Rise and Shine
"Morning: Light; symbol of Truth; revelation and progress" -- definition of "morning" by Mary Baker Eddy
Just before 5:00 on a recent morning, I woke up lamenting the fact that, in just a few minutes, I would have to get out of bed, and complaining to myself about how hard doing so always is. I have woken up with this resistance to rise almost every workday morning of my working life, which started in 2006.
But for whatever reason, as I stayed in bed steeling myself for the difficult task ahead, it occurred to me that, most days, getting out of bed is the hardest thing I do. After I do that—most days—everything else I have to do is easier.
What a lucky soul that makes me.
What a charmed life I live indeed.
So I turned off my alarm before it sounded, got out of bed a few minutes early, and mentally checked the hardest task of the day off my to-do list.
This reframing of my perspective hasn’t necessarily made getting out of bed in the morning factually easier, but it has made me feel less pity for myself every time 5am rolls around, the self-pity replaced with a sense of gratitude for the fact that once I put my feet on the ground, the rest of the day will likely be relatively smooth-sailing.
And it’s got me thinking: What else in my mindset needs reframing? What else in my life could seem a little lighter if I just thought about it differently…?
What I’m Working On
My Debut Novel: An Expected End
Lots of fun events are on the horizon for my debut novel, including a book club dinner with The Bookshelf, Irvington and an after-hours reading and signing at Book People. I’d love your help spreading the word, and I’d love to see you there.
An episode of the 5 Minutes of Peace podcast about An Expected End will also drop late next month.
My Next Novel: Goodbye For Now
I have no updates for you in this area, unfortunately. In fact, as I recently confided to a writer friend of mine, I'm trying to figure out if writing and/or publishing this next book actually matters to me, and if it does, why? If it does, from there, I have to figure out if the answer to my "why" is meaningful, worthwhile, and fulfilling, or vain and unnecessary. I'm not sure when I'll feel like I have answers, but I'm definitely asking questions.
Outdoor Writing
A couple weeks ago, I met up with a lovely fellow outdoors-lover at Pony Pasture for an interview to help me write my article about Paddle Quest. We spent a delightful hour traipsing around in the woods along the river with The Littles, talking about state parks, hiking, backpacking, and the great outdoors. Hiking might just be my favorite interview format.
More recently, I chatted over the phone with Jessica Bowser, host of the Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast (it’s one of my favorites), for the same article. The deadline for that piece is March 1, and not long after that, I’ll make my trip to the Channels. Fingers crossed the weather cooperates!
What I’m Reading
No news here, really. I’m still plumbing Katherine May’s Enchantment. Every time I open it, it provides a space for solace and introspection, a slowdown in the rush-rush-rush that is adulting.
Volunteering
The next Virginia Outdoor Writers Association will take place this Saturday. Though I sit on the Board of Directors, this particularly meeting conflicts with a weekend state park trip a friend and I planned weeks before the meeting date was set. As this is the group’s first in-person meeting in over a year, I’m eager to read the minutes when I return home and learn what direction we plan to take for the future of the organization.
Links to My Latest
On January 20, my first podcast interview of the year about An Expected End dropped. You can find the episode, titled “Embracing the Unseen Horizon: Navigating Life’s Uncharted Territories with An Expected End,” of Peter Michael Dedes’s podcast, Transcendent Minds, on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
“Preserving the Heads of State: Abandoned presidential statues have a bright future in Williamsburg” appears in the “Explore More” column of the January/February 2024 issue of Cooperative Living Magazine. If you haven’t had a chance to give it a read, the upcoming Presidents Day weekend seems a fitting opportunity.
Beer Dogs Virginia includes a full-page photo of Soda with accompanying bio, a full-page photo of Nacho with accompanying bio, and an essay I wrote about Jack, Sadie, and The Littles, entitled “Hello From Across the Rainbow Bridge.”
The Littles—and Archie!
Below, Archie perches atop my knee while The Littles and I lounge on the couch on a recent Saturday morning.
The Littles enjoy an afternoon walk with their bodyguard, Gryff.
What I Saw Outside
The beautiful blue sky as it looked while I rested on my back on our deck last weekend
Literary Calendar
MARCH
March 14, 2024 | 6:00pm-8:00pm | The Bookshelf, Irvington Book Club Dinner and Discussion
Join me for a literary dinner discussing my debut novel, An Expected End, with the members of The Bookshelf, Irvington’s Book Club! If you’re interested in participating in this in-person event, be sure to RSVP and register in advance.
March 23, 2024 | 7:00pm-9:00pm | Book People
Join me for a reading from and signing of my debut novel, An Expected End. A 10- to 15-minute reading from the book will be followed by an audience Q&A session prior to the signing. Bring a friend and support a local bookstore! Find details here.