LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: It’s Not All About The View
Recently my daughter Charli hiked 奇莱南華(Qilai Nanhua), one of Taiwan’s highest peaks. It is know for it’s stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the “Golden Sea” that happens when the sun rises and touches swathes of grass that line the peak. When Charli summited, she got thick damp fog and freezing cold 50 mph winds, still, she will tell you the 30 miles and the 11,000 feet of elevation gain were worth it. It’s not all about the view, read Charli’s blog post and learn why.
PEN TO PAPER: Remember Me
How do you see yourself? How do others see you? If the people you care about couldn’t remember you, how would you describe yourself to them?
WRITING PROMPT 1: None of your family, or friends, remember you. Describe yourself to them.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Amelia couldn’t remember…
PEN TO PAPER: An Eggcellent Day
What does Easter mean to you? For me it’s about spending time with family, decorating eggs, searching for eggs and eating good food.
When I was young, we always had some pretty intense Easter egg hunts. I wasn’t always a fan, because for some reason, I could never find as many eggs as my big brother. Fortunately as we got older, the hunts became a parents vs. kids event, and let’s just say I’m surprised we didn’t find a few eggs, weeks later, by smell. My brother and I hid one egg at the bottom of the flour bin on the top shelve of a kitchen cabinet. That’s crazy.
When my kids were young we had egg hunts, but it was the decorating that got intense. A heated competition developed with our neighbors that lasted for years. My husband was always the winner, at least in his mind. The rest of us have a different recollection of the final results, but no matter the winner we always had a blast.
I know that Easter is not about egg decorating and egg hunts, that it’s a Christian holiday celebrating the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the egg portion of the holiday holds some eggcellent memories for me and is a great place to get some good story ideas.
WRITING PROMPT 1: Write about this Easter weekend or a past Easter that stands out in your memory.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Write about what Easter means to you.
WRITING PROMPT 3: Braden took the egg and….
PEN TO PAPER: Car Craze
Wow, cars bring up a lot of memories for me. My first car was a gigantic white Buick Electra with a 455 engine (that means fast). It was white with a black top and velvety wine colored electric seats. Man, I had some adventures in that. Then came my reddish-orange Opal Manta, I loved that little pumpkin seed. Then I started my Volkswagen run with a VW rabbit, diesel. It was a nice car but it blew a head gasket going up the steep hill just west of Spokane. Next came my first real car, meaning the first one I bought myself , my red-hot sirocco, wolfberg addition. That baby took me back and forth across the state of Washington a million times, probably a bit faster than it should have, especially since the speed limit was 55 MPH at that time. Then came the love of my life (next to Jason, the kids and our dog of course), the Blue Bomber, my 1989 VW Blue Star Vanagon, that I’ve been driving for twenty-one years now.
I could write a book about my Vanagon adventures. Oh no, don’t get me started; I’m already working on two books. Enough about my cars, now it’s time to write about yours, and I’m guessing that you have just as many stories surrounding your cars, or cars that you have dreamed about driving, so let’s get writing.
WRITING PROMPT 1: Write about your first car, or your favorite car.
WRITING PROMPT 2: Write about a car you’d like to have.
WRITING PROMPT 3: Jessie set her hands on the steering wheel of the _______ and…
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEN TO PAPER: Reading Rituals
I wasn’t always a reader. And I still don’t read nearly as much as I probably should (being a writer), and for sure not as much as I would like. But I read more than I ever did when I was young.
Since I’m a slow reader, Audio books have helped speed up my pace. All I have to do is open my library app and put in my AirPods when I walk my dog or run errands, and I knock off a couple of chapters. Still, my favorite way to read is to hunker into a cozy chair with tea and a good old fashioned book and just immerse myself in the experience.
How much do you read? And what is your favorite way to do it?
WRITING PROMPT #1: When I read I…
WRITING PROMPT #2: Write “BOOKS” at the top of your page, or document, and start writing.
WRITING PROMPT #3: Jenna picked […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: The Evolution of Women’s Basketball
A lot has changed in women’s basketball since I first hit the court. Check out my article, Yes We Can Play at Stack Sports. The piece looks back at the history of women’s basketball and shares how changes such as, moving to a full-court game with dribbling, using a smaller ball and the addition of the three-point line have all taken place during my lifetime…[READ HERE]
PEN TO PAPER: Beat the Heat
It is HOT in Seattle. In fact it’s so hot, it’s hard to think. So I’m keeping today’s prompts quick and easy. Stay cool out there!
WRITING PROMPT #1: Look at the photo above and then write.
WRITING PROMPT #2: How do you like to beat the heat?
WRITING PROMPT #3: When Candice turned on the AC it…
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