Intentional Mondays: The Easter Monday Edition

Quote: "It would seem our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around...when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." CS Lewis

What I take from this quote? Two words: Don't settle. And don't be afraid to imagine. Instead, dance with the fear.

Write Every Day... Am keeping on pace thus far with this new story. And I'm having fun writing it, which is a necessary part of my process. The part that I think shows up for the reader. (Sometimes when writers talk about "their process" it can sound so high-falutin. I don't mean to sound that way and sort of cringe when I use the words "my process." But there it is. I do have a process, such as it is. And year by year, book by book, I'm learning what that is, and easing into what it requires.)

My One Word... AFFIRM. This review from Publishers Weekly AFFIRMed my writing. As I prepare for a new book to release, this was a good boost, an AFFIRMation of my efforts. We all need that from time to time.

Listening To... David Gray's recently released song Gulls. At minute 2:24 the DG I love shows up.

Sharing Stories... The books! The books are piling up! All good, all worth reading-- nonfiction, thrillers, YA, literary masterpieces. There is something to learn from all of them, something to glean about life, writing, and the power of story. Your TBR pile might not look like mine (God help you if it does) but I hope you have at least one book you're reading-- one story you share with yourself after a long day or in the midst of the crazy life you lead. Stories are the great escape.

Randomness... I'm enjoying this new show as a guilty pleasure. Some folks like reality tv or angsty Lifetime movies, I like whodunits and true crime. This one about uber-moms who snap intrigues me for reasons I don't want to delve into too deeply. But come on... "Perfect wife, perfect knife!" Brilliant tagline!

For the record I took the "What Kind of Stepford Wife Are You?" quiz and did not agree with the results. I don't have a spray tan, manicure or ever wear perfume. So there!

In The Kitchen... Not much cooking went on in our house over spring break. This week will be about getting back on a meal plan and routine. Most notably I bought Suddenly Salad for a future side dish, which means it's time for grilling out! Marinated chicken, pasta salad, and some sort of veggie is a staple meal at our house once the days get warm.

Plans... My plans this week involve substitute teaching, writing, preparing some classes annnnnnd something very exciting. I will tell you about it next week. But I probably won't be posting next Monday. (That's part of the plans.) So look for me on Tuesday, or maybe Wednesday.

Loveliness... Easter was truly lovely, start to finish. On Saturday, it rained all day. There was not a moment of the day that rain was not falling from the sky. And yet, on Sunday we woke up to impossibly blue skies and sun. My 11yo son observed that, on Saturday it was dark and depressing outside-- and that was the day that Jesus remained in the tomb. But on Sunday, as we experienced blue skies, we could feel the hope and light that comes with resurrection. I'm paraphrasing what he said, but still, it was insightful and so, so true. I hope your Easter was lovely too.

Photo of the week: This is me holding my novels, including my newest one, which I received an advanced reader copy of this week. It was so surreal to hold them all in my hands that I had my husband snap a photo. It may not look like much, but it's about 6 years of my life.