I was thinking about what I could write quickly, I thought about how gorgeous the trip was. I went to college in Buffalo and used to make that trip to Albany every year at that same time. And it was always a spectacular ride.
So, I decided – my top ten favorite things (that I can think of in 30 minutes or less). Why do these actually matter? Well, they’re details that enrich the fabric of our lives. By taking a few moments out to think of them, hopefully they’ll enrich our stories, characters, and readers enjoyment of the tales we spin.
So…
1. Autumn. I love the leaves, I fell in love with my husband in the fall of our second year of college, and I have the most amazing, in the garage, crazy Halloween party every year. I also love pro football (please God, make the Bills play better!)
2. Traveling with my children. I know, some people would rather have all their teeth pulled out than do this. Truly, my children are less than perfect, and not just drive me nuts in the usual ways but often give me a lot of heartache, as kids can do. But they’re amazing travelers. We listen to audiobooks and Colonial music, with them singing along and making up verses as we go (no DVD machines allowed in our cars). They love to roll down the windows and blast the car next to them with bagpipes. I got them up (2 teenagers and a preteen) at 6:45 am on Monday, and we had breakfast, packed the car, and were on the road in 30 minutes, with everyone sharing the work. And we talk about important things, away from the TV and the computer and other distractions.
3. Digital photos. Okay, a strange thing to love. But they’ve truly changed my life. I make my own Christmas cards every year with them. I create a family calendar every year, with everyone’s birthdays and flip pages stuffed with photos. My family saves them from year to year and they become chronological photo albums. And I create DVD slideshows with music of our reenacting season every year.
4. Thank yous. Going back to all my calendars and DVDs, they’re a lot of fun to create, but frankly, a lot of work and expense too. I’m okay with that – it’s something I like to do to show the people in my life I appreciate them and to stay connected with family and friends. But it definitely means a great deal to me when people send emails, say thank you in person, or write me a note. My friend Howie bought me an ice cream to say thank you for a DVD – that was awesome on a hot July day! And hopefully my kids are starting to learn that thank yous cost you nothing but buy a great deal.
5. A great mood lifting song. I love music in general, but when I’m in the car, I have a habit of playing something over and over if it lifts me up. Along with the theme of this blog, I’ll quote a favorite song “Oh, the best things in life, they’re not things at all, but loving and laughing and moments like this.”
6. A great quote. I save them, print them, buy them on plaques and have them around my house. My husband even sent me a text message with one that he saw on a sign outside a Unitarian Church near Calgary. “Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.” I quoted it to people for weeks.
7. Unitarian – Universalism. Yes, this feels like a stream of consciousness today. I was an unhappy Catholic most of my adult life. I discovered this wonderful, accepting, activist, non-dogmatic ‘way of living’ in my forties. I’ll not proselytize, just say that I love going every Sunday, I think about and repeat what happens at the services, and leave feeling energized and ready to pounce on my week – which is what I think any religion should give you. And they love that I write erotica, read my stories, and talk to me about it!
8. Cards and notes. The last few years have had their challenges – we lost my husband’s parents, and I’ve had several joint surgeries. I was surprised how touched I was by people who took the time to send me cards and to write notes with them. I was never great at or comfortable doing that before, but now I try to pick them up and send them much more often.
9. Romantic get aways with my husband. I love my kids but I love them more when I get back from a trip without them. Great food, hand holding and delightful sightseeing, time to have in depth conversations, napping and … not-napping. What’s not to love?
10. Historical Reenacting. My father recently went to a reenactment my kids were at, and he didn’t see the attraction – a lot of trouble to set things up and function without the conveniences of modern life. Truly, I think it’s an activity you either love or hate. But there’s a lot of magic there after hours – a spirit of connecting with people, talking around a campfire, making do with what you have to function for a weekend and helping each other out when you need things. It’s a way of life largely lost these days, and some of us find the trouble of hauling everything around worth it to have some time recapturing that. But admittedly, it’s not for everyone.
Well, that’s my list. Looking at it now, I think that there’s possibly a story or a detail for a story in each item. What’s on your list – I’d love to know. But of course, beware – exposing those things to writers sets you up for them being used in a story!
-Kelsey Lewis
Stories that are romantic ... and erotic
www.kelsey-lewis.com
Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kelseylewiserotica/
Reunion - AmberQuill Press
"The passion between the characters was so intense that you felt heartache when they couldn't be together." ~ Aline de Chevigny, In the Library Reviews
Desirable Enemy - The plot throws the reader into the story immediately and continues to be fast paced throughout. ~ Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews
Cooking with K.C. - A wonderful romance that will put a smile on your face. ~ Wateena, Coffee Time Romance
As I was thinking about what I could write quickly, I thought about how gorgeous the trip was. I went to college in Buffalo and used to make that trip to Albany every year at that same time. And it was always a spectacular ride.
So, I decided – my top ten favorite things (that I can think of in 30 minutes or less). Why do these actually matter? Well, they’re details that enrich the fabric of our lives. By taking a few moments out to think of them, hopefully they’ll enrich our stories, characters, and readers enjoyment of the tales we spin.
So…
1. Autumn. I love the leaves, I fell in love with my husband in the fall of our second year of college, and I have the most amazing, in the garage, crazy Halloween party every year. I also love pro football (please God, make the Bills play better!)
2. Traveling with my children. I know, some people would rather have all their teeth pulled out than do this. Truly, my children are less than perfect, and not just drive me nuts in the usual ways but often give me a lot of heartache, as kids can do. But they’re amazing travelers. We listen to audiobooks and Colonial music, with them singing along and making up verses as we go (no DVD machines allowed in our cars). They love to roll down the windows and blast the car next to them with bagpipes. I got them up (2 teenagers and a preteen) at 6:45 am on Monday, and we had breakfast, packed the car, and were on the road in 30 minutes, with everyone sharing the work. And we talk about important things, away from the TV and the computer and other distractions.
3. Digital photos. Okay, a strange thing to love. But they’ve truly changed my life. I make my own Christmas cards every year with them. I create a family calendar every year, with everyone’s birthdays and flip pages stuffed with photos. My family saves them from year to year and they become chronological photo albums. And I create DVD slideshows with music of our reenacting season every year.
4. Thank yous. Going back to all my calendars and DVDs, they’re a lot of fun to create, but frankly, a lot of work and expense too. I’m okay with that – it’s something I like to do to show the people in my life I appreciate them and to stay connected with family and friends. But it definitely means a great deal to me when people send emails, say thank you in person, or write me a note. My friend Howie bought me an ice cream to say thank you for a DVD – that was awesome on a hot July day! And hopefully my kids are starting to learn that thank yous cost you nothing but buy a great deal.
5. A great mood lifting song. I love music in general, but when I’m in the car, I have a habit of playing something over and over if it lifts me up. Along with the theme of this blog, I’ll quote a favorite song “Oh, the best things in life, they’re not things at all, but loving and laughing and moments like this.”
6. A great quote. I save them, print them, buy them on plaques and have them around my house. My husband even sent me a text message with one that he saw on a sign outside a Unitarian Church near Calgary. “Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.” I quoted it to people for weeks.
7. Unitarian – Universalism. Yes, this feels like a stream of consciousness today. I was an unhappy Catholic most of my adult life. I discovered this wonderful, accepting, activist, non-dogmatic ‘way of living’ in my forties. I’ll not proselytize, just say that I love going every Sunday, I think about and repeat what happens at the services, and leave feeling energized and ready to pounce on my week – which is what I think any religion should give you. And they love that I write erotica, read my stories, and talk to me about it!
8. Cards and notes. The last few years have had their challenges – we lost my husband’s parents, and I’ve had several joint surgeries. I was surprised how touched I was by people who took the time to send me cards and to write notes with them. I was never great at or comfortable doing that before, but now I try to pick them up and send them much more often.
9. Romantic get aways with my husband. I love my kids but I love them more when I get back from a trip without them. Great food, hand holding and delightful sightseeing, time to have in depth conversations, napping and … not-napping. What’s not to love?
10. Historical Reenacting. My father recently went to a reenactment my kids were at, and he didn’t see the attraction – a lot of trouble to set things up and function without the conveniences of modern life. Truly, I think it’s an activity you either love or hate. But there’s a lot of magic there after hours – a spirit of connecting with people, talking around a campfire, making do with what you have to function for a weekend and helping each other out when you need things. It’s a way of life largely lost these days, and some of us find the trouble of hauling everything around worth it to have some time recapturing that. But admittedly, it’s not for everyone.
Well, that’s my list. Looking at it now, I think that there’s possibly a story or a detail for a story in each item. What’s on your list – I’d love to know. But of course, beware – exposing those things to writers sets you up for them being used in a story!
-Kelsey Lewis
Stories that are romantic ... and erotic
www.kelsey-lewis.com
Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kelseylewiserotica/
Reunion - AmberQuill Press
"The passion between the characters was so intense that you felt heartache when they couldn't be together." ~ Aline de Chevigny, In the Library Reviews
Desirable Enemy - The plot throws the reader into the story immediately and continues to be fast paced throughout. ~ Jean, Fallen Angel Reviews
Cooking with K.C. - A wonderful romance that will put a smile on your face. ~ Wateena, Coffee Time Romance
posted by Kelsey Lewis at 9:27 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home