Running With Quills: Share My Bench

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Share My Bench

Happy Monday, my flowers:

Ten minutes. That's how long I've been looking at this screen and trying to decide what irresistible topic to discuss. I need something riveting for a Monday morning, something to bring smiles and surges of energy.

Why don't I want to write about wearing heels today, for the first time in months, and the bruises and blisters I've got on my feet to prove my stupidity? Or the plug-in pheromones I bought because they're supposed to stop cats from getting mad at each other (they aren't working)? Or going to a 95th Birthday lunch today for a friend of Jerry's parents, and how it made me feel to see how much smaller the crowd was than five years ago when we gathered for the same person's 90th?

Wow, I know why I don't want to write about any of these things. I bore me. And I work seven days a week so Monday is the same as Sunday or any other day, except that I do try to get to mass on Sundays--without messing up my work schedule. Monday? Big deal, and I feel the same way about Friday:)

Now I know exactly what I'm writing about and why. I'm looking for wisdom from you--I'm hoping you will have some little pearls about getting balance into a life, learning to prioritize and above all, finding the inner peace and sanity to be grateful for all one has.

Have you ever felt like a human doing rather than a human being? My hand is up and waving--in between words, of course.

The odd thing about all this introspection is that I know it's what makes me who I am (now there's a brilliant insight). It makes me a writer--good heavens. Introspection sits me on a bench, along a deserted road in the almost-dark to work out a plot. I take Millie to curl up on my lap and help me talk things through. She thinks shapeshifters at a Venetian masquerade in New Orleans is a very good idea. These moments are exciting and peaceful at the same time.

Over to you, Quillers. If you ever feel bored, boring, or out of smiles, what brings out your personal sunshine?

You have an open invitation to share my bench sometime...

41 Comments:

sandyp said...: My personal sunshine,hummmm....two days ago I found an old friend on Facebook. We haven't seen each other in 30 + years. What a wonderful surprise, I wasn't bored anymore. Re-connection, saved me from the "blues".; 2:59 PM
Judy F said...: personal sunshine. I would have to say my great niece Amya. She is two and a joy. Makes any bad day so much brighter.; 3:10 PM
Deb said...: My personal sunshine comes from a song lyric or book phrase that pops up just when I need it usually. I also keep a small filing on my MP3 with just the right melodies that make me reflect, teary sometimes, but always make me smile.; 3:14 PM
Kate Douglas said...: Ah, Stella...your post has left me smiling. Must be the writer in me because it makes such perfect sense. I hate to admit it, grandmother of five gorgeous little ones that I am, but if I'm perfectly honest, my personal sunshine lives in the things that show up when I turn the muse loose. I love to lose myself in my imagination and see what new things will happen whenever I sit down to write. There's a reason we work seven days a week, m'dear. It's because we love what we do.; 5:00 PM
wstridgerunner said...: My personal sunshine is 3 things, sitting down and reading a book, by myself, nobody else to bother me; that or taking to car a short distance, just enough for me to hear the "Outlaws" sing "There goes another Love Song" or Van Morrison, the last is taking my dogs walking.; 5:09 PM
susan andersen said...: You work 7 DAYS A WEEK? Holy, moly, girl. When do you get 'me' time?

I rarely get bored, but when I'm down family, friends and something that usually includes exercise and the outdoors bring me up again. So does music. Reading. And laughing, Laughing is always good.; 5:31 PM
Venus Vaughn said...: Once, when I was a pre-teen, a friend's mother said to us, "only boring people are ever bored."

I took that sentiment to heart and have worked hard never to be bored again. I don't know that it has saved me from the label of being boring. I'm sure I bore more people than I care to think about. But my brain is always ticking along finding new amusements for myself.

My personal sunshine is in always having something to do - even if it's a project I abandoned last year ... at least I have something to keep me occupied.; 6:26 PM
Anonymous said...: There is nothing more soothing to me* than to finish feeding our horses and to sit on the loading dock and listen to "Ellie" (31 year old mare)softly chewing her food in the stall behind me*. Watching the pine trees across the way stirring in the breeze adds a little fillet to savor.

Louis; 6:30 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Sandy: What a thrill. The Internet does bring about some wonderful connections.

Stella; 6:55 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Judy:

Children can completely change your outlook. I watched two little girls yesterday morning--probably 3 and 4--dancing together to canned music in a coffee shop. They were special.

Stella; 6:56 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Louis:

Boy, I can hear those horses myself. And feel a breeze. Thanks for sharing a wonderful moment.

Stella; 7:00 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Venus:

Your friend's mom didn't waffle around, hm? Busy, busy is one way to go but there are times when very busy people are still looking for something.

I consider myself fortunate because I may not always be thrilled with the world, but I'm never lonely and don't fear being alone.

Stella; 7:03 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Deb-Music is powerful. I find that once I have a reaction to a piece, that reaction comes back every time.

Stella; 7:04 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Kate: I hear you:) Sometimes I do fear finding out who I'd be if I didn't write, but I surely race to get into the words every day.

Stella; 7:06 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Ridgerunner: Another dog walker. I guess we both know who gives the most in the dog/owner relationship.

Stella; 7:07 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Susan: I admire your spirit--always have. And I'm glad you've got family around you since they obviously make you strong.

Stella; 7:08 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: My personal sunshine? For some reason cooking does it for me. Gives me a creative outlet and instant gratification at the same time. And if things go wrong, no lasting harm done. I'll just cook another meal tomorrow night. And hope it isn't as bad.

--Jayne; 8:10 PM
Stella Cameron said...: I can understand that, Jayne, although I don't think you have many failures. You touch food the way a painter touches the canvas--you're creative in that kitchen.

Stella; 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...: Laughter. I love a good joke. I love hanging out with family. I have a personal little bit of sunshine coming up because my 31 yr old son is coming to visit the PNW from Hotlanta for 10 days. He will arrive this weekend, and the 5 year old grandgirl is just beside herself in anticipation! I love friends and creativity and creative friends. I love hugging and laughing together over the silly things life tosses our way. I enjoy the human connection that happens with family and friends and forms an extended "family" that benefits all involved.
I also dearly love a good book.
Lynne Thomas; 11:19 PM
kris b said...: for me its the books! I can read and read and read and never be bored and never get tired of it and some of them are good and some bad but... I love them! They bring out the best in me and lets me have great friends that think the same way about them that I do!
book are definetly my sunshine where I can't find anything else!

great blog stella! :-)

kris b; 3:52 AM
Anonymous said...: Stella,

This is a great blog! I read it this morning and felt so much better. Thank you. As for personal sunshine, I have a few. One is my pet fish - she has such a personality that I never feel lonely living by myself. Cooking and reading are two others. When I cook I feel a connection with my grandparents who taught me a lot of what I know about food. And reading is a vacation in the middle of the week. And last, but not least, my family and friends always bring sunshine into my life.

Have a wonderful day and good luck with your current project!

Jennifer; 6:00 AM
Tammy said...: For me? That's easy, a really good book, it can be one I haven't read in a long time or a new one that I've been waiting impatiently for. Just give me something to read a glass of juice and some chocolate and no one asking what's for dinner. That does it for me.; 6:01 AM
Lori Foster said...: Stella, you ALWAYS make me smile, and I mean that. No one else calls me a flower. LOL That's definitely smile-worthy. :-)

You know, people who spent their lives working hard often share regrets that they didn't relax more. The old, "Smell the flowers" thing.

And folks who didn't accomplish much often have remorse that perhaps they smelled too many flowers and so they aren't leaving anything monumental behind.

My feeling is that we have to take it day to day, doing the best we can with the limited possibilities of a human with emotions and illness and aging weakness. We're flawed, and we're individual.

I don't have a single doubt in my mind that you do what is best for you and yours, day in and day out, month after month, year after year.

Not all of us are meant for repetitive flower-smelling, just as we're all not meant for the history books. ;-) Nature has a way of finding our place for us.

Hugs to all!

Lori; 6:12 AM
DFender said...: Stella!

My Mondays are so much like any other day that I forgot it was Monday yesterday and to check in at RWQ! Damn. *sigh*

I can't figure myownself out, Stella, so I'm guessing advice from me would be invalid...LOLOL. Fortunately for me, my personal sunshines are varied and numerous and somehow, some way, manage to find me.

You may have company on that bench sooner rather than later.

Deb; 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...: Sometimes the "something more" we want to connect with is our God. You attend mass regularly and that's a start. The quietness and expectation of contacting God hums through the minutes before a sevice starts. Then the familiar words can take on new meaning- we can hear them in a new way. Joining in with the hymns and prayers and presenting yourself as a willing subject of the Almighty is very elevating.

I also am a dog walker. I think there needs to be some time for physical activity for general health. I find that walking frees the mind for problem-solving in a way I don't understand. But we all come back refreshed. KathyK; 8:49 AM
Vella Munn said...: A lot of things bring me joy, but this morning I can easily point to two things. Turkeys and ducks. The turkeys? We live near the woods where a large flock of wild turkeys live and most mornings they wander down our road much to our dogs' delight. The sound of the big toms dragging their wing feathers along the ground (a kind of dry leaf rustling sound) always gives me a chill. The ducks? Yesterday my dh and I went to our cabin for the first time this spring. The cabin is within a stone throw of a great trout fishing lake and home to countless ducks. It was raining enough to chase off the fisherpersons but as the mist settled over the lake, the ducks loudly celebrated having the water back to themselves. IMO it don't get no better than that.
Vela Munn; 9:18 AM
annie said...: Personal sunshine?
Socrates said, "To Be is to Do." Plato said,"To Do is to Be." Sinatra said, "Dobedobedo." It's all relative, right? Annie; 1:05 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Lynne: I get into a really good laugh, and a hug:)

Stella; 6:33 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Kris B. Keep on loving those books. You're the ones that keep some of us writing.

Stella; 6:34 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Jennifer:

You are so kind. I can feel the sunshine in your words. Wow, I wish I liked to cook...

Stella; 6:35 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Tammy--I hear you! No one asking what's for dinner is an absolute prize. Those words, "What's for dinner," put me in a funk all wrapped in guilt!

We are all bookies, aren't we?

Stella; 6:37 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Dear Lori-the-Wise! Can't pick any holes in most of your comments. Perhaps we're not meant to be satisfied with ourselves for long, just so we keep on trying to do better.

Stella; 6:38 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Deb: I'm making room on the bench. I may even take you with me tonight so if you feel a little nudge and a voice says, "How are you doing?" you'll know who it is:)

Stella; 6:40 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Kathy:

And it's hard to leave mass not feeling lighter and happier than when you arrived. I'm sure this goes for any situation where people deliberately give time to their inner beings with the hope of being a more useful part of the world.

Keep walking that dog!

Stella; 6:42 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Hey Vella--great to "see" you!

On my walks I now have a pair of ducks who have decided they may, after all, be albatross and they're going to sit on the grass all day. I note with some trepidation that another animal soul has put a pan of water near them, weighted down with a rock. I just don't want them to get hurt.

Millie is very respectful of those ducks, very quiet, and I tell off any crows I see circling nearby!

Cheers, Stella; 6:45 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Absolutely right, Annie. That's a great comment. Stella; 6:46 PM
Jess said...: My personal sunshine is reading romance novels! I really enjoy relaxing with them. I was looking for a good place to buy your books and I stumbled across this website: www.booksonboard.com. They have really reasonable prices and I have come to enjoy the convenience of eBooks. Now I can take my sunshine anywhere! Here's the link to Cypress Nights, but there are a lot of other titles!

http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=428715; 2:53 PM
Katherine said...: Usually if I make the statement "I'm bored" around my family everyone but the little boys run for cover. The boys know if auntie is bored that an adventure of some sort is about to happen. Nothing illegal or truly dangerous but it's going to involve excitement of some kind. After all auntie's idea of fun is spending (too) much time stabbing at people who are trying to stab her back at the fencing salle.

If I'm feeling scattered and disorganized a good bout helps get the brain cells back on track. There's nothing like somebody lunging at you with 30 inches of steel to focus the mind. (That and the whole exercise create endorphins which make you feel good thing...)

If I'm feeling blue my two dogs will usually do something to chase the blues away, the little clowns that they are.

And sometimes I just need to totally escape the world. So it’s off to my favorite chair with a good book from a favorite author, a glass of wine and one dog on the lap and the other on the footstool.; 3:14 PM
Stella Cameron said...: Hi Jess: If I thought someone could stop me from reading, I'd freak out. Like you, being in the company of a book with a happy ending makes for a wonderful time.

Thank you for giving me the information on booksonboard.

Stella; 12:51 AM
Stella Cameron said...: Katherine:

Fencing fascinates me. I like it when the bout lasts so there's time to build tension and appreciate the grace.

Dogs and books? Ah, yes, perfect.

Stella; 12:54 AM
Teresa said...: I have this picture of a very crazed-mad-looking bird which was taken while the bird was staring at the lens of the camera... Every time I look at it I have to smile... No one should ever look that way!; 4:48 PM

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Share My Bench

41 Comments: