Sunday Salon: November 29, 2015

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with good food, family and friends. We had a quiet celebration here - just the two of us - but it was nice and relaxing. The weather has not cooperated though... I'm tired of dreary days and ice covered trees. Hopefully we will see the sun again by Tuesday.



Reading:

Well, I did not make much headway here.

I'm about half-way through the fourth Harry Potter book, The Goblet of Fire, and I must say I'm glad we are finally back at Hogwarts. I wish I could read these books without pencil in hand, as I know it slows down my process. However, JK Rowling is such a master storyteller, and I feel the need to take copious notes.

While I had great plans to take part in the Thankfully Reading Weekend, other interests took priority.

I spent time cleaning out the basement. And while I barely made a dent in the twenty years of clutter, I must say it is nice to have room to walk, a place to sit, and space to breathe. I guess the KonMari method did have an impact.

I enjoyed preparing the Thanksgiving feast, even if was for two rather than the typical eight. And of course watching the obligatory Macy's Parade and the Westminster Dog Show.

I did some writing, some photography, and we cleared the DVR. In all, it was a wonderfully relaxing week.

Writing:

I came to a realization this week.

Writing 500 words/day - 5 days/week is not difficult. However, that dedication barely covers the blog posts. If I wish to make progress with my novel-in-progress, and branch out to write articles for publication, (as well as self-published e-books) then I need to beef up my weekly writing routine. November served its purpose. I gained clarity and a definitive direction.

I will now use the month of December to solidify first quarter 2016 priorities and develop a writing schedule to meet those goals. It is time to treat writing like a part-time job rather than a fun hobby.

Blogging:

I managed to maintain a consistent blogging routine this week (the fringe benefit of November's writing goal) ... and I even added a new blog series.

While the kids were in not in town, they did text me several times throughout the week asking questions about traditional recipes they wanted to make on their own. I was thrilled they cared! And in the end, wondered if a Pinterest board might be a more convenient method to disseminate the information.

So, I decided to create a new weekly series (not sure how long it will last) that chronicles Totoro Family Recipes. This will allow me to share food favorites with you - as well as pin the recipe for the offspring. I'm excited...

• I continued the Journaling towards Wholeness series by focusing on various Types of Journaling. And of course I reiterated... there is NO one right way to journal.
• French Friday took us to the Musee d'Orsay - the inspiration for my historical fiction novel.
• In the first post of the Totoro Family Recipe series, I shared our tradition for Monkey Bread on Thanksgiving morning.

The Christmas season is upon us and for some reason, I'm finding that hard to believe. Perhaps it is the weather. Perhaps it is the lack of family here for Thanksgiving. Or perhaps it is just a matter of growing older. This was the first year... ever... that I did not take part in the Black Friday mayhem. And you know what? I didn't miss it one bit.