Walking on the beach is the only way to get around Rockaway today.
We are home this week between Christmas and New Years that swing pivots us into a new year. I am loving this feeling of detachment and disconnection to what normally invades my every waking thought. Being physically cut off by snow and unploughed streets adds to the experience.
What about you?
I actually got up to run with Andrea at 6:00 am this morning which was great! Most people, like John, my physical therapist, shake their heads and think I am certifiably insane to get out of a warm bed on a cold winter morning to run five miles into a blasting cold wind on the beach.
What do you think?
These last days of December came quick, don’t you think? I suppose this is a good a time as any to start thinking about what you hope the new year will be. Spending a lot of time walking along the water is the best place for me to do this.
And you?
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Time to take a good look at yourself and say, “Oh my God, where do I begin?”
You didn’t get to living, feeling or looking the way you do now overnight. No, darling. You indulged, splurged, luxuriated and procrastinated your way to today. And all of that takes up a lot of your time.
But you know what? I have a wonderful secret to share with you since I, too, need to do something besides write those silly New Year resolutions.
All of us have a list of big life transforming goals like – learn Portuguese, read all of Charles Dickens, lose twenty pounds forever. These are things that will take a long time to do. Hours, days, years. Chunks of time that are not so easy to find.
But you can change the world in five minutes. How?
Look at your list of small things that make a big difference
take a picture of the sunrise and send it to a friend (too early for you? how about a sunset?)
put every pair of your favorite shoes that need some TLC in a bag for the shoemaker
research a new foundation
do two simple yoga stretches
call your mom
look in your medicine cabinet and toss out anything that is expired
pair up your knitting needles
sew on a button
put coupons in your wallet
eat a crunchy apple
All of the above and more can be done in five minutes and give you a spark of accomplishment throughout your day.
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– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)
– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?
Sky walked into the kitchen where he knew there was always something to eat. However, if you had to open a jar or take something out a bag, Remy would probably starve. Food had to appear on a plate ready to eat and right under his nose. Sky made himself a bowl of cereal with milk and tossed some strawberries on top. He hesitated slightly before sitting down at the dining table.
If I say my goal is to write 1000 words a day, does that include text messages?
If I tell you I am a writer, does that mean I am a discontent and driven soul?
If I tell you living is another word for story, does that mean we are all writers?
Now if I tell you that today, after the hurricane winds stopped blowing the snow around and we were left buried in four foot snowdrifts, I decided that shovelling snow was a more gratifying activity than writing, would you understand?
Yes, because you would understand the very visible sense of accomplishment you get, the terrific workout, caloric deficit, all that good weight loss stuff and what I like best is how wonderful it feels to relax, guilt free.
I am never guilt free when I am writing. How can you be when you set daily goals, you don’t quite make them, you torture yourself over it and you do it all over again the next day?
True, Mayor Bloomberg may send the snowtrucks out our way tomorrow and push all the snow back so that we will have to shovel ourselves out again.
But at least that’s not my fault.
I am writing a ghost story for young adults and it is coming along slowly. Since this is the first time I am attempting to create something for young adult readers ages 13 – 18, I am hoping that this will become easier the more I write. As a picture book author/artist, it is more natural for me to think in both text and image. Now the image I in my mind is something I have to convey using only text. I like the challenge but I am frustrated by my attempts.
Here’s a video about how to shovel snow and protect your back.
Maybe I can find a video about how to write a ghost story and protect your sanity.
See you in another 1000 words.
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I am always thrilled to see someone who is in love with style, image, illustration, photography and such a person is Garance Dore, a fashion blogger I love to follow.
Of course I am thinking to myself how lucky to be in Australia while I am in New York looking out of my window at a blinding snowstorm. Oh well, I actually am in love with the whole idea of snow and winter which is probably why I love knitting but I digress.
Nothing like cool looks and hot styles to get your blood racing.
Here is a little video where you can see her work and hear her speak.
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There must be two feet of snow on the ground by now in Rockaway Beach.
Seth and I are planning to put on our ski suits that we got in Lake Placid and trudge over to the store with Sky’s sled to get some milk and eggs. Why we need to do this escapes me. It may be just that we need to know we can beat the elements and survive.
What I am really planning is writing.
This is an act-of-God kind of situation where the weather is forcing me to stay home in my snug little office and write for hours and hours. Of course, when I realized what was going on I immediately did as many nonwriting things I could think of to procrastinate. Laundry, eating chocolate, reading the paper, watching a movie…
Why I do this also escapes me. Do you do this too? Why is it so hard to just do it?
What I am working on
I am writing a ghost story for young adults ages 13 – 18 based upon my family’s own personal ghost. It is harder than I thought. I envision this as being a serialized story told over 14 weeks to a group of middle school students who I am inviting to participate online as writers, reviewers, collaborators.
That means I need to create a website, a plan, a timeline and a proposal to the school. And write the story too.
This is an experiment in creating a literary experience for a particular readership and one that I am interested in understanding. It helps to have a thirteen year old son and to have him read my stuff. Writing for Sky is the best incentive for me.
I just spent several hours at my desk writing and boy is this tough! The sitting, the impulsive snacking, the writers block, the persevering. Do you have the same experience? God it amazes me anything gets written.
What helps
I find reading SheWrites helps me to stay focused and inspired to keep at it even though I don’t want to write anymore. I also find it inspiring to see who makes Beth Kanter’s Top Ten Nonprofit Books of the Year. Check them both out if you need a little pen boost.
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I write for love and money. It is my everyday passion. What's yours? 
