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Random 5 Friday – Winter Has Arrived?

 fun  2 Responses »
Nov 222013
 

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Random 5 Friday. For more great Random 5s, visit Nancy at A Rural Journal.

Here’s my five for the week!

  1. Cold weather came to visit this week. Yesterday morning it was 28 degrees. Due to a stiff back last week, I couldn’t get the gardening work done that I wanted (still battening down the hatches for winter), so I get to work in the cold. Yippee.
  2. I’ve been working with a local environmental group, and one of my jobs has been to update a website that gives people ideas for saving energy. If you are so inclined, take a look at JeffersonCAN (Climate Action Now). We have a blog, a Facebook page, and even a Twitter account, in an effort to get the word out about how people can lower their carbon footprint.
  3. As you may recall, I’ve been tweaking my diet of late, limiting gluten and sugar. So far I haven’t lost any weight, and I’m still waking up at night. Boo. This week I’ve been able to get back to my normal exercise routine, so hopefully that will help. I am feeling more energy during the day, especially as the week progresses, so I’m showing signs of improvement.
  4. I’m knitting gift items as quickly as I can. I found a simple Christmas stocking pattern that I can make in a single day, and I’ll put candy in them to give as children’s gifts. I’ll post pics once I’ve done the finish work.
  5. The other night we saw All is Lost with Robert Redford. It’s an extraordinary performance, and I applaud him for taking such a creative risk at age 77. He is silent throughout most of the movie.

Meeting the Shadow

 Life Changes, writing  2 Responses »
Nov 202013
 

Normally I wouldn’t discuss a writing class in this blog, but the one I’m taking is more about inner growth work than writing, so I thought I would share! This class, Shadow Writing, is taught by Gloria Kempton, whom I met at a recent writers’ conference. I loved Gloria’s warmth and honesty, and something inside me whispered, “You can trust this teacher.”

For those not familiar with the concept of the “shadow,” it’s the part of ourselves that we keep hidden. We bury it under social masks, and the more we deny that part of ourselves, the more it wreaks havoc with our lives. For writers, denying the shadow self makes for weak and uninspired characters, because as writing brings us closer to our shadow, often we start making excuses for not finishing our work.

I signed up for the course because I have a villain in one of my novels whose head I’ve never quite been able to get into. I’ve also felt that my writing of late has been bland and boring, and I’ve lost some motivation to write — and yet, I know that when I am writing, I am a happier person.

In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten better acquainted with this character. I’ve poked into his childhood to try to understand why he is so cruel and sadistic. I’ve poked into my brain to uncover why I’m so unwilling to let him express himself fully. As a result, I’ve bumped into my shadow on several occasions already. Good thing my teacher feels so safe to me, because I’ve shed many tears in the past few weeks as I get to know this side of myself.

Through my studies, I am encountering the way I envy others who have been more successful at writing. I’ve also uncovered a great deal of ambition that I had pushed aside. No wonder I’m so darn tired all the time! So yes, I am admitting that I would like to sell some books…maybe even a lot of them. No more apologizing for wanting that!

Already I’m spending more consistent and focused time on the novel I’ve been working on, and in December I should be able to dust off the old novel with my problematic villain to try, yet again. The more I embrace my shadow, the more I am at peace.

Do you have any buried longings or dreams?

Book Review Tuesday: Victorian Secrets: How a Woman Finds Herself Via Her Corset

 books  2 Responses »
Nov 192013
 

When Sarah Chrisman’s husband presented her with a corset as a birthday present, she didn’t think much of the gift at first. Still, as a lover of history with curiosity aimed mostly at the Victorian era, she gave it a try.  Four years later, she wears corsets nearly 24/7.

During the first year, she lost several inches around the waist, and furthered her transformation into a Victorian lady by sewing clothes that matched Victorian times. These days, those of us who live in Port Townsend see Sarah walking around town, with long skirts, parasol, gloves, and hats. Here, in a Victorian town with an annual Victorian festival, she blends right in!

As she continued to wear corsets, her migraines disappeared, and she has avoided back problems that plague others in her family. In person, Sarah radiates the peace and joy of someone who lives her truth. This isn’t a gimmick for her, but an authentic way of life. Isn’t that what we’re all seeking?

Sarah tells her story in Victorian Secrets: What a Corset Taught Me About the Past, the Present, and Myself. With intelligence and wit, she dispels myths about the corset and shares a fascinating and personal journey.

I own an original version of this book, which Sarah bound by hand in true Victorian fashion (it would take her about four hours to do so). The new hardback is also gorgeous to behold, complete with full-color photos that show Sarah’s transformation.

There was a time when I was younger when I stopped working on crafts such as knitting because we saw them as tools of oppression. Over time, I reclaimed my crafts and felt empowered as I did so, and I regretted those lost years when I let society’s opinions take me away from what brought me joy. Sarah has done the same with the corset, and I respect her for it. Though I doubt I’ll ever wear a corset on a regular basis (I do during our Victorian Festival), I appreciate her courage, her curiosity, and her willingness to be herself.

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