GratiTuesday
"Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more." --Mary Baker Eddy
Several years ago, I practiced what I dubbed “GratiTuesday.” Every Tuesday, I made a point of mentally listing things I was grateful for. I haven’t been consistent with this practice in quite some time, but as today is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, it seems a fitting day to revive the practice.
The weather was perfect for The Littles’ birthday weekend adventures
It’s almost time for me to spend several days with family from up and down the East Coast
I’m off work all week
It’s basically Christmas time.
One gratitude practice I’ve been more consistent with recently includes mentally listing good things I expect from the day ahead before I get out of bed in the morning. This list often includes very simple things—not having to stay after school for a meeting, a pleasant weather forecast, a special dessert packed in my lunch that day, plans for an after-school hike with The Littles and my husband, etc.
Another is falling asleep while I mentally run through all the good things that happened in the day I’m about to end. This is a sort of prayer of gratitude, thanking God for the good in my day.
Finally, back in January, a friend gave me a pocket-sized 2023 calendar. Instead of using it to write tasks, obligations, or dates to keep, I use it to record things that delight me on any given day: a rainbow, an especially precious snuggle with Nacho or Soda, the first time Archie ventured out of his cage, a complement I received.
These are all ways I attempt to make gratitude a regular part of my daily life, but it isn’t always easy. If you want to learn more about why it sometimes feels more natural to experience ungratefulness than gratitude, this episode of Hidden Brain, one of my favorite podcasts, might interest you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
What I’m Working On
My Debut Novel: An Expected End
On November 11, I was privileged to serve as a panelist on the First Pages Panel of the 19th Annual ARGS Writers’ Fest. It was all going swimmingly at first. My fellow panelist, Yasmeen Jaaber, editor of Rover Magazine, was insightful and fun. The students who purchased my book and approached me to have it signed were intelligent, energetic, creative, and adorable—the type of young people that give me hope for the future. My feedback seemed well-received and I was thoroughly enjoying the first pages, all of which would entice me to turn the page and read on.
And then…a sip of water went down the wrong tube and, choking, I spewed it all over our panelist table and my printed copies of the first pages, and out toward the audience! Needless to say, I was (and still am) horrifically embarrassed, but everyone seemed to handle the disruption gracefully and, as they say, the show must go on. So go on it did. Good thing I have a healthy appreciation for the absurd, allowing me to laugh it off even as I felt my face, ears, and neck blush a hot crimson hue.
On a far less humiliating note, I finally got myself to a post office (or rather, my husband got himself to a post office) to mail off a review copy of An Expected End to Book People in hopes that their shop will carry it.
Thanks to a good friend and fellow educator who told me about the charming little bookstore, An Expected End should soon be available at Buxton Village Books on Hatteras Island in North Carolina. It should also be available at Shelf Life Books in Carytown now.
Outdoor Writing
I was able to schedule and conduct a phone interview with the Director of Development and Planning for the abandoned presidents heads, and finished my rough draft of the article last week. This piece has been well over a year in the making, and I’m grateful I finally got to write it. It should appear in print and online in January.
My Next Novel: Goodbye for Now
Years ago, I put my first manuscript, Goodbye for Now, on the back burner so I could focus on writing, revising, and seeking publication for An Expected End. Now that the latter is out in the world and in readers’ hands, I’m almost ready to turn my attention back to Goodbye for Now. I recently printed out the original manuscript, along with some revised chapters, and plan to begin by reading over these pages in January, if not sooner. I’m hoping this reading will help me ascertain what chapters of the original manuscript need to stay, what chapters need to go, what chapters need rewriting, and what might need writing that hasn’t yet been written.
Links to My Latest
In case you haven’t heard by now (🤭), An Expected End is my latest publication. You can order it through Amazon, Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.
Early next year, an essay I wrote about Jack, Sadie, Nacho, and Soda, along with a photograph (a full spread!) of The Littles, will appear in Jackie McCool’s first coffee table book, Beer Dogs, currently available for preorder.
What I’m Reading
Several days have gone by since I’ve even had a chance to open a book, much less read a few pages, so I’m still reading The Stress Factor in Dogs: Unlocking Resiliency and Enhancing Well-Being, by Kristina Spaulding. Big takeaways so far: Our dogs need (and indeed deserve) agency and predictability.
The Littles—and Archie!
The Littles turned 5 on November 17. To celebrate their fifth birthday, a few friends and family members traveled with us to the southwestern part of the state to hike some trails we’ve never explored before.
Below, Soda and Nacho rest at our Air BnB between hikes.
We spent an hour at a local park with some close friends yesterday. Naturally, The Littles came along. Below, they survey the autumnal scene.
Archie got brave and climbed out of his cage and onto my shoulder for a couple minutes recently. I was so proud of him!
Archie’s second out-of-cage experience
What I Saw Outside
Fall colors and crystal clear skies at Occoneechee State Park
The view from an overlook in Fairy Stone State Park
Forest Hill Park just before sunset
Scheduled Appearances
I’m taking a break for the holidays, but more appearances are in the works for 2024!