Random musings and gratitude seem to go together today.
My mind is just not letting me blog. I don’t know why. Every time I think of a topic my Escapees might like I start writing it only to get up and get more coffee, dust the coffee table, organize my desk or put the clothes in the dryer. Ya. Well, normally when I write none of those things happen. In fact a month ago my step son and Beau moved the TV off the table we were using as a stand and at the back was a thick layer of dust. “Well you haven’t been dusting…” my Beau said (with a laugh) to which I replied “WE haven’t been dusting. WE. Besides, if I was dusting, I wouldn’t be any fun.” Who dusts behind the T.V.? Seriously, get a life.
So, how do you think I write a blog every week plus work on my fiction? By ignoring dusting, laundry and any other ‘unfun’ chores UNLESS I don’t like what I’m writing. Then I have a highly clean and organized home. Everything has its place…like right now…sort of.
Anyways, in a month where I should be inspired by so much wonderful written word, my words are getting stuck in the back of my throat. Compassion and inspiration are on the tip of my tongue but not my pen (or keyboard).
Do you ever get ‘stuck’ on your blog? OR worse, you come up with an idea, write half of it on paper, then can’t find your brilliant half-assed idea later? That happened recently as well. I use those yellow note cards to jot ideas in hasty point form follow up. If I can’t find that particular card, then the idea’s gone altogether. I won’t be able to dig up my notes I wrote one Sunday morning a month ago, before my first cup of coffee, out of my memory.
Memory? I can remember all kinds of things from years ago but last week or last month? Not so much…
In lieu of a brilliant divorce post, here are a few things I’m grateful for this week because gratitude is always fabulous and never out of style;
1. My son is on his way out for a visit! Not only is that special but the fact that we’re taking a road trip to Seattle is even better. We’re going to hit some sights, great restaurants, museums and of course, the Pike Place Market. We’ll get a little Sleepless…or have a little guilt trip?
seth rogan and barbara streisand in The Guilt Trip-a mother/son road trip gone awry
2. The view from my desk. Yesterday morning when I got up, I walked sleepily down the hall and before I got to the kitchen to make my coffee, I glanced out the big bay window behind my desk and thought “Wow, it’s so sunny and bright. What a great place to work and write.”
3. Yoga. Getting the kinks out and holding Warrior 1 or 2, always make me feel stronger and ready for what life may throw at me.
4. My healthy body. The last week and a half I’ve been experiencing pain from an old neck injury. I used to live with this pain chronically but haven’t had any problems with it for a number of years. (How many years have I been divorced now?). Anyway, it’s reared it’s ugly head and so I’m going to get a long overdue massage to hopefully, get rid of it. It’s slowed me down a little. I haven’t been able to clean my apartment, vacuum etc. but I could take a walk to the wine store and buy a few bottles of wine and carry it up four flights. The wine wasn’t going to buy itself, people. Priorities. My point is, I am a very healthy woman and thank god I don’t live with this kind of pain normally. Self care is so important (see #3).
5. Jess. She’s one of the many wonderful yoga instructors at the studio where I practice (learn). She has graduated in therapeutic massage in the last year and secured a place at a local massage clinic. When I called to book my first appointment with her (something I’ve been meaning to do for a while) she was fully booked. You know what happened next? I was in pain and asked if there was someone else who could take me for a short massage. Instead, Jess is going to come in early to give me a 45 minute massage. I thought that was amazing. I know it’s her work but she was already FULL so not necessary for her to accommodate. That’s just the way she is though. Thank you, Jess.
Those are my random musings and grateful list for the week. What’s happening in your world this week? Do you have any tips to keep motivated to write or anything else for that matter? What are you grateful for today?
Let’s chat.
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kimbacaffeinate
June 5, 2016 at 11:18 amI have a half dozen discussion, tips and tricks etc posts in my drafts. When I feel inspired I write otherwise I don’t stress about it.
lisa
June 7, 2016 at 10:40 amGood idea to have an ‘idea file’. I guess that’s my little note cards. You don’t seem to ever run out of ideas, Kim 🙂
totally Caroline
June 5, 2016 at 8:30 amBlog when you are inspired. It happens in phases for me. Sometimes I am completely empty, sometimes I can’t write enough. It will come back to you when you have something you want to say.
I think talking about things you are grateful for is so positive.
I really need to try yoga!
lisa
June 7, 2016 at 10:39 amI agree, Caroline! Thanks for the reminder 🙂 Yoga is a great stress reliever. I used to do ‘boot camp’ but was getting overuse injuries and switched over to yoga a few years back. It’s much gentler but very challenging. Give it a try. I think it’s one of those things people either love or hate.
Jane thrive
June 1, 2016 at 12:48 amOmg, Lisa, that was this whole month. Lol. Well, work has been keeping me crazy busy, busier than normal, which is the real reason I’ve been away. There’s been plenty of grateful/thankful things that have happened this month–I just felt swept away by the currents and wasn’t able to swim my words away from the center of the stream ❤️ Hugs!
lisa
June 1, 2016 at 10:51 pmHi Jane, missed you! I love this: ” wasn’t able to swim my words away from the center of the stream” 🙂
Marie K
May 31, 2016 at 6:19 amSome say that gratitude is the best way for inspiration to come back. Love your list Lisa – Some special treats on the way.
I get what you mean, sometime it’s there, the idea, the words, and when it’s time to sit down and write, everything vanish and we are left facing emptiness.
One way or another inspiration strikes when I least expect it and when I don’t have a proper notebook, a pen or time to write it down.
Have a good time with you son! Enjoy!
lisa
June 1, 2016 at 10:50 pmHey Marie, I guess we need to carry a notebook with us 🙂 We had a really great trip. Gratitude is always in style!
Jess @UsedYorkCity
May 29, 2016 at 7:26 amOh what a fun post, and these are great things to be grateful for! Have so much fun with your son (and that massage with Jess, YAY!) I’m grateful that the weather is GORGEOUS here in NYC, and today we’re going to take the little guy to the pool for the very first time! Have a wonderful long weekend, LIsa!
lisa
May 30, 2016 at 12:05 pmHi Jess, I hope your swim time with baby was fun! FIRSTS are so special. Enjoy the weather. The massage was wonderful but also painful 😛
Balroop Singh
May 28, 2016 at 8:07 amHi Lisa,
We all have such days when we wonder what to write and then comes the same thought…be grateful…for a lot of things…the thoughts keep flashing…all intermingling into each other and we wonder…which one is the right one, which should be caught to write on and then some other activity occupies our attention!
I agree with you with all these random thoughts of gratitude. Let them float around, they are so soothing if we accept them and let them seep through…sometimes they lead us to some serious topics too. Stay blessed and be happy!
lisa
May 30, 2016 at 12:04 pmHi Balroop, I agree we can always find a little inspiration in gratitude, even if they’re little things. Actually, that’s what it’s all about—the little things. Thanks for stopping in and sharing your point of view. 🙂
Vanessa D.
May 27, 2016 at 7:02 pmThere are days where I have too many things I want to say and none of it seems to resolve into sentences and paragraphs that have meaning, or worse, it just comes out boring and whiny.
I hope you have a wonderful visit with your son!
lisa
May 29, 2016 at 6:10 pmVanessa, I really enjoy your kick ass attitude and take no shit writing. Keep it coming, Lady! Never boring or whiny.
Chrys Fey
May 27, 2016 at 4:09 pmAlthough I am a nut and have my posts for this year all written, and even know what I’ll blog about next year, I’ve been feeling very drained from my blog. Since the beginning of the year I’ve been dragging my feet when it comes to blogging, but I still do it because I feel obligated. I think next year will be better for me because I’ll only post on Mondays with a guest on Friday, and my posts won’t really be about writing/publishing anymore. We shall see how it goes. In the meantime, I still have 6 more months to go.
lisa
May 29, 2016 at 6:09 pmYou are amazing, Chrys. I can’t believe the volume of posts you accomplish in a week plus the topics are so great and varied. I’m not surprised when you say you feel a little drained from it. That’s a ton of work you put in! Cutting back to two posts a week is a good idea to free yourself up and take a little pressure off. No one would forget about Write With Fey. You have a tremendous following (for good reason).
I’ll be interested to see your new focus. I do enjoy your writing tips but your archives are an awesome resource that remains evergreen.
My Inner Chick
May 27, 2016 at 3:56 pmLove your gratitude list, Lisa.
Guilt Trip was GREAT. Wasn’t it?
Not sure why it didn’t get good reviews.
Cracked me up. Made me cry.
I have many ideas inside my head, but can’t get
everything I want to say onto my fingers!
xxx kiss & hugs from MN.
lisa
May 29, 2016 at 6:02 pmHey Kim, I thought it was a really cute movie. I know it got panned but sometimes those movies are the ones that are the best. I went to a movie a while back that had great reviews and rated 90% rotten tomatoes and ya know what? It was one of the worst movies I’ve seen in the last few years. plus boring!
Ideas to paper—that’s the trick. Your writing always inspires me, Kim xo
Charlotte Klein
May 26, 2016 at 7:37 pmOh yes, I get this. All too often… I feel as though there are days when the words just come so easily and other days when it’s just a dry barren well. It’s frustrating that there’s no balance, but it’s probably one of those teachable moments in life that’s supposed to teach us about patience and the virtue of delayed gratification or something 🙂
Ahhh, Seth Rogan. Don’t you just want to pinch his cheeks?! I adore him. He’s at the top of my hall pass list. That weird?
Have a wonderful time with your son–I can’t wait to hear about it!!
Also good on you for holding warrior pose AND for finding such comfort in your teaching/studio <3 XOXO
lisa
May 29, 2016 at 6:00 pmYes. Why is that? Sometimes I’ll be out somewhere without paper when an idea will strike and I could write the whole thing right there. So, I write it on the back of a receipt or some scrap paper in my purse LOL. Then sitting at the desk, where I’m supposed to write, doesn’t always inspire.
Seth Rogan? Hall Pass? Why not! He’s very handsome. I love that pic too and yes, I want to pinch his cheek.
We had a really fun trip. The weather wasn’t great but we powered through. We walked all over the city and I think it was around 5 km by the end of the night.
Tamara
May 26, 2016 at 6:35 pmSometimes my mind doesn’t let me write, for sure. Usually that means a break, and then it comes back around. Maybe a little different too.
Jess sounds wonderful! I can’t stand when old pains come visiting. It’s one of my pet peeves. But.. grateful to mostly live with no pain, of course.
lisa
May 29, 2016 at 5:57 pmHey Tamara, I agree that usually a break takes care of that blocked feeling. A refreshing change of scenery can work magic when it comes to writing 🙂 I know, what’s with these old pains that want to creep back up and immobilize? I guess it’s a sign to take care of self a little better.