Writing Excerpts – April 18, 2016

{ Social Rambling, Fiction, Spring }

Welcome to Week #11 of my (almost) daily writings! Last week I realized that I was having a bit of a difficult time writing fiction even though it used to be my favorite. I’m going to try writing more of it for practice, at least 2-3 times a week.

 

Note: This series of Writing Excerpts was originally inspired by this post and Jeff Goins’ My 500 Words challenge. Hmmm… I’ve not really been coming close to 500 words, more like 300-ish. Time to work a little harder at that.

For April, I found a new writing prompt list. You can check it out HERE. I don’t know if they were supposed to be done in order, but I’m doing them according to what sounds good for the day. You know, because I’m a rebel and I make my own rules like that.

 

4/12/2016

(random social rambling)

Okay, here’s my take:

A woman should keep her “maiden” name for life. (After a couple of generations, people would drop the term “maiden.” Thankfully.) She should also give her own children her last name. Always. Not the father’s. Ever. If a man and a woman get married, he has the option of taking her name. They could still be Mr. and Mrs. They would just use the woman’s last name.

Yes, I realize that keeping stepfamilies and same-sex families sorted would still be a bit of an issue, but just imagine if all of a mother’s children had her name. And imagine her name always stayed the same.

Anyone who works in a school system or social services type of job knows what I’m talking about.

My husband would not agree, not even a little. He just sort of looks at me weird when I spout my idea. But, seriously, I dream about this happening.

 

4/13/2016

(Name on a napkin)

Things in my life had become too crazy. There were so many thoughts in my head, I couldn’t keep anything straight. I began reading about simplicity and minimalism. The urge to declutter was overwhelming. I tossed, donated, and recycled an insane number of items, barely glancing at them before placing them into boxes. No, let me rephrase. HAVING that many things had been insane, getting rid of them was not.

One Saturday, as I delved deeper into the attic storage, I pulled out a bin of mementos that I had probably collected in my teens and 20’s. I opened the bin, ready to ruthlessly sort and divest myself of more junk. But the item on top nearly did me in. It was THAT name on a napkin. THAT name… and the woman he had married, printed in beautiful script with their wedding date below the “Mr. and Mrs.” I couldn’t believe it still had that power over me. My fingers traced the lettering, and I wondered if they were still married, if they had children, where they ended up living — all those things that I really should not ever think about.

With shaking hands, I placed the napkin back in the bin and closed it. Obviously I was not ready for total minimalism. I still carried too much mental baggage. Less than before, but I definitely had a long road ahead of me. I patted the lid of the bin, sighed, and decided I should go for a walk.

Wait, WHAT?! I never took walks. But for some reason, I felt the absolute need to get outside and do something to clear my head. I grabbed my phone and earbuds, brought up my favorite music playlist, and stepped out into the spring sunshine.

 

4/14/2016

(I can drive)

“I can drive! I know I can because I’m awesome at MarioKart!” For some reason, the confident words of my newest Drivers Ed student did not inspire (another word?) me.

I saw his mother rolling her eyes and hopefully asked, “Would you like to wait until the next term? We offer the class twice a year.” No dice. She happily paid the $500 fee, eager to leave her self-proclaimed expert-driver child in the hands of professionals. Even the reminder that the fee was non-refundable had no effect. Not that I wanted to turn away a prospective student, but I could tell this kid was not ready for the adult driving world. At. All.

I looked at the class of 20 students, then at my teaching partner, and asked myself once again why I had taken this on. Oh, right… $27.43/hour. I needed the money. This gig paid better than my regular job, and every penny I made after taxes was going to pay down debt. With dollar signs floating in my head, I made it through the first two hours of class.

When we took a break, I checked my phone for messages and social media updates. I loved this phone, but the 2-year contract was nearly up and I knew my beloved would be leaving me.

Sometimes learning to be responsible really sucked.

 

4/15/2016

(Please pass the…)

Please pass the… BBQ sauce! Spring is here and it’s time to grill again!

The grass is turning green. I’m feeling the urge to put together planters of flowers. (I swear, I’m really going to do it this year!) Just knowing I don’t have to bundle up in a coat and gloves to walk out to the mailbox is amazing.

But I can’t wait for that first scent of grilling chicken! I hope my husband has it going when I get home from work tonight!

 

4/17/2016

(Sunday morning ramblings)

My one project has been chosen – adirondack chairs. In last week’s writings, I promised myself that if spring really arrived this week, I would choose one project to begin. Well, yesterday we were up at our cabin to check on how things had fared over the winter (no broken water lines! woohoo!) and I saw the pair of adirondack chairs that my brother-in-law & sister-in-law gave us. We’ve used them for the past couple of summers, stored inside during the winter, but haven’t done anything to seal or finish them. Since our truck was wonderfully empty (perks of a day trip!), we brought the chairs home and I will clean them and do some sort of finish on them this week. I’m so excited to be able to work on projects again! Maybe if I get super-ambitious, I’ll make a small table or something to go with the chairs. Oh, so many projects in my head right now.

Tax day. I never ever wait this long to submit my taxes. I guess I’m just a little nervous due to the changes with my older son attending college now. But, I’ve answered all of the questions and read up on the rules, my son and I did his taxes last weekend, and I think I understand everything properly enough to hit submit. Of course the refund is already spoken for. 🙂  But that’s okay, it’s all a part of getting our financial stuff together again this year. Debt to pay, some purchases to make, and my new blog venture. Which reminds me, I need to make sure I am tracking everything for NEXT year. All of this stuff I’m thinking of at the moment will be completely forgotten come January 2017!

Spring is glorious. And that is really all that needs to be said. The sun, the warmth, the renewed interest in DIY and life improvement… it should be a beautiful week.

 

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