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things to chat about

November 5, 2010

After spending a month writing on a focused topic everyday, I have found myself mush-brained this week. When I told my sister that, she agreed she felt the same way and said, “Um. Hello? I wrote about Adam Lambert.” And I laughed hysterically until I realize that her post about Adam Lambert is pretty much all shades of awesome. So I win in the mush trophy.

So while she’s over there teaching decorating truths she learned from Adam Lambert, another fellow 31 Dayer has the nerve to be brilliant as well. Kendra at My First Kitchen is hosting A Cookie and a Story Contest until November 14th. You can read the details at her blog, but basically she is looking for cookie recipes and a story to go along with it from you. Super fun.

Meanwhile, I can tell you that June from Bye Bye Pie came over a few weeks ago and brought her puppy. That’s right. I am now a hoster of dog play dates. I would write more about it, but June already did and we all know she is much better at these dog types of writings than I am.

And while I’m telling you about awesome things, Melissa at Events by Design is hosting Something to Celebrate for the month of November. She has great recipes, fun tips, lovely photos and giveaways! Her tagline is Where Celebration Comes to Life, and let me tell you: this girl knows how to celebrate. Ask anyone who knows her in real life, and they will smile and tell a story of how they have received invitations from Melissa for an “It’s Spring!” party or “It’s Tuesday!” party or an impromptu girls tea party in her daughter’s room. Can you guess what she does for a living? Of course she is an Events Designer. I love the stuff that girl is made of.

So here’s to hoping next week begins with less mush-brain. While you are weekending, keep your eyes open for those everyday graces that are at risk of going unnoticed. Write it down, take a picture, and then link up with us here on Tuesday for Tuesdays Unwrapped.

Speaking of photos, when I went to add a new photo to my about page yesterday, I realized the information there was nearly two years old. So I took some time to update it and ended up writing way more than I meant to but I just didn’t know where to stop. I always struggle with doing an about page – do I talk about me? My writing? My blog? My family? I talked about all of those things. Do you know of any blog about pages that you particularly like? Do tell. In the meantime, I’m off to see if Adam Lambert has anything to say about creating space for your soul to breathe.

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how to have your picture taken

November 4, 2010

A few weeks ago, Kelly Langner Sauer came through town with her family. She is warm, delightful, and so easy to be with. She is an artist with a big heart and a beautiful vision. While here, she generously snapped as many shots as she could of The Man and I, standing in our front yard before he had to go to work.

And in seeing them, I realize how critical I am of me. I’m not so comfortable in front of the camera. I would much rather move around behind it. If these were of you, I would think they were lovely. What is wrong with these eyes of mine?

And so last night, this very man reminded me that these things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands are temporal, transient, wasting away. But the unseen and hiding things of this inner life are being renewed day by day by day. And I considered how there is nothing else that does that, nothing else that becomes newer the older it gets.

So what is the way to have your picture taken? Allow the silly to come out even though you know how dorky you look when the silly is captured still. Let some of the life that’s inside spill over into the seen and temporal, so that those things that can’t be touched can at least be proven there. And finally, lift your eyes up with me and remember that it is not about you and your hair parted on the wrong side. Hallelujah.

Filed Undera little bit crazy, a photographer 31 Comments

grace on a tuesday

November 2, 2010

Our 31 days have come to a close. But not really. There is so much left to say. I have dared to write what I am  most passionate about, using this series to pull and stretch around my edges like filling the round pan with pizza dough. It feels risky, hesitant, and even a little foolish to do the thing you know you were made for. Sounds crazy, I know. But I’m growing weary of wishing away the passion. You have warmly, and eagerly received it. As a writer, there is no greater gift.

I’ve struggled with worry, I’m being too deep! too serious! too much! while at the same time, knowing I could go so much deeper. And in my book coming out next Fall, I do. I go deep. And there’s fear in that, too, fear I know will come around again when the critics are free to read at their leisure. But that is the job I signed up for, and even in the fear, I am so grateful for it.

This series on grace is the closest thing I’ve written on the blog that represents those things I most love to write. But it has only been a taste, a sampling, never enough. Writing that book was a lesson in undoing, as I had to explore this grace thing from all angles, include my own inside out. But this series reminded me of all there is to say about it, so much more than I could ever put in a book. I am so thankful for that.

And so today, I have two feverish babies home with me and my college roommate coming to visit this afternoon and at least 20 linkies I still haven’t visited from the link up on Saturday. Even so, here we are on Tuesday November 2, the first Tuesday back to unwrapping. Writing this month has been a sweet reminder of the way I am made, of the beautiful readers who gather here, and of the unbelievable gift of grace.

I know I haven’t talked much about starting Tuesdays back so maybe only a few of you will link today. Whether you link to a post you wrote earlier this month or write a shiny brand new one – I look forward to seeing any of you who remember. Don’t forget to link using the permalink to your unwrapped post and slip a link back here to Chatting at the Sky. If you have questions, visit the Tuesdays Unwrapped page.

Filed Undera writer 30 Comments
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