The Best Laid Plans - Obligatory New Year Post

Despite my best laid plans, I did not spend this past weekend at crafting weekend. I'm not sure if you've heard anything about this, but we've been having some crazy nasty weather as of late and between the -35 temps and blowing snow/terrible visibility, in the end, I opted to spend the week at home with my new kitchen gadgets. So apologies for lack of baby photos or harrowing crafting tales that follow. However, a makeup crafting weekend has been scheduled for May, so all is right with the world.

As sad as it was to miss out on crafting weekend, I was happy to spend a quiet weekend puttering about the house. Truth be told, I was suffering from holiday sensory overload - too many new shiny things all vying for my immediate attention! It felt right to whir up a batch of chocolate chip cookies with the new stand mixer in record time (that beast be powerful), test out the  yogurt maker, take down the Christmas decorations, and yes, even to clean the bathroom. It was a lovely, peaceful way to herald in the new year.

Speaking of which, hello there 2014, you beautiful thing. Are we all ready to make 2014 the best year ever? If there's one word I want 2014 to embody, it's "forward." It's time to put the wheels of change in motion and start going confidently in the direction of my dreams. No more mampy, pampy stuff. As Maggie says over at Gussy Sews, let's have 2014 be the year we stop watching and wishing and the year we start acting and accomplishing. 

I've known for a while that I'm ready for change, but I've been unsure of just how to create it in my life. To help me craft a successful, exciting, and rejuvenating 2014, I spent a portion of the last two weeks of 2013 (and a couple days in 2014 too), filling out Leonie Dawson's 2014 Create Your Amazing Year workbook. The workbook helps you break down your goals, wants, habits and so much more to get a clear vision of just how you want to shape the year ahead. While I know you could do the same exact thing with a pen and paper on your own, to me it felt right (and more inspiring) to have a "special" colorful workbook to work with.

Since Leonie's really into breakdown your goals into bite-sized chunks, the workbook felt much more helpful to me than just scribbling out a bunch of new year resolutions. As a result, I've set a pretty ambitious income goal for 2014 - one that should lead to wonderful things in 2015, like a trip to Ireland and perhaps some changes professionally - along with a bunch of other totally do-able personal goals.

One of my favorite exercises was making a list of 100 things to do in 2014. 100's a lot of things and my list is only in the 50s at the moment, but I've actually already completed two of those things: making a batch of firestarters (holy cats, those things really work!) and finally dealing with a Christmas sock project (don't even ask) that's been hiding in the Christmas decoration bin for the last five years. A smattering of the other things to accomplish in 2014: take a nap, pick berries, fix my hockey skates, sew something, finish the current writing project, etc. etc. 

Over the last couple months, I've already been working to change up the status quo around here. I went on a major purge this autumn, donating clothes that were never worn, getting rid of or fixing stuff that wasn't work, donating and selling stuff that no longer meets a need. While this might seem a little "woo-woo," I do think the cabin feels more peaceful now and it's nice to know that if you pick up a flashlight, it'll actually work. I also started investing more time in creative writing and as a result, I'm over halfway done with a draft of my current story. It feels like I'm starting 2014 ahead of the game and it makes me excited for what the rest of the year will bring. I hope you feel the same.

Whatever your dreams for 2014, I hope they all come true.

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Becoming A Runner

Three months ago I decided to follow what seemed then a somewhat crazy whim. I decided after decades of wanting to run a marathon, it was finally time to get training. I’ve tried to become a runner countless times but each time, bit off more than I could chew initially. (I should be able to go from not running 10 feet to running 3 miles in a week, right? Wrong.) The last time I attempted running -about five years back – I did pretty well until knee pain reared its ugly head about two months in. I reluctantly hung up my old tired running shoes (no doubt, I realize now, the primary cause of my patellofemoral pain syndrome flare-up at the time) and went to ice my knees. To make matters worse, I was also in the midst of the worst relationship of my life – but that’s another story for another day.

The point is, I spent a good portion of my adult life wanting to run but every time I got the urge to run, I quickly squashed that idea with an assumption that I couldn’t run. While my desire to run never went away, with time, my assumption that it was something I couldn’t do started to fade away. A little over a year ago I realized I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream of running a marathon.

It was time to give running another go, but this time I didn’t want to fail. I knew from past experience that lacing up the closest thing to running shoes I currently had on hand (usually a beat up pair of Adidas) and heading out the door with some half-ass plan of eventually being able to run 26.2 miles just wasn’t going to work. I needed a solid plan. I need structure. I needed to stay injury free. So before I went on my first run this spring I made sure I had:

• New, but broken in, running shoes. Because I know my body has a predisposition for knee pain, I opted for well-reviewed motion control shoes.
• A training plan.
• A goal: Chicago Marathon 2015. 

I used the above training plan for the Color Run to great success. I liked that the plan includes running in the very first week, that it used time rather than mileage to track the running/walking ratio, and that it worked to slowly build up strength, endurance and confidence. Had I set out on day one to run half an hour (or even just fifteen – okay, even five- minutes) I likely would have failed, but by week 8 of following the training plan three days a week, I was totally ready to run 30 minutes without stopping. No big deal.

I’ve spent a lot of time wishing I was a runner and truth be told, even after I finished up the eight week training plan, I felt more like a person who could run rather than a runner. It wasn’t until I went for a run during crafting weekend because I couldn’t imagine going four days without running that I realized, hey, look at that: I’m a runner. And like that my dream of running a marathon turned into a goal.

I credit my success this go around in large part to my advance preparations. I’m also still reaping the rewards from the lessons I learned from reading The Willpower Instinct.

 This past Saturday, I ran six miles without stopping. SIX miles. Running anything more than a 5K seemed downright impossible just three months ago. I’m not speedy by any stretch of the imagination, but I am out there. I am doing this thing.

Now I wonder if my goal of running the Chicago Marathon in 2015 was too modest. In truth, I think I’ll be ready to run a decent distance long before October 2015 and so I’ve been working towards an alternative (albeit somewhat smaller goal) of running a local half marathon next May.

As corny as this will sound, you really can make a habit of doing the impossible. Whatever your goal is, whether it’s running a marathon, writing a novel, paying off your student debt, or whatever, you can get there with a plan, a will, and a large dose of consistency.
 

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Lofty Goals

So remember that time when I was all like, "I'm going to start running again." You know, back in March . . .  of  last year?

It's not that I forgot about that little post and my best intentions to get active again. But I never did start running last year because (and this is so dumb), I never got around to purchasing running shoes. Yep, you heard me. I literally have not owned a pair of athletic shoes for the last two years. After all, I live in the woods (and hence do not frequent gyms) and spend the majority of the year wearing some type of boots.

About a month ago I realized that I could say I wanted to run a marathon until I was blue in the face, but until I ordered some shoes and actually started, you know, training, I would never actually accomplish that goal. So last Friday, after researching motion control running shoes to keep my ol' pal "knee pain" at bay, I purchased a pair of Mizuno Wave 9 shoes via Ebates - (hullo free shipping and cash back). They arrived yesterday. 

Aren't they pretty?!

So this is me committing to the Chicago Marathon 2015. (And probably Shamrock Shuffle 2014 and 2015, and perhaps Grandma's Half 2015 too.)

Why Chicago 2015? For one it gives me plenty of time to train - nearly two and a half years since Chicago's 2015 marathon will be held October 11. For another, I'm hopeful that my job situation will have changed a bit and I'll not longer be under contract to work most weekends in October. Also, I'll be 30 (shock, gasp, HORROR!) and what better way to ring in a new decade then making a major "check" on my bucket list. 

Why a marathon? Ever since I watched runners participating in Grandma's Marathon as a little girl, I've been caught up in the romance of marathons. I come from a family of runners and recently, my cousin (who completed her first Chicago marathon last year) and a couple bloggers (here and here) have provided ample inspiration and made me feel like a marathon really is within the realm of my possibility. Also, I want a marathon t-shirt. Not going to lie. 

While my decision to start running was made before Monday's bombing, I'm pleased to part of the population committing to marathons as a way of showing solidarity for Boston. (That said I will not be running the Boston marathon anytime soon - I have no current hopes to be that speedy.) While I'm not making light of this week's shocking and tragic event, with the current "suck it Boston Marathon bomber; I'm running a marathon" attitude going around, I can't help but be reminded of that David Cross skit about a rollerblader wearing a gas mask on NYC streets on September 12, 2001: "If Gabriel wants to rollerblade, Gabriel rollerblades. If Gabriel does not rollerblade, then the terrorists have truly won."

I'm also reminded of those wise words from Dory of Finding Nemo fame -just swap out "swim" with "run": "Do you know whatcha gotta do, when life gets you down?  Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim."

Training will have to wait until some of this #$@*! snow has melted, but I'm pleased to have made the first (teeny, tiny) step towards achieving a very lofty goal. 

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The Desire To Run

For the last couple months, I've had a desire to run. Not run "away," mind you, although depending on the day, sometimes that can seem like a good idea. Just a desire to lace up some running shoes, hit the pavement and start going.

There's just one little issue.

I don't run.

My brother runs, my father runs, my uncles run. I have a cousin who runs marathons. I've been trying  to run since my preteen days and all that it's ever resulted in for me is a really red face and a bunch of loogies. (TMI? TMI.) I've managed a few 5Ks in my day, but really, I don't like running and running doesn't like me. As I've grown older, it's become apparent that pounding pavement makes my knees go in two different directions. (Any fellow patellofemoral pain syndrome sufferers out there?)

So why try again? Why bother, when I've proven it's not my cup of tea over and over again?

When I returned home from London, I ran for a couple months and I'd gotten fairly decent at it before my knees screamed at me to stop. Now, through tape and exercise, I've figured out ways to make my knees behave and since my exercise this winter has been limited to the daily mile-long round trip to the mail box and the occasional hike to the fishing hole, it's time to step my cardio exercise up a bit. I've been a slug.

While I haven't exactly been packing on the pounds this winter, I've become a little more "plush" then I care to be. After all, I'm 27 years old. If I'm not in the best shape of my life now, when will I be? I'm no star athlete, but as someone who swam and played hockey and soccer as a teen, I know my fitness level has the potential to be much greater than it is currently.

Then there's the whole bucket list thing; I've always wanted to run at least one marathon in my life. Last summer I stumbled upon this blog and began to why I've always made running a marathon one of those goals I'll worry about tomorrow. All sorts of people surprise themselves into running marathons and here I am, an able bodied 20-something, complaining that my knees are too bad to even bother trying.

Really?

I am the person who moved to London with no job prospects and no housing lined up after college and managed to live there happily and successfully for my visa's allowed six months. I am the person who took a B.A. in English - which everyone said I'd need another advanced degree in if I wanted any sort of career - and turned it into a decent freelance writing business. I am the person who bought a manual transmission car, without knowing how to drive it, which I now happily toodle around in.

But I won't run because it's hard? Really?

Every once in a while we all need a kick in the butt, a reality check. A time to stop pining and a time to start doing. 

With our current spring-like weather, much of our snow is melting. The shoulder of the road is clear and dry and ready for runners. If I put off buying a pair of running shoes much longer, I'm just procrastinating. 

So I think I'll start running again. Because I want to. Because I can.

Do you run? How did you get started? Is there anything new you'll be trying out this spring? 


 

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The Freelance Writing Trenches: Write It Down

Clever, right?

Here I am, penning a freelance writing "how-to" article, and my advice to you is "write it down."

"No shit, Sherlock," says you.

But I'm not actually talking about writing articles, essays, short stories, or what have you. (But just to clarify, if you want to earn a living as a writer, you will eventually have to "write it down" at some point. Just saying.) I'm talking about writing down those hazy goals we all have for our writing, for our careers, for our lives.

Let me admit that it has not been a sterling winter at Of Woods and Words. I mean, it hasn't been a disaster. The off season certainly started off strong with plenty of freelance work and I've done my set, "must be done" work diligently and with a surprising amount of consistency. But since about December, I've been stuck in a creative rut. The novel that I worked so hard on editing two winters back and shopped around last winter has been sitting patiently in its three ring binder, wondering if I'll ever give it the rewrite attention it needs. I've spent a lot of time hovering around, scrolling through Pinterest,   waiting for the next move.

I've been frustrated with myself these last few months. I look at some of my peers' writing success and wonder why I can't drum up that much motivation. And with the ever-tight winter budget, I've felt far too much like the stereotypical penniless writer.

So on Saturday evening, I finally pulled out a pad of paper and wrote down simple, concrete goals to get me out of my slump. I wanted to start increasing web traffic, actively return to my fiction work, and increase my monthly take home by $250.00. Then underneath each goal, I wrote down specific ways I was going to achieve each goal. Write 500 words of fiction 5 times a week? That sounded do-able. Actually get three queries out the door each week? Heck, I could probably handle that too. Just by writing down the goals, I felt the stress start to fade and the control return.

I'm all about dreaming the big dream. But if you write down "become a freelance writer" on your goals list, you're going to be overwhelmed. It's too big of a goal. Instead of nibbling away at a piece of pie, you're trying to shove the entire pie, straight out of the oven, down your throat. Ouch!

So write down the big goal and write down all the little goals you'll need to meet to reach the big goal. Then write down all the things that can help you accomplish all those little goals. Don't assume your goal is ridiculous or unachievable. With a little focus, you can shake the uninspired blahs in no time. 

Source: Uploaded by user via Ada on Pinterest

Trust me. Write it down. Break it down. Plan it out. It helps.

 

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Blog Goals. Oh, Blog Goals.

"So what are your current goals with Of Woods and Words?" Andy asked the other day.

We were in the middle of nowhere on yet another ice fishing adventure and frankly, at the moment, I was more concerned with downing a couple of cheesy crackers in front of the crackling fire than talking writer goals.

Goals for Of Woods and Words, you say?

When I started Of Woods and Words back in October 2009, of course there was that niggling thought in the back of my mind that it would be pretty bomb if my little blog went viral. Nearly two and a half years later I'm still here, but far from being the next Pioneer Woman. (But a girl can dream, right?)

When I post that first blog post, I was pretty ignorant of all things bloggy. I had no idea that blogging was such an industry. I quickly learned that your blog's success can be measured in any number of ways:

• GFC followers
• Page views
• Facebook page likes 
• Twitter followers
• Ad revenue
• Number of comments 
• Etc. etc. 

There are many, many blog posts out there railing against the popularity contest that can be blogging. This isn't going to be another one of those posts. After all, success when it comes to blogging demands readership and the best glimpse of that readership comes in the form of statistics. I'd be lying if I said I didn't pay attention to my follower numbers. It feels good to be recognized by Minnesota Moments  as a Minnesota blogger. Recognition and growing numbers are always nice, think. 

Growth is important and will always be one of my goals with Of Woods and Words, but I'm not willing to achieve that growth by compromising the voice that's been long established on this blog. (There's a reason why you don't see giveaways here. . . maybe someday, but it seems out of character at the moment.) Quality over quantity any day.

When I started the blog, I wanted a place where I could write on a regular basis and gain some exposure as a writer. I feel I've been successful with that simple goal, but I also feel that's a goal without an expiration date. The only way to keep meeting that goal is to keep writing. So I will.

In addition to that basic founding goal, in the coming months, I'll likely be:

• Continuing to explore sponsorship options - the blog might as well earn its keep and at least pay for its annual domain registration. 
• Working to provide my wonderful group of readers with helpful and interesting content; namely, I'd like to make this blog more of a resource for aspiring freelance writers.
• Recording more mundane details about life in the woods. If the blog is nothing else, it's an excellent diary/photo album and that in and of itself makes it invaluable to me.

Maybe someday, I'll have 1000 followers. Maybe someday I'll go back through the post and publish them as a collection of essays. Maybe.

Until then, I'm glad to have you along for the ride. I don't say it enough, but thanks for stopping by.

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On Why I've Made No Plans for the Winter

I've had to cover up the finally fruiting green beans up two nights in a row. Last night it dipped down to 22 degrees and steam rises off the lake each morning. But despite the chilly temps, I've spent very little time thinking about the winter months to come.

It's a summer Emily over at the Happy Home and her fiance have labeled "bummer summer." Here at Of Woods and Words? Maybe not a bummer summer, but certainly a static one.

Projects that sat unfinished at the start of the summer remain half done. Gigs I enjoy doing have fallen by the wayside until I finish with the 40 hour work weeks in a month's time. It feels like in this push to make ends meet, by balancing writing and a full-time, seasonal job, everything suffers. My performance at work would be much improved if it was my sole focus. My freelance writing career might not feel so prone to fits and starts if I contributed a consistent amount of attention to it year-round.

The truth is, I've been distracted. By pumpkins, among other things.

To really make summer work and to make the extra money and procure the work necessary to get me through the lean winter months, I really should put in a 10-20 hour work week from my home office each week on top of my 40 hours outside the house. You can probably guess by the dwindling blog posts this summer that that's not be how things are going. Instead, I've spent the summer berrypicking, having cookouts, paddling, hiking, gardening. When given the choice to write some query letters or bake up some pumpkins to mash and freeze, I've inevitably chosen pumpkins.

The other week, my brother asked me what my short-term goals were; where I wanted to be in three years or so. I wasn't really sure how to answer. Lately, I've spent very little time thinking about goals, although I know goals are the stepping stones to get where you want to go. I have a general idea of what I want: more financial security, more independent work, more travel opportunities, maybe some chickens.

And in a slow shuffling way, I feel like I am moving in that direction and I don't want to have a life so career focused that I don't get moments to watch Netflix with Andy, or knit up a pair of socks or can some applesauce. If these sound like excuses, they're really not meant to be. Really, they're realizations; that there are more important things to me than putting my foot on the gas of my career and going full steam ahead. There's a certain level of contentedness I'm not willing to forgo, even if making myself a little more uncomfortable would mean more money and opportunity.

Of course they say, it's about the little things. It's the big picture that's evading me, and maybe that's okay. So no, I haven't made much in the way of winter plans. Instead, I guess I'll "open my heart and come what may."

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Guest Post: Making the Miles Count

Note from Ada: This week and next I'm asking some of my bloggy friends to help fill the Of Woods and Words soundwaves. I come from a family of runners and I've always wanted to be one myself. However, despite keeping a life goal of someday running a marathon hidden in my darkest corners, I really only run when chased. However, my cousin Megan from Megler is a bonafide runner, with more than personal fitness in mind when she's running.

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'." -Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

There are a lot of reasons why people are drawn to the sport of running. It is the easiest sport, after all. Almost anyone can do it. All you really need is what you were born with: serviceable eyesight, two functioning legs, and the will to quickly place one of them in front of other over and over again. Shoes are helpful, but as the surge in the popularity of barefoot running is rapidly proving, they are far from necessary. What is vital though is that “will” part; the keen desire and motivation to do something that an alarmingly large number of people see as “crazy.”

Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat - running, even great distances like the half marathon, marathon, or even the super marathon, is not crazy. Historically, it’s the way we humans got around. Humanity was running for centuries before the domestication of horses, the invention of the wheel, the cart, bicycle, car or airplane. Though running, as a mode of transportation, has fallen out of fashion, it’s no less vital to our survival as a species. After all, when the zombies rise, who do you think is going to get eaten first? Yep, that’s right - the folks who are too slow to get away.

Being faster than the undead horde that wants to disembowel and eat you was plenty of reason for me to get up off the couch and start putting miles on my running shoes. Slightly less forward in my mind, however, was the looming goal I set for myself of running the Walt Disney World Marathon in January of 2012. In preparation for that, I decided it would be a good idea to get a few shorter distance races in before the main event, which is how I came to hear about the annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon in Chicago.

As I was planning my training for the marathon, I researched a few half marathons to find one that was close to home and about half-way through the training schedule I’d written for myself. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon sounded like it would be fun. There are live bands scheduled to play at every mile marker, a race expo in the train station I commute in and out of every day, and a friggin’ sweet after party. While all that stuff is cool, my real deciding factor in picking the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon were the charities associated with it.

Most races these days, especially larger ones, partner with charity organizations or non-profits. Many runners, myself included, like to have a secondary motivation for their running, such as committing to raise money for a good cause. As a whole, runners tend to be dedicated people, and they’re always looking for ways to make their running more impactful and beneficial, both for themselves and for others. Races that benefit good causes provide warm fuzzies for the runners and much-needed income for charities, especially in a down economy. Everyone wins. As a person who works for a non-profit organization, I’m well versed on the reasons why financial support is more important these days than ever before. Without our support, many of the great things that have come about as a result of charitable donations simply wouldn’t have happened.

Those of us who are old-timers at the giving-game all have our pet causes. One of mine is cancer research. Among a few other charity/non-profit organizations, the R’N’R Half Marathon directly benefits the American Cancer Society, so it was a very logical, natural choice for me.

I don’t need to explain how important cancer research is. These days, there isn’t a person in America that hasn’t been or won’t be touched by cancer at some point. In my own life, I’m sorry to say that at least one of the exceptional people I’ve known who’ve fought the battle with cancer wasn’t able to win it. In 2009, my father-in-law, Mike, passed away from esophageal cancer about a week after my husband, brothers-in-law, and I last visited him. It’s a loss our whole family feels deeply. We miss Mike every day and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that our loss, and every other cancer death, is unfair. It might sound a little childish, but I find it horribly unfair to look at all of the advances in medical science humanity has made and realize that the one we really needed, a cure for cancer, wasn’t there in time.

To save others from having to go through the pain of cancer and losing loved ones to it is why it made sense to me to use my half-marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I’ve committed to raise $975 and though fund raising has been slow going so far, I’m hoping to reach my goal by August 1, 2011. I know that doesn’t seem like a great deal of money in today’s world, but every little bit helps.

If you’d like more information, please visit My Fundraising Page. You can learn about the history of the American Cancer Society, how they use donation dollars, read survivor stories, and, of course, donate to support the organization and help me reach my fundraising goal, if you choose to do so. Your interest and support are greatly appreciated.

One last note - Thanks to my cousin, Ada, for asking me to guest-blog for her. I really appreciate the opportunity to reach a whole new audience. Thanks, cuz!

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Do I Dare?

What to do at my desk today? Oh, I know, maybe write a novel! 

I'm not the biggest fan of  NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, is an online writing challenge which started in 1999. Participants attempt the semi-ludicrous challenge of getting a 50,000 word novel completed between 00:00 November 1 and 23:59 November 30. Yep, that mean you need to write an average of 1667 words per day, and in a month that has a major holiday in it no less. Oh the horror!   

After railing against NaNoWriMo this past November, about how it sabotages your life and all you get in the end is a crappy 50,000 word novella, I should really be blushing when I say this next thing . . . 

Over at ivillage's The Writing Life, a similar challenge called WriLiMarCha (Writing Life Marathon Challenge) takes places. Participants are challenged to get 50,000 words of writing done in the month of March.(Hooray for March having an extra writing day over November and no major holidays unless you count St. Paddy's) I'm tempted, really tempted, to try to get a long languishing novel draft finished this month. 

After all, in WriLiMarCha's description posted over at the Writing Life makes the challenge sound so much more accessible than NaNoWriMo: WriLiMarCha, was born as a freer, gentler alternative to NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The anti-rules are many and you can ignore what you want. You may write a novel but you don't need to. Poetry is acceptable as are articles, essays, and short stories. Journalism works here too, possibly better than in your favorite newspaper. You can write anything you want. (I really believe in that rule.) There is no need to download your daily writing into any program. We trust you. Speaking of word count, our goal is 50,000 words during March. Writers who can only manage 29,000 (my average) still win. Anything that keeps you writing makes you a winner.

Friendly sounding yes, but still, even with an extra day in March, meeting the 50,000 word goal in a month means 1613 words a day.   

Why try?

Well . . .  because this novel idea has been rattling around for four years and has received hardly any attention at all. Because it's already started: adding 50,000 words to the already begun document would get the story darn close to standard novel length. Because it doesn't matter how good the first draft is, I just need something to edit the heck out of at some later. Because the novel I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for years is currently making the rounds with literary agents. Because I am overdue for a new major writing project. Because I'm a glutton for punishment.

Anyone else joining me? Just remind me why this was such a swell idea around March 19th, okay? 

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Planting

In America, we’re trained to dream big. Arthritic Olympians can look forward to time on the motivational speaking circuit once their athletic prowess begins to wane. They spoon feed us the same lines we’ve heard since elementary school: work hard, dream big and you might be surprised by what you accomplish.

But when the national unemployment remains rooted at 9% and every news report about the economy seems like a tug-of-war between what we want to hear (“it’s improving slowly”) and how it really is (“but no one’s hiring”) sometimes it seems wiser to dream just a little smaller. After all, if we’re learning to “live in the moment” shouldn’t we be learning to be happy with what we have? If we have health and employment, it can appear frivolous to wish for anything more.

This summer, Andy and I tested out our green thumbs. It turns out that we each have pale green thumbs. Some of the plants – tomatoes, peppers, beans – flourished. Others – squash, cabbage, kohlrabi – struggled. We may not have the most bountiful harvest, but over the course of the summer, we’ve enjoyed eating our own lettuce, making stir-fry with our green beans, and experimenting with salsa recipes.

More than anything, this summer served as a tutorial to gardening at the cabin. We learned that next year we need to account for wind, shade, and soil quality when we plot out the garden. But perhaps the most important thing I learned was just how big plants grow during a summer season.

As I watched tomato and pepper plants grow directly proportional to the pots they’d been planted, I realized we’d drastically underestimated how much space our plants needed. When you’ve watch a plant start out as a seed sunk into a shallow dish of soil, it can be hard to believe that this fragile seedling will ever grow into a large, fruiting planting. But over time they will and do.

So is it logical to dream big in a world that offers so many set backs? Maybe it’s not terribly practical, but I do know one thing: you can only grow as big as the pot you’ve planted yourself in.

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Fall Resolve

Forget New Year’s Resolutions. It’s when the weather takes a chilly turn towards fall that I feel the real motivation to make vows of improved performance and more thoughtful living.

In January, it’s the middle of winter. Other than the passing of the holiday season, the world’s lacking any natural change when January 1^st rolls around. But autumn? That’s when we batten down the hatches and prepare for the winter season to come.

The last few days have blown in windy and drizzly. Suddenly the mornings seem so much darker. It’s so easy to talk to yourself into early bedtimes and it so very hard to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. In short, it’s been hot cocoa and good book weather.

But as much as the weather prompts a reemergence of wool socks and down vests, I’ve always found the arrival of a nip in the air synonymous with a kick in the butt. Fall has always symbolizes a change for me: either a return to school or a change in jobs. When autumn rolls around, I always find myself with some reason, either internal or external, to really knuckle down, to grab one more cup of hot coffee and really mull over my editorial to figure out how to make this little thing called potential work for me.

The 2010 writing goals I drew up in January are starting to fade from where they sit by the window on my desk. Maybe the goals were a little optimistic. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough. Maybe I could predict what this year would end up bringing me. Regardless of what happened, the goals which were meant to be a push have ended up as a fail although I’m hasty to point out that in spite of the lack of check marks on my writing goal lists, things have still gone inexplicably well in life and writing this year. Plenty of time remains in 2010 to complete several of the lingering goals. Still the whole sending out a query every week goal? Not happening . . .

It’s easy to fall into a bit of stupor when fall rolls in, bring in a lull after a busy summer season. But I’m pulling out the Post-its and my day planner, scrawling out goals and deadlines, using this quiet, cool season to prepare for the long winter ahead.

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