The Three Writing Amigos. . . and a Photobombing Flight Attendant
Long before the trip, I started running Aaron’s social media in exchange for his writing mentoring. Not a bad trade, eh? It has the added bonus of hanging with his family at least once a month when we play Magic The Gathering and eat food.
And, well, IÂ am a social person. I know, I know . . . you’re shocked by this admission. What can I say? Not everyone is, however. Which makes me a great fit for Aaron’s social media ninja.
How To Do Social Media For People Who Are Antisocial
Yup. That’s a thing I’m working on. It was going to be a blog post. Then it evolved into a presentation. It’s been translated into workshops and now it’s growing up into it’s very own book. I’m so proud of my antisocial baby!
Ah, but back to the task at hand. Working for Aaron has its perks. Like pizza. Did I mention the pizza?
The Biltmore Pizza, Asheville Brewing Co.
So here’s how it all ties in together. I’m earning my way back to next year’s BRMCWC and more Biltmore pizza on my plate. See what I did there? Yeah, Naomi and Aaron are always mentioning how much I have on my plate, and how a great portion of it is his social media. But if it gets me more pizza, I’m so ready for more plates. Fine bone china, blue pattern, if you please.
I’ll take on as many plates as I can manage, if it means I’m being well fed. And let’s face it: Being well fed includes food for the body, the soul, and the creative part as well, yes?
So let me introduce you to Aaron’s Firsts in Fiction weekly podcast. Every Tuesday at 6:30 PM PST, we gather ’round the computer monitor and tell tales. Okay, sort of. We do meet at 6:30. Aaron and his dad, Al Gansky, interview guests on a live video feed while I facilitate the chat room. We cover all fiction-related topics from writing to editing to promoting to contests to favorite endings to overcoming writer’s block to . . . you get the picture.
I’m sort of a chatty cathy and I guess they picked up on that, because last month they made me official PRODUCER of the podcast. So not much has changed in what I do, just how I do it. Now I’m privy to early behind-the-scenes discussions. I get to video-meet our guests and do my ninja magic on air.
If you’ve seen the podcast recently (and by recently, I mean the last three weeks), you’ve also seen me looking at my phone a lot. No, I’m not bored. I’m tweeting. Sharing. Linking. Liking. Getting whatever visibility I can for the #podcast.
And then it dawned on me. DUH. I did. I literally said, “DUH.” To no one but the cats, but that’s another story and I’m sure Lizzie Cat will tell you all about when her computer privileges are restored. So anyway, I said DUH and figured, why not let my own peeps in on the fun?
Which happens to be today. Huh. That worked out favorably, didn’t it?
Oh, and tonight’s guests? Bill Myers and Angela Hunt. Two of Al’s three writing partners for the Harbingers series. [Check out Al’s newest part, The Fog, at Amazon.]
So if you’re interested in writing, are a fan of Harbingers, or just like to hang out, you know where to find us. I’d love to meet you in the chat room. Let’s put some more pizza on that plate, okay?
October is a beautiful month, isn’t it? Full of crisp air, sweaters out of storage, leaves changing colors and crunching under your feet. The start of the holiday season before the holiday rush. I think October is my favorite month.
On Facebook, I asked “What are some of your favorite fall/harvest moments?” Each reply was unique to the individual commenter, but there was one running theme: pumpkin. It seems pumpkin everything is what gets people most excited about October.
The Pumpkin Grinch
Each year I share this photo. It was taken by a friend about ten years ago. We were at the local pumpkin patch when I spotted this pumpkin. It looks so much like the Grinch to me. I askedsuggestedbegged my friend to photograph it for posterity. A much better way of keeping it than, say, buying the pumpkin only to toss it out in three weeks or less, don’t you think?
As I was going through the blog last weekend, working to make it a better experience for both you as a reader and myself as the writer [read Under the Hood], I realized I’d not posted many articles on food for quite some time. No recipes, no foodie photos. No reasons to salivate or say “I want to try that!” And I’m supposed to be a foodie person.
It’s also been too long since I’ve posted a Five Things Friday as well. No connecting of the dots between A, B, C . . . you get the picture.
What’s This Girl to do? Why, combine it all together, y’all! So welcome back, October. Welcome back, Food. Welcome back, Five Things Friday.
Let’s get this post started.
Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Creme Frappuccino. Oh, come on. You know you saw that one coming. I may as well get it over with right away. The first week of September ushers us into that wonderful realm of cinnamon, spice, nutmeg, and that must-be-in-everything-from-now-until-Valentine’s-Day ingredient, pumpkin.
Autumn Bliss
Now . . . who’s not a fan of Starbuck’s? I can’t even talk to you if you’ve raised your hand.
Soups. Now is the time of year when the slow cooker and Dutch oven live outside the cabinets. They’ll take up residency on the stove top and counter, and stay there until January. Homes everywhere will be filled with wonderful aromas, not-so-quick but definitely easy concoctions of broth, creams, and one-pot meals.
Homemade chicken soup . . . Good for the body and the soul.
I love boiling a whole chicken with added herbs and seasonings to make freezable broth and stock. The only part I throw away are the bones and skin.
Adult beverages. Please. I’m an adult. I find no shame in admitting I’m a fan of adult beverages. This time of year, I’m all about the pumpkin beer. Am I right? That crisp, dry flavor deserves to be imbibed with something special. Like a pumpkin muffin. Or a bowl of chili. Or a breath of autumn air. And let’s not forget my new holiday classic: The Chocolate Martini.
Chocolate Martini made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
Remember when I won that Scharffen Berger gift basket a few years ago? And that beautiful coffee table book came with it? In those magical pages I discovered this magical recipe. My holidays are oh-so-much happier now.
Casey’s Cupcakes. Even though It’s been over a year since I’ve visited my beloved Riverside and my most favorite place, The Mission Inn, I still long for Casey’s most delicious treats. If you’re in Southern California between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I highly recommend you visit The Festival of Lights and indulge in a little holiday treat from Casey’s.
Glamorous Gingerbread at Casey’s Cupcakes
At any time of year, it’s an experience you’ll savor. (See what I did there?)
And of course, last but not least, good for any day of the year, could there be anything better for This Southern Girl At Heart than a huge gulp of sweet tea?
Sweet Tea at Blue Ridge
It refreshes my body, it renews my soul. It reminds me of Blue Ridge and my trip to North Carolina. The writers’ conference. The connections. The beauty. We all need a little more sweetness in our lives, yah? Go on. Take a sip. You’ll be glad you did.
BONUS: To celebrate this unofficial beginning of the holidays, and the return of Five Things Friday with this Foodie Post, today onlyThe Unemployment Cookbook Kindle edition is available for free download. Just click through the photo below to get yours.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Kindle edition
Happy start to the holidays. Happy eating.
Now it’s your turn. Leave a comment and tell me: What are some of your favorite foods this time of year?
Do you have a copy of The Unemployment Cookbook? Would you consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads? That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Hey, y’all. I trust you had a great weekend. Mine was wonderfully out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, I don’t have any new photos to share. Crazy, right? I mean, this is me we’re talking about. Oh, well. Take my word for it: the scenery was beautiful.
I drove up to Fresno, which is no little task for me. When I was younger, I used to drive all the time. It was nothing to head to the beach or Disneyland or even up to the mountains. But somewhere between here and there, my collection of car accidents plus having Dot to consider . . . well, my drive to drive took a wrong turn (see what I did there?).
Let’s not forget it was just a few simple years ago that I got lost coming home from Disneyland–a trip I’d made at least twenty times in as many years. The Southern California freeways are not necessarily enjoyable. And in my neck of the desert, there is always, and yes I do mean always, some form of road construction or deconstruction going on.
Keep moving.
[Okay, so this meme was created, like, over a year ago. I had to put some visualization in this post. Anyway . . . ]
When Dot and her husband began their grand adventure, I whispered, “I wish I was brave like you.” Now that she is married and three states away, a little bit of that bravery has come back to me.
No longer do I have to consider coming home “on time” to make dinner for anyone other than myself. I don’t have to worry about “If I do this, what will she do?” I’m no longer a single parent trying to make ends meet and feeling guilty for eating all the ice cream. Nosirreebob, I am just single. (Unless you count the FurFamily. But that’s a tad diff, don’t you think?)
So. When my friend Becky said, “Come on up for the weekend.” I said “Are you nuts? Don’t you know I don’t drive? Like, ever ever. You wanna drive me crazy? Why don’t you come see me and keep the peace instead?” I said, “Hey. I’ve been wanting to be braver. This isn’t too bad. And it’s the opposite of LA traffic. Sure, I’ll come visit.”
Now, mind you. Ursula is nine years old, and it’s been a while since she’s been out on the open road for any great stretch. But they (whoever “they” in the care-for-your-car-industry is) recommend taking your car on longish drives now and then to clean out the carburetor And by the way, I had to verify the spelling on that word. Doesn’t it sound like it should be spelled “carborator”? That’s what I thought, too. Obviously.
But I digress. So. Back on track. Yesterday morning I packed up my Babycakes laptop, a few Jamberry supplies, some bottles of water, and put ‘er in gear.
And four hours later I was in Fresno. Fresno, folks! Like, central California. We’re talking farm country. Open fields. smooth roads. Friendly freeway traffic (I know, right?! I couldn’t believe it either!).
And all I wanted to do was turn around and do it again!
This crazy thing happened to me. Someone called it confidence and I said what did you smoke from your peace pipe and they said no its true and I said no seriously and they said don’t you believe in yourself and I said yes I do but I just drove four hours and in people terms that’s like two hundred and fifty miles which is like sixty miles more than the drive to Vegas and three times as far as Disneyland and have I mentioned that lately I get lost coming home from Disneyland and they said stop being so dramatic you haven’t been to Disneyland in years and I said I KNOW BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I TRIED COMING HOME I GOT LOST and they said stop talking to yourself so I did.
Except to tell myself once more that I have more confidence.
I realized anything that could happen to me and/or my car such as a flat tire or a breakdown could also happen close to home. I have my Triple-A membership card. I have a sense of adventure. So why not go the distance (see what I did there?)?
And then comes the best part. Not only did I get to spend the weekend with Becky and her husband, but her husband happens to be Al of Al Gansky fame, of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Firsts in Fiction fame. Yes, that Al Gansky. Of course a month ago when Becky and I were planning this I tolddictated asked Aaron in his capacity as my writing mentor, “So, it’s not totally weird for you that I’m going to go hang out with your folks for a weekend, right? Cuz if it is, we need to talk.” [I told him before Blue Ridge that I collect parents. This shouldn’t have been a surprise for him.] [Apparently, it wasn’t.]
Obviously he and Naomi were fine with it (I did have to promise not to supersede them on the parents’ Christmas card list) and the rest is almost history. Er, almost the rest is history. I mean . . .
ANYWAY.
I spend the weekend with Becky and Al which was a lot of fun when you consider a few things:
Becky and I have the same sense of humor. I feel sorry for Al.
Al has the same sense of humor as Aaron. You feel sorry for me.
The excuse for the drive was for Becky to hostess a Jamberry party, which allowed us some fun girl time with a few guests.
I got to pick Al’s brain about all things writing, editing, and Blue Ridge. Like, conference chatter. And it isn’t even conference time! I found out more of what goes into the behind-the-scenes, and I shared with him some of my immediate, short-term, and long-term goals as a writer and editor. He didn’t even charge me a coaching fee.
A once-a-year thunderstorm hit just as I was considering coming home Saturday night. So I stayed per the original plan and we enjoyed some flickering lights, dimming TV screens, flashes of lightning and serious boomage that set car alarms off. Now that’s thunder!
We watched Perry Mason and Alfred Hitchcock together. Between yelling “Motive!” at the TV and pointing our fingers at all the characters, all I can say is, Al will never let me near the medicine cabinet. And he really shouldn’t leave the cyanidesaccharin pain pills where anyone can get at them. Just sayin’. How’s that coffee this morning, Al?
The same, easy drive to get up to Fresno was just as easy coming home. Except for the microburst in Tehachapi that slowed traffic for about fifteen minutes. Only in California can the sky ahead be blue while the sky directly above is bringing down God’s wrath. Just sayin’.
Once I got home and loved on the FurFamily, we had our own storm system move in. That was about five hours ago. And it’s still here. Lightning. Thunder. Rain. It’s all good.
So I sort lied about the no new photos thing. Okay. This isn’t a photo. It’s a video. I know, semantics. And you can’t hear the thunder, but trust me. It was there!
I think I’m gonna bottle this sound and play it all time. Especially when I’m writing NOLA. Or missing Blue Ridge. Or when it’s too hot and dry. Or when I’m trying to sleep. Or any other time. Yes. Definitely any time is a good time to listen to rain.
I’d say all in all it was a great weekend. And it left me with a deeper drive to reach my goals: writing, editing, social media presentations, speaking, Jamberry, redecorating Bedford Manor, and making sure all my peeps know they’re important to me (the people, not the goals) (well, I mean, both. But the people. Right now, I’m talking about the people).
“Once you leave the mountaintop,
there’s only one way to go ~
Into the valley.”
~Alton Gansky, Final Keynote Speaker,
BRMCWC 2015
We were told what we learned was to be shared. We were being sent out to be springs in the desert, which in my case is quite literal.
Life Can Be Prickly
As wonderful as the Blue Ridge experience was, as foundational as these new friendships have proven to be, coming home was hard. Reconnecting to the world I left behind was difficult.
I’ve been trying to make sense of the blender in my head, chopping and refining and mixing all the information and activity and life that continues. I’ve been trying to put all the new, and old, life into the same container.
Etc., etc., etc. . . .
Surprise ~ it doesn’t all fit.
I needed a way to better manage the new roads that are leading me to greater things.
In particular, I’ve been further developing my Social Media Management.
How To Do Social Media For People Who Are Antisocial
But I wasn’t working it as well as I could have. I was inundated with the thought that I had to learn more, prep more, explain more, before I had something worth sharing.
The immensity of all that lay before me was overwhelming.
Sounds like a “DUH” moment, right? You would think so.
The real “DUH” moment came when I realized because social media is always changing, it’s impossible for me to learn everything about it. My task is to share my current knowledge while growing. Not stop growing and then share stagnant information.
I don’t have to do everything all the time, as long as I do something when I can. My friend Tony put it this way:
“Consistency trumps intensity…better to work 20 minutes 6 days per week for 90 days than to work 40 hours per week for two weeks…it keeps you from burning out and the magic of your own biz is the ‘part time’ effort…imagine if someone went to the gym 8 hours in one day and called it good for the month…”
I’ve been asked to join several group blogs and share my social media knowledge. I don’t know as much as others, but I know more than some. That doesn’t mean I have to know or do everything all at once.
So I changed my mind.
I’m no longer crushing through hours each night, trying to flood my laptop with links and posts and media connections and classes and learning and teaching.
I’m no longer waiting until I know it all. What I already know is worth sharing. What I already do is worth doing for others.
Instead of trying to do it all, I look at what needs to be done now.
I don’t always like To-Do Lists. Those never ending beasts are an evil necessity with their continuous trails and side paths that often lead you away from contentment. As soon as you mark off one item, there’s another five to be added.
I’m starting a new To-Do List. One that makes it easier to manage everything else. So far, I’ve got one task.
1. Don’t Overdo the To-Do List.
It really can be that simple. Today I have things that have to get done. Blogging, NOLA Chapter 2 third draft, laundry, housecleaning, dinner. I have social media clients I need to take care of. But I can do it, just for today. Just for this week. I don’t need to schedule posts that are a month out. Not yet.
Burnout is too easily achieved when we try too hard to ignore ourselves.
It’s okay to take things one puzzle piece at a time. It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to not be the best at everything.
North Carolina is full of rocking chairs and a Mayberry-esque lifestyle. There are rocking chairs in the airports, and there are rocking chairs in the restaurants. In the restaurants, people! I ain’t making this stuff up.
North Carolina Rocking Chairs are Everywhere!
I want to live there. I want to drink more sweet tea and say “y’all” and “honey, sugar” to strangers and call my friends “Sweet Potato” and rock on a front porch as the rain patters down. I want to live in Blue Ridge.
Unfortunately, Blue Ridge is an event, not a place. Well, it’s both, but when it’s not an event, it can get kind of lonely. Kind of, this-hallway-belongs-in-Stephen-King’s-The-Shining lonely (thanks for that thought process, Beckie).
Which could be pretty hard on This Girl who fills the love-tank with social interaction. I do not care (said with my newly adopted Southe’n accent) I do not care if you are male, female, black, white, cat, dog (scratch that. I care. I don’t like dogs). . . my point is, people is people, people! And when you’re in a place surrounded not only by people, but by people who understand, who help, who encourage, who laugh, cry, scream, giggle, play games, eat dinner . . . People who get you. . . how can it not be home?
In my life, I have felt alone, abandoned, worthless, a failure, confused, out of place, neglected, misunderstood, incomplete.
When I set foot on Ridgecrest, those insecurities left me. Completely, for six whole days, I was pushed smack-dab into what I can only describe as an immersion program for Christian writers.
Attending Blue Ridge wasn’t about making new friends.
It was about finding family I didn’t know I had.
Is it no surprise how I cried from loneliness when the plane landed in Las Vegas? Or when I thought of Sweet Cara and how it will be a year before I see my new sister again? Or (better), when I claim my place into this family of God’s children?
I’m sitting in my recliner at Bedford Manor now. Everything’s the way I left it. The cats are dozing. The house is quiet. But my soul is restless.
I long to go back to Blue Ridge. To find my own little parcel of land and put a rocking chair on it and say, “This is mine! This corner of the world, these people, this experience. . . This is mine.”
But I also long to stay here. To work at making Bedford Manor my home for as long as the Lord wants me to. I’m ready to get moving for the Lord, but that doesn’t mean I have to move.
In fact, through Blue Ridge, He has called me to be a spring in the desert. [Isaiah 43:19]. And I’m ready to do that, because that’s what He’s asking.
My Little Plot of Desert, Where I Will Be a Spring [Isaiah 43:19]
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
[Isaiah 43:19, NRSV]
I imagine as the days take me further from my first Blue Ridge experience, this painful longing to go back will lesson, but only for a short time. Because then I’ll be filled with the drive to return next year, and this desire will push me to do all I can to accomplish that goal. I’ll work harder than I have at becoming the writer and speaker He has made me to be.
I’m okay with this kind of pain: The pain that pushes me forward, the longing that makes me reach beyond myself.
I am not perfect. But at Blue Ridge, I am perfectly me.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . #FiveThingsFriday. What are your favorite foods this time of year? #pumpkineverything @realmojo68
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