Welcome to Journaling

Recently, I started taking a MasterClass class on short story writing and one piece of advice was to keep a journal. I really like this idea. Journaling has helped me to privately express myself for years, while also gushing about the different kinds of food I enjoy while traveling. Occasionally I get a kick out of going back and reading these journals.

I have kept a journal on and off since I was a child. When I was in elementary school, my interest in journaling came about because of the Dear America and My America books which were written as a series of diary or journal entries by kids living during a particularly important part of American history. Eventually I started working my way through the Royal Diaries collections (which is where I learned about Lady of Ch’iao Kuo also known as Lady Red Bird and the amazing Angolan princess Nzingha).

As a little kid, I tried to emulate the way the dairies were set up - with recorded conversations, notes from newspapers and letters, and more details than a normal journal writer really records. Needless to say, trying to copy this style was exhausting.

Then I went to Japan.

Prior to that trip I was given this really cool journal to write about my time while traveling. My aunt and father also told me about how my grandmother always kept a travel journal and kept  one on what happened every day. Wanting to be like my grandmother, I made my first attempt at keeping a travel journal.

This turned into a bit of a chore when my aunt realized my penmanship was awful and made me sit at the dining table every opening, in Japan, to practice my writing. It wasn’t the most fun activity for an 11 year old. Years later, while reading one of my grandmother’s journals, I discovered that my aunt also had bad penmanship at my age (it was her only “bad” grade in that report card) and I felt a little better about myself.

However, that first travel journal got me into the habit of keeping a journal anytime I feel like I go on an adventure. Last year, before I went on my second trip to Japan, I reread the journal and noticed two things. One, I really liked sparkly gel pens. Two, I was seriously obsessed with the food. I grew out of the first habit and haven’t lost my love of the second habit at all. Every travel journal I keep has a lengthy passage everyday about what I ate that day.

My college journal had been given to my by one of my aunts as a graduation gift. My roommate could often find me recording my thoughts every night before going to bed and it became a major part of my nightly sleep prep ritual.

Compare this to my high school journal which is filled with stories, bad poetry, some even worse drawings, and the occasional spell (clearly I knew I was a witch in high school). Honestly going through that journal is painful and some days I wish I would burn it off the face of the world, but I can’t seem to let it go.

My journal keeping habits since graduating college has varied greatly and I could go years before writing down my thoughts again. However, given the recent pandemic and quarantine, I’ve found myself writing in my journal more and more. It helps with my anxiety about COVID-19 and social distancing. It allows me to organize my thoughts around events and even record some of my weirder dreams (and boy do I have some weird dreams).

Keeping a journal might be a good idea for some people during these trying times. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I once kept an agenda beside my bed to simply write my general mood for the day. A simple spiral notebook works well or even keeping a digital journal in the notes section on your phone.

If you have kids, helping them to start a journal might help them with their writing skills and allow them a bit of privacy to express themselves while we’re all living out of each other’s pockets (just don’t read your kid’s journal - it’s a deep violation of trust - unless invited to).

In some ways this blog post is like a journal. It’s a place where I write down my thoughts and give my opinion and record what’s going on in the world. I just know that anyone on the internet can read it.

If you’re looking for something to help you through these times, try journaling. I can’t say if it’s for everyone, but I do know it’s helped me. And sometimes I laugh at what my younger self thought was important.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Too Much Screen Time

Every week Apple decides to give me an update on how much my weekly screen time I’ve had and whether or not it’s changed from the previous week. It’s a cheerful little ping that sounds every Sunday morning. Sometimes I want to chuck my phone against a wall.

Between my time spent working, using Zoom or FaceTime to talk to my friends, writing, and reading (Lord this list keeps going on and on), I’m getting a headache from how much time I spend staring at a screen. I can't seem to escape the blue glow of electronic screens.

Most days, I roll over and have to pick up my phone to either hit the large snooze button or fumble my way to the alarm "off" button. Once my phone is in my hands, it's all too easy to start scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I might check my email and see if there's been an update to one of the serial stories I'm following. There might be a YouTube video I want to watch.

My day ends in bed again scrolling through my phone. Partially I do this to make certain that my alarm is actually set, but then it turns into me fighting going to sleep. I scroll and jump apps until I can't see straight. A lot of times I'm answering texts and waiting for the replies.

I am well aware that this is not healthy and I've been trying to fix this problem, but it's easy to fall into bad habits when my only connection to my friends and family is a super computer that fits in my hand.

Too much screen time and lack of actual physical human contact has definitely affected my mood. I feel more tired, I'm having trouble sleeping, and I'm having trouble doing things that I enjoy (like writing).

One would think that as a writer, I might enjoy having a greater ability to sit down and write my novel, short stories, and poetry. One would be wrong. As soon as I get into the mood to write after a day at work, I feel too tired to even open my personal laptop. If I do managed to open my personal laptop, I have a hard time concentrating on creating the story I want to. I think I was more creative when I was working in the office then when I'm working at home.

Also, cutting off my screen time right now (for a weekend, I still have to work) probably isn't the best option for me. It's my only way to contact my friends and family. Dropping off the face of the Earth isn't the best idea for right now (even as a joke).

Today, instead of scrolling through my phone, I picked up a new book I'm reading (The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley - a Robin Hood story) and then later started a puzzle. The puzzle is still taking up room on my dining room table. I probably won't finish it for a couple of days.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful I live in a world with Internet access and a cell phone to be able to see and speak with my friends and family over great distances and especially in this time of social distancing.

I'm just very excited for the day when I can go over to my friend's house and play a board game (hopefully Betrayal at House on the Hill). I want to go to Sweet Frog without worry. Heck, I want to take a trip to the mountains and write for a weekend. Anything to get me out of this strange blending of days.

We will get through this. I need to remember to take care of myself and take breaks away from my screens. I need to go outside and get some sunshine. I need to remember to call my family and answer my friends' texts.

Honestly, is it any wonder that so many people have turned to Animal Crossing during these times. It gives the illusion of going out and talking to people - sure you're basically an indentured servant to Tom Nook, but at least he doesn't charge interest.

And no, my younger self wouldn't enjoy being stuck inside all the time. Younger me probably would have enjoyed it for about a week before playing through all of my GameCube games (by then I should have reached the bottom of both the mines in Harvest Moon).

I did still have some screen time today. I'm writing this blog post and I have a food blog waiting to be written as well. However, I do feel a little better having taken some time away from my computer and phone.

I hope everyone is doing okay and taking time to look after themselves. A lot is going on and can affect each of us in different ways.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to a Balcony Garden

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the start of spring and how I had fallen back on one of my favorite hobbies: gardening. In the past two weeks, my little garden has grown a little more...in more ways than one?

I went to one of the few gardening centers still open and picked up some Boston lettuce, tomatoes, lavender, camomile, and bachelor buttons (my favorite are the blue ones. I’m having a hard time stopping myself from buying all the plants and pretty pots, but I just have to remember how much space I have.

I admit, going out and being near people right now is very stressful. I’m much happier surrounded by plants and watching the birds fly around while the squirrels play a game of chicken with the local dogs. Occasion a bumblebee will pass by - I’m glad for that because they’re becoming a rarity and we need them for the plants and flowers.

When I get a free chance, I’m outside squatting down looking into the container with carrots and peas that I’m growing from seeds. I probably look a lot like Mei from My Neighbor Totoro while waiting for signs that the plants are growing.

I knew it would take more than a week, but I’ve finally started seeing little pea shoots and the first thin stems of lemon balm. I’m hoping the carrots are soon to follow. The camomile and bachelor buttons were just planted, so it’ll be a little while yet before I start seeing them come up.

I don’t like to think that there will be a shortage of fresh food, nor do I like to think that that fear is what’s driving my plant choices. However, those thoughts do swim around my mind from time to time. It’s a lot easier plucking a couple of leaves of romaine than going out to the store for a full packet.

I’ve seen other people mention that they’re starting a garden. I hope the practice catches on. Gardening is relaxing. The planting, tending, and harvesting of plants makes me feel closer to nature in a way that I haven’t in a long time - even when I go hiking.

I know gardening isn’t for everyone. First time I killed a plant (it was a rosemary bush), I thought I’d never get another plant again. Then I got a papyrus plant and a spired plant, and I suddenly wanted to grow more.

It’s tough, it rewarding.

My garden is mostly herbs right now. I’m looking forward to having fresh mint tea and adding rosemary to my soups.

One day I hope to have a house with a decent size yard to grow a large garden. It’ll have a lot more vegetables and maybe a fruit tree or two.

That’s likely way in the future.

Until then, I’ve got a small balcony facing north - south would be better, but I take what I can. I’ve got some veggies and a lot of herbs. Soon there’ll be some flowers with cute little bees flitting between them all. I’ll likely have to chase the squirrels away.

I’ll keep y’all updated on the garden... because right now, it’s what I got.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I like hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.