Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Lucky Save
Yesterday there was a little yelling at our house. We are remodeling the basement and had to move some extremely heavy items out of the way, one is a foosball table that hasn’t been pried through the narrow doorway it somehow entered almost 20 years ago. After fighting several large pieces of furniture through the tiny opening, and letting a few choice words slip during our frustration, it was time for the main event, the foosball table. We removed the table legs, but this still left us with a cumbersome and very heavy table top with metal rods sliding and protruding from both sides.
Needless to say, by the time we finished and made it to the dinner table my son and daughter and husband were cranky. I thought food would help. It wasn’t enough. The kids asked to be excused. “No.” My husbands replied. They moped and complained, picked up the dishes and asked again. “Not until we play a game of foosball.” I said. (The foosball table is now in our kitchen).
My son complied but explained he would only give minimal effort. “Great, you can be on my team.” I smiled. “I’m so good, we won’t need a big effort from you to win.”
We all sidled up to the table and started to play. The kids moved more slowly, grumpily (if that is a word). Making it quite obvious that they were not going to have fun. I put in a couple of shots across the full length of the table with my goalie. My daughter put in a hard shot from her front line. My husband slammed a ball into a player with such force it almost pop off the table. “Nice save Lilly,” he said as he reached […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Peaceful Chaos
It’s a new year! I don’t know about you, but although I had a great holiday season, I am ready to get back to some semblance of a schedule. 4 people and 2 dogs in the house 24/7 means a lot of laundry and dishes and mess to keep up with and no “me” time to do it.
This morning the house is empty (Well except for Bruno and Sassy-and they are quietly waiting for a walk-and myself. ) So I feel light. Like I can breathe. That’s the way I’m built. I enjoy people, especially my family, but I need to spend some time alone or I wind up like a top, ready to spin out of control. I rarely do…spin out of control, but I feel it on the inside.
I have a quote in my room that I do my best to follow, but it’s not easy for me. It reads:
PEACE. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Hmmm. Not an easy task.
Sometimes I just want my house to myself. It’s not like I think, “great the house is empty I’m going to toss myself on the couch, eat Bon Bons and watch TV”. In fact, when I’m alone I feel more inspired, even for the not-so-fun-stuff like paying the bills and cleaning toilets. Crazy I know.
It’s just after 9:00AM and already I have done the dishes, folded a load of laundry and watched the video (and took stats) of our last basketball game. Now if I could only figure out how to find that clam and energy amidst the chaos.
If you have any ideas…let […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Holiday Spirit
I’m not quite in the Holiday spirit but I’m getting there. Yesterday my husband put some lights on the house and we got our Christmas tree up. I even had hot spiced wine mulling (this ritual actually starts the day after Thanksgiving). I don’t drink it every day, just let its flavor permeate the house (and cover the odor of two large dogs).
I grew up celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve and decorating a day or two before. This was normal, so I’m actually a little ahead of schedule. Today I will spend some time getting the rest of the house more festive, which might start with getting it clean, and then adding garland, the Three Kings and miniature Christmas room that my grandma made, the Annalee Elves and Santas that my mom and dad have given me over the years and if I get really crazy I might pull out Santa’s sleigh and the reindeer that have been handed down to our family and string them across the back window. But that might be going a bit too far for me.
Several years ago I decorated earlier, like many people (including my grandma), but by the time Christmas arrived, the tree was crisp and dropping needles, my garland was shriveled up, the Christmas songs were getting old and honestly I was tired of it all. Call me Scrooge, but that’s how I felt, I guess I don’t need all the ramp up time, just a few days around the Holiday to really relax and enjoy.
How do you get in the Holiday spirit? What are some of your rituals?
WRITING PROMPT: Write about how you get in the Holiday spirit.
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 Friday: Choices
Sonya Elliott EWU 1988
What makes us gravitate toward different likes and dislikes? What makes one person love to play the piano, others to love to knit or ride a motorcycle or read, or for some of us to love to play basketball? Is it just within us or are we a product of our parents and our environment? Sometimes I wonder.
Take me for example. Why do I love to play basketball? My parents didn’t play, I had no influence to take part in the game. I simply goofed around in the driveway with a basketball when I was young, watched a couple of college games in Montana and then years later tried out for our middle school team because I wanted to, and I have been playing ever since.
Even when I play badly or get beat up, I’m still drawn back to […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Catching Fire
Recently I’ve been inspired to write another book (besides the one that I published and the one that I’m currently working on). I’ve been writing a young adult novel for a couple of years now and I am taking a year-long class to help me focus and get it done. But the other non-fiction book that I have notes on, that’s been sitting on the back burner, is catching fire.
Maybe it’s a sign to focus on the non-fiction book or maybe I just have to alternate my energy from book to book and know that in time, with hard work and patience, both books will come together. For now I’ll just write on and see where it takes me.
WRITING PROMPT: Write about something in your life that has been catching fire.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Finding Peace With Your Work
I’m a paper person. The whole world of computers and social media does not come naturally to me. I have a hard time organizing my writing this way. What I mean by this, is that my current Word document for my novel has over 250 pages. This may sound good, but the problem is that since I don’t write from beginning to end, it becomes very difficult to organize the document, to remember what I have.
There are doubles of sections, random notes and pieces written in different tenses throughout. Even different names for characters appear as I start to go through the pages because over time I have changed some character’s names. It’s a very messy method.
When I open my file these days, my first reaction is to close it back up. TOO MUCH STUFF! What I keep meaning […]
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