NaNoWriMo Ups and Downs

Hahaha ... well... I just saw that Nicky noticed how I tried to *discreetly* slip the NaNoWriMo counter off the blog without notice... but I was caught!

The truth is, I didn't even make 13,000 words. As I struggled to write more and more down, it seemed as if the more photos I looked at to spark my memory, the more frustrated I became when I couldn't remember details from our time together. I thought it would be easy to write down the memories. While the memories aren't gone, I found that they don't respond well to being cued up and ready to go when I want them to be.

So I think the lesson I learned is that I should keep writing them down as they come to me.

One nice thing I did find out over Thanksgiving is what my Dad shared with me about my Mom. Apparently, she had toyed with the idea of going to culinary school as well, but gave up because she knew my Dad wouldn't eat anything she made (he has a very very plain palette).

Her mother (my grandmother) was a phenomenal cook. I never met her, but I've heard from other family members how great her potato dumplings and Sauerbraten was. I didn't know my mother had shown an interest as well.

I feel a newfound connection to the grandmother I never met and my mother. It's satisfying to know that through three generations of women, we all share something in common.

Perhaps that's the story worth writing.

:)

Broke 10,000 words!

This NaNoWriMo has been harder for me to complete than last year's -- and I thought nothing could beat last year's! I'm still far behind, but I crossed the 10,000 word mark today. Here's the selection that helped me make that goal.

OK. Back to work. ;-)

Mom was the Take-Out Queen later in life. If they messed up her order in any way, she made sure that they knew. Did the pizza restaurant forget the free bread? She’d get back on the phone and let them know in a not-so-nice way. It was comical to get mom started –not for the person on the other end of the phone at the restaurant, of course! Before placing her order, she’d mutter that they were incompetent and mused if they would get the order right this time.

(Other people would just stop going to that restaurant. )

So even though she gave the pizza place a hard time, she had a soft spot for the owner, Greg. He’d laugh with my Dad when Dad would pick up our food order.

“Is the bread in the bag?” he called back to his staff before giving the order to Dad. “Wouldn’t want to make her upset,” he’d say with a grin as he handed the order over.

He found it funny, and after a while, it was rare if the bread was left out.

Before Mom passed away, she had ordered a special, gourmet cheese as a gift for Greg. But she passed away before she could give it to him. When the box arrived, my dad felt a bit sullen. But he drove up to the pizza restaurant, this time with no order waiting to be picked up, to drop off the cheese.

When he walked in, Greg greeted him and checked the board instinctively for the order. Dad explained it wasn’t there- that mom had passed away suddenly.

Greg didn’t know what to say as the smile disappeared from his face.

“She bought this for you,” dad offered.

In his outstretched hand, he offered the gourmet cheese.

A tear ran down Greg’s cheek.

NaNoWriMo & Blog Feature

For those following the little ticker at the above right, I'm participating in the National Novel Writing Month fun. Despite pink sticky notes exclaiming "NaNoWriMo!" all over my work and home computers, I'm feeling the writing block coming on pretty strong already.

To be frank - I have no plot. I am writing aimlessly with what comes to mind. My last 500 words were poetry. Which felt great to write and came so easily to me that I wonder if I shouldn't finish off the remaining 41,378 words that way.

Whoa.

For those unfamiliar with this project, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words between November 1 and 30. Those who have succeeded recommending not rereading and editing your work thus far. Just keep going.

That's what Rob keeps reminding me.

"Just get the words out."

So -- here's my excerpt from my poetry blitz earlier today.

~

How do you live without a mother?

How do you live without the sound of her voice?

The one who you once took for granted- what do you do when she is gone?

You can go through her things

Finger the sweater that used to keep her warm

Use the coffee mug that she refilled every day.

Who do you go to for advice?

Who do you go to when you need to hear her words?

How do you find her in your every day life?

Is she the monarch that sways in the breeze?

Is she the bird that calls as the morning sun rises?

Is she part of the ancient trees and wisdom of the forest?

I search for her everyday

On the cold, dark drive home

On the trip to the store

Finding gifts she would like for Christmas – and then realizing she isn’t there to enjoy them

How do you go on living without a mother?

The one who fought to keep you alive

Who sacrificed so much

How do you ever repay her?

I think you can find her in love

When you nurture a plant on your windowsill

Keeping the porch light on for those who are lost

Appreciating all of the good things

That she made possible for you

Even when she left you behind.

~

It's a bit rough and I already see things that could be tweaked, but in "ignore it until later fashion," I'm going to leave it and focus on getting the remaing 41,000+ words out first.


P.S.
Just found out my lovebirds were featured over on the POE blog! Check it out!

NaNoWriMo!

I'm excited to confirm that I will be back for my second year of NaNoWriMo! For those unfamiliar with this crazy long acronym, National Novel Writing Month is a world-wide competition to write 50,000 words from November 1 through November 30. Last year I only made it to 26,476 words-- still a pretty good feat, considering my plot line was weak.

This year I plan to focus on my mom as inspiration for writing. I'm hoping that helps the words come a bit easier!