Kay, aka "loop de loops"has tagged me with a meme. And since I've spent the morning going through the "stock" books in my garage (more on that later), I think I'll play.
Kay says I'm supposed to say what I was doing 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and 30 years ago. Okay--
At the close of December in 1997, I was just finishing up the first year in my ten-year diary. For December 29th I wrote, "A day of new beginnings. I WILL be obedient to Weigh Down. Expo is one month from today. I will get back to work. I will take a new slant in 'The Velvet Shadow.' Flanna needs to lift her sights."
So . . . obviously, I was writing "The Velvet Shadow" and trying to get back in the mindset to work. Just as I'm doing now. :-) And, just like now, I was trying to stick to a diet. And now that I've filled that ten-year diary, I'm starting to fill a new five-year model.
Twenty years ago? 1987 . . . I was just realizing that the Lord was moving me in a different path. My first book was published in 1987, and for the previous five years I had been writing magazine articles. We had also just moved from Virginia to Florida, so we were settling into our first Florida home and trying to get the children acclimated--they were three and four at the time, and I had just turned thirty.
Thirty years ago? 1977 . . . LOL. I remember that time VERY well. I traveled with the Re'Generation from August 1976-77, and in September '77 I enrolled at Liberty University to sing with the LBC Chorale. I was living in the old hotel and adjusting to trying to study while spending most of my time on the road (or in a big diesel bus, to be exact.) The Lord was moving me toward a different path again . . . and I had just turned twenty.
Thanks, Kay, that was fun . . . and I had no idea how significant the seventh year in each decade has proved to be. Am I supposed to tag someone now? I'll just say this--if you want to play on your blog, consider yourself tagged!
The books? My garage is filled with bins of my books. I usually give most of them away and sell a few through my web site, so I try to keep copies of the older books on hand so I can have them for people who can't find them through the usual channels. But at the year's end, I can't remember what remains, so every year I do an inventory, to make sure I have copies of the titles listed on my web page--nothing worse than going through dozens of bins looking for ONE copy of something. It's a lot of counting and a lot of lifting, and maybe I'm getting too old for this . . . but it's finished for another year!
~~Angie
P.S. If you're interested in a ten year journal, the link is here.
Hi Angie!
ReplyDeleteI did it. I put the box of books you sent me under the tree and it was the very last present to be opened! The first book out was the Pretzel Maker and Jasmine claimed that right off (she's six--the one who sang to you at ICRS). I can not believe how many books were in the box!!! Wow! And most were not duplicates. Only Truth Teller and it was a different cover, Elevator, and Doesn't She Look Natural but my other copy is a pre release so that doesn't count : )
Thanks again!
I turn 46 next month and I've been determined not to get stuck in a rut so I set a goal to do ten new things (with my family). So yesterday four of us went bouldering at a rock climbing place! I am not the world's strongest person but it is an experience that will show up in a book or story somewhere : ) Pictures at http://casselcrew.blogspot.com/
That was fun to read!
ReplyDeleteThe ten year journal looks interesting, too. When it's finished I would be an empty nester -- I hope!
I'm not much of a journaler, journalist? but maybe I could do four lines.
jouneling is such a great habit, but i have such problems putting my thoughts into words. any suggestions?
ReplyDeletethanks!
jan
Seems to me there are two kinds of journaling--the first is when you jot down the weather, who came to visit, and what household appliance broke that day. The second kind is where you pour out your guts in search of catharsis.
ReplyDeleteI do the former every day in my ten-year-journal. I do the latter only when I have something eating at me, and then I write and write and write . . .
The ten year journal does have blank pages for that purpose (called "carry over" pages), and I've used them. But sometimes I reach for a blank book, and just start writing.
Julia Cameron, in THE ARTIST'S WAY, suggests that creative people fill three pages every morning--a great technique for ridding your mind of clutter so you can think clearly about the project at hand. I've done it, and it IS a great exercise. But those books will have to be burned when I pass away. :-)
As far as suggestions--I keep my journal at the desk where I do my daily Bible reading each morning, so the two are linked together in my mind. And four lines a day is usually easy to manage.
Angie
I like your suggestion for journaling, Angie. My mother, who died in September at 97 had a Guinness record in the USA for diary writing for over 78 years!!! Try as she might, she could never get any of her daughters to complete even one year. Now that I am in my dotage and the last of my generation in our family, perhaps I will try once more to just write a few lines a day for my descendants. Happy New Year!!! Clyde
ReplyDeletethanks, angela! the four line/general info is a great start.
ReplyDeletei will make that my new year's resolution and stick to it!
Angie, I have kept journals for years, although there are times that are blank in those books. I find that when I journal what God is telling me or when I reflect on what has happened, I grow closer to God. When I don't journal, I feel a little adrift. I have already told my oldest daughter that she is to destroy all of the journals when I die. No reading them.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of that 10 year journal just to see where I was at a glance, so I ordered one. To save a little $$ I ordered a previous year starting point. Didn't figure it mattered that much. {{el cheapo}} The new journal should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.
Robin