We’re Back

It has been quite a while since the last post. I apologize for the longer than expected sabbatical. I’ve been exploring, training, certifying and in general meandering down many neglected roads.

The Bengal trio will have quite a bit to say about this on Friday.

Monday we will revisit rainbow mythology.

Wednesday, we’ll return to talking about writing and the new fabulous group I’ve found called Writers for Diversity. Founder Eliana West is a true inspiration to me.

Meanwhile, here’s a hint of things to come:

~Lisa

 

Human Chrysalis

Every few years, it happens. All the experience, the learning, and the events reach a pinnacle of change where life itself needs to be processed, digested, and reinvented into the new being, the new me.

Some people do this once or twice a lifetime. They sit back, reflect and redefine. They always seem to know who they are. They know their goals and they stride forth confidently into the future. If you are such a person, I envy you.

 

Some of us never seem to settle on who we are, what we like and where we’re going. We go and we go and then we cocoon. We each become a human chrysalis. For a while, we withdraw into our burrow, our tower, the safety of what is.

We reprioritize, reassess, and launch. We unfold our wings, once again, confident for a while of who we are and what our purpose is.

,The Bengals have approved the new agendas, though they have a lot to say about the changes taking place (Cat Convo Fridays).

The Hill meanders once again through the space/time continuum.

Monday Mythology and Wednesday Writing will remain. Tuesdays and Thursdays can take us anywhere or may take us back to reposts of old favorites.

There will also be attempts to photograph pictures that tie in far better with metaphors used. Two weeks from now, the focus (pun intended) will be on butterflies and cocoons (better late than never).

Loki, Kuri and Hiyu say they will always fill in, if I don’t have an appropriate picture. The race is on.

As always, I love to hear from you. Send me your comments, let me know of great places to meander, what rabbit holes would be a delight to drop into, and the best adventures to be undertaken.

~lisa

Human Chrysalis

Every few years, it happens. All the experience, the learning, and the events reach a pinnacle of change where life itself needs to be processed, digested, and reinvented into the new being, the new me.

Some people do this once or twice a lifetime. They sit back, reflect and redefine. They always seem to know who they are. They know their goals and they stride forth confidently into the future. If you are such a person, I envy you.

 

Some of us never seem to settle on who we are, what we like and where we’re going. We go and we go and then we cocoon. We each become a human chrysalis. For a while, we withdraw into our burrow, our tower, the safety of what is.

We reprioritize, reassess, and launch. We unfold our wings, once again, confident for a while of who we are and what our purpose is.

,The Bengals have approved the new agendas, though they have a lot to say about the changes taking place (Cat Convo Fridays).

The Hill meanders once again through the space/time continuum.

Monday Mythology and Wednesday Writing will remain. Tuesdays and Thursdays can take us anywhere or may take us back to reposts of old favorites.

There will also be attempts to photograph pictures that tie in far better with metaphors used. Two weeks from now, the focus (pun intended) will be on butterflies and cocoons (better late than never).

Loki, Kuri and Hiyu say they will always fill in, if I don’t have an appropriate picture. The race is on.

As always, I love to hear from you. Send me your comments, let me know of great places to meander, what rabbit holes would be a delight to drop into, and the best adventures to be undertaken.

~lisa

My Hyperbole of Life

Recently a new reader favorited “My Hyperbole of Life”. Now that the Bengals have redone their introductions it’s my turn. Many things have changed over the hill at the year and yet…

I still wear one million and one hats. I have eight million books, six thousand notebooks, and about a billion chores.

Let me explain.

Hats = roles played in life.

So maybe one million and one is a little exaggeration, but I think we’ve all been there.

Think of all the titles you have, not just a work title, but also titles of see (insert your name here), they’re the expert, your role in your family older generation and younger generation. Most of us have a role as someone’s child, sometimes labels that also include parent, cousin, aunt, uncle and all of us are some relation five times removed from our mother or father.

We have our role with friends (and once again our titles of expertise within our group).

Some of us have roles as parents, or volunteers, or community leaders, environmentalists or hobbyists, sports positions or… as you can see the list goes on and on and on.

That’s what I call a hat. If you had a hat for each role and title your closets would be brimming over with headwear.

Notebooks = Organization

Every hat you have comes with its own needs and supplies. As a writer mine usually come with a physical notebook to keep track of lessons, vocabulary, characters, etc.

If you play sports then your notebook is all the equipment required, the information about all the games and the contact info for everyone involved.

If you play an instrument then your notebook is your instrument, your sheets of music, your rehearsal time, and your schedule and contacts.

If you’re a little organizationally obsessive like me then you keep a line of notebooks ready to go for each committee or group to which you belong. A Saturday night writer’s group means: grab the blue folder on the way out the door. Or on a larger scale, going to an Anime convention means grab the yellow folder and the over-flowing garment bag packed with costumes, trinkets and smaller organizational bags.

Eight Million Books = a whole lot of books. Those I own, referenced and shelved and dusted. Sorted into read and ready to read. The eight million includes a pile of library books, recommended books, research books and loaned books.

One Billion Chores = just about everything else. With only a billion to do, I’m probably on the low end of the scale. There are always dishes to do, clothes to wash, gardens to weed, tables to dust, items like a car (or the random appliance breakdown) to fix and have serviced, carpools to drive, and papers to sort.

I’m not about to get into a contest on chores. I keep my life fairly stream-lined.

Despite all of the above, I also add lots of things in my life that don’t fall under a category of hyperbole.

I will and do write or edit two thousand words a day.

I spend at least an hour a day playing with cats. If I don’t the cats will find most vexing ways to get attention.

This year exercise is no longer allowed as a maybe. Email and social media are always checked every morning and always replied to.

I love to hear from people, to listen, and respond. Out of the trillion things above, my relationships whether person-to-person or from the ethereal internet will always gain my attention and a response.

~lisa

 

 

Imaginary Friends

Writers of fiction are those who never outgrow their imaginary friends.

We embrace them, coddle them and try to talk (write) them through their problems.

One of the delightful parts of being a writer is that you are never truly alone. The more you write your characters, the more they become a part of your life.

One of the more difficult parts of writing fiction is that your list of friends grows over the years. They get more demanding of your time and they compete with each other.

So now I’m scheduling playdates.

Today Jeremy will find out what jungle he’s lost in. Tomorrow Kel will finally get off that cliff he’s been clinging to for over a month. Perhaps on Monday, Sparky and I will figure out where we left off and what he’s supposed to do next.

If I’ve been absent for a while it’s because the fictional playdates run over. Sometimes they run over play time for the menagerie, but never for long. Dog, cats, and bunnies make sure they get their time.

Sometimes I see actual living people and do things in the real world as opposed to the ones I create.

One of my favorite groups for learning and doing is the Mountaineers. Totally cool people, doing totally cool stuff. I highly recommend them for anyone who wants some time away from the keyboard. https://www.mountaineers.org/

My imaginary friends find me flat and boring if I don’t constantly embrace experience, research and the learning of new skills. They’re always challenging me to take the next leap.

My “real” friends also want time. Since the “real” friends are totally cool, fascinating people, I make room for them too. Every new person I meet adds to the richness of my life.

I fall in love with all sorts of people all the time. I have found that life can be equally as fun away from the computer screen and the worlds that you control.

As for the imaginary friends, most of them have to wait in line. They are given a notecard, a short bio, perhaps a problem or two and then they go in the card box. Some are screaming to get out onto pages of their own.

Perhaps when Kel is off his cliff and Sparky finds out who “Fire Guy” is, one of them will have their chance.

As to the rest of you who inhabit the “real” world, please feel free to call me friend. I won’t make you take a number or shove you in a box for I know in the “real” world each friend I have can touch my soul and make me fly. And that gives all those voices in the card file a better chance at life.

~lisa

My Hyperbole of Life

I wear one million and one hats. I have eight million books, six thousand notebooks, and about a billion chores.

Let me explain.

Hats = roles played in life.

So maybe one million and one is a little exaggeration, but I think we’ve all been there.

Think of all the titles you have, not just a work title, but also titles of see (insert your name here), they’re the expert, your role in your family older generation and younger generation. Most of us have a role as someone’s child, sometimes labels that also include parent, cousin, aunt, uncle and all of us are some relation five times removed from our mother or father.

We have our role with friends (and once again our titles of expertise within our group).

Some of us have roles as parents, or volunteers, or community leaders, environmentalists or hobbyists, sports positions or… as you can see the list goes on and on and on.

That’s what I call a hat. If you had a hat for each role and title your closets would be brimming over with headwear.

Notebooks = Organization

Every hat you have comes with its own needs and supplies. As a writer mine usually come with a physical notebook to keep track of lessons, vocabulary, characters, etc.

If you play sports then your notebook is all the equipment required, the information about all the games and the contact info for everyone involved.

If you play an instrument then your notebook is your instrument, your sheets of music, your rehearsal time, and your schedule and contacts.

If you’re a little organizationally obsessive like me then you keep a line of notebooks ready to go for each committee or group to which you belong. A Saturday night writer’s group means: grab the blue folder on the way out the door. Or on a larger scale, going to an Anime convention means grab the yellow folder and the over-flowing garment bag packed with costumes, trinkets and smaller organizational bags.

Eight Million Books = a whole lot of books. Those I own, referenced and shelved and dusted. Sorted into read and ready to read. The eight million includes a pile of library books, recommended books, research books and loaned books.

One Billion Chores = just about everything else. With only a billion to do, I’m probably on the low end of the scale. There are always dishes to do, clothes to wash, gardens to weed, tables to dust, items like a car (or the random appliance breakdown) to fix and have serviced, carpools to drive, and papers to sort.

I’m not about to get into a contest on chores. I keep my life fairly stream-lined.

Despite all of the above, I also add lots of things in my life that don’t fall under a category of hyperbole.

I will and do write two thousand words a day. I do spend an hour a day (minimum) playing with cats and walking the dog. Exercise is no longer allowed to be a maybe. Email and social media are always checked every morning and always replied to.

I love to hear from people, to listen, and respond. Out of the trillion things above, my relationships whether person-to-person or from the ethereal internet will always gain my attention and a response.

~lisa