Celebrate the Small Things and Do You Have Goals?

Many thanks to Viklit for starting and hosting the weekly Celebrate the Small Things blog hop!

I am, sadly, going to lessen my Celebrate posts after June. I love this sweet group of writers who gather together to celebrate each Friday, but I have found that I am into a haphazard blogging schedule this summer. I might do a Celebrate post near the end of July, and I'll be keeping notes in my journal because I love celebrations. :) Plus, it reminds me to give thanks and have an attitude of gratitude.

My family and my writing are taking precedent over blogging this summer and I haven't been a good visitor, plus I have lots of visitors to get back to after the sweet love and encouragement I've received the last few weeks. I plan to use more of my blogging time for visiting and less for posting.

This week, I'm celebrating:

1. All of the Celebrate the Small Things bloggers - you are wonderful!!!

2. Every day I feel a bit better. I still have tests to undergo and specialists to see, but my health has improved. I've been given permission from my doctor to walk a mile and bike a few miles now - yay! Back to activity. I'm also starting to do more yoga although I'm keeping it light and easy.

3. My husband - he's been a huge help these last few weeks, an every day encouragement, and he gives great hugs and a shoulder to cry on, as needed.

4. My daughters - wow! I'm just so filled with mama pride I might burst. They've cooked, cleaned, and experimented with allergy-free recipes, and even given up their favorite super-hot spiced dinners for me (although they still keep giant bottles of their fave hot sauce on the table for extra seasoning).

5. My youngest brought home a gold medal and two third place ribbons from the Seattle kayaking regatta, and two second place and two third place ribbons for the Bellingham kayaking regatta. She even raced "up" an age category at the Bellingham regatta in the team kayak boats.

6. My oldest gracefully handled two 12 hour days of dance rehearsal and recital time. She danced with the two "itty bitty" classes that she helped teach all year, and she danced in two of her own dances. I did manage to get her out of the backstage area for some much-needed sanity breaks on both days - by arranging that with my parents (go, grandparent power!).

7. My dad (age 76) helped give motorcycle and motors scooter sidecar rides at a special event for kids with muscular dystrophy last Sunday. He had a blast! My mom provided sideline coffee encouragement.

8. Laurel Garver at Laurel's Leaves and Elizabeth at Unicorn Bell hosted two guest posts by me for my slow-to-start Champion in Flight book blog tour. Many thanks to them, and many thanks to those who stopped by for "Getting Past the Myth of 'Enough' Time" and "Writing Through Release Day."

9. Tara Tyler's latest release, Broken Branch Falls! Go, Tara!

10. Today is my mom's birthday! Happy 73 years, Mom! Thanks for showing me how to smell the roses, name the plants in my yard, and love with joy!



And . . . if this post wasn't long enough, I'm going to give a quick check-in for Do You Have Goals?

Yes, somehow, in the midst of a crazy life, I am writing and publishing.

"Seedlings," a flash fiction piece, will be published by Brilliant Flash Fiction (date to be announced), I submitted a bunch of other short pieces that are on the "wait and see" list, and some that were rejected (but I did finish and submit them, so I still count it as a victory).

I published Champion in Flight this month! Had a book signing! Two guest posts!

So far, my crazy goals and my crazy life are working together. Summer may change that momentum, but I hope not.

Shake It Up Tap Performance

This video is of my daughters' most recent tap performance. It isn't the hardest routine they've done, but the counter rythm part was challenging . . . so when they get to the part where they are not doing the same steps at the same time, it's on purpose. It's kind of like learning the rules of writing, and then breaking them for an affect.


So, do you ever go counter rhythm in your writing just to see what happens?

365 Days of Blessings, Days 186 and 187

Yesterday I didn't write. Not a single word . . . well, except for that facebook status update, but I don't think those count, not really.

For me, that makes for a bizarre day, and in the end I walked around with a small notebook and pen in my hand, planning to take a moment somewhere and just jot down a few words. I didn't do it, but having the notebook and pen made me feel better.

I guess I'm just addicted to writing. Are there Writer's Anonymous groups?

Shall I stand up and say, "Hi, my name's Tyrean, and I write every day. When I don't write, I feel lost, empty, strange, and not myself. It's been only one day since I wrote, and I don't think I'll go that long again without writing something."

When I don't write, I keep listing blessings in my head, and starting poems, thinking over characters both old and new, and mulling over just what it is that drives my writing. Some of my writing is inspired by joy, and some of it is driven by old bitterness. I have to watch that.

Yesterday, I found myself turning over moments in my life that might be useful someday to me as a writer . . . good memories, and bad ones. Someday I might have the courage to write something based on those kind of real life experiences. For now, I'm content with fiction, with some reality driven poetry in the mix. However, all that real stuff makes its way into the fictional stuff somehow, as the background experience that brings truth to the fiction.

I am thankful that God made me a writer. I know it's not an accident that I love writing the way that I do. I may not be able to claim fame as a writer, but it is who I am.

Not long ago, I read a post that differentiated writers into hobbyists and professionals. I found the post highly offensive in the marrow of my bones, the deepness of my soul, and in the way that some people find nails on a chalkboard to be aggravating. It got under my skin. After weeks of mulling it around, I think I know why. I believe a writer is someone who writes, and someone who feels passionate about writing. Writers are writers. That's it. No labels.

So, enough of my rant about writing.

Here are some of the amazing blessings that I am giving thanks for today:

1. My oldest daughter's independent hard work. She finished a number of lessons while I was sick.

2. Sisters who take care of each other, like when a big sister makes breakfast for her sick little sister. (I was in the shower, and didn't even know they were up)

3. Relief, and a sense of accomplishment from finishing National Novel Writing Month.

4. Anticipating what will happen next for my writing. Revision actually sounds fun right now. Plus, I can take moments and write on all those side ideas I had to put aside during NaNo . . . poems, short stories, devotions.

5. Friends from our Thursday Family Co-op who picked up my oldest daughter and took them with her yesterday to do a science project and have some fun.

6. My youngest daughter and I felt well enough to go to an awesome ballet last night.

7. Celebrate His Birth is the perfect intertwining of faith and ballet. A dear, wonderful friend of ours, who I admire greatly, choreographed this ballet and presents it each year with her dance company, the Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma. There is just one more showing tonight at 7:30. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, I highly recommend it. For more details, check out their website Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma

8. Seeing and visiting with some of our church family at the ballet last night. We have such fun, and wonderful church family.

9. Seeing and visiting with some of our Monday Homeschool Co-op family at the ballet last night. We have a great group!

10. The amazing skill and beauty of the dancers in last night's production. We are so blessed to see some of the same dancers each year, improving and deepening their performances.

11. Running into my old tap teacher, Mr. Ken, last night. He makes everyone laugh, and he has a heart for dance, and for each person he meets.

12. Memories of tap class. The fun, the laughter, and the dancers, and the tap steps too. :-)

13. Plans for my daughter's first performance of their new tap company trio routine, Bicycle, at theFestival of Trees this Sunday. Their costumes aren't in, but we are making plans to work around that, and I am excited to see them dance.

14. My daughters are going to a much anticipated birthday party tonight! (Did I say we were thankful that we are almost 100% well?)

15. My husband is gearing up for snowboarding season. He'll be going up for snowboard teacher clinics soon, and I can see the excitement that runs through him at the thought of hitting the slopes.

16. The Be Jolly By Golly blogfest! See the button on the right, and join in the festivities!

17. Bunny rabbits in the driveway, eating the bird seed we scattered last week.

18. Quinoa flakes cereal. It's a gluten free, corn free, rice free, soy free, tapioca free, oatmeal free alternative I can eat. Plus, I like it, that's good too.

19. Pink pajama pants with flowers and butterflies.

20. The Lord gives us good news!

Scripture Blessings:
"God sent the angel Gabriel to a town called Nazareth. There, he gave a message to Mary, a pure, unmarried young girl. 'Greetings, Mary! God has chosen you! You are going to have a baby boy named Jesus. He is God's only Son!'" Luke 1:26-32 (from our family advent devotional)

"Micah said, 'Out of you, little town of Bethlehem, will come the greatest of rulers, for He will be the Shepherd of all of God's people.'" Matthew 2:6 (from our family advent devotional)

365 Days of Blessings, Day 173

Giving Thanks for these wonderful blessings:

1. Hearing and seeing my youngest daughter sing a solo verse with the children's choir at our church last night. So sweet, and wonderful . . . a proud mama moment.

2. My youngest daughter's way of calming her nerves before the choir began to sing - making faces at me. It made me laugh. I hadn't realized she was nervous before then. She loves to sing, and she loves to speak, but standing out in front of the choir with a microphone stand in front of her seemed to give her a bit of nerves.

3. She had a speaking part too, and she has a great, clear voice that carries well.

4. Voices that carry well run in our family . . . whispers from our family can be heard over the din of a busy restaurant. Keeping something quiet is nearly impossible, so we have learned to be completely comfortable with who we really are . . . no matter what the topic of conversation is.

5. My mom's ability to voice her thoughts and feelings with clarity.

6. Enjoying the nuances of a sunrise with rain.

7. Origami cranes made out of birthday wrapping paper that hang from our dining room chandelier. At least four birthdays are represented there, and I'm sure we have a few more birds around here that haven't been hung yet.

8. Time to bake bread.

9. Looking forward to touring/going on a field trip to the World Vision home office. World Vision International is an organization that helps people all over the world.

10. God gives us the gift of baptism.

Scripture Blessings:
"And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: 'After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'" Mark 1:4-8

365 Days of Blessings, Day 147

Posted yesterday's today and here's today's blessings:

1. Waking up to the Newsboys singing praises to God on my alarm clock.

2. Rain giving way to blue sky.

3. Saturday morning. I get to walk. I get to write. And then, I get to prepare for Sunday morning and the week ahead.

4. Walking in puddles.

5. Candlelight.

6. Wonderful friends, and big hugs.

7. My husband is a gentle man with a wonderful heart for people.

8. A friend thanked me for having such "kind, sweet girls." Wow. I'm thankful for that too.

9. My old dog, no matter how long it takes her to stand up and sit down, still wants to go for a walk once she is warmed up.

10. The Lord blesses us with life.

Scripture Blessings:
"Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long."
Psalm 25:4-5

365 Days of Blessings, Day 123

365 Days of Blessings, Day 123

1. God’s Timing is always Right.

2. Getting used to the new routine of our morning schedule with water off around 9a.m.

3. Finishing all our lessons early, even when interrupted by an Orthodontist appointment, even when doing them while having a conversation with my parents, even while doing them while our water is off and we aren’t home.

4. New Tap Shoes to replace the old ones that my oldest daughter literally broke twice while dancing. Thankfully the broken half-tap piece that flew across the mall last Saturday didn’t hit anyone.

5. Delving into characterization with my two daughters, and hoping my writing class understands their characterization exercises for the week.

6. Both of my babies are becoming beautiful young girls who are turning into young women, and I’m amazed by how blessed I am. (my youngest is only 9, but she likes to pretend she’s 19)

7. Getting in a five minute conversation that covered an hour’s worth of worry with direction, guidance, and comfort.

8. Meeting new people, and learning new names . . . I will remember!!! I will, I will, I will.

9. Preparing the Sunday School closet with stuff.

10. Throwing out chocolate dated to expire October 2008, and February 2009. It smelled so good, but . . . I only like white chocolate when it’s supposed to be white. (BTW the chocolate was found in a Sunday School supply box . . . if it had been at my house, it would have been eaten in 2007.)

Scripture Blessings:
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.” Matthew 10:14

“And if anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42