Rain in Utah Affects Writers

How I LOVE the rain.

Photo by: janesweetjieng, courtesy of Flickr

I was excited to hear it, feel it and smell it today as I went about doing my errands. It's amazing how something so simple can get a writer excited about writing, because most of all, I'm grateful.

Fires are beautiful things too, especially when they're well contained and give a body warmth when he/she needs it.

Just this year our power was out for quite a few hours and I was grateful for a fireplace. I placed small sticks and a few pieces of newspaper, and lit my little fire. It eventually grew to a large one and could support a large log without going out.

I was grateful for the warmth just as I'm grateful for a bit of cooling today.

Photo by: makelessnoise, courtesy of Flickr

I don't personally know of any writers affected by the fires of the last few weeks, but there must be a few who are just now sitting down to write about their experience.

(On the news a couple of days ago it was mentioned a family that was on vacation had not taken with them their cell phones. They couldn't be contacted to talk about their house. I wonder what they're writing about now).

Even those who aren't writers find that writing during difficult times is a healing balm. That's why I've kept a journal for more years than I've been a writer. It feels good to write it all down. The pain. The inconvenience. The hurt. Because when the day is over, it's the feelings of others who have struggled and how they have overcome that gives us the courage to look into the smoke filled sky and thank the Lord that we are safe.

Writing Without Thinking

I love it when I start writing and I'm not thinking about how a story is going to go or a post is going to end. I love this way of writing because I never know what's going to come up and what I'll need to weed out later.

It sort of reminds me of posting on facebook, only you don't want to have to retract anything later so it's a good idea to think before you write, but I like the fact that you can share your day with friends and acquaintances.

Writing without thinking is free in the sense that you are focused on getting out what you want to say and less on how it's going to proceed.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. I know that because we've got some fun things planned with family. We begin our morning with a breakfast and a little ones neighborhood parade, come home to some lounging and puzzle making. We purchased a "fireworks" puzzle for the occasion. We'll end the night with a family dinner and banana roast.

I am in need of this day; aren't you?

Here's hoping yours is happy!

Kathryn

Fires in Utah

There have been so many fires in Utah that they've banned fireworks on the 4th--at least in the city I live in.

Photo by: bayasaa,courtesy of Flickr

At first I was, shall we say, a little bummed, and then I thought of all of the people that make this country great and that includes my friends who live in Herriman. I thought about the Pledge of Allegiance, early morning breakfasts, time with family; even making smores in the backyard cooker, and I realized I could live without fireworks.

Especially when so many in the country are living without their home. (Now, there's something to write about!)

Happy 4th of July to all of my readers and fellow writers!

Kathryn