Michele Lee Sefton's Blog, page 17

Light shining through (w/audio)

Jaqueline had been working at the station for just over two years when she woke early to her first free Saturday. No interviews to prep for, no boxes to unpack, and the few emails she had received after falling asleep the night before to the sounds of soft jazz streaming through her new apartment’s built-in speakers, could wait until Sunday evening when she prepped for the coming week. Time and free never merged in her life or mind, so instead of springing into her morning routine, which included thirty minutes on her office treadmill, she stayed in bed for another thirty minutes watching the sunrise through her large bedroom window, freshly cleaned by yesterday’s window washer. With the shortest day of the year approaching, the sun’s later appearance had given her a few extra minutes of restful darkness. Her body was rested but her mind was anxious. ~ Honeysuckle Heat, Chapter 8

Hearing impaired: Please see full transcript of audio below. Thank you.

Thank you for stopping by! I’ve been wanting to share my window photo taken in Trier, Germany for quite a while; today’s excerpt felt like the perfect pairing. I am currently reading, Séduire – Serial Tales & Flash Fiction by Tremaine L. Loadholt. Started in Mexico, I will give trE’s book a proper review when completed, however, fully engaged in her storytelling skills, I couldn’t wait to share! Her book is available through Lulu. Honeysuckle Heat, along with my other publications, can be found on my about page or by clicking title.

featured photo by Shine Nucha / my window photo, Electoral Palace, Trier, Germany* / my beach photo holding Seduire book by Becky

*Electoral Palace window photo submitted for “Monday Window” ~ thank you to PR for hosting!

Audio transcript (discussion following reading of Chapter 8 excerpt):
I’d like to talk about the ending of this book for a few minutes and extend an invitation to readers. Without giving anything away, I want to share a bit about how the ending of this novella landed in its final form. I had another ending written and while my book was with my editor, I had an alternate conclusion drop in, while I was in the shower, of course. The birthplace of many ideas, right? I tried to ignore this change. After many months of focused writing, I was done, ready to move on to the next stage of the book writing process, yet the idea persisted so I rallied my story spent self and rewrote the ending, then sent the revised version to my editor. I am glad I did, and her feedback affirmed my efforts.

I would very much love to facilitate a discussion on the main female character’s life-altering decision, that fully reveals itself in the final chapter of Honeysuckle Heat. I am confident that it would be a dynamic discussion about ambition, love, and gender expectations and those are just my initial thoughts – individual reader perspectives about Jaqueline’s choices will surely expand on these motifs and why I am so excited to have this discussion.

I do not have a date in mind, though February feels promising. Just planting a seed today that I hope grows into a fruitful discussion in 2025. As always, feel free to leave a comment if you’re interested; I will circle back to this idea after the holidays. Thank you for listening!

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

El camino está abierto, ¡vamos! (video 2)

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.”

~Rosalia de Castro, writer and poet

Thank you for stopping by my second Rocky Point road trip share. My cousin, Becky and I had a great time and look forward to more. There are many things I enjoy about traveling with my cousin – her driving and listening skills, her hospitality, her compassion for people and animals, her laughter, and her knowledge of the area and local language, as a long time (parttime) resident in the small city of Puerto Peñasco.

If you missed my first video share, here you go: El camino está abierto, ¡vamos! (video 1) Wishing you a wonderful week! Warm regards. Michele

P.S. I see lots of stories and potential poems in these photos. Should you feel inspired to write to any of my photos, in this post or others, please do. I would be honored. I appreciate reading the perspectives of others. I ask that you credit my photos and keep it courteous and respectful of people in the photos. I reserve the right to revoke this offering, at my discretion. Thank you and thanks to Melissa Lemay for writing to my sea lion photos.

my photos and videos taken while traveling around Puerto Peñasco, Sonora and along the Sea of Cortez / beach selfie taken by Becky (left)

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Then there was one

All I have
is more than enough
all I need
found within
nurtured, protected, vibrant
my blooming garden

Thank you for visiting. Thanks too, for everyone who shared a caption (or two) in my Class Participation post yesterday. Great fun and a wonderful display of the talent and creativity that exists in our WP space. Inspiring my thoughts and warming my heart. Thank you. I will catch up there and with reading your shares soon. I look forward to it. Wrapped in a Mexican blanket and sitting under a soft pink Sonoran sky with a spirit soaring to new heights, my morning meditation is calling me back for more. I am happy to oblige. Warm regards. Michele

Poetry note: my poem is a Shadorma, a Spanish 6-line syllabic poem of 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllable lines respectively.

featured photo of woman in Yoga pose on beach by Kitja Kitja / my bird, sky, beach photos taken in Puerto Peñasco

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Class participation

Good day creative people! Please add your caption to my wide-mouthed sea lion photo. I have some silly thoughts, but why should I have all the fun. I am excited to read what y’all come up with! Take your time; there is no deadline. Overachievers can caption both photos. Thank you for participating and a pleasant Friday to you! Michele

my photos of sea lions taken in Newport, Oregon

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Is this seat taken? (audio added)

Audio added for those who might be interested. A few flubs but hey ho, it was a one and done and off to work I go…

Connection lost somewhere after mile marker 223, when easy-driving flatlands rose to treacherous mountain roads, curved and lined with tall pines. Huddled close, the trees murmured secrets and shared shadows, a contrast to the open valley below. Hugging the right side of the road, close enough for her car’s tires to crunch an occasional pinecone, she kept one eye on the bending asphalt and the other on the possibility of a deer, springing from its wooded fortress.

Her focus tested by a midday downpour. Visibility poor. Streaming thoughts replaced streaming songs. Pummeling rain, a steady sound with an occasional blast of thunder, created a dramatic orchestra around her. With time management, she had planned her trip perfectly. Forgetting to check the weather, an oversight that left her thinking about helping her mom and aunts with Thanksgiving dinner instead of actually being there. She imagined each of them bustling around the kitchen, laughing and preparing their specialty dish. Already “dressed for dinner,” their dresses protected by an apron, some handmade. She thought about her own, inherited from her grandmother, packed in her suitcase. Stains on the yellow cotton that could never be removed. She was glad about that.

She was saving her appetite for whatever was left on the table after the full bellies of her family had had enough, but the brightly lit Diner sign, matching height with the treetops, caused her to slow down, thinking it would be a good idea to send a text message to her family. They would either be worried about her or, immersed in their competitive cooking, they may have forgotten all about her.

A bell dangling from the door handle of the diner announced her arrival. A passing waitress nodded.

“Hi, welcome in! Sit wherever you’d like. I will be right back with a menu,” the cheerful hurried lady said.

She chose the closest open seat to the door then attempted to send a text. “Not Delivered.” Shit. She turned off her phone and tossed it in her purse.

The scent of homemade biscuits and desserts woke her hungry senses. Maybe just one slice of pie, she thought while taking the menu from the waitress.

“I will be back to get your order.”

“Thank you and thank you for being open today.”

“Happy to oblige, honey.”

While looking over the menu, she noticed a man sitting alone. He was staring out the window while twirling a spoon in his coffee, round and round and round.

Drawn to him, uncharacteristically she left her seat and walked toward him, with her menu and purse in hand.“Is this seat taken?” she asked.

She startled him.

“No, please, have a seat,” he replied while beginning to stand.

“No, please, stay seated,” she said while extending her right hand toward him. “Thank you. My name is Jade.”

Reaching out his right hand to her, he replied, “Nice to meet ya, my name is Benjamin.”

“Nice to meet you, Benjamin,” she said, smiling.

He returned her smile. A moment exchanged that made her forget about the rain and being late.

“Looks like you’ve met my favorite regular,” the waitress commented with a wink and a grin. “What would you like, dear?”

“I’ll have a slice of apple pie.”

“Sorry we just ran out.”

“A cup of soup will be fine. Whatever you have, and a cup of coffee. Thank you.”

The two strangers became fast friends, talking about nothing and everything until the storm cleared.

“I best be going; if I leave now, I might make it in time for dessert,” Jade said.

With a smile that did not match the sadness in his eyes, he replied, “Yes, you should get going. Please be safe out there. I am here most days, in this seat, should you feel like stopping by on your way back down the mountain.”

“I would like that very much,” she said while reaching down to give her new friend a hug. She left behind a twenty and brought his musky earthy scent with her before driving on.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my flash fiction piece. Thank you to all the hardworking folks out there, who keep life moving along, helping others (in countless ways) and serving with a smile, rain or shine, holiday or not. After eating my share of veggies and pie later today at my cousin’s place, I am stepping away for a few days. She and I will be traveling to Mexico. Catch up with ya’ll next week. Take care and be well. Michele

featured photo of a man drinking coffee alone in cafe by Anthony Smith Images / photo of two coffee cups by Photomaniakung / my sunflower photos

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

El camino está abierto, ¡vamos! (video 1)

Two cousins traveling south of the border. One is a regular, with a residence, the other, is getting reacquainted. As teenagers, we traveled to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico; she with her friends and me with mine. I’ve been back a few times, my cousin Becky never stopped traveling to the beach town, often referred to as “Rocky Point.” So much has changed with the beach destination of our youth: once a small city with vacant beaches, now full of condos and beach homes. Still beautiful though. As youngsters, we slept in tents and felt every change with the weather, sometimes feeling the wrath of tropical storms whipping from the Sea of Cortez. Hold on tight! “La federal” (Federal Police) are now more prevalent on the roads and less renegade. Some of the same Cantinas exist, now expanded and remodeled, though under the fresh paint, the same rebel spirit still lives. The food is just as delicious! I am so grateful to my cousin for taking me with her over the weekend. I had the most amazing time as a passenger, and she is the most hospitable and free-spirited tour guide this cousin could ask for.

Thanks for stopping by and a pleasant Wednesday and week to you! Warm regards. Michele

my photos and video (driving thru Rocky Point, Becky driving and on tiled steps in city center), of me on beach taken by Becky

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Is this seat taken?

Connection lost somewhere after mile marker 223, when easy-driving flatlands rose to treacherous mountain roads, curved and lined with tall pines. Huddled close, the trees murmured secrets and shared shadows, a contrast to the open valley below. Hugging the right side of the road, close enough for her car’s tires to crunch an occasional pinecone, she kept one eye on the bending asphalt and the other on the possibility of a deer, springing from its wooded fortress.

Her focus tested by a midday downpour. Visibility poor. Streaming thoughts replaced streaming songs. Pummeling rain, a steady sound with an occasional blast of thunder, created a dramatic orchestra around her. With time management, she had planned her trip perfectly. Forgetting to check the weather, an oversight that left her thinking about helping her mom and aunts with Thanksgiving dinner instead of actually being there. She imagined each of them bustling around the kitchen, laughing and preparing their specialty dish. Already “dressed for dinner,” their dresses protected by an apron, some handmade. She thought about her own, inherited from her grandmother, packed in her suitcase. Stains on the yellow cotton that could never be removed. She was glad about that.

She was saving her appetite for whatever was left on the table after the full bellies of her family had had enough, but the brightly lit Diner sign, matching height with the treetops, caused her to slow down, thinking it would be a good idea to send a text message to her family. They would either be worried about her or, immersed in their competitive cooking, they may have forgotten all about her.

A bell dangling from the door handle of the diner announced her arrival. A passing waitress nodded.

“Hi, welcome in! Sit wherever you’d like. I will be right back with a menu,” the cheerful hurried lady said.

She chose the closest open seat to the door then attempted to send a text. “Not Delivered.” Shit. She turned off her phone and tossed it in her purse.

The scent of homemade biscuits and desserts woke her hungry senses. Maybe just one slice of pie, she thought while taking the menu from the waitress.

“I will be back to get your order.”

“Thank you and thank you for being open today.”

“Happy to oblige, honey.”

While looking over the menu, she noticed a man sitting alone. He was staring out the window while twirling a spoon in his coffee, round and round and round.

Drawn to him, uncharacteristically she left her seat and walked toward him, with her menu and purse in hand.“Is this seat taken?” she asked.

She startled him.

“No, please, have a seat,” he replied while beginning to stand.

“No, please, stay seated,” she said while extending her right hand toward him. “Thank you. My name is Jade.”

Reaching out his right hand to her, he replied, “Nice to meet ya, my name is Benjamin.”

“Nice to meet you, Benjamin,” she said, smiling.

He returned her smile. A moment exchanged that made her forget about the rain and being late.

“Looks like you’ve met my favorite regular,” the waitress commented with a wink and a grin. “What would you like, dear?”

“I’ll have a slice of apple pie.”

“Sorry we just ran out.”

“A cup of soup will be fine. Whatever you have, and a cup of coffee. Thank you.”

The two strangers became fast friends, talking about nothing and everything until the storm cleared.

“I best be going; if I leave now, I might make it in time for dessert,” Jade said.

With a smile that did not match the sadness in his eyes, he replied, “Yes, you should get going. Please be safe out there. I am here most days, in this seat, should you feel like stopping by on your way back down the mountain.”

“I would like that very much,” she said while reaching down to give her new friend a hug. She left behind a twenty and brought his musky earthy scent with her before driving on.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my flash fiction piece. Thank you to all the hardworking folks out there, who keep life moving along, helping others (in countless ways) and serving with a smile, rain or shine, holiday or not. After eating my share of veggies and pie later today at my cousin’s place, I am stepping away for a few days. She and I will be traveling to Mexico. Catch up with ya’ll next week. Take care and be well. Michele

featured photo of a man drinking coffee alone in cafe by Anthony Smith Images / photo of two coffee cups by Photomaniakung / my sunflower photos

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Build your boat

Similar to reading Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being makes me feel understood in this world. Feeling heard and understood is a beautiful gift, whether through the eyes and heart of another or through the pages of a book. I am so grateful for these two writers and these two books.

As previously mentioned, I started reading Rubin’s book a few weeks ago as inspiration for the Creative Calls that I am hosting once a month, and because I admire Rubin’s personality and body of creative work, as a prolific record producer. Not only is his writing an echo of how I feel about creativity, but his words are also offering guidance on how to live as a creative in this world. A way of being that most of us either figure out on our own or give up altogether because walking a “different” path is too difficult. A heartbreaking result, for individuals and society at large, when creative expression is suppressed, whatever the cause. I’ve done my best as the parent of an artist and as a high school teacher to support creativity and individuality, however, I acknowledge that public education has great room for improvement in this regard.

My monthly Creative Calls (thru zoom) are offered with that in mind: a place for creatives to connect, learn from each other, and feel supported. The next call is today at 10 AM PST – a reminder for those who joined last month and a welcome for anyone who’d like to join us. If interested in joining us today or in the future, please email me through my contact page. Thank you for reading and happy creating! Michele

“You don’t have to stand for your work, nor does your work have to stand for anything but itself. You are not a symbol of it. Nor is it necessarily symbolic of you. It will be interpreted in the eyes and ears of those who know almost nothing about you.

If there were anything you might stand for, it would be defend this creative autonomy. Not just from outside censors, but from the voices in your head that have internalized what’s considered acceptable. The world is only as free as it allows its artists to be.” (p. 319) ―Rick Rubin

featured photo of child with a small boat by Volodymyr Tverdokhlib / my misty morning photo taken in Oregon

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Monday Morning Moon

The late summer of life is a golden time,

to let the carefree child within us play while our grown-up self, drives.

Long Monday by John Prine (Official Lyric Video)

Revisiting my morning post that needed a little more polishing. Probably still does, but I am learning to welcome spontaneity and doing my best to keep things moving along while embracing new discoveries and challenges at this point in my life. A life that fully feels like the “autumn” has arrived, at the age of fifty-five. Perhaps it has more to do with my personality or the full life I’ve lived than the actual years on my driver’s license. When doing some quick research this morning on the topic of “life seasons,” I was surprised to learn that the midpoint between fifty and sixty is not yet considered “autumn,” according to a few sources, including Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung. So, in writing my one sentence I chose to respectfully concede to the experts: after all, I’ve never been this age before. However, labels are just that and we know ourselves better than any site or psychiatrist, right? If not, the reflective season might be the perfect time to figure it out.

I am in a public location where Wi-Fi is a bit spotty. The pauses gave me reason to look out the window and notice a large bird nest at the top of a saguaro cactus. Life might be demanding that I pick up the pace, but I will forever protect the tender and observant nature girl who lives inside of me. The one who never had a chance to fully live, carefree. She and I have some catching up to do.

Thank you for stopping by and best wishes to you! Michele

my photos, Monday morning waning crescent above the Sonoran and Siuslaw River, Florence, Oregon

2019-2024 myinspiredlife

Together, we are in it

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Theresa

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
― Maya Angelou

Thank you for stopping by! Sharing some precious moments from my year and quotes from two of my heroes. Wishing you a pleasant week ahead. Michele

my photos: various locations in Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Oregon of people walking, standing, and riding together, and two ducks

2019-2024 myinspiredlife