I fell back in love with my kitchen this week. In the last few months, it had become simply a place to Get Things 
Done. To launch JB into the day with coffee and breakfast and lunch. To efficiently manage my morning coffee and some sort of sustenance for lunch (most days). To pull together an evening meal that was nutritious and easy.
There was no lingering, no leaning in and the passion for foods I had when I purchased them at the grocery store waned by the time they were ready to become meals. It’s an internal tragedy to love and care about food yet no longer feel connected to my space to create with it.
I signed up for The Kitchn’s “Cure” series and in the midst of week two when the task to Clean the Oven came up, my apathy for my kitchen lifted from my heart as I soaked away the baked on crud from the oven racks.
Cleaning. Clearing Clutter. Getting Things In Order. These save me time and time again.
What I’m Writing
I had a great writing day on Monday and turned out this week’s work blog “Want to Shift? Read Differently. Act. Do the Work.”
The rest of the writing this week was painfully slow with zero progress on the book in the way of new words, but it’s been a great week of editing, all work related.
What’s Happening with Work
I finally finished the first version of the book version of 30 Days to Clarity: Clearing Brain Clutter. It’s in the hands of the current class participants and I sent it off to one long-time client and friend to give me an opinion. I got started on the process of creating the 30 Days to Clarity: Clearing Soul Clutter into book format as well.
I completed the first draft of taking Make Your Inner Sex Kitten Roar into a book and am kind of freaked out that it’s over 400 pages long and I still need to add in worksheets for about 1/3 of the exercises. The course, in the new format, goes on sale October 12th.
What I’m Reading
There was one more Cozy Mystery on my Kindle that was demanding my attention and it didn’t disappoint: Fudging the Books by Daryl Woods Gerber. It’s the next Cookbook Nook mystery and as a fan of food, humor, personable characters and books, it’s a great respite for my brain.
I zoomed through Lessons from Madame Chic between Friday and Saturday evenings. It has been recommended to me ages ago and I’d put it on hold at the library. The core of the book speaks to me: choose to live a quality, well-lived daily life. But too much Frenchy Love for me.
For my morning read, I am slowly diving into Handling the Truth: on the Writing of Memoir. It’s doing exactly what I demand of a good morning read for me: it’s causing me to pause over the language and it’s forcing me to think. It’s pushing my boundaries in a lot of good ways.
I’m almost finished with The Death of Santini. Though the first few chapters were a bit too graphic in their description of childhood beatings and the psychotic break of Conroy’s sister, the underlying theme of the book is important to all of us humans – family, forgiveness and love. I have to admit the chapter on his sister, Carol Ann, was painful to read for a lot of reasons…but I’ve parented a combative child who held in her core the need to shake things up and prove she was right at the sacrifice of any peace in home and it’s exhausting. Bookclub is on Tuesday, so I’ll be finishing it this tonight or tomorrow.
I finally read / listened to Go Set a Watchman. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books and I wanted to read more from the brilliant Harper Lee. But all the controversy surrounding the publication of the book – did she agree to have it published or was she coerced? would it damage her legacy? THEN the first reviews of people freaking out about Atticus being a Racist…frankly had me reluctant to pick it up, even though I had pre-ordered it months and months ago.
Though I had purchased the book, I put the recording of the book (done by Reese Witherspoon) on hold at the library and when it came my turn to have it, I couldn’t put it off any longer. So, I began listening as I ran errands – a snippet here, a snippet there.
One of the things I loved about Mockingbird carries through to Watchman: the language is beautifully, achingly, and brilliantly written. It’s Southern Literature. The core of the story is about the coming of age of a young woman who discovers her father isn’t perfect. As a child, she put him on a pedestal and as a young woman, she discovers her father is flawed. Many of his core characteristics are still there, but the fact that he sees the world differently than Jean Louise shatters her identity.
And the thing is…when we come of age, we must shatter that first identity, the one that mimics the belief of our parents. We must grow a conscious based on our own beliefs and experiences, not through emulating our parents or parroting their beliefs.
I do see where the book is flawed, like any book. I also looked at the book from the perspective of the writer when she was writing it. To expect the novel to be politically correct to 2015 is where I think too many folks got hung up on their view of the book.
It was written by a young, southern woman during the tumultuous civil rights era and she was trying to make sense of the world – her beliefs that all men are created equal and should be given the same opportunities as their fellow man no matter what their religious beliefs or skin color may be grew out of how she was raised and how she became her own Watchman to her morals instead of relying on her father to do so.
What We’re Eating
It’s been a fishy and veggie week here. Halibut and salmon as well as some Machong…all alongside the end of the summer veggies – corn, zucchini, tomatoes and such. Yesterday, I spend a solid hour in the kitchen cleaning and prepping salad greens and other veggies to prep for the week.
I also made a fresh batch of mayo this week. It’s perfect as a base for sauces and dips and healthier than what I could buy at the store.
Veggie prep because, dear God, I do not eat enough veggies. I have them at dinner every night, but my lunches and breakfasts are barren in the veggie department. When it comes to eating, my go-to-comfort food is a carb of some sort: crackers, toast, bread, sandwiches, chips or biscuits. All Hail the Perfect Buttermilk Biscuit. I don’t believe in demonizing any food group, but I think I need to give my body a break from all the heavy carbs to rest and reset a little.
So, I’m going to experiment with no grain related carbs for a couple of weeks and see if it helps me break my cravings. And, in all honesty, to see if cutting back on grains will help my dry skin as we edge into cooler months.
What I Am Obsessing Over
How the heck am I going to get all my courses to digital format and easily in the hands of people that want to buy them? Right now, all my courses are delivered manually and the free eBooks are delivered thanks to the magic of Mailchimp. However, I need to get out of the middle of these transactions, so that when someone clicks on PURCHASE, they get the item automatically.
I’m leaning towards Gumroad right now as the delivery vehicle for both Sex Kitten and all the 30 Days Courses, but my obsession is, of course, is it the right choice? One that is good for me and also good for clients.
But the learning curve is exhausting and I am obsessing over how to make it Work RIGHT.
What I’m Shaking My Head Over
I had registered for an in-person, six week fiction course that was to be held on Tuesday mornings. I rescheduled all my regular Tuesday Morning activities. As I’ve been telling a friend, I am longing to be with people doing their creative work. Not just virtually, but face to face. Then, late Monday night, I got an email cancelling the class due to not enough people signing up. There was a promise of rescheduling and a future discount, but no news so far (and frankly, no refund yet).
I have to admit I am disappointed in not just the class being cancelled, but the lack of communication and customer service about it. The teacher of the course is a multi-published, well respected local author that I know. I was looking forward to her professional view of the writing life…. But that her colleague managing the registrations has yet to respond to update me or refund the course fees has me shaking my head.
I’ve been in a bit of a funk about it, to be honest. I have a small collection of trusted editor friends and readers and opening myself up to strangers is super scary, but necessary for growth. That it didn’t happen made me frustrated and sad. Goodness that sounds dire and melodramatic 😉 .
What’s Really Floating My Boat
Is it crazy that despite a challenging week, my daily life is still floating my boat? Day in and day out, showing up and being present HERE in this experience is still what sets me on fire.
The letter writing is still fascinating me as well. I was so excited to get the next letter yesterday and can’t wait to sit and reply.
I have a busy week ahead: a doctor’s appointment in Cincinnati and several coaching calls this week as well as a Goodbye Party for one of JB’s co-workers on Friday. I also have one full, glorious day of no appointments which will be the designated Writing day.
