Words, Words, Words

Here's something you may  or may not have known about me. I read ALOT.  I can't go a day without reading.  For me, reading is like breathing-it's necessary for daily life.  And I've always been like this.  I have childhood friends who will tell you they had to hide the comic book box whenever I would come over because I would literally grab a stack and go hide in a corner to read instead of playing. Really. My favorite job in high school was working in the local library. I was so sad when I graduated because I couldn't work there anymore. In college, the classes I enjoyed the most were ones in which we read actual books instead of dry, dull textbooks. I've been known to read a book from an encyclopedia set and will even page through a dictionary now and then to learn a new word or two. Even now, despite being a mom of two busy children and a farmer's wife/black-thumbed gardener/errand runner/so-so sous chef/farmhand extraordinaire, I make a near weekly trip to the library for a fresh supply of reading material. (I've worn out two book bags already.)

I read because I absolutely love words and how they somehow come together to paint a picture in your mind. There's always something new to learn-a new knitting pattern, a new recipe to try, a new idea for decorating, or even just the definition of a new word. There's always another world or time to visit-historical London, early Plains settlements, wild and wooly frontier towns, modern day cities, or fantastical places that don't exist other than between the pages of your book. After suffering several miscarriages, I read all I could get my hands on about the subject in an attempt to understand more about what was happening. I've read biographies, recipe books, and I even have to admit to reading the occasional Harlequin romance. (I prefer the really old ones.) There's always something to make you laugh, something to make you weep, and something to make you go Huh, I didn't know that.  That's the beauty of a book-you never know what you'll take from it when you are done.

I have always felt like I have all this creative energy but no outlet for it. My painting talents are limited to a single solid color on a wall and, while my cooking won't kill you, it's simply mediocre. I can't sculpt, I usually copy other people's decorating ideas, and my quilts are made for warmth not display. I can knit but it's nothing to write home about. I am a lackadaisical gardener with a high plant mortality rate and photography isn't my forte. Since I have little artistic, culinary, or other talents, I have fallen back on the one thing I do know I'm good at-words. (Not one of my siblings will play Boggle with me for that reason.) I have long harbored a secret wish to write a book but never seemed to find the time/energy/etc to finish the ones I've started.  It doesn't help when the author has just decided to sit down and type only to find her plot won't make it past the first paragraph without characters, a plot line, or even a deciding which genre it will be. I have been told by more than one person that I should write a magazine or newspaper column so I started this blog to see if I could write often enough to make that dream a reality.  As you may have noticed, I haven't written even monthly at times so that idea sort of fell by the wayside.

However, lately odd things have been happening.  I've been reading about acquaintances who have written or are writing their own books and I see that anyone can find the time to write if they truly want to. Many years ago, my mom gave me an idea for a children's book and lately it's been knocking around my brain like it wants some attention.  At a recent mother/daughter weekend I attended, we had to draw a talent to practice for next year's retreat.  The paper I drew just so happened to say Write a Children's Book.  Just today, I was sorting through some papers I saved from college and came across an old note from one of my advisers saying she thought I should look into writing as a career because my easy, breezy style of writing was enjoyable to read. It's almost as if fate is trying to tell me something.  Wonder what it is...

Just kidding.  Seriously though, wish me luck! I have a feeling I am going to need it...that and a good editor.