“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.” ~ Mark Twain
Mark Twain (Wikipedia)
As a writer, I believe in these words from the great Mark Twain with all my heart. Each of us has an interesting and unique story to tell, with a new angle, and a fresh take on our individual life experiences.
As a fitting example, my mother-in-law shared the following with me this afternoon when we visited her.
“My father first set his eyes on my mother, Amelia, or Millie as she was called, when he was twenty and she was only twelve. Even at that tender age, she must have stolen his heart, because he told her, “Millie, I have to go away to work at sea, but when I come back, I will marry you.” Upon his return eight years later, he was true to his word. He took her as his wife, and nine months after the wedding, I was born. My father loved the name Mona, so he was the one that named me.”
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The way she shared the story of how she came into the world resonated with me.
As life often goes, however, what started out as a romantic tale eventually encompassed great personal tragedy, hardship, and sacrifice.
My mother-in-law’s story of her family could easily fill the pages of an epic novel. It is a story I would consider worthy of recording and retelling one day.
Have you been moved by someone’s words in a conversation recently? As a writer or blogger, are you listening for new story opportunities in every-day life?
How about your own experiences? Have you ever considered writing a memoir?
“If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison
I have recently begun a new adventure, dear readers and fellow bloggers.
No longer can I ignore the voice inside me that is clamouring to be heard, so I have started to write a novel. I am a little nervous, but mostly I am excited to be on this new journey I have destined for myself.
When I told a friend a little while ago about my plan to write a book, she said, “Gee, I’m the one with the English degree. I should write a book!” Well, I don’t have a degree, but I’ve always had a passion for stories, fictional or otherwise, and a desire to tell some stories of my own.
Heck, I wrote a teen novel when I was still in school, at the grand old age of fifteen. So diplomas and degrees or lack thereof won’t hinder me now either.
It has been a rewarding experience keeping this blog that I started back in December. The original purpose of Jennifer’s Journal had been to get into the habit of creating and writing something on a regular basis, in order to better prepare me for the demands of writing a novel. But now that I have taken on this ambitious new project, I will have less of that precious commodity of time to devote to blogging.
But abandoning my blog seems unthinkable to me.. Have you ever nurtured a child? Cared for a pet? Or even tended a garden? And then, stopped? No, I will keep my blog, adding thoughts, inspirations, and a photograph or two, as often and as regularly as I can. I would also like to keep you updated on my novel’s progress.
Life is going to get busier, that’s all.
I leave you with another favourite quote of mine:
“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” ~ Gloria Steinem
How about you? Have you ever written a book, or do you see yourself writing one someday? Do you have advice for someone taking on a creative project?
I have to say that I am so enjoying the local book club a couple of friends and I started this past January. Just two nights ago, our group gathered for another meeting to review our latest selection. And such a lively, thought-provoking discussion it was. We were happy as well to welcome a new member to our fold. Delighted to have you aboard, Kathy!
To become a member of our little group, the only real requirements are a pure love of reading and a willingness to share your opinions. But that is where most of our similarities end. What a diverse group of individuals we are! From a teacher, to a couple of retired nurses; from a minister’s wife, to a self-proclaimed atheist; a homemaker/blogger (yours truly), a designer, and even some artists, we are a varied lot. Some are originally from the area, but most of us aren’t.
Naturally, people being what they are, we often begin with the book in question, but soon veer off on tangents, taking the discussion to unexpected areas where voicing your two cents worth is welcome on any number of topics. When we have come together, we have shared thoughts and positions on racism, the medical profession, capital punishment, mental illness, greed, and crime, just to name a few.
Our provincial library has been a god-send in facilitating our passion: it has made available a long list of “book club kits” that we borrow from each month. All titles are either award-winning, well-reviewed, or both, and provide much variety of topics and tastes. Seldom does everyone love the book currently being discussed, but that often generates the most dynamic debates!
Of course, a happy by-product of Book Club is making new and interesting friends, and in my opinion, friends so interesting that they are usually reading other books, sometimes more than one at a time, in between our club picks.
I was quite pleased and flattered this week when one of my fellow bloggers nominated me for the “One Lovely Blog Award”. She is carlarenee45, one of the bloggers that I subscribe to, and I am honoured to be on her list as well. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble with our internet connection these past two weeks so I had to write this from our local library. With any luck, I should be back up and running by next week. At that time I will respond to the nomination in more detail, and suggest some favourite blogs of mine. But in keeping with the rules of being nominated, here are seven random things about me that I’d like to share.
1. I have the curliest hair you probably ever saw. It drives me nuts.
2. I became a mom at the tender age of eighteen.
3. I love interior decorating magazines.
4. I have arthritis, but if I don’t exercise regularly, I feel worse.
5. I love a clean tidy house, but I hate housework. Wish I had a maid…
6. I’m one of those oddballs that loves liver and onions.
7. When I was 14, I read “Everything you Wanted to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid to Ask)”, when I was babysitting at my teacher’s house. Quite an education (and probably explains number 2)!
My honey and I are off to Varadero, Cuba in the morning, so for the next week I won’t be on the internet very often. Ta ta for now, and we’ll catch up real soon.
As my last blog entry noted, I wanted to share with you the joys of my indoor life this past month (see related article below). There were four activities that have made February a pleasure for me this winter, and they all took place in the coziness of our home.
1. Cooking and baking Comfort Food. And, of course, eating it!
Aahhh…the domestic bliss I feel when I bake a batch of homemade bread on a cold winter day… the delicious aroma, the shiny plump loaves all lined up as they cool. Without a doubt it is my favourite comfort food. Using whole wheat flour makes it nutritious as well.
A perennial favourite among many foodies is good old macaroni and cheese. Nothing says Comfort like my mom’s recipe. The cheesy, bubbly goodness, with buttered crumb topping, that heavenly smell…are we hungry yet?
Just last night I made a hearty pot of beef stew, sure to warm you right down to your toes. The wholesome ingredients, the rich gravy; and what goes great with a big steaming bowl? That’s right, more HOMEMADE BREAD. Forget it, low carb diet, you will have to wait til spring.
2. Watching Movies
Paul and I usually take part in what we call a Movie Blitz this time of year. In a race before Oscar night, we have watched seven of the nine movies nominated for Best Picture. And what a delightful cross-section this year! There were plenty of handsome actors to choose from: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jean Dujardin, to name a few. Be still, my romantic heart.
There was even a movie to satisfy my girlhood love of thoroughbreds: War Horse. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s an old-fashioned sweeping epic style of picture, done in a way Spielberg is famous for.
3. Book Club
Reading has been a passion of mine all my life. I’m talking about having to read every word on a cereal box if nothing else is handy. Our little book discussion group had a slow start, but we now have more members. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill was our first selection (an excellent read), and now we are in the process of selecting the next one. For those who don’t know, the local library has actual book club kits that include many choices of wonderful books, both old classics and the latest bestsellers. If there is anyone out there in a book club, I would love it if you could drop me a line and share your experience.
4. Planning a Tropical Getaway
Anticipating a trip south is one of the best ways I know to cure the winter blahs. Make it two trips and you’re guaranteed that cure. The first one will be in three weeks for just the two of us, then another toward the end of April, where we get to spend time with friends and family. Always fun to have a reason to take out your summer duds in February!
As for the rest of you living in the northern hemisphere, what has kept you warm this month?
Jennifer's Journal 