Fast-forward three months later. What would you be doing? Where would you be living? Who would you be surrounded by? Why?

Oh Yes! I won! Impossible to imagine, since I don’t really play, but we can pretend. Two scenarios play out in my mind. Scenario one involves a very large home in a swanky neighborhood (not far from where I currently live), a house staff that includes a cook, a personal trainer (if not Chris Powell, then a clone of him), a housekeeper, and a groundskeeper (you know, for the pool, lawn, and gardens). My sweetheart and I would have done a bit of traveling, and would be settling in to our new life. I would have time every day to work out, read, write, quilt, and scrapbook. Of course the house would be huge and have dedicated areas for all of those activities, so I wouldn’t need to pull things out and put them away each time.

The studio would house my quilting and scrapbooking (and other craft) supplies. It would be sunny and cheerful, and in the evening it would be well lit. Of course it would be outfitted with ample storage for my ever growing collection of fabrics, papers, and notions. I would have tall counters for cutting and comfortable spaces to spread out and design and create. I would invest in a longarm quilting machine, and hire an expert tutor to help me get the hang of it. If I don’t get the hang of it, I would just have her come over and do my quilts for me.

My study would be the reading and writing center of the home. It would be a cozy room with walls of books, comfortable seating with good light, and a lovely desk with my computer. Here I would spend hours every day composing narratives, poems, and works of fiction. I would play with various styles of writing, and take online writing workshops. I would read here too, sampling works from writers new and old.

Another room I would visit daily would be the workout room. I imagine a treadmill, weights, boxing equipment, plenty of floor space, and other pieces of equipment that I can’t even name. My trainer would be compassionate and motivating, and I would learn to love working out. Naturally there would be a pool too, for my water workouts and general recreation and relaxation.

Finally there would be a tremendous kitchen, complete with fabulous healthy chef/nutritionist/teacher. This wonderperson would teach me the ways of creating delicious meals that will satisfy me and help me on my path to wellness. He/she would also do the meal planning, sous chef work, and cleaning up. Wouldn’t that be nice?

It all sounds fabulous, but totally unrealistic. First of all, I really don’t want a bunch of strangers in my house. Ok, Chris Powell can come over once a week for my training session, but other than that, I value my privacy. If I really did win the lottery, things would look a lot like they already do. First, I would finish out the school year with my students. There would be no reason to abandon them. Next, I might move to a slightly larger, more comfortable home, but it would be far from a mansion. There are three of us in our family. That would be silly.

Things I would do:

1. Put aside college money for my son.

2. Hire him a driving instructor. He’s almost old enough for his permit (just a few weeks away).

3. Hire a trainer. Even if it’s not Chris.

4. Keep writing.

5. Plan a memorable vacation.

6. Think about life after school lets out in May. Would I go back? I might not. I might concentrate on writing.

The lottery is unlikely, but having dreams doesn’t depend on lottery winnings.

September 9, 2013
by BulgingButtons 5 Comments

Daily Passion Prompt 5: Wandering the Bookstore

TODAY’S QUESTION

What’s your favorite section in the bookstore?

Okay, this daily passion prompt shouldn’t be too difficult. I love the bookstore. I imagine most bloggers do, since we write. Writers read, don’t they? They ought to, anyway, and bookstores are repositories for words. Millions and millions of words. Oh, how I love them!

So on to the prompt. Easy, right? Um, wrong. I’m not sure I exactly have a favorite section. I’m more like a diner at a fabulous buffet. I like to sample of a little of this and a little of that. I don’t want to fill up at the salad bar so I have room for the pasta station, but I can’t have too much of that or I might miss the prime rib. Oh, and dessert, don’t forget about that.

So here’s a typical bookstore visit for me: start with the tables filled with new releases and buy two get one free deals. These are generally novels, and I usually am tempted by a couple of them, but I extricate myself from their pull and move on to the craft section. Here I’m drawn to quilt books, scrapbooking books, journaling books, and general interest books on living a more creative life. How many of these books can one own? I don’t know, but I have many.

From there I wander over to the education section. Am I feeling like an activist? Do I need some inspiration? How about some fresh approaches to old topics? This is the place to browse through my colleagues’ pearls of wisdom.

Feeling inspired or overwhelmed, depending on the mood and books I’ve viewed, I generally seek self-help. Maybe it’s a new approach to eating or fitness or some fabulous new exercise routine that involves lifting red velvet doughnuts to my lips (oh how I wish). I admire the people who pen these and not only get them published, but find an audience.

From here I may wander over to the children’s section. I may feel as though we need one more biography of Ben Franklin to really understand him, or one more poetry book for motivation, or one more biography of an inspiring woman to round out our curriculum. Usually I look at the price of these books and decide that I can find appropriate resources online.

Near the end of my visit (and stamina) I may cruise past the magazines. The latest quilt magazines are fair game. They usually offer as many exciting new designs as a book for a third of the cost.

Oftentimes I leave empty handed, but I always feel as though my soul has been refueled, thanks to the power of words.

July 16, 2013
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

Facebook, Here I Am

I just created my facebook profile for all the little thoughts that don’t necessarily require a full blown blog post. I will also be keeping track of the reading portion of the 47 for 47 challenge there and would love to see what you’re reading and doing. My facebook page is Bea Buttons. C’mon over!