NaNoWriMo | BulgingButtons

November 21, 2016
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

Found on an Old Flash Drive (2012)

It used to be easy

Sitting down at the keyboard and just letting the words come

Often I wouldn’t know what I was writing about until the words took some form

Some shape of their own

Their own direction

I could let them spill out of my fingertips into my computer

and they would appear

before my eyes

Did I write this?

Are these really my thoughts?

Do I believe all of these ideas? These sentiments?

Yes, I suppose I do.

They don’t come from my head

They come from my heart

Or my soul

My spirit

Or maybe just from my fingertips

Do my fingertips have something to say?

Some deep message that they need me to hear?

Maybe they wish to be my guide

Maybe they are in revolt

Thinking that the brain and the heart and the soul have all had their turns

at guiding me

Have all had their turns

at leading me astray

So why not their turn?

Why not let them try?

See what they say

See if they make any more or less sense than the other parts of me

who have all had a go at helping me to make decisions in my life

So here I sit

Prisoner to the thoughts and ideas

That simply flow through my fingers

Not in charge of anything

Just going along for the ride

and waiting to see

what those knowing hands

have to teach me

November 13, 2016
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

The Dangers of Procrastination and Amazon One Click

I am now the proud new owner of several novels that I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to read. It’s all one click’s fault. Well, no, maybe it isn’t. It’s all Twitter’s fault. Nope. Not it either. Oh my gosh, it’s all my own fault.

You see, I was happily working on my latest novel for NaNoWriMo when I felt the need to look at my phone. I know. I shouldn’t have done it, however, I did.

There, by the little Twitter bird was a red circle, meaning that I just HAD to click on it to see what was new in the Twit-o-sphere. Well, reading Twitter is like eating potato chips. You can’t read just one tweet, you have to scroll down and read 47 of them, at least. And in that 47, if you’re actually following people who are of interest to you, there are several clicks that take you other places. Places like novelists’ websites, where they gush about other novelists’ new books, and tell you things like, “hey, read this book, it’s on sale for just $1.99 and it’s fabulous!”

Well, how can I NOT read this fabulous book endorsed by this fabulous author when it’s only $1.99? I do read a lot on Overdrive, which makes MOST of my reading free, but I also can’t resist a deal, and authors still get something when I buy a $1.99 book, so there’s that.

Well, one click leads to another click which then leads to another click, and before you know it I have several new books downloaded. Swell.

Now I’m not unhappy about this. I didn’t spend a ton of money, and as I said, I’m not opposed to authors earning a little something from their writing, not at all. I’m just saying that those evil geniuses over at Amazon know what they’re doing. Sigh. I just hope that someday they’ll be doing the same thing for me and my books.

November 12, 2016
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

The Itch to Stitch

Taking out my autumn quilts has awoken in me a desire to sew. I know, I know… I have enough going on right now, what with blogging everyday for NaBloPoMo and working on a novel for NaNoWriMo, but I really want to stitch!

The table I write at is also the table I sew at. It’s situated perfectly for both activities. I can easily see who’s coming in the room since the table sticks out from the wall. That was a requirement so the fabric has somewhere to do once it’s gone through the sewing machine. Sewing at a table pushed against a wall is impractical and frustrating.

I made this several years ago from my fabric stash.

Behind my table is my stash of fabric. Most of it, anyway. I have a low wall of cubbies under the window (so sunlight can’t fade the fabric) and it is full of flat-folds of fabric. They’re sorted primarily by color, but also to a smaller extent by type. The hand-dyed fabrics are together as are the plaids, for example. This colorful assortment greets me each time I enter the room, and it makes me happy.

Long ago I was a cross-stitcher. I created many lovely projects, and I had some of them professionally framed at a small cross-stitch shop that I loved dearly. Each time I was in the shop I would pick up more patterns, knowing full well that I already had more than I would ever stitch in a dozen lifetimes. I lamented this fact one day as I was paying, and the kindly woman who owned the shop said, “It’s as much about collecting as it is about stitching.” How wise she was. Permission granted to keep on collecting.

I’m a collector of fabrics, of patterns, and books. I may never use them all. In fact I’m sure I won’t, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy my collection, and adding to it from time to time. But really, I’d like to dust off my machine and take a few stitches. Maybe come December.