May Prompts #6, Final Prompts

It's hard to believe we are already at the end of May. I finished the rest of my prompts, so before the calendar turns to June, here they are!

27. What would eliminate the insecurity you named yesterday?

I think the only way to elimininate that is to continue to write. To trust myself. Get the words down and believe in my ability to tell a story with compassion, with truth, and everything else will fall into place. The spelling and grammar should not even play a part in the beginning process of getting words on paper. That is for much later, for an editor or even my own editing once I have the story written down. To break the bonds of insecurity, I have to keep pushing myself forward and possibly right off that scary high dive, plunging deeply into the unknown. That means I must simply keep writing it all down. Trust the process. Trust myself. Put my thoughts and words on paper. Write!

28. What makes you feel confident as a writer?

The main thing is feeling like I have a lot of stories to share. There are just so many ideas in my head. I've also received a lot of positive feedback over the years, starting as early as High School, then later as I wrote my blog, wrote a church newsletter, and shared parts of my book ideas and short stories with friends who were also writers. So, not just family, though there's nothing wrong with that either. Many of my family are avid reads and wouldn't hesitate at telling me if they didn't like it. I know I have the skills. I know I have the stories. It's just a matter of getting down to business and getting the work done. That is the hard part for me.

29. What did you learn this month?

I learned how much more is tucked away in my memory that I haven't even begun to access. Through the daily May Prompts, I've explored some new ideas and thoughts. It's helped me to focus in on my writing. Even doing them in blocks, as I did, rather than each day was still helpful. I learned that taking a break doesn't need to mean failure or giving up. It's a break! Come right back and the break has served it's purpose. Never quit just because you hit a roadblock. Daily writing really helps with creativity, so I want to contiue that as faithfully as I am able. I learned I have much to share and that I am able to get the work done if I put my mind to it.

30. Describe a food that reminds you of summer.

This is not your usual summer food but for me it's a fresh Gooseberry Pie! Growing up, picking gooseberries was part of our early summer tasks. Grandpa would usually pick them, though I helped many times, then we'd sit outside under the shade of our big oak tree and pluck the blossoms off each berry. This had to be done carefully and meticulously, to Grandma's standards! No brown bit of blossom must be left and no breaking of the berries. While we plucked the berries, Grandma would tell stories or sing. We'd join in the singing, in harmony like she'd taught us. At the end, she'd make that fresh Gooseberry Pie with part of the berries. The rest would go into the freezer. She'd serve us all a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that gently melted over the delicious pie. Heaven!

31. Name a time when planning ahead paid off and why.

Wow, this takes some thought. Since I'm home almost 100% of the time, I do very little planning ahead. I mostly fly by the seat of my big ol' pants! Yes, you can laugh! I am! I guess one thing I put a lot of planning into was our vacation to the Oregon Coast a few years back. Plannng ahead meant best locations to stay, better prices, etc. It was a wonderful time and all within my budget. I've also done some planning ahead on my book. The first and last pages are written. I have titles and an outline for each chapter. Many chapters have been partially written. It hasn't paid off yet, but the outline is helping me organize the story and make progress on it.

#growmeastory

© 31MAY2022 ajjahner

May Prompts #5

Here are the next few prompts. I'm still not caught up, but working on it. So many things to do!

23. Write a letter to your 10-year-old self on the last day of school before summer break.

Dear Jo, 

This is going to be one of the best summers ever! Take it all in. Hold it! Remember it! After the loss of your little brother, there will be an extra effort by the adults in your life. Enjoy the love and attention. It's not that they love you differently or more than before, it's just that they realize how fleeting life is. You are headed to California with your grandparents and your little sister, leaving school early! That means Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Sea World. You get to see the ocean! Ask them to take lots of pictures of you and your sis. You will wish they had. Soak in all the sights at Disneyland. The magic, the colors, the sounds. Hear the laughter of your grandparents, your sis, the Thorntons, and remember. Tuck it all away in your heart and memory as the treasure it is! Live fully! Have fun! 

With love, your much older self, Anita Jo

24. Describe the scene outside your window.

As I glanced out my sliding doors, I see so much green from all the rain we've been blessed with this spring. Today is overcast and colder. The wind is gently blowing the leaves of the Maple tree and the Hollyhocks which are now about 3 feet high. The two potted geraniums are in full bloom. Red and so pretty! Two of the rose bushes on the berm now have blossoms, the red one and the pink one. There are birds at the feeders. Doves in the big one, staying under the cover in case of more rain. The rhubarb has gone crazy! It is so tall and thick and takes command of 1/3 of our garden spot. I am loving the rain, the clouds, and all the blooms and the green! It's a perfect afternoon for writing and reading.

25. Use the word "progress" as your prompt today.

Progress. To move forward. To accomplish a goal. I can feel I've made progress in some areas in the past few months. Much of it due to this class on The Artist's Way. I have written, by hand, three pages most days. I've done many of the book tasks. I've joined in the Zoom classes even on days I wanted to just hide quietly in a book or a movie. That is real progress for me! I tend to avoid things that make me uncomfortable, so to push myself into this new technology (new to me) and share with my instructors and classmates is true progress. I have also made advances in my writing and feel it has opened up my mind to what more I can accomplish. Another area is I've started taking better care of my health with diet changes and exercise. This is all progress for me.

26. What makes you feel insecure in your writing, and why?

I'd like to think I wasn't insecure in my writing but history shines a glaring light on that. I obsess about whether or not I am using proper English, spelling, and puctuation. I worry excessively about how my words will be interpreted. Will I offend anyone? Will they find my writing boring or lacking in substance? If it's a blog post, I worry that my words will be hard to "hear" and that my writing voice might reflect snarkiness when I intended to just be thoughtful and honest. In considering a book, I worry it won't entertain or that I won't be making the point I'm going for. If there are insecurities about writing, I'm sure I have all of them. 

#growmeastory 

© 29MAY2022 ajjahner

May Prompts #4

 And it continues... I am almost caught up on prompts. 

17. How has your writing life evolved in the past three months?

I have become more desciplined in the writing of morning pages, also called the sowing seeds of creativity. I have finally pulled out my book, dormant since 2013, and started to read through what I had and making notes for changes and additional story ideas. I have found a new confidence in my writing ideas and abilities. I have spent time on a few creative writing projects and prompts. I have done a few more blog posts. I feel my writing is moving in a positive direction, one that will bring fruit. One that will take me to my next level of writing. I credit this to the class on The Artist's Way which I signed up for through Grow Me a Story.

18. Write about a time when a wise woman made a difference in your life.

I can't bring one specific moment to mind. My mother and my grandmother both imparted so much wisdom and faith to me in very different ways. They are the women I would go to when I needed counsel, along with a couple of dear friends who were also will to listen and give thoughtful, compassionate advice. I don't choose to go into detail on any of this. I will say that finding a wise person who will listen with their heart, as well as their ears, and will thoughtfully speak from their heart is a priceless treasure. be they woman or man.

19. What is your favorite flower that blooms in May? Why?

I get excited by any flowers that bloom in May. Here in the Treasure Valley that can change from year to year depending on the changeable Idaho weather. Most Hyacinths and Tulips have bloomed and are gone by early May, as well as the Forsythia. My favorite of all the flowers is the Lilac and this year it is still in bloom! I love the purple color. I love the heady fragrance. The look of the delicate little blossons. They also remind me of my grandpa. He loved them too! He pruned our bushes into small trees and they were beautiful! I have a photo of him standing next to his last Lilac "tree". It was as tall as he was, and so beautiful. Lilacs are the flowers of happy memories and the early sign of a beautiful summer season to come.

20. Use the word "garden" as your prompt today.

Garden. I see grandpa out weeding, pruning, watering, harvesting. He was the gardener, as was his father. I am not a gardener. I can barely keep my houseplants alive. I do appreciate a lovely garden though. I have memories of rose gardens in parks in Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise, Idaho. My husband and I visited a rose garden on our honeymoon in Portland, Oregon. We also visited the Japanese garden while there. It was so serene and peaceful. I love a garden that is green and simple, with water features, rocks, sand, and statues. I also love a garden that is an explosion of color. It's like a party for the senses with all the different fragrances and the varying shapes and colors of the blossoms.

21. What was the last article or book you read that inspired you? Why was it inspiring?

Saturday, which happened to be the 21st, my sister brought me a very rough, beat up copy of the Amplified Bible with both Old and New Testaments. It had been gifted to her by our grandma after grandpa had passed away. She has now gifted it to me. It was originally given to our grandpa by his parents in 1965. I sat and thumbed through it, reading highlighted passages. It was inspiring, not just because of what the scriptures said, but because it had been held and marked and cherished by my grandpa. It is the second Bible of his I am privileged to own. Well loved books like this one are an inspiration. Something to treasure and to reread again and again.

22. What color caught your eye today, and why?

Blue. It started with noticing the beautiful blue sky when I opened the front door to get my Sunday paper. Blue is the color I chose for 2022. I was also wearing a blue Star Wars t-shirt. As I sat sipping my morning coffee, I realized how much blue is already in my home. A blue curtain at the kitchen window. A blue and white quilt hanging over our sliding glass doors. Different shades of blue from cobalt to a seafoam blue green. Little dog salt and pepper shakers; book covers like Harry Potter, a Vera mystery, and more; a dark blue Old Navy metal cup I use as a pencil and pen holder; the blue pen I an writing with. Blue all around, and more to come as it's my current favorite color!

#growmeastory

© 23MAY2022 ajjahner

May Prompts #3

I'm really lagging behind on this challenge. Just a reminder, these are part of a challenge for the class I'm taking though Grow Me A Story. You take the prompt, set a 5 minute timer, and just write. These are the results. Sorry for the very long post. That's what happens when you procrastinate.

13.What is your favorite book set in summer and why?

First of all I had to define for myself "book set" read in the summer or a book "set" in the summer season. Two very different things. I decided to go with book sets. That said, this will be a list of some favorites because I can't seem to chose just one set. I also found myself caught between the word set and series. A set indicates a smaller collection in my mind. Here are a few favorites I highly recommend for both younger and older readers and everyone in between:

Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Anne of Green Gables set, the Mary Poppins books, the Harry Potter series, the Miss Marple mystery series (my personal favorite Agatha Christie books though Poirot and the rest are very good too), the Cat Who mysteries, Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series, Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Jemma James mysteries, the James Herriot All Creatures Great and Small book series. These are many of my favorites, but not all. These are books I would read again and again. Curl up in a lounge chair in your back yard or on a beach, cool beverage in hand, and enjoy some great summer reading!

14.Finish this sentence: I wish my readers knew that . . .

My goal in writing is to reach the heart. To touch peoples lives, to open then up to new ideas, and to share my thoughts on certain isues. In a book I would want the story to take them on a journey where they would see people who are just like themselves, but see them in a new way, and to get to know people who are very different than themselves too, perhaps gaining a new level of acceptance and love for them, even forgiveness if needed. I hope to show that even the ugliest situation can be turned. That the most vile people deserve a chance for forgiveness if they want it. That we are all deserving of that 2nd, 3rd, or 500th chance to begin again. To start anew. Forgiveness and love are two of the goals in my writing.

15.Use the word "possibility" as your prompt today.

Possibility. A thing to look forward to. Hope. Expectation. A dream or idea that has the potential of coming true. Not fantasy. An actual possibility. A thing that can happen! The word is filled with hope. I have the possibility of improving my health, of completing my book, of getting published. There are also possiblities for travel in my future. For accomplishing some long awaited home improvements. Possibility is a word without fear for me. Though there could be the chance of bad things ahead, I only see it as a positive. Good things out there just waiting to be realized and enjoyed!

16. Describe a routine that works well for you.

Another hard one. I tend to buck against routine, although I start most days very much the same. Upon waking I take my morning meds, wash up or shower, get dressed, say my morning prayers, and most days I now write my morning pages aka sowing seeds for Grow Me a Story. Somewhere before, during, or after, I make my 1st cup of coffee for the day. That's about it for routine other than prayers at bedtime and making sure I water my houseplants on the weekend. I do fit in my physical therapy exercises but at no particular time. I'm more of a free spirit drifting my way through my days. I might benefit from adding more routine to my days. Something to consider.

#growmeastory

© 22MAY2022 ajjahner

More May Writing Prompts

Writing went on the back burner while I took some much needed time to rest and recuperate. I worked on a couple more of the May writing prompts. Catching up, but not quite there yet. Just a reminder, these are from my handwritten notes. You take the prompt, set a 5 minute timer, and just write. These are the results.

May 9. Write about a memory of your favorite childhood teacher.

Mrs. Stewart was my 7th grade Social Studies teacher and also my English teacher. My favorite class with her was English. We did all the practical class activities, but the most wonderful thing she did was to introduce me to books I had never thought of reading. One of those was The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. This was a book about an escape from a prision camp just after World War II. Mrs. Stewart decided that even as 7th graders we needed a story. Our class was right after lunch so for the first few minutes of class she read to us. This story was so emotional that more than once she had tears start rolling down her cheeks. She would put the book mark in and say "We'll have to come back to this tomorrow" much to our dismay and loud protestations. Mrs. Stewart opened my eyes to new, different, and often important books. I loved her!

May 10. Use the word "sunshine" as your prompt today.

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry. 

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely. Sunshine almost always makes me high."

This John Denver song came immediately to mind. It's exactly how I feel about sunshine. It brings happiness, life, warmth, and can also make me cry.  Memories of sunny days gone by. I love the way warm sun feels on my skin. How it cheers me after a storm has passed. It brings to mind swingsets, backyard baseball, ready or not, beaches, sand, grass, rocks. All the things of play and of nature that you see out on a sunny day. Sunshine can be healing for the spirit.

11.What is something you want?

I want my home back. I live in a house I have filled with clutter. Stuff. When there is too much stuff, it loses it's significance. It becomes overwhelming, exhausting. I want my home to be organized and welcoming. A place for family and for the photos and treasures I cherish the most. A place where friends could come in and feel comfortable and welcomed. The hard part is figuring out how to make it a reality. How to separate myself from things that hold emotional connections but now are really no longer needed to keep those memories alive. It's  process. A difficult one, but I'm ready to undertake it. I want my home back! I will have it!

12.What is something you need?

There are so many things I need or could use, but the most important thing right now is my health. I need to be well enough to do the things I enjoy and the things that need done. Organizing my home, writing my book, working on Ancestry, dates with my husband, outings with friends. In order to do any of these I need to feel good. Poor health is robbing me of joy! It has robbed me of attending weddings, showers, funerals, birthdays. It has kept me from the things I love most like reseaching ancestors, writing a book on my family history, finishing the book on The Dollhouse. I need to work on my health! I need to reclaim it!

#growmeastory

© 19MAY2022 ajjahner

May Writing Prompts

The course I am taking through Grow Me A Story has given a list of writing prompts for the month of May. I finally got around to getting some of them done. These are just thoughts on the prompt, written in 5 minutes. You take the prompt for the day, set a timer, and just write whatever comes to mind. Here are the first few I've done. These are typed just as I wrote them, without editing.

May 1. Use the word "bloom" as your prompt today.

The word bloom makes me think of my mom. One of her favorite sayings was "Bloom where you are planted". Easier said than done sometimes. I'm currently in a rocky place. To bloom seems difficult, but it is not impossible. If roots are planted deeply enough, then water and nourishment will be found, and as they are found, I will flourish and eventually blooms will appear. Bloom is a word of hope. Of coming to fruition. Of life and of beauty. As I look out into my yard, I see all the beautiful blooms that came from plants and trees which had lain dormant during the long winter months. Then came the season to bloom, to shine! That time is coming for me, as a writer and as a person.

May 2. Write about a time you went on a picnic.

Picnics bring to mind my mom. We went on a lot of picnics when I was young. To the parks, to the hills, to Lucky Peak or Robie Creek. I remember one picnic when I was about 6 years old. It was at Lucky Peak. Mom spread a blanket over the hot sand, near the water. We had hot dogs on white bread. The ketchup oozed through the thin Wonder Bread, but the hot dogs were delicious! We had glass bottles of soda, bags of chips, and I think there was watermelon. Mom sat in her cutoffs and button-up shirt tied at her waist, dark sun glasses. We played in the sand and in the water! It was a perfect day!

May 3. Imagine your perfect summer day and describe it using your senses.

Summer is not my favorite season, but there have been some wonderful summer days. My perfect summer day would be sunny, but not too hot. About 68 to 72 degrees, a slight breeze keeping the air moving. The scent of roses and other summer flowers in the air. It would be walking barefoot in the soft grass or on a beach. It would be a trip to the park with a picnic lunch and then a visit to the zoo. It would be stopping for an icee, a snow cone, or an ice cream cone. It would be taking the slow way home and going off plan to drive wherever the road takes me, radio playing, hair blowing in the wind from my open window. All of these or any one of these!

May 4. Describe your plan for your summer writing.

I don't really have a plan. I've been advised to just write. To let words flow onto paper. To just get something written down. That is what I plan to do. I also plan to put more family stories onto "paper". To get the memories down for my sons to have to to enjoy. I also plan to revisit the books I started. To read them again. To add some content to them. To share them with someone who will look at them with fresh eyes. To accept criticism. To allow myself the time and the commitment to just write freely and without restricting my thoughts. Write. Write. Write. That is my only plan.

May 5. Use the word "growth" as your prompt today.

Growth. To change. To stretch. To bloom. To reach a new stature or a new place. To achieve a new goal. I am pushing to achieve new growth in my writing this year. Working through the class and the prompts from Grow Me A Story. It has enlarged my borders. It has created the "fertile ground" for my growth to begin to take off. I can feel the changes in how I am approaching not just writing, but in other areas of my life. Growth means health. When we're not growing, we are not really living. We are stagnant. Growth requires nourishment, fresh air, sunshine, and care. That's what growth in my creative life requires.

May 6. Describe the best and worst things that happened this week.

This one is hard. I suppose the worst thing is this miserable cough that keeps hanging on. Being sick has kept me from doing things around the house I wanted to get done. It has kept me from my Morning Pages and other creative work. The best thing is I finally saw my doctor. Started on antibiotics and meds and now am feeling better. I'm back to my Morning Pages. I've had a surge of creative energy just this morning. We've also had more rain, my lilacs are beginning to bloom. There is always good alongside any bad. Look for the good in life. It is there for the taking.

May 7. Identify an obstacle to enjoying your summer. What can you do about it?

I am the obstacle. My cough, my weakness, my overall poor health. My fear of leaving my house and the fear of having anyone visit me because of all the clutter. My dislike of summer heat and how it makes me feel. I can work to improve my health. Follow doctor's orders. Keep exercising and increasing my strength levels. Start leaving the comfort of my house a little at a time, beginning with small outings. Get my house in order so I won't feel shame when a friend comes by. And, work on ignoring my own mess and enjoying the fact that there is a wonderful friend here to visit with me in my own home. Lose the personal judgement I put on myself!

8.Describe a favorite memory of your mother or a mother figure from your childhood.

My mother. There are so many memories to choose from. The same with my grandma, the mother who raised me. For mom it's yard sales, long drives, picking asparagus from the side of the road, listening to the radio, spur of the moment ideas like knocking down her old fence with the help of her Volkwagen Bug. Laughter! For grandma it's singing and learning to harmonize. Hanging laundry together. Hearing her pray while she was cleaning or just walking through the house. Playing checkers and Scrabble. Long walks up the field. Hearing her yodal! Hearing her laughter. Feeling her love. Feeling their love! Having the blessing of 2 mothers in my life. Both who loved me so deeply and so well! I have been blessed!

#growmeastory

© 09MAY2022 ajjahner