Writing, I've Been Writing

I have been writing for many years.  In grade school I wrote for the McKinley Grade School paper.  It was typed on special paper that could by dittoed for other students to read.  In junior high I wrote for the Byers school paper during Miss Mapelli's English writing class.  I wrote for the South High Confederate and in college, I was news editor for the Coloradoan. For obvious reasons, I was a journalism major.  I never made my living writing for a newspaper, but I did write news releases for the CU News Service.  My writing continued for the Colorado Episcopal Women, for the League of Women Voters and for church newsletters.

In 2006, long after these early writing responsibilities, John and I were retired and began volunteering and traveling.  To keep our family up to date with where we were and what we were doing, I started this blog.  I don't know if many of the family read the blog--I know 2 or 3 of them did. Some blog posts attracted 50 to 60 readers, today it is 30 or 40.  

I no longer blog as frequently, but these blogs are, in effect, our scrapbooks.  Each year I submit them to a company, Shared Book,  that publishes them in hard-bound books.  This week, we received the book of 2021 blogs. I   feel pretty good when I look at how many books I have written!

Here I am, appreciating how many books I have published.  The book in the front of the pile with the picture of that cute little girl--me at about age 3--is the story of my life, Not What I Planned, Even Better.

Like I said, my journalism professor would be very proud.

Writing, Writing, Writing

I have been writing for years and years and years.  It all began in grade school, writing for a small newsletter.  In junior high, I received my first byline--on a story in the school newspaper.  The love of writing continued in high school, where I was on the staff of the school paper--the South High Confederate.  In college, I majored in journalism and worked on the Colorado Daily.

After graduation, the writing continued. I was an intern for the Longmont Times-Call, I wrote for  church newsletters and edited the Episcopal Church Women's page in the Colorado Episcopalian.  When we began RVing, I decided to blog about our life.  Then I learned I could have the blogs printed in a book.  Just look at the stack!

The blog books are filled with color photos, so they became our scrapbooks.

                                                   

About three years ago, I began working on writing the stories of my life. John had already been attending the life story classes here in our winter resort home. When he published his own life story, he encouraged me to do the same thing.

Here I am, holding the proof copy of that story, Not What I Planned:  Even Better.  I am so excited to get it done!  I can add it to the stack.

When I wrote in my blog about completing the print version, Gumo commented he would read it when it came out in the Kindle version.  Guess what, I did it!  Not without a struggle.  That format requires a different format.  You can see both versions for sale on Amazon in this screen shot.

What's Going On?

The world has been turned upside down.  We are all practicing social distancing and staying home.  But our personal lives here in Superstition Views really haven't changed much.  When we are here in our home for a long time our focus always changes.  We don't to places because we have already seen most everything in the Phoenix area there is to see.  We don't go out to eat very often.  And we don't take part in the activities here in our resort.  The only thing closed that really affects us is the locked door of the exercise room.

Also, we try to grocery shop less frequently--buying everything we need for a week or so at a time.  We don't want to be around others more often than necessary.

Oh yes, my hands are cleaner than then have been since I had a newborn in the house.  Also, I am using copious amounts of hand lotion to combat the frequent hand washing.

So, what are we doing?  John has been working in our shop.  Right now he is constructing this intarsia picture of a barn and cattle.  The cutting phase is about half-done.

He made these two scroll saw pictures representing the two states we spend time in.  They will be hung in our Airstream trailer.

Before everything in our resort was shut down, I learned how to do lapidary--shaping rocks for jewelry.  After learning how to use the machines, I bought these two slices of rock.

I have made them into three pendants for necklaces.

I have also finished writing the book of the stories of my life.  I have sent it to the publisher(Kindle Direct Printing on Amazon) and am waiting for a proof copy to arrive, hopefully tomorrow.  After I make the necessary changes, it will be ready to publish.  That is exciting.

While I have been busy at the computer, John was busy in the shop--cutting out scroll saw sayings like this--"I can do all things through Christ."

He also make this sign to hang on the front of our trailer when we are staying in RV parks.

Unfortunately, John fell 10 days ago, injuring his elbow and tearing some ligaments nearby.  It doesn't stop his work in the shop, but it does hurt when he tries to bend his elbow or lift something heavy.  It is getting better each day.

Relaxing

After two and a half busy months, we have had two weeks of doing little or nothing.  And have we ever enjoyed it!  We may have full hookups with 50 amp electric, but this is camping.  Way back when we were working, a trip out with our RV was usually just a time to relax.  That is what we have done during our stay at St. Vrain State Park.

We visited John's sister Cindy at her new home in Fort Collins.  She had a small home built in a senior community there and we enjoyed seeing the house and the "big house" where there are apartments, a very nice dining room and other amenities.  We then drove to the Back Porch Café for lunch.  We had a good visit.

John has been working on two diamond willow walking sticks that needed cleaning and sanding.  They promise to be really attractive.  I brought along a bowl I had turned that needed sanding and a scroll saw project that needed sanding and assembling.  I completed both of those projects.

We have both been writing.  I am putting together stories of my life.  John is finishing up a future book about his ancestors.

Other than that, we have only left the campground for groceries and visits to the laundromat.  Each day we walk five miles, enjoying the ponds in this park.  I could post the many, many photos I took here this year and last.  I could take pictures of reflections and birds all day long.  I will spare you all the photos, but here are three I took this week.

There are several pelicans that spend most of their time on one of the ponds.  They often float around in a group, looking like a small island.  They are impressive when it flight when the bottom of their wings are tipped in black.

This blue heron liked having it's picture taken, I guess.  It posed for us in this tree for over 6 minutes before we walked on.

We saw these logs in one pond this morning.

One of the fields hadn't been mowed before we passed it last week. The sun really showed off the flowers that were going to seed. They looked like a really large dandelion flower but they are probably some plant I don't recognize.

John almost always gets up before me, often getting out of bed before first light. Yesterday he woke me up before 5:30 (I usually get up about 6), telling me there was going to be a spectacular sunrise. Was he ever right! It was definitely worth waking up a little early.

Tomorrow we move on to Chatfield State Park in southwest Denver.