Monday’s Pen to Paper: Time For A Date?
This summer I haven’t had many dates. Not with my husband or with my writing, and that’s a bummer. Fortunately I have my Thursday writing date with my friend Jenny. Those have been consistent every week (though not always on Thursday since it’s summertime), but beyond that it has been difficult to fit writing time in. The “must do’s” often sneak ahead of my writing, but one way I find time is by making a date with myself, putting it on the calendar and then escaping to a coffee shop or the beach, like a real date. Maybe I should try the same with my husband.
WRITING PROMPT #1: Where is your favorite place to write? Why?
WRITING PROMPT #2: Kendra peered out from behind the curtain as her date made his way to her front door…
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Good For Your Body & Soul
Sonya Elliott
Morning hike to Ollalie Lake
My recreational basketball team took the summer off so I’m using it as an opportunity to get in better shape for when we start again in the fall. Over the last couple of years I have lost a lot of strength and flexibility. My wind is still okay, but on the court it’s been tougher to rebound and play defense when I can’t hold my ground like I used to.
But not for much longer. I have been mixing it up with beach volleyball, weights, yoga, hiking and conditioning boot camps every day. And this morning, as my daughter and I hiked down from Ollalie Lake, it was nice to be sore again, not the sore that keeps me from bending down and weeding the yard or taking the plates out of the cupboard, but the good kind of sore that reminds me of how many muscles keep the human body moving and assures me that I’m getting stronger so that when basketball starts again, I will be ready.
My body will be ready and my mind will be ready. I have I been missing basketball, (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?). So whether you’re a weekend warrior or a seasoned athlete, it doesn’t hurt to mix up a little. Not only is it good for your body but it can be good for your soul.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Cool Breeze And A Good Night Of Z’s Equals Happiness
I’ve been melting lately. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a nice sunny day but when the temperature creeps up past 90 degrees in Seattle it’s just too hot for me. It’s not that bad if I can escape to the water, but that’s not alway the case, I’m often at home where our house becomes an oven.
A good friend of mine loves this type of heat. In it she’s vibrant and alive, while I, on the other hand, feel cooked and tired and grumpy. I have been fighting this tired feeling over the past few days, pushing myself to enjoy the heat some as well as get work done. But honestly, it hasn’t been easy. Then last night a cool breeze came in.
I opened every window and door in the house, I stepped outside to feel the freshness whirl around me and to hear rustling in the trees. I breathed in the crisp air. I even hoped for rain. The rain didn’t, come but a smile did. And so did a great nights sleep which made me ready for a new day, no matter the temperature.
WRITING PROMPT #1: What makes you happy?
WRITING PROMPT #2: Eleanor wished her air conditioning hadn’t died…
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Free Fun
My mom was in town for three days. It was a chance for us girls (me, my mom and my daughter) to celebrate a belated Birthday/Mother’s day present for my mom, our Oma. I had planned to get tickets for a concert downtown and perhaps go to the theatre as well, but I didn’t find music, or an act, at the usual venues that I thought my mom would truly enjoy.
However, I did find a free concert at a local coffee shop in our neighborhood (C & P Coffee House), and on an Instagram post my daughter found Dancing Until Dusk, which involved free swing dance lessons and live music at Westlake Park. So we went for it. During my mom’s visit we also took pleasure in beach combing at low tide on Alki, spent an afternoon making jewelry, and an evening taking in the view of Seattle while enjoying fish tacos at Marination.
And we did it all on near to nothing.
I wasn’t trying to be stingy, in fact I was ready to spend money, it was a celebration, but as I know (and it doesn’t hurt to get reminded from time to time), you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have fun. It’s how you spend your time that is important. And let me tell you, we spent our time wisely, and had a blast.
Spend time doing things that you love with the people who you love…
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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PeaceLoveBasketball: Girls Not Tough Enough? Bring It On!
There was a time when girls played six on six basketball, three on offense, three on defense, because according to The Women’s Basketball Rule Committee the game was too rough for girls. Though this rule was put into action in 1899, it’s how I learned to play when I was in grade school, and when I was in college there were still three states that played this way. Oklahoma was the last state to change to five-on-five basketball in 1995; seven years after I graduated from college.
Girls not tough enough? Please.
Learn more about how Title IX changed things for women in this country and how it affected me throughout my lifetime of sports in Can I Play? Dreaming In the Wave of Title IX at AwesomeSportProject.com.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Ten Short Lines and Go
My friend Jenny and I write every Thursday. Most days we write a quick letter to one another to catch up on our week. Last week we wrote ten short lines about our previous week. Mine started…
- Ping Pong Pandemonium
- Not-so-sweet 16
- Gone are many dog days & days & dogs. Peace.
- Title IX article
You get the idea. Just little snippets into what happened. Then we chose one of the lines and wrote for eight minutes. Now it’s your turn to give it at try.
WRITING PROMPT: Jot down 10 things that happened last week. Pick one of them and write some more.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Check Your Tone
“Are you just going to stand there?” The question, not directed to me, came with a harsh tone and a stare at player on the opposing team yesterday morning when I was playing pick up ball. The coach (and mom) in me cringed as I back-peddled on defense. Then the question was followed by several more choice words of advice. I’ve heard it all before, negative coaching and yelling from parents, players and fans over the years and I don’t like it. I watched the young player who had received the question, hunch over a bit. His eyes lowered. I know the yeller meant well, he wants the player to get better, learn to hustle, to be a better teammate, and I’m sure he didn’t see a thing wrong with his question. But is this the best way?
I don’t think so. Unfortunately, […]
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