Kelli Russell Agodon's Blog, page 71

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Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday: Life is not a fairy tail (as that would be wrong & abusive to fairies)

Dear Readers,



It's been a change in weather since my last confession.  80 degrees.  We have not really had a summer this year in the Northwest.  Mostly overcast.  But with the new weather, we feel as if we've been handed a gift.  Sunshine.  Let the simple things in life always make us happy...



To the confessional--





I confess I have a new favorite hobby-- SUP Boarding or Longboarding (stand-up paddling on a surfboarding).  We have a local business that rents them for $10 an hour.  I was hooked on my first try. It's meditation on the water and yes, you feel as if you're walking on water.



Yesterday, I saw a flounder in the shallow part of the water, along with a kingfisher, bald eagle, osprey, blue heron and a zillion types of other seabirds.  It was afternoon and the moon was out.  I felt when I saw the blue heron fly towards the afternoon moon I was in a perfect world.  That is what it takes sometimes-- nature, a few minutes to notice, to be aware of the world around you.



~



On a completely different topic, I confess, I'm regretting my recent short haircut decision.



I know it's not unusual for me to cut off my hair in autumn for a quick, easier style so I can have less time getting ready in the morning and more time to write (I cut off 7") but I'm starting to think I don't have a cute-enough face for it anymore.  And these shorter haircuts walk a very thin line between stylish and mom-hair (I can say this because I am a mom).



I once heard a woman poet say to me after cutting off about 8"-10" of her long blonde hair for the cutest pixie ever-- "I think I lost my mojo."  And I get what she means.



Still, I am thankful that it takes me all of 5 minutes to do my hair and yes, as hair tends to do--it will grow back.





Before


After


























By the way, you may think the shorter hair looks better but my vain-self chose the best photo of me, plus it's summer, so my moon-colored skin is looking a little more golden, which helps my overall appearance.



~



I confess according to my Amazon sales numbers for my book, Letters From the Emily Dickinson Room, while it was not a surprise to see I've sold most copies in the Seattle area, it was a surprise to see Atlanta, Georgia as a consistent second.  Thank you, Georgia folks!



~

I confess I think spelling is important.  Especially people's names.  And in an age where our devices SPELLCHECK for us misspellings should be the exception and not the norm.



But then there's not knowing the right version of the word to use.  Like what if I wrote about "misspellings should be the acception and not the norm."  (By the way, acception isn't a word, though I'm betting it's been used before.)



And when we confuse one version of word for another, when we create special unique images for the ones who notice.  Like us.



So with that introduction, I give you this--





dear gawd!  Which fairy lost her tail?  Please give it back.


When I read the above, I see this:



















           or this



















But at least she didn't use this type of "ferry tail" -





~



Amen.Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

The Art of Practice

Goal in Life:  Never to waste a three-day weekend.

~





So here we are on morning of Labor Day.  I am putting away my white shoes and white pants, which is easy as I own neither.

Here's a secret I haven't shared with you, a pre-Confession Tuesday confession-- I have completely forgotten how to write a poem.

I'll be honest, this summer, I didn't write.

I edited.  I read poems for Crab Creek Review.  I went camping.  I watched people dig up my yard.  I read.  It feels as if drank wine more evenings than not.  I went to see The Go-Go's in concert. I worked so much on a poetry eBook anthology of contemporary women poets.

But I really didn't write.

It was actually funny getting together with Susan Rich to write last Thursday.  We would use first lines from other poets to get us writing and then realize, the best line in our entire poem was the other poet's!  At one poem I had used an image that included the AARP (ah, I did some terrible writing that day).  But here's the thing, as we wrote, we got better.

And by the end of our 90 minutes of 7-8 minute writing prompts, we each had something new to work on.

So while I realize that while I have no idea how to write a poem anymore, I will if I write daily.  I will arrive to the blank white field ready to hit a homerun if I practice more and stretch my mind each day.

Some people do not have to write daily to write well.  I am not one of those people.  And if not daily, then at least several times a week.  Without writing daily or every other day, I become the old player aching around with nothing interesting to say.  

I need to be a working writer, a practicing writer. I am not Babe Ruth in the World Series pointing to center field and hitting a home run. I am the kid with a stick and rock in a field of wildflowers. And the more I swing, the more rocks I hit.

And by rocks, I mean poems.







Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Where I Write: My Writing Shed --->

This is my writing studio, which was created from a barn shed from Lowe's for about $2000.  The electricity was $800.  It was worth every penny.



It was called the Poetry Barn, but inspired by Susan Rich's House of Sky writing studio, we named it "House of Sea" as that is what I look out too...well, partially.  (It would have to be called House of Hydrangea if I named it what I see most of...)



I'm out here writing in it right now.  Or should I say, Write Now.



That's for all of you who have been like me and lollygagging this summer.  Let's unlollygag together...Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Easiest Blackberry Cobbler Recipe -->

Because you asked:





Ingredients4 cups fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped cream (optional)
Garnish: fresh mint sprig
PreparationPreheat oven to 375°. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, if desired.
~~

Note:  I skipped the butter because I um, forgot to add it!  And it turned out great! (and with less calories).



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday -Once in a Lifetime

Dear Reader,



It's been some nice weather, a camping trip, and a lot going on since my last confession.  I swear, I don't remember August.  I'm sure it happened as I have a full calendar of things I did, but it was a wingflash, flying by my window as I tried to decide what to wear.



But here we are, it's Tuesday and I must have things to confess... I do.



To the confessional--



I confess this summer has been filled with reading a lot and keeping up with laundry.  Really, writing and laundry are about all I can handle in a day.  And honestly, either a poem or a sock gets lost in the mix.



In the middle of this, I shall say, I am very thankful to be able to do laundry.  Yes, the HUGE home project of new septic system and drainfield is completely finished.  We have a beautiful yard of dirt (all the grass was dug up) and half of our fence is gone (I'm now working on making new stairs and a flagstone path).



This is the poetry in my life lately-- yardwork.  Self Portrait with Gardening Shears.



But thankfully again, the Northwest will turn to rain and I will be able to stay inside and write without feeling guilty of our warzone-style yard and garden area.



~

I confess while being outside yesterday, I wandered down to a vacant lot and picked a ton of blackberries to make the most delicious (and easy) blackberry cobbler ever.  Five ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, blackberries, lemon juice.  That's it.  And it was incredible!



~



Having nothing to do with blackberries, I must confess that I so dislike prologues.  I might even say-- hate them.  Let's just get to the story, please don't bore me with the warm-ups, get to the pitch and the hit.



~



I confess a couple months I did a blog about not watching much television, but I confess, I'm currently hooked on the new season Project Runway (you're right, I don't have cable, but I watch it on MyLifetime.com - I am so ridiculous, I know).  We are all fans of Anya in this household, the Trinidad designer who just learned how to sew 4 months ago.  She's fabulous and I hope she wins.



Also, while I am very anti-Heidi Klum (I swear to gawd she has happy mean streak), I am very pro-Tim Gunn.  I love him like a new pair of shoes.  And I learned he has a new book out-- Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work.  And I confess, I just got the sample on iBooks.



~



I confess today my daughter began her first day of middle school.  I tend not to discuss my family here, but in my me-centered world, I just keep thinking, "How did I become a parent of a middle-schooler?!"  (and in the back of my brain, "I'm so young!" --um, I'm not, I just feel that way).



But off she went today, leaving me the whole day for my writing.



After this post, I'm off to clean up my writing shed (aka House of Sea), my writing studio, and get back to work.  I have set my writing aside all summer, but it begins again, as does Crab Creek Review and an eBook anthology I'm editing with the other CCR editor.



My writing life begins again today.  I'm not sure how I'm feeling except I'm here and in my head a lot.  Thinking about life and the past and everything in between.  I guess we have days like this, days where we look at our life and think, "How did I get here?"  Just like the Talking Heads sang. . .



And You May Find Yourself In Another Part Of The World

And You May Find Yourself Behind The Wheel Of A Large Automobile

And You May Find Yourself In A Beautiful House, With A Beautiful Wife

And You May Ask Yourself-Well...How Did I Get Here?



Amen.



Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

New Website that Lists #Poetry Blogs -->

We are a Blog Nation-- I just found out I was listed on the new Poetry Blogs website:



poetryblogs.org



If you want to see have your blog listed, go here.Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Summer Reading List (What I've Read & What I Want to Read) ~

Sorry to have been away. My final weeks of August have been crazybusy, filled with all good things (camping, day trips, longboarding, sunshine) but filled.  I can only do filled for so long before I begin craving me-time and more of a routine.



For this reason, I look forward to autumn.  Fall is when I do my best writing, when I am fully immersed in my writing life.



August is my warm-up to summer, my reading life days.



Here are some of the books on my list TO READ and some of the books I have completed.



READ This SUMMER:



Darin Strauss' Half a Life: A Memoir & Tina Fey's  Bossypants- I've already raved about both of these.  Read them both in an evening and a morning.



Alexandra Robbins' The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School - Great reading for any parent who *doesn't* aim for their kids to be in the popular group and believes in following one's own path, even it if doesn't conform to what is being dished out to us on television shows, commercials, and the land of celebrity culture.



Harriet Rubin's The Mona Lisa Stratagem: The Art of Women, Age, and Power - A good read for women who are heading to age 45 (and up) and a look at powerful, remarkable things that have been achieved in the second part of life.  Smart reading and thoughts about how women tend to come into themselves in a more authentic way later in life.  I was also thrilled to learn the 50's were viewed as a time when women are "most creative." Even though I have quite a few years until then, I was happy to get that report.



Cecile Andrews' The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life ($5.18 on Amazon, btw!) - I read this ever year to help put my values, thoughts and beliefs back into order and remind myself of my priorities.  I have recommended this book many times, so here it is again after my summer reading of it  (probably my 9th reading of this good book).



Seth Godin's Poke the Box - I read this after a friend's rave review and was a little disappointed.  Basically, it's a motivational book to try new things, to "poke the box" and not be afraid of risk or mistakes.  Pretty basic stuff, but if you're trying to overcome these fears, you might like this (also a good price at Amazon $6.99).



Steven Pressfield's The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles - Super-duper easy read, but inspirational.  Some good thoughts on overcoming resistance -- If this is your issue as an artist or writer, you might get some motivation in making positive changes in your life.  I felt he understood many aspects of being an artist/writer, and honestly, I just enjoy books like this.





TO READ--



Douglas Edwards' I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 - This looks like an interesting book on being part of the Google start-up before it was so big, worth so much, and so well-known.  Received good reviews for those interested in these types of memoirs, which I am.



Kelle Groom's I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl: A Memoir - My sister, who is not a poet or artist, recommended this book to me and I keep hearing good things about it.  NPR said this about the book-- "After reading I Wore the Ocean, you'll wish that more poets would write their lives in prose — Groom's voice feels vital and awake, uncompromising and refreshingly spare. Groom beautifully summons the smallest moments from her memory."





Mika Brzezinski's Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth.  A friend recommended this to me and it sounds interesting despite 1) I don't know who she is and have never watched her morning show  2) I don't work in corporate America.  I read some of the Amazon reviews that marked this as "too simplistic," but I'm kind of interested.  This will be towards the end of my list, but honestly, I'm intrigued by the mixed reviews.





Hearing about this book, reminded me January O'Neil recommended this book quite a few years ago-- Linda R. Hirshman's Get to Work: . . . And Get a Life, Before It's Too Late (and it also received mixed reviews. I read GET TO WORK and enjoyed it despite being a "stay-at-home/work-from-home" mom).  And with that, I'd be interested in reading this--Leslie Bennett's Feminine Mistake, The: Are We Giving Up Too Much? (title nodding to Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique). 



Nassir Ghaemi's A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness - With so many poets who have lived short lives as well as the artists and leaders who have struggled with mental illness, this book sounds as if it will be an interesting read.  Amazon reviewers have it at 4 stars.



Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything - From Booklist- In this intriguing look at the nature of memory, Foer reassures us that we don't need to acquire a better memory; we just need to use the one we have more effectively.  Definitely something I'm interested in since I spent much of the summer looking for my keys and phone.



Happy Reading!Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Confession Tuesday with Flying Monkeys...

Dear Reader,





Peeps are People Too.




Another week, another week.  I'm thinking about autumn, how I'm looking forward to the leaves changing, to plaid and wool sweaters.  In my best world, it doesn't rain in September or October, but in truth I know it will.  We are the Northwest, the Northwet.



But enough, let's get to the confessional--



I confess I get annoyed when chargers are plugged in, but not in use.  I feel the same way about other equipment too, like the television, toaster, etc.





So in my search to have less of this, I just found this thing-- Smart Strip LCG3 Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet  it's received a lot of good reviews and I want to try this.  Dear Reader, if you know of something similar I should try, please let me know. I am becoming the Al Gore of the Agodon household.



~



I confess I don't like it when people refer to others as their peeps.  Unless it's Easter and their friends are made of marshmallow, then I hope there are lots of peep references.



~



I confess after writing the green confession above, I destroy my Al Gore status by confessing that I recently bought paper plates for my family to use for the rest of summer because I am so sick of how many dishes we've had to do lately.  As you can, you could easily confuse me for June Cleaver...



~



I confess I love it when people misuse the word "literally."  I literally yelled my head off.  --Really, that must have been very painful for you and how weird you're still alive.  I literally died laughing.  --Really.  So you're a zombie now.





I know some people get really annoyed with the misuse, but in my head, I love it.  I literally see all the things these people "literally" did.



~



I also love it when quotes are used incorrectly.  As in "homemade" soup. (So, what you're saying is it's not homemade).  The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks is a fun place to go if you like this kind of stuff too.



~



I confess I thought Glenda the Good Witch was not nice for not telling Dorothy that the ruby slippers could have taken her home in the *first half* of the movie. Even as a kid, this bugged me.



And I confess I never liked the flying monkeys. Ever.



Amen.Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com

Fall is in the Air...

I know for some of you, you're not ready for summer to end and even though we didn't get much of a summer in the Pacific Northwest, I am ready for summer to tuck itself in and go to bed.



Fall is really the time I do my best (and most) writing.



I am the student behind the desk.  I schedule time, my daughter's back at school and I thrive on routine.  Today I'm getting my hair cut (short) so I have to spend less time drying it (and well, styling it too).  I'll be cleaning out my writing shed (aka House of Sea) and maybe even picking up some non-pariels for a treat.



~



One place I will have to stay away from this fall and writing season is this place: Pinterest.



If you're someone who loves visual images and images of beautiful things of whatever subject you're interested in, do not go there.



Basically, on Pinterest, you follow people or "boards" which are like virtually bulletin boards on different subjects (and you choose what you want).  When people put new images on their board, you see them on your home page, then you can "Repin" them to your board.



It's a huge experiment in time wasting and it's lovely.



I have a board on Do-It-Yourself ideas for gifts as I plan on making my own Christmas gifts again this year, so it's been helpful to keep track.



~

So this is me this Monday morning.  Early Monday morning.  Insomnia sings my name again recently, so I echo back here.Kelli Russell Agodon
www.agodon.com