This week between between Christmas and New Year’s Day is one of my favorites in all the year. It seems stolen out of regular time, when the glass on the windows is steamy with cooking and the breath of bodies, when there is a chance to take stock and think about possibilities and imagine with joy what fresh things might be waiting in the wings.
One thing I’m working on this week is the new schedule for Voice and Girls in the Basement classes this year. I hope to have the new website up for the classes by the end of this week, so if that’s your pleasure, do check back. In response to repeated requests, I’m adding two workshops to the schedule this year: Voice II and a special, fully anonymous workshop for published writers.
I’m organizing my travel schedule, as well, and I do believe I’m going to spend a fair amount of time in Australia and New Zealand when I go over for the Romance Writers of Australia conference in August. I’m thinking strongly of renting a place in Melbourne for a month and exploring from there. Maybe go to Tasmania, which has intrigued me for a long time. Any suggestions are very welcome.
Of course, I have writing goals, too, and lots and lots of work, which I love.
Do you have rituals of contemplation at this time? What do you want to leave behind in 2007 and what new thing would you like to pick up in 2008? I don’t mean the idea of New Year’s Resolution (I will lose 20 lbs, I will quit smoking, I will look younger, better, whateverish). I mean, what would you like to LOVE more next year? What would bring you more joy?
I was just wishing that I had a new Ruth Wind book to read during this wonderful time of the year. So….I looked up your site to find the names of any new books and somehow, I made it to your blog. I agree. This week is a wonderful time period that I just savor…We just bought our college student poetry books, and I bought Lithgow’s Poetry book for the Family. I would love to make more time to enjoy different poets and their work with my family…So your blog just connected well with my current state of being… Looking forward to finding more of your beautiful and romantic stories soon.. MFrank
Voice 2!!! Yay! And yes, rent in Melbourne, it will be fab, not that I’m biased. My uncle lives in Tassie, it’s beautiful, so can definitely come up with suggestions for there too.
I’ve done my writing goals for the year but I need to do my lists of indulgences again like JC last year, that was fun.
Indulgences, Mel. Yes. I forgot about that. I need to go read that blog again and remind myself.
Welcome, M. 🙂
What would I love more of, or love more this year? Hmmmm. More of the same, more or less! Life has been very kind, and I hope life will continue to be kind. Though I would love more writing to issue forth, that is for sure. And growth. I love new ideas and to have those keep flowing would be wonderful.
I revisited the goals I set for 2007 and I’ve achieved most, with the exception of exercise (am wondering if hypnotism might be required here) and indulging myself in something, not necessarily expensive or a full day, but something special just for me once a month. I managed an artist date just once in the whole year! But hey, once is better than none at all. I’m pondering my career goals while I await a new contract offer, trouble is, without the offer, I’m kind of paralysed in the waiting, 🙂
Good ones, Christine. Yvonne, that’s always the trick with a writing career: the waiting is the hardest part.
Melbourne that time of year should be great. Just getting into Spring. It’s the best time of year to go to Central Australia – it’s not too hot. You could go to Alice Springs and Katajuka National Park (where Uluru or Ayres Rock is). The McDonnell ranges and all the gorges on the road out to Glen Helen Gorge are wonderful.
http://en.travelnt.com/explore/alice-springs.aspx
And of course the Blue Mountains where I live! It’s a World Heritage listed National Park.
http://www.bluemts.com.au/
Bush walks and late winter, which is very mild by your experience.
one thing I picked up in late 2007 after a visit to my mom’s holistic therapist over Tgiving that I plan to keep for 2008 because I love it SO much–dry brushing. it’s a natural bristle brush (just google the phrase dry brushing) and you brush your whole body with it before you shower–in less than 2 months it has transformed the feel of my body. my skin is like satin, even my husband has noticed and commented which is like a TREE telling me, hey you look great today.
I’m also trying to lotion 3 times a day, full body in the morning, when I get home, and before I go to bed, but I have been less successful with that one–time crunch as always. but the dry brushing feels fantastic and my skin just craves it now, I have to do it every day!!!
elena, I will have to give that a try. A friend of mine (who is a massage therapist) swears by dry brushing, too. In the itchy winter, it just seems like it would feel wonderful.