Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 50

Thankful Thursday - Gratitude turns what you have into enough...

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Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Wishing you a Safe & Happy 4th of July!

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Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday - The Kayaking Edition & My Thoughts on Prologues

Dear Reader,



I am back from yet another vacation where my comment when I walked in the door was "I am so glad we all lived."



My family and I went 5 day kayaking expedition on the Northern tip of Vancouver Island.  As a Northwest Native, I know I'm truly optimistic setting a vacation at the end of June considering our summer doesn't start here until after July 4 (if then).



Thankfully, we had pretty good weather, but it was an adventure.  I'll tell you more now as this is starting to sound like a prologue and I realized last night, I hate prologues (more on that too)



To the confessional--



I confess I wanted to kayak with orcas, but ended up kayaking with white-sided dolphins.



Here's a photo of the grand finale of our trip--



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Here's what they look like out of the water (this photo wasn't from our trip)



I have kayaked with orcas before and it was a very spiritual, amazing experience.  I wanted to relive that.  I had never considered a pod of dolphins and what that would be like.  It was truly amazing and breathtaking.  They were really putting on a show (they were actually fishing, but I like to believe they were performing and showing off a bit) and kept traveling back and forth around our kayaks.  It was truly a magical moment in my life.



That said to get this to this moment, we had a lot of crazy moments before that from the van we were in hitting a deer and being stuck in a town that consisted of one gas station/store until someone came 2 hours later to pick us up, 20 knot winds and whitecaps, me become dehydrated on the second paddle of the trip because I only had 2 cups of coffee before a 6-mile paddle...



I am considering doing a couple nonfiction essays with this experience and how many times we need to push through the tough times and what scares us to reach that point of magic in our life.



After we hit the deer, I seriously considered turning back and going home.  I thought-- well, this is going to be one of those trips...  I thought--hmm, not a good omen to hit a deer before we begin and blow out a radiator...maybe it's a sign.





But I continued on and focused on what went right--  No one in the van was injured when it happened, we didn't swerve off the road and down the ravine or into oncoming traffic.  We were 3 miles from a town and while our radiator was smoking, we still all made it there safely.  The gas station we were at had bathrooms.  And food.  And we had lunch in the van and it wasn't raining, so we sat on a picnic table with two ravens and a blue jay watching us and played gin rummy.



As I said, I hope to write more about this adventure...we'll see where it goes.



~



I confess I started a few books on this trip and last night opening up a new books I've been craving to read, I realized how much I dislike prologues.



And when I say "dislike" I mean hate.



When I open a book and see a prologue I feel as I've been giving a homework assignment before I begin.



Here's what happens in my head when I open a book with a prologue (my voice is sans italics)--



Oh no, a prologue! Yuck! I just want read what happened.



I want to tell you a story, but first you have to know this, this, and this.





No, I hate this part-- I just want to hear your story.



Sorry, Reader, you must read this first...trust me, it's part of the story.



It's not part of the story.  It's all the boring stuff you feel you need to tell me, but you really don't.  In fact, this is like someone trying to tell me about a movie before I see it, I hate that too.



Reader, this is what you need to know first, read it.





No, I'm skipping ahead.



I have 4 pages of prologue, you're going to skip ahead then feel you missed something and go back and reread it like you always do.  





Please just start with the story.  Now I'm too tired to read.  I'm going to bed.



Amen.



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

7 Jokes for English Majors, Writers, Editors, & Poets...

Thank you Martha Silano for sharing this today--













Originally from: McSweeneys--

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/seven-bar-jokes-involving-grammar-and-punctuation






Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Stop whatever you're doing... it's time to write!

Write something write now that you wouldn't have written had you not stopped to write it.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,



I confess I haven't had much to confess recently.  I love boring, the way some people love drama.



Though lately, my mind is spinning, trying to finish things, trying to plan for things, trying to keep things clean, and trying to enjoy.



That's a lot of trying.



So, I'll continue.  Trying and confessing... to the confessional--





I confess I wish I was more of a doer than a trier.



I confess-- give me an afternoon and I will lose myself in a book, in a poem, or in a nap.



I confess I've had quite a bit of synchronicity lately.  It makes me feel connected.



I confess I worry if anyone is reading this.



I confess it's easier to forget I have a blog.



I confess my favorite treat is currently seasalt chocolate.



I confess I'm back to wanting to live/retire in a condo.



I confess I am six years in futures, two days in the past.



I confess it's hard for me to hate people because I have such a poor memory.



I confess sea otters can make me jump out of bed and run down a hill.  This is to see them.  This is not because they are in my bed.  That would be weird.



I confess I'm a little overwhelmed these days. A little and a little more.  But grateful.  And walking into the world with the belief I can find beauty everywhere.



Amen.





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

We are all poets, really.

Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

My Summer is Beginning...

Because of that, you may see more images here than words.



Do not worry, sugarbeep.  I will return with more words in fall.



Be happy!



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Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

"Even so, I must admire your skills, you are so gracefully insane." Anne Sexton

Anne sexton by lilaunderground on polyvore.com









Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

2 Openings for Poets on the Coast: A Weekend Writing Retreat in #Oregon!

Okay, coolest literary-themed hotel ever (Sylvia Beach Hotel in Oregon), Friday to Sunday (September 7-9) with time to write and connect with other incredible poets.  A gourmet dinner, if you like.  A beach outside our doorway and the feeling that you're not in this alone.  We have it!



Women poets and writers-- if you want to spend some time focusing on your writing, we just had 2 openings for our Poets on the Coast Retreat.



If you want to learn more, go here.



Once these spots are filled, we are filled!  First come, first serve!



Hope to see you there!





Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com