Category Archives: inspiration

Bookish Blog Hop: How does reading inspire your everyday life?

Bookish Blog Hops_ Summer 2019 Hop.png

This may be my first time participating in a Bookish Blog Hop, but I hope it will not be my last.

Today’s discussion question is:

How does reading inspire your everyday life?

What a great – and in my case, loaded – question! First, I can’t imagine my life without reading and writing. They are inseparable in my mind, and I would not be writing – not even here at Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde – if it were not for reading. As a child, I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables and all the Little House books, and of course, Nancy Drew – along with so many others. While I did largely stop reading for pleasure during my college years, as I began to explore my love of writing, I found my love of reading again. It informs my writing to the point where I can’t tell you where one begins and the other ends. Once I read Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose, there was not looking back. I still consider it one of the most influential books I have ever read. Every day reading offers me hope, inspiration, and an education. It is as simple and as complicated as that.

Views She Writes https://viewsshewrites.wordpress.com

Reading is the soul of my existence, the breath in my life. Reading inspires me to live, to dream and to observe the surroundings as our surroundings are the greatest story tellers. I started writing because of these teachings from the books that surround me. I hope to read till my last breath of life.

BBH Leslie Conzatti 2.jpg

Leslie Conzatti www.upstreamwriter.blogspot.com

Ha! I recently wrote a whole blog post on how certain books have played a part in my worldview philosophy!

In short, reading has inspired my everyday life because while on the surface the characters face impossible odds and fantastical situations–deep down, all these exaggerations are just hyperboles of real-world choices we all face. Through reading, I can find a character who struggles with a lot of the same things I do, and I can see a new perspective on it, a fresh way to deal with the issue that I hadn’t considered before. The good books connect me closer to my real-world life, instead of dragging me further away. It’s like that quote I shared yesterday, from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: “Good writers touch life often.” In order to make good literature, you have to be grounded in the real world, and bring some of that real world into the writing you do. Only then will it make an impact that will last for generations!

Rush Tree Clouds Bank Old Birds Landscape Book

Brandy Potter www.brandypotterbooks.com

The best way I can sum up how reading inspires my life is this quote from Stephen King “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” I have read fiction almost every day of my life. A good book can take you to a place where your mind stops and you become another person. As George R.R. Martin said, you can live a thousand lives through books. When you are troubled or stressed or depressed a good book can lift you up.

BBH kim writer side of life 4

Kim J www.writersideoflife.com

I love how we all read completely different things but, when it comes to how passionate we are about reading, it is exactly the same for all of us. I could have written any one of the above answers!

I simply can’t understand how people can not read. It is a stress release, it helps me get to sleep (as long as it’s not at the exciting part). Reading helps to understand ourselves; why we think the way we do, what others may think about us, what other scenarios may happen. Also, on a more practical note, reading about different times and places sparked my love of travel and pushed me to start writing myself.

BBH Cats Luv Coffee 5 Valerie, Cats Luv Coffee www.catsluvcoffeez.blogspot.com

I just read an article that reading fiction makes people more compassionate and increases their empathy. It states that we read, we emphasize with the characters. “Without necessarily even noticing, we imagine what it’s like to be them and compare their reactions to situations with how we responded in the past, or imagine we might in the future.” (Read the full article here) It’s an interesting take and one I think rings true. People who read often immerse themselves totally in the story. We do this over and over with each character that we experience. It’s part of what I love about fiction; that it takes me outside of myself and what might be happening in my life.

Jo Linsdell www.JoLinsdell.com

I’ve discovered a lot about myself through reading. Books are a part of my journey to self discovery. Whether I’m reading a romance or a thriller about a serial killer, I always discover something new about myself and how I view the world. Reading shows me my own morals, and helps me get a clearer idea of how I think and feel about certain topics.

Becki A Book Lover’s Adventures

I find that books give so much and all they ask in return is a little of our time. For me, I think I have become a better person because of reading. Reading makes me more empathetic towards others because I’ve read about so many different life situations. I am more creative and imaginative when I read fantasy. I tend to be more adventurous and take more risks when I read about adventure and bravery. Books are part of the tapestry that makes up who I am!

Books 2

That is it for today’s Bookish Blog Hop, but be sure to check out yesterday’s offering at Lovely Audio Books. Eline hosts a discussion on favorite book quotes! You can find it here. Also, stay tuned tomorrow for the next stop at Views She Writes where the topic of the day will be the worst film adaptations of books!

A BOOKISH BLOG HOP

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Leave a reply

Carpe Diem

In the past, I’ve written Father’s Day pieces for and about Dad. In fact, I shared one of those old pieces with Mid-Michigan Writers at our last meeting. Through that process, I realized that I have a series of stories about my father, not a simple post of memories. That post contains kernels of several stories. In fact, as I read the piece Monday evening, other stories came to mind. It is now a piece I need to dissect, rework, and reorganize – among many other things. It might make a nice companion piece to Dad’s hunting stories when I finally get around to writing them.

So, today, I am not going to share stories about Dad. No. Instead, I am going to share the greatest lesson he ever taught me. My entire life, he taught me that life is short and that you must go after whatever it is you seek. He always did exactly what he wanted to do. It is time for me to do the same. I am not quite there yet, but I am on my way. Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Dad and Me ~ Thanksgiving 2002 – One of my favorite pictures of the two of us!

Dad and me – Camp Russell ~ 1982

Father's Day Canoe

The Road Ahead

Leave a reply

New Roads

It’s strange to think how much might change this summer. A week ago last Friday I finished my school year, and I have no idea what 2019-2020 will bring. Ideally, I will find a full-time teaching position teaching social studies, Spanish, or business at the middle school or high school level. It is long overdue. It is time for a classroom of my own, but where?

Unfortunately, this spring hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. Something always comes between me and my dreams. I finally find a place where I can easily see myself teaching, and in the end, I may not have the correct certification to apply for existing openings. While things are humming along at the canoe livery, the weather has not cooperated yet. We are waiting on customers. Where is everyone?

I know that things will come together, but it is the uncertainty that is getting to me. I wish I had something in place. I do not know what decision I will make if I do not find a full-time teaching position. Even though I do not plan or want to move, I may be left with no choice. Something’s got to give. Here’s to a summer of new beginnings!

Eyes Closed Quote

Summer Plans 2019

3 Replies

Summer 3.jpeg

I have so much planned this summer when it comes to my writing and life in general. Below is an overview of some things to watch for here at Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde.

Participation in Bookish Blog Hops: Summer Hop 2019

On June 17^th, I will be hosting a discussion as part of Summer Hop 2019. I haven’t participated in a blog hop in years. I am hoping this will go well and reenergize things here. The question I am hosting is perfect. Trust me.

Book Review: Healing Your Self with Journaling Power by Mari L. McCarthy

Like my participation in blog tours, book reviews took a backseat over these last several years. Well, I am getting back to it. I will review Healing Your Self with Journaling Power by Mari L. McCarthy, creator of CreateWriteNow on July 2^nd. My review will be followed up with an interview on July 9^th. If nothing else, check out her inspiring blog.

Cherries

Informational Interviews

I’ve long planned a series of information interviews with creative people I know personally. I am still working on the details, but I have several people in mind. Just know that I deeply admire the work of anyone I share here. They are a varied, interesting group of people with true talent.

Articles and Guest Posts

Keep an eye here for new guest posts and articles written by yours truly. Some are already in the process of publication. I will share as soon as I can. I am in the process of making a schedule in order to truly get going on some of these projects. So many projects!

Generally, this summer will hopefully be one of positive change. If all goes well, my professional life will finally come together, both as a business owner of Russell Canoe Livery and as a teacher. It is time to get to work!

Hello Summer.jpg

D Day

Creativity

3 Replies

I am a firm believer that everyone should have a creative outlet. It may take some time to find what works for you, but it is so worth it in the end. I discovered writing as my creative outlet at an early age, but then life got in the way, as it always does. I hope this time I can make time for what matters.

As I have spent the last several weeks as a substitute teacher in a 4^th grade classroom, I’ve enjoyed seeing just how passionate kids are about their hobbies. I have budding writers, musicians, artists, and athletes in the classroom, not to mention scientists. We had the best discussions about the US space shuttle program, astronauts, and basic animal genetics. They are not afraid to ask great questions. After a science lesson on the effects of long-term exposure to zero gravity on astronauts, one student asked me why we never returned to the moon after the 1969 moon landing. A quick Google search later, we had our answers, which included the facts that politics largely got in the way and that NASA recently announced possible commercialization of space travel, including a possible return to the moon. See article here.

I am left with just one question: What do we do as educators between 4^th grade and senior year of high school to suck the creativity out of students? I like to believe things are changing for the better, but I still see way too much “busy,” mindless work being assigned, especially in middle school. STEM programs are on the right track, but I do believe they need to include art, or STEAM, as well. Still, that doesn’t cut it for everyone. What about students who have no idea how to stick with something long enough to enjoy it? How do we recognize and deal with the fact that many students are resistant to the idea that failure can help us learn and grow? We inadvertently teach students that failure is to be avoided at all cost. For better or worse, it is ingrained in our culture. High stakes standardized testing anyone? We need to teach students how to fail effectively: how to move on and learn from our mistakes. They need to know on a gut level that failure is inevitable. We are meant to learn from it.

I am deeply grateful that I found a creative outlet that works for me. I adored art classes as a child, but I have no ability to draw animals or people. I am no painter either. One of my greatest wishes is to have some musical ability. Sadly, as much as I love music, I have none. In searching for my creative outlet, I overlooked the obvious: I am meant to be a writer. Unfortunately, as a child, I always wanted to be more instead of embracing what I love and can reasonably do without embarrassing myself. In fact, that is one of my greatest wishes for any of my students past, present, or future: Find a creative outlet that makes you happy through good times and bad.

Creativity Quote.jpg

Motherhood

Leave a reply

Patsy Cline Quote

Mother’s Day will never not be emotional for me. I am continuously torn between celebrating the wonderful women in my life who made me who I am today – not just Mom, but both my grandmas and Joyce, my childhood neighbor, babysitter, and essentially adopted grandmother – and struggling with my own path to motherhood. All those women helped shape me morally, spiritually, and intellectually.

Mom, of course, continues to do so. I still crave her advice. I am so grateful for her friendship; her example, not only as a mother, but as a teacher, business woman, Christian; and her unconditional love. All of it. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, she also became my best friend.

Mom, Dad, and I ~ 1983

In the past, I dreaded Mother’s Day. Working retail in my 20s, strangers wishing me a “Happy Mother’s Day!” broke my heart and left me feeling empty. They all meant well. That’s the problem: One never knows who is struggling with infertility, pregnancy, strained relationships, loss, etc. For the longest time, I felt the same way at church on Mother’s Day, until I no longer did. A simple acknowledgement that some struggle with a whole variety of issues relating to motherhood made all the difference. Watching others grieve and acknowledge the loss of their own mothers made me realize that I am far from alone.

If I am completely honest with myself, recent events have made me question whether I do want to adopt, my only path to motherhood. In fact, it is part of the reason why I have been so silent here lately. Fortunately, my parents support me no matter what I decide, but what I wouldn’t give to be able to talk to my grandmas and Joyce right now. I could use their advice and wisdom now more than ever. All three would have something to say – all different – and force me to think of something I had overlooked.

Grandma Reid and I ~ 1985

If I do decide not to adopt, the hardest part will be having to change my perception of myself. I do not remember just how young I was at the time, but the first thing I remember wanting out of life is to be a mother. Fortunately, that is the beautiful thing about all of this. If I decide not to adopt, in many ways, I am still a mother. I have a great relationship with my nephews and niece. Spending time with my niece the other evening, she randomly told me that she wanted to come spend the night at my house. It didn’t work out that evening, but a sleepover is in the works once school is out. I want to be that aunt. My niblings are finally reaching the ages where I can be that aunt.

As a teacher, I influence children every day. I truly care for all my students, even if I am just their substitute teacher for a day or two. It doesn’t matter. So many students do not have much support at home. As a teacher, I can put my maternal instincts to good use. I can be the teacher that cheers them on at school. I know for a fact that I have already made a difference. I just need to step it up as I truly start my teaching career.

I may yet decide to adopt, but I need to give myself time and space to make that decision. I finally concluded that it isn’t the end of the world if I do not. When and if I do decide to adopt, I can say with certainty that I have thought of all possibilities and outcomes. If it is meant to be, I know that my son or daughter is out there waiting for me.

Mom and I ~ 1981

Scrivener

2 Replies

Art Studio.jpg

It is no secret that I am my own worst enemy at times. OK, most of the time. Lately, I’ve been spending time thinking of ways to write more efficiently and better organize my work. I keep coming back to Scrivener. I took the time to learn it a few years ago, and I loved it. The issue became I didn’t keep using it. I’m not exactly sure why I quit, but I did. Well, I am getting back into the habit again. It offers a variety of ways to organize all of my work.

In a recent post, I stated that Scrivener is the closest thing writers have to a digital studio. I firmly believe this. It is so versatile it can accommodate any form of writing and any organizational method. You get to create templates and forms to use for the type of writing you do most. There are preset options that include fiction and non-fiction, as well as a handful of specialty options. It may take me some time, but I am going to relearn Scrivener and start using it on a daily basis again. I owe it to myself. It makes back-end organization that much easier.

Is it worth the initial investment of time and money? For me, the answer is unequivocally yes. I took the time to go through the extensive in-program tutorial: a definite must if you want to make the learning curve a little shorter. Besides, there is humor built in. If you choose not to go through the tutorial, you may miss out on a lot of great features. In fact, I believe that is how people become overwhelmed. Scrivener is truly built for writers by writers. That means that it allows you to slice, dice, organize, and label all materials to your hearts content. Just remember that as a writer, no one is forcing you to use all the features at once. Out of all the writing software I’ve come across over the years, Scrivener continues to stand out. I see no need for anything else.

Then again, there are a lot of fun online platforms out there. At least that is one thing we have going for us as writers: our tools. I love the fact that there are so many great writing tools out there for little or even no cost. In fact, there are so many that it takes time to figure out what works best for the way you work. Only now, after years of trial and error, am I beginning to find a process that works best for me. Hopefully, it will get me where I need to go. It is worth it to take the time to figure out how you work best as a writer. There may be several stops and starts, but each time, it becomes easier than the last. Eventually, your process starts to emerge. No matter what your process may be – or your genre – there is a place for Scrivener.

Writing Quote 3

Writing All Around

Leave a reply

Notebook and Pen

Allende Quote If you haven’t checked out the Guest Posts page yet, you are missing out. I finally got around to finding a home for my other writing. In the next few weeks, this page will be growing quickly. As I put it together, I realized that I haven’t done a great job of curating my own work.

When I choose to do a guest post, I choose carefully. I want my writing to be at home with other work on the page. You will see that I have work in a variety of places, everything from a local genealogy newsletter to a website highlighting legends and paranormal activity in Michigan. It is important to find the right home for your work.

One of my favorites is Adela’s Once a Little Girl. So far, I’ve only written one piece for her blog, but I will eventually write others. Her blog focuses on childhood from the point of view of a little girl. When I originally submitted my piece on Christmas and Santa, she had to change it slightly because she has young readers. I love her work.

Other work for the Macbeth Academy blog, the Macbeth Post, is already scheduled, as are other pieces for Spartans Helping Spartans. If you haven’t checked out either site yet, do so. There is plenty of great information on both.

Macbeth Academy continues to inspire me. It is a largely online academy dedicated to student writing. Until I connected with Director Kayla Solinsky, I did not realize such online academies exist. Soon I may share my own thoughts and ideas relating to Macbeth Academy itself here. I will eventually do an informational interview with Kayla.

I love where I am going at the moment. I’ve come across so many great resources and opportunities for writers lately that I can’t wait to share them with everyone. If you can dream it, there is a place for it whether online or in print.

Isabel-Allende-quotes-03

Slowing Down

Leave a reply

December 2018 ~ A December of “Yes!”

“Don’t wish your life away.” Among dozens of quotes I remember from my grandmother, that one sticks with me and forces me to keep going. Lately, I’ve realized I’ve been rushing around so much, trying to do everything all at once to the point I am not as effective as I could be.

I know what I want out of life: why don’t I have it already? I’ve put in the hours and made the sacrifices. It isn’t enough. I am so busy keeping it all from falling to pieces that I’m going too quickly to the next big thing: A squirrel trying to beat a blue jay at its own game at the bird feeder during a February deep freeze. It’s time to slow down and get it right.

So, what does it all mean? It means I am old enough to realize that some things take time to get right. There are times when shortcuts hinder you.

This past fall, I decided to say “yes” to as many things as possible. Even though I haven’t read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes yet, the concept would not let me go. I took it to the next level in December in an attempt to stave off seasonal depression and recapture all of what I love about Christmas. The results were … mixed.

Slow Down Quotes.jpg

I loved every minute of each and every thing I did in December. I cherished every minute with my niece and nephews, my siblings and their significant others, my parents, extended family, and friends. But, there comes a time when you question your sanity. Are we doing this because we “should” or are we doing this because we truly want to? It is a legitimate question – and it deserves a full answer.

So, did it work? Yes, I had a ton of fun. Yes, I made a tons of memories with my family. But, I also came to the conclusion that less is more at times. Maybe I don’t need to go to two Christmas teas – although I probably will again next year. In the end, certain events were skipped. None of us can do it all.

Ever since January 1st, I’ve thought long and hard about how I want to approach this experiment going forward. As much as I disliked having so many snow days this year and sitting around being unable to work for a good chunk of January and February, it forced me to slow down. It forced me to rethink how I want to approach things this spring and moving forward.

Now, of course, I have the opposite problem – and probably will each spring the rest of my working life. Everything seems to happen at once. We are in the midst of getting ready for season #60 at the canoe livery, I’m subbing every day, and I will soon start a long-term subbing position that won’t end until early June. In midst of it all, I am ramping up the job search – a teaching position for next school year – and trying to once and for all get writing. I can do this. It is time to get intentional and concentrate on what truly matters. I need to slow down.

Study Abroad 5.jpg

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31