#IWSG: When Are You Most Productive?

 

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the December 2 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre!

December 2 question - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

I'm more productive when the sun is shining. In Michigan, that eliminates November and February, the two dreariest months of the year. The Great Lakes affect the weather. Not just lake-effect snow, which is tremendous, but the lakes bring clouds. 

Like many people, I'm affected by the lack of sunshine. That's when my productivity plummets. A sunny day makes me feel like I have a ton of energy. Usually, my writing increases. I say "usually." This year, my mind has been scattered. I know I'm not alone in this. I can't seem to focus.

However . . .

Tara Tyler started a blog hop called "30 Days of Gratitude." I joined. I figured I needed to focus on positivity and think about the good things in my life. Every day I posted I thought about what I have to be grateful for. Such a great reminder. The blog hop ended on the day before Thanksgiving. That made me more grateful than ever because, despite covid and not seeing my family as much as I wanted to, I had a lot to be thankful for.

I'm very grateful to Tara for another reason. I wrote every day for 30 days. For someone who hasn't written much all year, this was big. It was also encouraging. It lifted me out of the doldrums, reminding me I needed something to spur me on. A goal for each day. I need to keep it going. I'd like finish 2020 on a high point instead of the quasi-depression I'd fallen into.

I hope all of you are staying safe. That you stay safe through the holidays. See you next year. 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30: Traditions

Two days ago I talked about the wedding tradition in my family. While that only happened every 20-30 years, gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving happens annually. Well, at least it did until this year.

Covid.

Unfortunately, covid cases have risen dramatically in west Michigan. To stay safe, Hubs and I will celebrate by ourselves, while our children will celebrate with their families. It will be different. We'll still watch the parades, esp. the one in Detroit since that's where we both grew up. Maybe we'll watch the Lions game, if there is one. We'll FaceTime with each family and think about how we'll get together for Thanksgiving next year.

I want to thank Tara Tyler for starting this 30 Days of Gratitude. Since March, I've felt overwhelmed, upset, and down. I'd forgotten I have so much to be thankful for. Blogging for the past 30 days reinforced that even in bad times, I need to remember our blessings.

 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29: Guilty Pleasures

 

I love to read in bed. Hubs doesn't mind. LOL He just pulls the covers over his head, even though I turn out the light. Often, I'll be so engaged by a story that I read into the wee hours.

Unlike my mom, mother-in-law, and most women, I'm not that fond of chocolate. Heresy, I know. Now, mix chocolate with ice cream . . . mmm.

Movies. Either at home or in the theater (not now, of course), I love movies. Like books, movies transport me to another place or time, even another world. Give me an action-adventure flick or a romantic comedy and I'm thrilled.

I'm thankful I can enjoy all my guilty pleasures.

What are yours?

 

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28: My Husband

Forty-eight years ago, I married my best friend. We hadn't known each other for very long, but we knew we were meant to be. 

In keeping with what has become a family tradition, we married on Thanksgiving Day. My maternal grandparents did because Grandpa got the day off from his milk delivery job. My parents did because my dad got a furlough from the Army Air Force that weekend. So, I thought it would be cool to do the same. Then (no pressure) our daughter married on Thanksgiving Day, too.

I'm thankful for the special man in my life who still brings me joy, happiness, laughter, and, most of all, love.

 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27: Accomplishments

 

I'm very proud of what I've accomplished in my life. I'm most proud of recognitions for service. The picture above is the Angel Pin from the Mid-Michigan chapter of Romance Writers of America.

We give service because we want to help, not for recognition. I'm grateful for all I've learned and support received from the members of MMRWA.

I was not a Girl Scout as a girl. Considering all I learned as an adult Girl Scout, I wish I had been. Through Girl Scouts of the USA, I learned that you can accomplish anything when you're part of a team. 

I'm so grateful for the experiences I've had and all I've accomplished. And I'm not done yet.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26: Daily Routine

 Before covid--how many times do we say that and how many more times will we say it in the future?

As I started to say . . . before covid I had a routine. Coffee first, then I opened my computer. I glanced at emails to see if there was something I needed to attend to. After that, I opened the file for the story I'd been working on, read a couple of paragraphs to get back into the story, then began writing.

That was a good routine for me. Then, the pandemic threw me off schedule. My mind whirled with worry. Hubs and I are in one of the most susceptible groups--older with pre-existing conditions.

The worry led to incessant news watching. Forget writing. I needed to know what was happening and how it would affect us, our kids, and grandkids.

My routine has drastically changed. I still get my coffee. I check my email. Instead of moving on to my unfinished novel, I read all my email posts. I play computer games while binge-watching NetFlix or Prime.

I would be so grateful to have a new routine.

  

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 25: Health & Exercise

 

Remember when you had energy like the kids above? When my 3-year-old twin grandsons race around the house, I want to bottle their energy then dole it out to myself each day.

As a youngster, I loved ice skating. Mom would hook up the hose and flood a low spot in our front yard (we lived out in the country). Soon, we had a frozen pond. My sister and I would skate until we were too cold to keep going. 

I don't have that kind of energy and have no idea why I stopped skating. Time? Fear of falling? 

I'm grateful for my health. It's not the best, but I can get around and do what I need to do. My energy, though, is pretty low. Maybe it's the whole covid restrictions, which I work hard at following. I miss my family and friends, though we make do with Zoom or FaceTime. I miss going out to restaurants. Here in Michigan, our restaurants are now closed except for take out. Cabin fever is coming early this year.

Exercise. There's my downfall. Arthritis is painful. Consequently, exercising is painful. In preparing this post, I looked for memes on exercising and found exercises for seniors plus several workouts I can do while seated. 

This may sound silly, but I'm grateful for Google and Pinterest for giving me ideas on keeping active.

 

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24: Blessings

 They say to count your blessings. It's easier to complain.

I am so grateful for the blessings I've been given: my husband, family, health, shelter, and all we need.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23: Time

 

We grouse about time. We say we don't have enough of it. Or time got away from me. 

I thought with retirement I'd have plenty of time to do the things I've always wanted to do. Yet, the more time I have the more I waste. When time is short, it's amazing what I can get done. I've often wanted a "do over" so I could use time better. How about you?

https://www.distractify.com/

Maybe I should just be grateful for the time I have.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Days 21 & 22: Compliments & Freedom

 I goofed. Totally forgot to post yesterday. A couple of days ago, I wrote about getting up after  falling down. Here's me getting up as I do double duty.

Day 21: Compliments. How do you accept compliments? Do you say "thank you" or "it was nothing"? Why is it so hard to accept a compliment? Even when we deserve it. Is it something ingrained in women that it's not modest to be recognized? Or is this something that only older generations are prone to? 

I love compliments. I love when people say they enjoy my books. I'm grateful for any compliment, like a review, and I'm learning to politely say "thank you."

Day 22: Freedom. This topic could go so many ways. A recognition of the many freedoms we enjoy here in America. But since covid dominates our lives, I want to talk about the recommendations by scientists on preventing the spread of the virus. 

Scientists agree that wearing a mask gives us something like 70% protection from the virus. As does staying a minimum of six feet apart. I get a flu shot every year, a tetanus shot every ten (or sooner if I've been cut), a mammogram every year. Not because I have to, but because my doctors recommend it. I wear a mask to protect myself and to protect others. I think I don't have covid. I have no symptoms, but I could still carry the virus. So I wear a mask.

Staying 6' apart is not a problem. We rarely go anywhere. We don't have visitors, other than family and even that is rare. Because covid cases have risen dramatically, our state health department just issued more restrictions, including not more than 2 families, maximum 10 people, gathering together. Consequently, our immediate families are not getting together for Thanksgiving this year. (And we still don't know about Christmas.) Even before the new restrictions, we already decided we wouldn't join our families. It will be weird, but this whole year has been weird.

My point is choice. We could grouse about restrictions or deliberately ignore them. We could say it impinges on our freedoms. I say I have the freedom to choose to follow the rules, to do what is right--to wear a mask, to stay apart, to celebrate Thanksgiving without our families.

I'm so grateful for having the freedom to choose.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

It's not too late to join in. Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

  

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20: Health Workers

 

The covid pandemic has made all of us more aware of Health Workers than ever before. Unless you've had first hand experience, as we have. In the past year, sheriff deputies, EMTs, nurses, and doctors have cared for Hubs. At two different times, home health workers--nurse, physical, occupational, and speech therapists--treated him in our home. 

I can't say enough good things about the care Hubs got in, before, and after the hospital. If not for the health workers and their quick thinking, he wouldn't be with us. I am so grateful for those who put their lives on the line to care for us.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19: Life Lessons

 

I've learned more from failures (or what I perceived as failures) than I have from successes. Getting up after life has knocked me down means I haven't given up. 

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18: Good News

We haven't had much good news lately. The covid pandemic overwhelms us. Just when we hoped cases were slowing down, we've had a resurgence. Hubs and I are grateful that no one in our family has been infected, though we have friends who have gotten very sick from covid. The good news is they survived.

We all need some good news. Despite the virus that's consuming our attention, disrupting our lives, we need to look for something positive. I know this is tiny, but new episodes of TV shows are airing (or going to air next week). 

My family got some good news last month. An explanation of what's happening with Hubs. After he went through extensive neurological and psychological testing, we were told that his brain was so battered by the TIA (stroke) he had last October and three seizures (between April and July) the aging process accelerated. (Okay, that sounds better than saying dementia has kicked in.) Then we got the good news. Medication and being more active can slow down his brain's aging.

That's true for all of us. Being active--physically, mentally, and socially--can slow down the aging process. That's good news, indeed.

I'm so grateful for our doctors who've tried to discover why Hubs is changing. Finally, having an explanation is helping us deal with the present and the future.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17: Opportunities

 We all have opportunities. It's what we do with them that counts. It's easy to let opportunities to slip by without recognizing them. 

I've mentioned we moved frequently, following Hubs' job. The first time was exciting, an adventure. I met a lady who'd been in the town about a year before me. She said she cried the first six months, didn't want to go out of the house. My first thought was how sad. My second was why didn't she get out and see what the town had to offer. She was missing opportunities to enrich her life. 

I understood better how she felt when our 4th move was pending. I didn't want to leave. I cried, I yelled at Hubs. I was angry. Finally, he said he'd get an apartment in the new city and come home on weekends. (I still remember exactly where we were when he said I could stay.) What was my response? That wasn't going to work. We weren't going to live in separate cities. When I had the choice, I accepted the move. 

It turned out that it was a good move, many opportunities that I took advantage of. Accepting opportunities, even going after them, can make life easier.

I'm grateful for all the opportunities our moves have given me. And I'm glad I took advantage of them. 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16: Fond Memories

Lunch with Mom. Gram taking me to a Cardinal's baseball game. Our wedding. The birth of our children. Picnics in my folks' backyard. Baseball games with my uncles. Trips with my girlfriends and sister. Tigers' baseball games with my sibs. Vacations with our kids.

So many wonderful memories.

Now, I'm creating memories for my grandchildren. Making up stories. Reading to them. Hugs. Playing dress up. Snuggles. Attending recitals, sports games, school special events, Girl & Boy Scout award ceremonies.

I'm grateful for my memories. More importantly, I'm grateful that Hubs and I can make memories for our grandkids. 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15: Seasons

 I've always lived in the Midwest, mainly in Michigan. The four seasons are the best part. 

Just when I'm tired of winter, spring comes along. I never get tired of spring because it doesn't last long enough. 

Summer blasts us with 90° days and high humidity. The perfect summer days, to me, are 75 and moderate humidity. 

Fall means warm days, cool nights, and leaves turning colors. I read an old legend about Indian Summer, when Fall chases Summer away then Summer chases Fall away. A great description of the days in September, October, and November. Ordinarily, I wouldn't include November, except for this year. For the past 5 days, we've had perfect summer weather--mid-seventies and sunny. 

We are so busy with Thanksgiving and Christmas, that winter doesn't (mentally) hit until January. Blizzards, lake effect snow, and snowmen. Winter is fun when you don't have to drive in bad weather. 

Since we live about five miles from Lake Michigan, Hubs and I like to go to the beach, except in summer when the crowds are horrendous. Watching the lake in all kinds of weather is fascinating, especially in winter.

I'm grateful for the variety of seasons. They make life interesting.  

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14: Love

 Yesterday, I talked about my eyes and how much better they are post cataract surgery. What I didn't say was sometimes I misread things and that's what happened. Day 13 was supposed to be love; Day 14 was books. Oh, well. Today, I get to talk about love.

We all know there are different kinds of love--romantic love, platonic love, familial love, and so on. So far on the list of Gratitude Days, I've talked about love of friends, love of family, love of music and books, love of pets.

Romantic love seems appropriate today. My best friend--the one who texts--and I taught school together. She and a woman who subbed for us decided to fix me up with a guy the sub's husband worked with. My first blind date. He called and we talked for over an hour. We went out for "just" a drink and ended up having dinner then going to a movie. After dating three times, I told my dad this guy was really special. That was Father's Day. We got engaged in August, married on Thanksgiving Day. Fast, huh?

We were both older. We knew what we wanted out of life. And we knew we wanted the other in our lives. This Thanksgiving, we'll celebrate 48 years of marriage. We raised two terrific kids and have 5 brilliant grandchildren. (Doesn't everyone think their offspring are brilliant?) I guess we done good.  😊 

As I mention in the acknowledgement in my books, I'm so glad our friends arranged that blind date. More than that I'm grateful to share my life with a wonderful husband. And we have many more years ahead.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13: Books

If I said all I want about books, you would be reading this post until tomorrow. LOL So, I'll make it much shorter. Books are essential to my life. They entertain, educate, and help me escape from life's nastiness, like the pandemic and the division in our country. I'd rather read than watch TV.

Several years ago, my eye doctor told me I had cataracts. I dreaded what I knew was coming--eye surgery. No way! What if I lost my sight? I wouldn't be able to read. I knew I could listen to audio books, which I've done on long commutes. But my fear of losing my sight overwhelmed me. Eventually, cataracts dulled my sight enough that I had to face the inevitable. 

I am so grateful for the surgeon who returned my sight and made it better. Since I had severe astigmatism, I had an optional type of lens that took away most of the astigmatism. I could see well without glasses for the first time since I was 3 years old. For small print and the computer, I still need glasses. I can handle that. I have my sight. I can read.

Whether you love to hold a physical book or read on an electronic reader (like me), books enrich our lives. We give thanks for the people who write those wonderful books.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by Tara Tyler's blog to see who else is participating.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12: Protectors

What would we do without the First Responders? Police, fire fighters, emergency responders, the military. Without them, we would have chaos. One common element of dystopian fiction is the lack of protection for the inhabitants when bullies take over. We've all seen mobs rampaging on television. Thank goodness, I've never seen their violence in person. 

We depend on our law enforcers to protect us. 

I never had the occasion to call 911, until last October. My husband was panting, couldn't catch his breath. When I called 911, the operator calmly took our info then said help was on its way and I should stay on the line. I responded that I needed to unlock the front door. I had to put down the landline. By the time I opened the door, a sheriff deputy was walking up to our door. Talk about fast. I'm sure that doesn't always happen so fast. He began triage until the EMTs got here. I'm sure they saved my husband's life.

I'm so grateful for the First Responders, especially now during the pandemic.

credit: Amazon

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11: Music

 I love music. Most kinds of music--country, easy listening, classical, stage and screen, some jazz. I'm not fond of heavy metal or rap. My favorite is rock & roll, esp. the oldies. Listening to the music of my youth brings back good memories. Simon & Garfunkel songs remind me of driving home from my first teaching job. "American Pie" reminds me of a guy I dated. (Shh, don't tell Hubs. LOL) Listening to Broadway tunes, especially Andrew Lloyd Webber, reminds me of the shows I saw in person.

My dad loved opera. Every Saturday, before the Metropolitan (NYC) Opera came on the radio, he had me read a synopsis of the featured performance. I used to think how lazy that was. He could read it himself. As a parent, I realized what he was doing, making me learn about the story behind the opera, broadening my knowledge. I can't say I appreciated his sneakiness. Because he had the opera on, we couldn't listen to (or watch) Tiger baseball games. You can tell my priorities. 😊 

 When I write, I can't listen to music with lyrics. The words mess with my brain. Light classical or songs in a foreign language (Andrea Bocelli) are easier to listen--and write--to.

As I age, I recognize that my hearing is diminishing. I'm grateful I can still listen to music.

What's your favorite music?