Today would have been my parents 53rd wedding anniversary and instead of being sad, I got to be awesome today. I spoke at Kathryn McClatchy’s Unleashing the Next Chapter writing group on Zoom. My topic was “Using the Enneagram to Create Character Conflict.” It went so well, y’all! I had an audience that was already pretty well versed in the Enneagram, so there were a lot of interesting questions and tangents into things I had wanted to put in the talk, but thought it was too much. Always overprepare! I love this group so much. Thanks for inviting me, Kathryn! Here’s a link to the video (which you can only view if you are a member of that group, but it is free to join.)
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On August 25, 2020 at noon at the Tyler Public Library’s Writer’s Club Facebook Group, I will present a lesson on “Using the Enneagram to Create Character Conflict.” It is mostly the same as the one I presented to a more private group a week or so ago, but this one is in a more public group.
On Tuesday, August 24th at 2pm, I will be teaching a lesson on “Using Enneagram Types to Create Character Conflicts” at the Unleashing the Next Chapter writers’ group. I got sucked in while doing my research and have almost too much to share in one presentation. I’m really looking forward to sharing this one with everyone!
I spoke today at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group on “How to Do a Writing Check-Up.” I spoke about what to include in the check-up and how to use the results to make goals and improve yourself and your writing business. I included some exercises geared towards that and then also some regular writing exercises, just for fun. It went really well! If you are a member of the group, you can see the replay of the live video here: {link}
I will speak at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group on July 28th, 2021 about “How to Do a Writing Life Check-up.” If you are a member of the group, you can see me speak and join in on the fun writing prompts here: {link}
I spoke today at the East Texas Writer’s Guild members meeting on “Bringing Creativity to NaNoWriMo.” It went really well! Unfortunately, there’s not a recording available. If you are interested, I can share my slideshow and notes, as well as the handout, with you. Just send me an email and I’ll send you a link.
So my dad did not go home yesterday and decided to stay and go to church with me and the kids today, which was awkward because a) it was our first service back in person, b) the sanctuary is so small that with social distancing and our regulars there was no room for visitors, c) we tried to do a hybrid service for people that wanted to stay online and it failed, d) there was a lot of joyful crying because EVERYONE CAME BACK and we were really concerned they wouldn’t, e) I had to stop and fill out visitor forms on the way in for my dad because he couldn’t figure out what they were asking him to do, f) I needed to officially join the church before I could become a trustee (something they discovered after they asked me to become a trustee), and my peeps could not figure out how to people while I was away, g) and also I officially have An Abundance of Catherine’s (however they happen to spell it, which varies so much), h) back to the weirdness, Ree decided to walk home, Greg went to hide in the car, and the retired pastor who sometimes leads us asked where my kids went and when I shrugged she just laughed and said “oh yeah, you have an older child, too, so you’ve reached the resigned stage of parenthood” and my dad laughed so hard I thought he might die, so we left right after that, i) that was awkward because I hadn’t said goodbye to everyone yet, but a certain older gentleman really wanted a hug, so I hugged him and my dad was all “Is that old man bothering you?!” and I laughed hysterically because I’ve probably talked to that gentleman more than I’ve talked to my dad this year and they would have really liked each other because they are the same age and both like stamps. j) after all that I hyper focused on cleaning the house and 1/4 of the garage is spectacularly clean now and the laundry is done, and the kitchen was spotless, but then Nick used ALL THE THINGS cooking dinner and now it’s a wreck again.
I will be speaking this Monday at the East Texas Writers Guild members meeting at 6:30pm via Zoom. This one is a little last minute (their scheduled speaker fell ill), so I am cobbling a few of my 20 minute lessons into one hour long speech about “Bringing Creativity to NANOWRIMO.” Hope to see all you local writers there! (If prompted for a password, it is “2020”.)
Things you can do when you don’t have a lot of energy, but do have some time you need to get work done during:
Organize digital stuff.
Tag old photos, or make albums.
Organize your printed recipes.
Write draft replies for unanswered emails.
Create to-do lists per life/work/cleaning category.
Do short-medium-long term planning.
Work on time-consuming important, yet not urgent projects.
Make an inspiration board for the future – shopping lists, lists of movies to watch, books to read, places to visit.
Make a list of friends + plan when to call/interact with each one.
Crochet or cross stitch something small, yet meaningful.
Inventory stuff you have at home and/or plan on how to reorganize it.
Update your resume or explore jobs.
Do inventory of your health issues and make notes for future appointments.
Peaches lie all over the ground, tossed down yellow,
too early, by this morning’s storm. Bahia grass shushes the singing birds,
heads held high despite the damp. Melancholy swims up
and over me and clings as snug as the humidity.
The old neighbor appears, their new fence recently painted,
which clashes with their pile of old slate landscaping stones,
ivy springing eternally around everything in sight.
More peaches fall
and hit the rotting stump of the once towering
loblolly pine. Only one of the original five still guards the threshold separating
their wet grass from mine, but he’s not lonely. The gray squirrels
still swing from his branches and little finches nest in his crevices.
The Tuesday sound of lawn care services
blowing leaves from yard to yard interrupts
the hum of traffic as it crushes past too fast
on its way to the college down the road.
The harsh machine noise echoes through the trees
And sends our animal friends scurrying.
I yearn for neighbor’s past who cared
for the yards themselves, sweating
in the sunlight while joking about my use
of yellow fabric shears while I knelt weeding at the curb.
Their azaleas that smelled so heavenly
the day we moved in, now lost to occupants
who replaced them with easily maintained gravel,
which smells of guano from the bats.
Next I imagine they’ll try to replace the bats, to the delight
of the ever present mosquitos.
I smell damp earth and the light, sweet smell of the peaches.
A sociable squirrel we’ve named Randy
chitters at me through the screen,
daring me to keep him from his fruity treasure. A cardinal
stops to argue with him and he runs elsewhere
like always.
A copy of this poem also appears here, as part of a padlet of coursework from a writing class I’m taking.
Lisa Holcomb 