Two things true. One not so much. Why I haven’t been blogging.
Why haven’t I been blogging?
Writer, blogger, photographer — all around great person and friend Julia Munroe Martin challenged me to a two truths and a lie blog post after completing the same. I met Julia online many years ago. Happening upon her blog, I became spellbound by her weekly video reports from a perch overlooking a beautiful bay in Maine. Through sun, wind, snow and freezing cold, I got to know her along with her legion of writing friends and fans. I’ve read advance copies of her novels and cried when she lost her dear black lab, Abby. She’s completed novels and keeps a WIP forever on her laptop. Be sure to check out her blog and follow her photos on Instagram. Someday I will make it to Maine, to the coffee shop where she writes. We can peck away on our laptops while sipping our favorite hot beverage (what is yours Julia?) and my standard — coffee, black.
Two truths and a lie why I haven’t been blogging.
1. I’ve fallen in love. With yoga. Finally, a way to stretch out the knots and kinks three decades of running inflicted on my muscles and tendons.
I love it so much that I’ve decided to become a certified yoga instructor. When I informed John of my desires, my plan, he rolled his eyes and said, “Another endeavor of yours that will take lots time and money and result in little or no income to our household. Go for it!” I’ve been able to work on my novel by dictating while on the drive to my classes. The mental toughness acquired by twisting my arms into a pretzel hath unleashed abilities to multitask that for most of my life remained dormant. As I concentrate on the higher mental and emotional aspects of warrioring and downward-dogging, my mind relaxes and my creativity expands.
2. Then there’s the ever-looming WIP. As I inch toward a finished first draft. School started August 1. You’d think I’d have gotten more done, but finding time to sit and write has been scarce. Other than the dictating I’ve done on my way to yoga, nothing much has found it’s way out of my brain. I have the story’s end wrapped up in my head and it needs to get out on paper. Trying to make that happen by Labor Day.
I did have a productive word count stint with my writing group on Friday. Now to leave the dishes undone and the beds unmade and find consistent, disciplined butt-in-chair, fingers-on-keyboard time in the next two weeks. Once the first draft is done, I’ll set it aside for a month or so and start ruminating and outlining novel number two. Because that’s what would be novelists do to take up lots of time and effort and result in little or no income to their households.
3. And there’s my bird thing. Blogging has taken a backseat to my desire to be a falconer. Okay that’s a teensy untruth in this truth. I’m not allowing myself to go full throttle on the falconry gig till I complete the first novel. Notice I didn’t say until I get the first novel published. Unlike my new passion of becoming a yogi, my falconer evolution requires a daily commitment of seven years. On the short end. Yes, 365 days times seven.
And no, I don’t mean I’ll actually transition into a falcon. Why does it take seven years of mentoring to become a person to whom a majestic bird of prey trusts to return to for food? Guess it’s not like getting a dear parakeet to light on your finger. A hungry hawk might decide to take the finger off. Falconry is another massive project that will take resources that I haven’t earned and time that I don’t have and result in no income to the household.
My husband is behind this falconry thing one hundred and ten percent. That’s not a lie. It’s sarcasm.
Which one is the lie?
And . . . I challenge Kenya Johnson to try her hand at Two Truths and a Lie. I’ve been reading Kenya’s blog for many years and I love her no nonsense humorous look at her life. Her book, The Christopher Chronicles, written about her son and his unique look on life, brings me smiles every time I pick it up. Soooo, let’s see if she’s game to try and fool us. I’ll post my follow-up reveal-the-lie post in the next few days and link to Kenya’s blog. And Kenya, you need to select the next blogger to carry on with their two truths and lie.
I remember Julia. Is there a sequel to her Desired to Death book? I don’t know if the theme is “Why I haven’t been blogging” but that’s a good one to go with so I might copy you on that. You wrote yours so well that they all sound true. But I’m going to guess that #1 is your lie. Not that there’s anything wrong with yoga 😉 I just think in order to become an instructor you’d have to be very flexible (not with inflicted muscles and tendons) and it’d take years to become flexible enough to even become a excellent student.
Hey Kenya, Glad you are game to play. No. It can be any two truths or and any lie. And I do love yoga for it’s forced stretching. We’ll have to see if you are right. 🙂
I’m so happy you remember me, Kenya, and the novel, too, thank you!! (Sadly, no sequel yet… it’s in the works along with several other WIPs. ) I’m so happy you want to play along with this game that I happy followed Hallie Sawyer into — do you know her, too?
Jamie…Your intro to me made me tear up (truth.). Such kind words. I forgot it was over the weekly video that we connected, but you are so right. When you make it to Maine (or I make it down there), we’ll together order and sip black coffee (also, truth.) and then I’ll give you the grand tour.
As for your post…I’m guessing #3 is a lie — being a Falconer sounds like a conflict with being a dog owner. But all of them are VERY CONVINCING leading me to believe you’re a pro at this game 😉
Thanks for thinking of me Julia. It was fun to not only post but post in a fun social way.
We’ll see. Maybe all were a bit of truth and bit of a fib. I’ll let you know the one which is mostly not true. And I did love your videos. Such dedication to your audience. It was fun to check in with your world each week.
My guess:
I think the Falconer is the lie. I know you love nests and eggs and mouthwideopen baby birds, but I cannot picture you standing with a big bird perched on your body.
If #1 is truly a truth, you are following my dream! I can see you loving yoga. However, i am still going with #1 even though the falconry thing is such a huge commitment. It’s so interesting! This way, maybe Kenya or me will win 😝
Well, we shall see Jani? What about one of your ducks? Maybe I shall become a Duck Whisperer????
I do love yoga. That part isn’t a fib for sure.
The falconer part is the lie! I think…:)
I’m so glad you played along and can’t wait to go read Kenya’s post.
Hi Jamie! Nice to meet you. Julia thought she met you on my blog but it must have been on Christine’s. Glad to poke around your site and get to know you here.
[…] reveals (she tagged me to play Two Truths and A Lie)? You should also check out my friend Jamie’s Two Truths and A Lie post about why she’s not blogging (I tagged Jamie in my last […]
I’m getting ready to go read Hallie and see if I know her. The name strikes a familiar chord. Well I’ll be looking foward to the sequeal to the book in the future 😉
This was fun. Thanks for hitting the ball in Julia’s court. Who lobbed it into mine .. . .
Nice to meet you Nina. Look forward to visiting your spot as well.
Here I come Kenya.
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