Blog-Tember Day 12: Currently

Prompt: What are you up to currently? 

I usually do my own Currently posts every couple of weeks, but I'm going to follow Bailey Jean's format this time.

Reading... Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin; loved The Happiness Project, hoping this one is just as good!

Playing... Trains with Arthur. He loves setting up the tracks and zooming all the trains and cars. I'm thinking another train track set for his upcoming birthday.

Watching... J finally got me to start watching Merlin. We're into the 2nd season and I am hooked. If we don't have a new Mr. Robot or Last Week Tonight, we watch Merlin. We'll blow through this series very soon!

Trying... to schedule all the activities. September is 100% booked and October is about 75% booked. I'm hoping for a lighter November to catch up on some things like reading.

Cooking... New favorites. The past week was my off week for meal planning and groceries. Every few weeks we eat all the random stuff in our fridge which usually translates to simple meals (spaghetti and meatballs, etc). This week is all about my new favorite dishes to make: chicken parmesan, black bean soup, cajun stuffed chicken breast, etc.

Eating... Yummy bagels for breakfast. I go back and forth for breakfast foods, but my current favorite is a bagel with cream cheese, coffee, and piece of fruit. Yum yum!

Drinking... More water. I've been trying to stay away from pop and other sugary drinks (although I'm not cutting them out completely). I bought Arthur and myself new Camelbaks a few weeks back. Trying to always keep that filled with water and within my reach!

Texting... pictures of retreat crafts to my co-organizer. We always make a few little special gifts and this time I really love the crafts!

Pinning... recipes, recipes, and more recipes. I love pinning new recipes. When I go to meal plan the next week, I often look at the pretty pins to find inspiration for our next meal.

Going... to book club tomorrow. I'm in two different book clubs: a personal one and a parents group one. Tomorrow is my personal club. I can't wait to grab some lunch at Black Bear Diner and catch up with friends. Oh yeah, and discuss the book!

Loving... Cranberry scones. So incredibly yummy with my morning coffee.

Hating... Arthur's tendency to not nap now. He's not even 2 and he's all but dropped his nap. I counted on that two hours to get some blog work or cleaning done.

Discovering... new place places around Castro Valley. A few hidden gems to check out soon.

Thinking... about needing to look for Christmas plane tickets to Indiana. It's coming up soon! I need to buy my tickets before the prices go up!

Feeling... stressed but in a good way. I love planning all these projects and activities. I just need to tackle them one at a time.

Hoping (for)... more sleep. I haven't been sleeping very well. Hopefully next week goes better.

Listening (to)... Octane on Sirius XM. Arthur and I haven rocking out to Saint Asonia, Highly Suspect, and Nothing More.

Celebrating... fall. I love fall. Now to get myself a pumpkin spice latte!

Smelling... my coffee brewing.

Ordering... last minute birthday party supplies. Arthur's party is coming up soon. I've been getting all the last little non-perishable items.

Thanking... about my plan for December Daily this year. Should I do three gift albums again? Or change the format to something else? And what form should my December Daily take?

Starting... to plan my October greeting cards and monthly goals.

Finishing... My greeting cards for September. Only one to finish to fulfill my design team responsibilities.

Blog-Tember Day 11: A Night In

Prompt: It's a Friday night and you decide to stay in. What do you do?

This prompt makes me laugh. For years now, my Friday nights have been nights in. With a toddler, most nights are nights in. So here's how my usual night goes:

• Dinner and cleanup
• Give Arthur his bath
• Snuggles and play time
• Book reading and Arthur bed time
• J and I watch an episode or two of something
• I go upstairs and read a chapter or two before going to bed myself
• Lights out around 10:30pm

It may sound a bit boring, but it's my life.

Blog-Tember Day 10: Bucket List

Prompt: 10 items off your bucket list. If you haven't made one, now's a good time to start!

I'm not a huge fan of bucket lists. I much prefer to think in terms of shorter term goals, even if they are sometimes lofty. Instead, I am currently in my second time participating in the Day Zero Project. Basically you make a goal of 101 items to do in 1001 days. I love the shorter time period. I love the ability to add easy goals (e.g. read 50 books) and harder goals (e.g. travel to another country). For today, I'm sharing 10 of my current favorite items from my 101 in 1001 list.

1. Build a snowman -- Obviously not going to happen in California. But I usually spend Christmas in Indiana. Maybe it will snow enough this year to build a snowman.
2. Host a tea party -- I want to have a proper tea party with mini sandwiches and scones with clotted cream. Sounds like so much fun.
3. Give 5 Just Because gifts -- I want to cultivate more deeper friendships. This is a perfect way to get started on that.
4. Give Arthur 25 pictures books in 25 days for December 2015 -- My plan for this year. I saw someone do this on Pinterest and it sounded like a great idea.
5. Attend an opera or musical -- I miss going to the theater. I would love to attend some type of theater performance soon...
6. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all -- This is going to be part of my 2016 reading challenges. I am excited with the idea of suggestions from those that I actually know.
7. Listen to every song by The Beatles -- I love The Beatles, but I feel like that there are songs by them that I've never heard. This is a big task. And yet, I'm really looking forward to it.
8. Open a cookbook to a random page and make what ever is on it -- This one is part of my September goals. I'm way too excited to do this one.
9. Get lasik -- It's been on my list for a few years now. Unfortunately pregnancy delayed my plan. We now have a decent HSA account that I can use to get lasik this fall. Just need to make an appointment.
10. Get Arthur’s tattoo -- Another goal on my list for the past few years (2 to be exact). I still haven't decided which design to go with, but I'm leaning towards one very simple silhouette.

Blog-Tember Day 9: My Past Self

Prompt: Write a letter to sixteen-year-old you. Any advice or funny stories?

I never know what to write for these types of prompts, but I'll try...

My advice to 16-year-old Tobe:

• Don't care so much about what other people think of you -- You can't please everyone!
• Be more assertive -- You may get called a bitch a lot, but at least your opinion is heard. Don't let others run over you. Take charge! (Others will stand with you!)
• He's not worth it. -- Yep, the usually high school romance crap. Breakups suck, but you'll eventually find someone great. (And along the way, find better and better)
• Give your mom a break. -- She's trying. I know it feels like she doesn't understand and your life is so hard, but so is hers.
• Never be afraid to share your love of reading. -- Geeks will rule the world one day. Stay with them!
• Travel -- My one big regret.
• Have fun -- Don't always be looking forward or backward, live a little!

Sincerely,

An older, but I don't know if necessarily wiser, 33-year-old Tobe

Blog-Tember Day 8: For the Love of Fall

Prompt: Tell us about your favorite season. Why is it your favorite and what does it say about you?

My favorite season has always been fall. Growing up in Indiana, I longed for the hay rides, bonfires, apple cider, orange leaves, haunted houses, and sweaters of fall. I love the smells of crisp autumn air, burning leaves, and simmering cider. Halloween is the best holiday of the year. Plus, it's back-to-school time. I still love school with the promise of new adventures and new supplies. Summer is always just a tad too hot for me. And of course, winter was always incredibly cold. I love that little in between time. I love being able to sit outside drinking a mocha wearing a light sweater.

Since moving to California, I miss fall even more. We don't really have seasons here. It's hot during the summer and slightly cooler during the winter. If it's a good year, we get rain off and on from December to March. If not, then it's just slightly cooler. People around here sure dress according to the seasons on the calendar, but I'm way too hot to be wearing chunky sweaters in November.

To me fall represents a season of noticeable change. It's the start of another school year. It's a gradual cooling of the temperature. It's gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even though I am grown, I still think in terms of the school year. September is my rebirth month. And now I have even more to love about fall... October is Arthur's birth month. So much to celebrate soon!

Blog-Tember Day 7: Wading Through...

Prompt: Tell us about your blog name. Where did it come from?

The official title my blog is Wading Through the Ocean of Life. I usually just shorten it to Wading Through... on my communications. The name comes from a short story that I wrote back in college. The story was titled "The Place that Bordered Death" and dealt with a mother and daughter dealing with life and loved ones passing. It was set beside the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean. For some reason, the sea has always inspired me. I view life as an ocean. Sometimes it's tranquil lit by sunshine. Other times it's rough, dark, and foreboding. And so, whether I'm in a good place or a rough patch, I always picture myself wading through the ocean. Eventually things will change, but you have to keep going.

Blog-Tember Day 6: My Style

Prompt: Share your style. What fashion trends do you love, frequent, or avoid?

Ha! This prompt comes at a very weird time for me style-wise. I just complete my first capsule wardrobe and it was very eye-opening. I realized a few things:

1. I hate most of the clothing in my closet -- It doesn't really fit well. Most was bought because it was cheap. The pieces don't really coordinate at all.
2. I would like to invest in more expensive, but great quality items.
3. I would like to limit my color palette to something more manageable that all coordinates.
4. I need comfy, yet put-together pieces to chase a toddler all day.
5. I need to pay attention to fit. The items must fit right now (not when I lose 10lbs, etc) for me to buy it.

With these things in mind, I have been thinking a lot about what I want to look like. I like a mix of bohemian and classic styles. Think flowy tops with lace some days and crisp shorts and a chambray top and black pants the next day. Somehow I want to mix these two styles to crate a wardrobe that I actually wear.

Blog-Tember Day 5: A Playlist

Prompt: Put your iTunes/music player on shuffle and share the first 10 songs that play.

My iTunes account is super eclectic, so this should be interesting,,,

1. "I Guess I Should Go to Sleep" Jack White

2. "This = Love" The Script

3. "Let Go" Frou Frou

4. "Neon" John Mayer

5. "Sailing to Nowhere" Broken Bells

6. "Learn to Love" NeedtoBreathe

7. "Revolution" The Beatles

8. "The Wanderer" O.A.R.

9. "Lipstick and Bruises" Lit

10. "Hallelujah" Rufus Wainwright

Blog-Tember Day 4: Passions

Prompt: What are you passionate about?

This is a hard question. I like a lot of things, but what am I truly passionate about. hmmm...

Reading and books -- I'm always reading. I'm always looking out for the next great book. I'm always telling people what I've been reading. I love to read other people's thoughts about books. I could talk books all day long. Book clubs (the two that I am in) are the highlights of my month. I love to sit around, catch up with friends, and hear their thoughts on the selection. While I love to choose our next book, I also like the surprise of what others choose. Will it be good? Will I give up on it halfway through? It's such a mystery! But such fun!  If I had enough money and room, I'd have an entire room dedicated only to books. As it stands, I have a few bookshelves in our bedroom. They work but I want that dream library complete with reading nook that I always see on Pinterest. I make sure to share my love of reading with my children. The twins didn't seem interested in reading as young kids (are you actually my children?). But now that they've hit the preteen years, they both request books for Christmas and birthdays. Plus they love popping into the local book store to see what's available. I am so proud!  The 2-year-old isn't reading independently, but we make sure to hit the library at least once a week for some great picture books. I'm hoping that he will grow into a great reader. For now I'll just keep sharing my love of reading and reading to him. I'd say I am pretty passionate about reading. I realize that I will never have enough time in my life to read all the books, but I'm still going to try.

Blog-Tember Day 3: Welcome to My Blog!

Prompt: Create a collage or inspiration/mood board that describes your blog.

I spent almost an hour the other night trying to put together a mood board. I was just about finished when I somehow deleted the entire thing. Ugh! Such is life some days. Instead of redoing the mood board, I am going to just highlight some of the features on my blog.

First and foremost my blog is about books. It is a way for me to record what I have read, what I loved, and what I didn't love. I loved participating in reading challenges and readathons. (Side note: It helps me avoid rereading books that I have forgotten that I've read) It was also a way to get into blogging in the first place. As I have added other features and focuses, books have stayed in the background but as an always present feature.

The blog has also evolved as a way to records family updates. Currently I have a monthly Arthur update post. Once he turns 2 in a few months, I will do those at most once a quarter. But I also hope to just have more "what we are doing as a family" type posts.

I love television and movies. At least once a year I do a new movie month where I try to watch 30 new-to-me movies. I also occasionally highlight some of my favorite movies. I don't record much of the television shows that I watch, but I do usually mention them on my Sunday Sunset posts.

I started making outfits using Polyvore last year. I love playing with clothes, especially things I would never own or wear. Sometimes I like to do theme series (like my Pride and Prejudice characters series). I also recently documents my summer capsule wardrobe adventure. And I highlight my first Dia&Co box this past week. You may see more pictures of what I actually wear on here.

In April I joined as a consultant for Thirty-One. I haven't mentioned it much on the blog yet as I was getting my footing. Now that a few months are under my belt, I want to do more to highlight Thirty-One's great products. If you want see more, click on the button on my sidebar.

One of the newest aspects of my blog is writing. I've been embracing my identify as a writer. One of my goals for this fall/winter and next year is to write more. Whether that be more detailed blog posts, journaling, or possibly a book, I want to cultivate my writing self I think this month's challenge is a great start.

Lastly, you will occasionally see craft highlighted on the blog. I usued to post the greeting cards that I made. With my joining Stampin' Up as a demonstrator, I wanted to have a dedicated space for my crafting projects. I left some of my old projects on this blog, but started my own crafting blog over at The Craft Sea. Click on over to see what I make!

Blog-Tember Day 2: My Day

Prompt: Describe your ideal day. Where would you go and what would you do?

My dream day revolves around me. That sounds very selfish, but let me explain. As a mom and wife, my daily life is determined by other people's needs. My toddler needs constant attention. And lately he hasn't been napping at all! There goes the only time of day that I can do whatever I want. As it is, my days are filled with getting toddler dressed, changed, fed, and entertained. Beyond the boy, I also have to clean the house, run errands, and make meals. Gone are the days that I an do whatever whenever I wanted.

So my perfect day would involved someone taking care of the family's needs. I wouldn't have to cook, clean, or even wake up at certain time. Beyond that, I would love to wake up, shower, grab some brunch somewhere, and visit something, preferably a museum. A history museum or art museum would be perfect. From there, I would grab a small late lunch and head home to craft and/or read for the afternoon. After a nice dinner (again that I didn't cook), I would read or watch a movie (probably a Jane Austen adaptation or romance). Then I would snuggle into my pajamas, grab a cookie and cup of tea, and read a bit before bed. Yeah that sounds like the perfect day!

Blog-Tember Day 1

Hello everyone! And welcome to Blog-Tember 2015. As I said in my sign-up post, I've wanted to do this challenge for awhile now, but always seemed to remember mid-month. This time, I'm starting with Day 1!

Prompt: Introduce yourself however you like! Pics, vlog, collage, your choice :)

Describing myself is always a challenge.  What do I include? What do I leave out? How do a phrase everything? I'm always so critical of myself and how I am presented. But I'm going to attempt to do it...

My About Me pages says that I am a "Mother, Stampin’ Up Demonstrator, Teacher, Reader, Blogger, Student, Project Manager." All of those identifiers are true. I am also a Thirty-One Consultant (since April) and writer (newly embraced identifier). But they don't really tell you what me, the real me.

I would add to that list, I am a:

• Pessimist -- I'm not necessarily the sunniest person you will meet. I am usually the pessimist in any given group. I have a hard time "looking on the bright side." It seems so unnatural. The exception is in my relationship with J. I tend to take the optimistic approach to his cynicism. Weird how that works out!
• Lister -- I love lists! I love to make lists. I love to look at lists. I am obsessed with lists. J doesn't understand my obsession, but let's my weirdness be most days. I never feel complete without a handwritten list somewhere on my person. Because of this, I have become obsessed with finding the perfect planner. I've recently bought The Happy Planner by mambi and loving it so far. It may be the perfect blend between traditional calendar and list maker.
• Atheist -- I've identified as an atheist for years now, but have been too scared to really say it in public. In the past two-three years, I've become more open about being an atheist when approached with religion. I'm perfectly okay with you having a religion, but don't expect me to sit quietly when you bring it up. I don't want to be disrespectful, but I will tell you my own non-belief. Because of my unwillingness to stay silent, I have made a few enemies in the local parents' group. So be it. I don't I would have been best friends with a deeply religious person anyway.
• Teflon -- I really try to not let things (comments, other peoples' crap, even hurtful comments) stick to me. I'm not always successful, but lately I have been a lot better at just ignoring other people. Amazingly, I think this approach has made me a more optimistic person.
• Advice board -- Apparently I give decent advice given the amount of people I know who ask me for it. My hope is to always be an active listener and give constructive advice. It may not be the "silver-lining" approach, but in the end, I think it's best.
• Introvert -- If you met me in person, you may not realize that I am a huge introvert. I'm always talking and putting myself out there, but inside I get knots in my stomach and anxiety. I don't like being put in new or social situations. I hate having to talk to other people that I don't really know. I much prefer to spent my nights at home reading, writing, or crafting by myself. I need alone time to recharge my batteries. (Can we talk about how difficult this is being a SAHM to a toddler?) So, I may look like an extrovert, but not on the inside.
• Comfortable, but maybe not happy -- Life is decent. We have enough money to be comfortable. I have a fairly large home. I have my children and J. I have friends. But I've realized in the past few months, that I may not really be happy. I'm working on this. Part of this probably stems from the loss of personal identity when I became a mom again. 2016 is going to be about changing my perspective and some activities. I've decided to create my own Happiness Project (based off of Gretchen Rubin's book of the same name).
• Sufferer of depression -- A few years ago, I was finally diagnosed with mild depression. What a relief to finally know why I felt like I do sometimes! I have pinpointed that stress and the seasons can trigger my depression. It's not debilitating enough to require medication (but if yours does, please take what you need!), but I did need to learn some behavioral techniques to help myself. Since the diagnosis, I have learned to create coping mechanisms and behaviors when I stop an episode. But more importantly, I have learned to stop an episode before it gets too deep. I may not always get it right and sometimes it takes weeks to come out the other side, but having tools to combat depression has made the world of difference.

All of this is me, along with a million other things (I love purple and chocolate chip cookies). I always hate having to do a quick introduction about myself. A few identifiers doesn't really tell you who I am, but I realize the necessity of brevity. Anyway, I am still trying to figure out all of who I am, but this was a start!

Joining Blog-Tember

This is crazy, but I've seen people do Blog-Tember in the past and it always looked like so much fun. An entire month's worth of blog post prompts! I decided to jump this the challenge this coming month. Which means, I had to decide what to do with all of my regularly scheduled features and blog posts... I'm pushing most of the not-time-sensitive ones (Fashion Friday, Music Monday, etc) to October, but keeping Arthur's birthday post, life goals, and 101 Update post. Hope this works out well.  To join me, hop on over to Brave Love Blog and check out the details.

Music Memories

Sometimes Sweet started a journal day for every Thursday. I love the idea and find it easier to follow a prompt rather than think up my own.  So, here we go:

Prompt #2: We all have songs that really mean something to us. Often just hearing it can take us right back to that place and we are able to re-experience the memory associated with the song. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but either way music has the ability to really draw things out of us and evoke deep emotion. Choose a song that has a particular meaning to you. Tell the story of the memory associated with the song, sharing as much detail as you can. Take us there; let us experience it with you.

My memory isn't just one song, but a mini playlist.  My junior year of high school, I drove a few of my friends to and from school.  We had our own little carpool.  I quickly realized that I hated listening to the radio in the morning (tons of talking, not enough music).  And so I began to create mixtapes to entertain us in the morning (and in the afternoon).  Yes, they were cassette tapes.  This was before most cards had cd players and definitely before mp3 players.  I diligently sat at home with my boombox in front of the stereo and started taping.  Every morning, I would listen to the radio until I picked up my best friend, Beth.  Funny aside: she lived the closest to school (1 block away!) but I always picked her up first.  We would pop the tape in and start our day right with some headbanging top-of-our-lungs singing of The Offspring.  And then we would cool down to some Barenaked Ladies and Five Iron Frenzy while throwing in some Korn and Snoop Dog.  It was always a party.  We would then drive around picking up my other carpoolers and eventually make it to school.  In the afternoon, we would pick up wherever we left off on the tape.  That tape lived in my car for two years.  I only played it on the way to and from school.  It was a special tape for a special occasion.  Those mornings and afternoons were my first taste of true freedom.  I had a car, I was all on my own, I had my friends with me to enjoy the ride.  Anytime one of these songs pops up in my iTunes shuffle, I immediately go right back to high school hanging with my friends and my little white Hyundai Accent rocking our way to another day at school.

P.S. I know there were more songs, but for the life of me, I can't remember them all.  And the tape has disappeared into some landfill somewhere...

At a Crossroads...

Sometimes Sweet started a journal day for every Thursday. I love the idea and find it easier to follow a prompt rather than think up my own.  So, here we go:

Prompt #1: Everyone has a time in their life they view as a crossroad. Sometimes you can see it as it's happening, and you're able to choose one way or another. Other times you may not realize you're there until you look back, and see what a turning point it really was. This week, write about a time you view as a marker in your life; a distinct place where things changed, for better or worse.

My crossroads came in June of 2011 and it wasn't all amazing.  After an entire year of unemployment and feeling stuck, I finally made a huge change in my life and moved to Nebraska to be with J and a fresh start.  I had decided to make the move almost a year before then, but I was stuck in Indiana because of a custody fight.  My ex didn't want me to move the twins to Nebraska.  And so we began an almost year long back and forth.  It was draining both financially and emotionally.  After that year, an agreement was reached.  One I was not that keen on.  But it was a change and it allowed me to move ahead with my life instead of being stuck in limbo.  Come June, I packed up my entire life into a U-haul, left my boys with mom until they could fly out, and drove 10 hours to another life.  It felt like my life started anew.  From that point forward, things have increasingly gotten better in my life.  My relationship with J has deepened.  I finally found who I could be with for the the rest of my life.  I moved into a different career.  Even though I am not currently working, I have worked in new and different fields learning new skills.  I have found a new support system of friends with like interests (crafters and moms!).  And finally, I have added another member to my family with the birth of my beautiful Arthur.  While the choices weren't optimal, I feel like I eventually made a decision and set my life on a better path filled with endless opportunities.

Creative Writing -- Saturday Mornings

What’s your ideal Saturday morning? Are you doing those things this morning? Why not? My ideal Saturday morning is full of relaxation.  Ideally I would like to sleep into until 9, but with a newborn I just know that won't happen.  Then I would get up, take a shower (a must!), and get dressed.  Then I would make myself a cup of coffee in my new Keurig machine (merry christmas to us!) and eat some type of pastry.  After eating, I would curl up with a good book and read for a few hours.  That's it.  I'm pretty easy.  Just a few creature comforts to get my Saturday started right.

I'm still in Indiana trying to enjoy Christmas vacation (with a nasty cold), so my Saturday doesn't look this at all.  I'm up with the baby trying not to cough all over him.  I'll get my cup of coffee as I bought my mom a Keurig for Christmas, but no pastry.  I'll have to settle for an English muffin with some jelly or peanut butter.  No time for reading for a few hours.  I have a baby to take care of and a baby shower to prep for.  Hopefully we all make it through today...

Creative Writing -- My First Post

Now that you’ve got some blogging experience under your belt, re-write your very first post. I’ve started another blog.  This one is for me…  a place for me to collect my thoughts, share some ideas, be a record of me.  The two other blogs that I write for are very specific.  And while I enjoy writing for them… they are just so darn specific.  If I want to wonder about the weather or share my thoughts on a non-education or tech book I just read, I can’t.  So, this one will be my personal outlet.  If anyone gets around to reading this… enjoy!  Just remember, most days I am fairly scatter brained and random.  Prepare to get ridiculous!

Instead of rewriting the post, I thought I would do a bit of reflection on my first post.  It did the job, but overall is a bit boring.  Of course, I've seen others' first posts that are one sentence.  This one does establish the fact that I've started a new blog for my personal thoughts.  Very quickly the blog morphed into a books and reading centric blog, but that's okay.  I really wanted to document my reading.  Book reviews are still a huge part of the blog.  This past year, I have started branching back out into other areas of my life.  I started Fashion Fridays to play with style (not that I actually own any of those clothes, wishful thinking...).  I did weekly pregnancy updates.  I've highlighted more about my new little one (need to get more about the twins on here).  I've also made an attempt to document my attempt to document our lives using Project Life.  My blog is slowly turning into an all encompassing life blog and I love the direction it's going.  I'm not going to give up reading related posts any time soon, but I don't just want this to be a book blog (not that there's anything wrong with book blogs).  I don't want to limit myself so much that I don't feel free to post where the moment takes me.  My new mantra for the blog: "This will be my personal outlet."

Creative Writing -- Dream Residence

If you were asked to spend a year living in a different location, where would you choose and why? This one is so easy... I would definitely choose Italy.  I've always wanted to experience the sights and sounds and tastes of Italy.  I want to travel throughout the country spending time in the big cities and countryside.  I want to attempt to learn the language.  I want to see all the famous art and architecture.  And I especially want to eat all the food!

Creative Writing -- Loneliness

In January, I am embarking on 30 days of creative writing exercises.  I'm behind by one day, but want to catch up tonight or tomorrow.

When was the last time you felt really, truly lonely?

I randomly pulled this question up today, but almost immediately regretted it.  How do I answer this question?  How personal do I get here on the blog?  I took a minute to think mull over these issues...

The last time I felt lonely was right after my miscarriage in August 2012.  Even though I knew that others had experienced the same feelings and emotions, I felt like I was completely alone.  I retreated into myself and spiraled into a depressive episode.  It took almost two months for me to bring myself back out.  Those two months, I felt a deep loneliness.  It was irrational and yet I felt it.  The thing that helped me reconnect with the world was reading.  It was socializing with other people.  It was becoming engrossed in a fictional world.  Somehow, slowly, I started to wake back up and realized that I had people who cared for me.  I started socializing more and eventually got back into my regular routine.

Wishful Meeting

Part of my 101 creative writing prompts for my Day Zero Project.If you could spend one day with anyone in history, who would you choose?

That's an easy question: Alice Paul.  Alice Paul is my hero.  She lived during the early 20th century and fought for women's suffrage.  Any one seen the HBO movie Iron Jawed Angels starring Hillary Swank?  Yep, it's a movie about Alice Paul and winning suffrage.  I love reading about her tenacity and spirit.  I think she would be very interested in examining the status of equality in the country today.  We could have a great discussion.