Bet my blog readers are thinking that I have vanished from the face of the earth! Ahhh! Not so!
But, I should have known better when I decided to attempt the lofty goal set by the NaNoWriMo folks.... Not that the idea of writing a novel in one month is an impossible goal to reach - for some. BUT, for someone who is in a relatively new job and new town where autumn reigns queen of Mother Nature's court..... well.... let's just say that enjoying Mother Nature's glory won out over writing that many words in one month!
The month of November was spectacular here in Kingsport. For the first time in more than 30 years, I had a pallet of reds, golds, yellows and oranges greeting me from every vantage point. And I thought I could stay away from those to write a whole novel in one month? Ha!
So, to those of you who have written to see if I met my goal (or just wondered to yourselves) the answer is a big fat NO - But, rest assured that I did not see this as a failure. Not at all.
Rather, it was yet one more learning experience in this classroom I call my life.
I learned that giving myself permission to fail to meet such a goal is not going to ruin my integrity or my motivation to be a writer. And I learned that even if I couldn't bring myself to sit and write enough during the month of November, I still developed a keen awareness of the diligence and discipline that will be necessary to finally complete that novel that has been hanging around my desk far too long.
And just for the record, I did do more than soak up the fall colors during the month of November. For the last three weeks of November, I had one family member or another here to visit. First Tim came to visit - first time in Tennessee since driving me up here in September. We had a wonderful time together. After he left, I found myself questioning the wisdom of my being here in TN and his being in FL... But then I reminded myself that if we had been in the same location in Florida, he'd be working nearly 20 hours a day/seven days a week and I'd be lonely in Florida instead of being alone in Tennessee... and there is a HUGE difference between lonely and alone. I am now wise enough to realize that and to know that I'll choose alone in a place where I am happy over lonely in a place where I am not.
Not more than two or three days after Tim left, my youngest daughter Mandy, her husband Lee and my granddaughter KelseyRose arrived (also from Florida) We spent several days together before they headed to Virginia for Thanksgiving with his family. Then, on their way back from Virginia, they stopped again for a few days. We had a fantastic time together. And it was so refreshing to spend time with "Nan's Girl." Being so far from KelseyRose is one of the big downsides to being so far from Florida. But she and I talk on the phone almost every day and that makes a huge difference for both of us.
So, alas, no novel in the month of November but lots of good times and beautiful weather. And all of that equates to a very good month indeed!
But, I should have known better when I decided to attempt the lofty goal set by the NaNoWriMo folks.... Not that the idea of writing a novel in one month is an impossible goal to reach - for some. BUT, for someone who is in a relatively new job and new town where autumn reigns queen of Mother Nature's court..... well.... let's just say that enjoying Mother Nature's glory won out over writing that many words in one month!
The month of November was spectacular here in Kingsport. For the first time in more than 30 years, I had a pallet of reds, golds, yellows and oranges greeting me from every vantage point. And I thought I could stay away from those to write a whole novel in one month? Ha!
So, to those of you who have written to see if I met my goal (or just wondered to yourselves) the answer is a big fat NO - But, rest assured that I did not see this as a failure. Not at all.
Rather, it was yet one more learning experience in this classroom I call my life.
I learned that giving myself permission to fail to meet such a goal is not going to ruin my integrity or my motivation to be a writer. And I learned that even if I couldn't bring myself to sit and write enough during the month of November, I still developed a keen awareness of the diligence and discipline that will be necessary to finally complete that novel that has been hanging around my desk far too long.
And just for the record, I did do more than soak up the fall colors during the month of November. For the last three weeks of November, I had one family member or another here to visit. First Tim came to visit - first time in Tennessee since driving me up here in September. We had a wonderful time together. After he left, I found myself questioning the wisdom of my being here in TN and his being in FL... But then I reminded myself that if we had been in the same location in Florida, he'd be working nearly 20 hours a day/seven days a week and I'd be lonely in Florida instead of being alone in Tennessee... and there is a HUGE difference between lonely and alone. I am now wise enough to realize that and to know that I'll choose alone in a place where I am happy over lonely in a place where I am not.
Not more than two or three days after Tim left, my youngest daughter Mandy, her husband Lee and my granddaughter KelseyRose arrived (also from Florida) We spent several days together before they headed to Virginia for Thanksgiving with his family. Then, on their way back from Virginia, they stopped again for a few days. We had a fantastic time together. And it was so refreshing to spend time with "Nan's Girl." Being so far from KelseyRose is one of the big downsides to being so far from Florida. But she and I talk on the phone almost every day and that makes a huge difference for both of us.
So, alas, no novel in the month of November but lots of good times and beautiful weather. And all of that equates to a very good month indeed!
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