Now how did I miss that? This box of notes and journals for my book SMOWJ was sitting on the floor to the left of my chair on the floor in the quilt room. I found it when I finally started sorting all my notes to begin the 30 Day Writing Challenge from my writing coach.
Not so funny story. Saturday afternoon, eleven year old Ava was sitting at my computer working on homework and I hear her sister calling for help. The desk had collapsed onto the chair pinning the girl in the office chair. She was not hurt but plenty scared. It took two men to lift the desk off her and put both desk legs back in place securely. Now how did that happen? So I have moved all my writing up to a table in my bedroom.
Now the funny story. Six year old Devan helped carry books upstairs. When I was settling in she asks if she could get two birthday cards done at my table. In my room. I looked at her, hesitated, then smiled and said yes. On one condition. You are to be absolutely quiet. She says she can do that. She only asked how to spell words five times. There were seven words in her cards. After she left, seven year old Elly comes and asks if she could join me and help me. I hesitated, then smiled and said, yes. On one condition. That you be absolutely quiet. She said she could do that. I gave her a picture to colour and even had some pencil crayons in the desk beside my bed. She chattered about her colouring then started sharing things from her thoughts and her heart and her feelings. Sigh.
After she left, Ava came in and asked if she could sleep with me since her bed was not made up because we washed her sheets and blankets earlier that day. I looked at her, hesitated, then smiled and said yes. On one condition. You are to be absolutely quiet. She says she can do that. She climbed into my bed with her three pillows, head phones, notebook and pen and started asking me questions. Quietly. And what was I doing all this time, upstairs, in my bedroom? On a Saturday night after supper at the nice big table with all my notes and journals and calendar and high lighters and a lamp? I was looking for a quiet place away from other humans so I could focus on my writing. It was Day 1 of the 30 Writing Challenge. You know, the one where I wanted to write at least a thousand words a day?
I realized all three girls had given me a gift that night. Family is important and they all wanted to be near me. Alone. Talking. So, the thousand words I ended up writing were here, on three blog posts, in my journal and my weekly to-do list. On Monday.
Blessings,
Chris
Not so funny story. Saturday afternoon, eleven year old Ava was sitting at my computer working on homework and I hear her sister calling for help. The desk had collapsed onto the chair pinning the girl in the office chair. She was not hurt but plenty scared. It took two men to lift the desk off her and put both desk legs back in place securely. Now how did that happen? So I have moved all my writing up to a table in my bedroom.
Now the funny story. Six year old Devan helped carry books upstairs. When I was settling in she asks if she could get two birthday cards done at my table. In my room. I looked at her, hesitated, then smiled and said yes. On one condition. You are to be absolutely quiet. She says she can do that. She only asked how to spell words five times. There were seven words in her cards. After she left, seven year old Elly comes and asks if she could join me and help me. I hesitated, then smiled and said, yes. On one condition. That you be absolutely quiet. She said she could do that. I gave her a picture to colour and even had some pencil crayons in the desk beside my bed. She chattered about her colouring then started sharing things from her thoughts and her heart and her feelings. Sigh.
After she left, Ava came in and asked if she could sleep with me since her bed was not made up because we washed her sheets and blankets earlier that day. I looked at her, hesitated, then smiled and said yes. On one condition. You are to be absolutely quiet. She says she can do that. She climbed into my bed with her three pillows, head phones, notebook and pen and started asking me questions. Quietly. And what was I doing all this time, upstairs, in my bedroom? On a Saturday night after supper at the nice big table with all my notes and journals and calendar and high lighters and a lamp? I was looking for a quiet place away from other humans so I could focus on my writing. It was Day 1 of the 30 Writing Challenge. You know, the one where I wanted to write at least a thousand words a day?
I realized all three girls had given me a gift that night. Family is important and they all wanted to be near me. Alone. Talking. So, the thousand words I ended up writing were here, on three blog posts, in my journal and my weekly to-do list. On Monday.
Blessings,
Chris
