Life, Urban Farming, and Writing . . .
Well, this is my first Sunday post in . . . a while. What’s been going on in my life?
A little bit of everything.
Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian, has a wonderful talk that pretty much sums up how I feel right now (the entire video is good, but if you want to skip to the really relevant part, it’s at 5 1/2 minutes in):
Life is definitely going up and down for me right now. Things are hard on the family front (fyi: when I say “family”, I mean my immediate relations, not my hubby), and I don’t know what’s going to happen with Christmas this year. My dad (and I use this in the loosest sense possible – I’m really tempted to just start calling him the sperm donor [SD]) is setting up to go on permanent disability, but because of a long set of circumstances, my family is looking at three months with no income before SD can claim his long-term disability benefits.
Hubby and I are currently not in a position to help them financially, unfortunately, and I’m worried for them. I know it will be okay, but the only thing I keep thinking is “How long? How much more do we have to endure?”
So, my goal this year is to not spend much, if any, money on Christmas. I’ll buy for Hubby, but only one or two things, and make everything else. God knows I’ve got enough craft stuff lying around . . .
On the writing front . . .
Things are okay. I’m making progress according to LadyJai’s definition (I figured you wouldn’t mind me stealing your picture, dear!):
But I’ve not been making progress on a daily basis. At this point, it’s better for me to measure my progress on a weekly basis. It’s also better than I’ve been doing for months.
Along those lines, I’ve started writing fan fiction (again). Writing fan fic is actually how I started writing, beyond the little stories my sister and I dabbled in when we were young.
So in a way, I’m attempting to retrace my steps. I’ve forgotten how to just sit down and write, let alone making it all up as I go along. Fan fic helps me remember what the actual writing is like, and when I can do that, then I’ll finally be able to get the words in my head out the way they need to be for my own stories.
And it’s working, because I’ve actually been making progress on Stars for the Dead again since I picked up the fan fic. I really need to start getting a daily turn-out, though, because NaNo is coming!
I think I’ve almost come to terms with the fat that I need to cancel my pitch appointment at the Ozark Creative Writer’s Conference next month, though. I made the appointment back in April, when I didn’t know that all hell was about to break loose (more like chew me up, swallow me, vomit me and swallow me again) in my personal life. It’s just a matter of sending the email. I just don’t have anything ready to pitch at this point, and I don’t want to kill myself these next couple weeks trying. I’ll just do everything I can to have something ready to pitch at OWFI next year.
In my non-writing and non-family life, things are going okay. I’m starting to identify myself as an urban farmer, and am planning how I want my yard and garden to shape up. I want to turn the front yard into a mini-orchard, and the back yard into an edible-landscape-oasis (with a portion set aside for a regular veggie garden, of course). It’s going to take years to turn out how I want it, but it’ll happen. In time.
And along those lines . . . I’m getting chickens this week! Through a bizarre set of circumstances yesterday and being in the right place at the right time, I’m actually being given 6 Rhode Island Reds (well, technically one of them is white, but that one might end up in the stew pot . . .), as well as the required coop, enclosure, and feed. There are four hens, one rooster, and one “not sure which yet” (the white one).
The hens look like this.
Talk about God’s provision! I had actually just been talking to my girls (Michelle, Lissa, Jess, Serena, and Eris) that morning about wanting chickens but not being able to get them until spring because of the finances. So, yeah . . .
Hopefully I’ll have chicken pictures for you all next weekend! Can’t wait!
How’s your life going? Hopefully better than mine (except in the case of the chickens – you can’t take my free chickens)!
Lucky! Congrats on the new brood. I can’t believe you got the chickens and the coop.
Thanks, Maria! I couldn’t believe it either, and I doubt I really will until they’re actually in my backyard!
How exciting about the chickens! I just got the okay from my hubby to start a flock of my own, but I’m waiting till next summer…there are too many things going on with the house and the baby to start now. By the time I get my girls you’ll be an old pro, so I’ll know where to go for advice!
yay, I’ll be happy to help you in whatever way I can when you get your chickens! You know, from several hundred miles away . . . but that’s the beauty of the internet, lol!
Hooray for the chickens! It’s amazing how things work out when we don’t expect them to. But the stew pot? Let’s not tell me if a cute little fluffy fowl ends up there… okay? >.> I mean, I know that’s where my store chickens come from, but still…. lol
on the contrary, at least you’ll know any chickens in my stew pot had a HAPPY life
As difficult and worrisome as family sounds for you right now, I love how you maintain a positive and grateful attitude. And I love the chicken photo
My flock is a joy for me, and gathering breakfast eggs is very satisfying. Best of luck in your new urban farming adventures, and #writemotivation cookies for keeping up on what writing you can!
Thanks, Tam!
I so absolutely know how you feel. While circumstances are different, the weight is the same. Right now, I’m struggling with my normal “find the positives”. It may even get worse for us over the next month. So, struggling is going to be a daily thing. The problem, though, is I’m not crying for me. I’m crying for my husband.
I definitely will send up prayers for you and your family. I totally understand how this stress cleaves your inspiration in two. Bridging that gap is definitely hard. I’m glad you’ve gotten back to your roots. Maybe it’s a freeing experience, and so needed at the moment for you. I’ve never written fan fic so I don’t even know how to begin doing that. So good thing you aren’t focusing on the daily thing right now. Look at the bigger picture. It’s all progress.
(and no, I don’t mind you taking my picture).
*hug* how about we just agree to hold each other up right now?
Oh, good luck with those chickens and that rooster! My neighbors behind us have chickens and they are cute, but their rooster (which they no longer have) was extremely loud. It would wake up all the neighbors at like 4am and be all loud until 9am. Needless to say, they had to get rid of the rooster.
And I am so happy for you about your writing and the fan fic fun! I love fan fics. I haven’t done one in a long time, but they are great for helping the muse along!! =)
Thanks, Bonnie! There’s already one of our neighbors that has a rooster, so if anyone complains about ours, they’re just rude.
As for the crowing, if you keep them in a coop that’s dark inside, they won’t crow until you actually let them out. It’s just a little way to trick their sense about when the sun is actually rising, lol.
You know what? I think you’re doing swell, darling. You’re keeping your focus where it needs to be ~ on you and your husband. Life might be tossing you some crazy tomatoes right now, but I’ve no doubt you’ll catch all of them and make a darn good pasta sauce with them. Wow, that was a really bad analogy!
I’m so jealous of your chickens. I want some chickens, but am not sure my Jack Russell can be trusted with them. She’s a hunter, which is great for keeping rats and gophers out of the yard, but means she would see the chickens as animate chew toys.
Your plans for your yard/garden sound marvelous. And I love that you’re going to make your Christmas gifts. I think heart felt, home made gifts are more special than the latest and greatest shiny new toy. Keep it simple and enjoy the people around you.
Hugs to you that everything works itself out.
It’s a . . . special analogy, but it keeps making me smile and laugh, so you’re good
. Thanks, Tameri! I’ve missed you 
Rebekah, Wow, I so feel your pain…but for different reasons. My mother fell in January and went from completely independent to unable to do anything, literally. She’s in a nursing home and, between work and cleaning out her house to sell it, I spend my extra time at the nursing home visiting her. Plus, we have adult children struggling in this economy, so the finances are tight.
My writing is stagnating along with my creative inspirations. On the positive side, the nursing home is an act of worship for me.
Someday, I’ll have to check out Ozarks. Managing to got to South Carolina Writers’ conference next month. Hoping for inspiration.
Hang in there
The trick is learning that the inspiration is still there, and how to reach it even when it’s surrounded by everything life can throw on it. I’ll be praying for you and your family, and I hope you get to find your inspiration soon!
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