Friday Freewrite Fifteen

I have not been writing much lately. There was a time that I would write almost every morning. It hasn't been because I was burned out or that I didn't want to write. I just have not. I went on a vacation, and I am had pictures to process (1250 more or less) and genealogy to follow up on that has filled my cup to overflowing with gratitude for the great time we had as a family, as a descendant and relative of wonderful people in Pennsylvania, as an American, as an art lover, etc. The ball was hit out of the park and into the stratosphere on this trip. It is like those Master Charge commercials where I could add up all the costs of hotels and travel and admissions, but it would be concluded "Time as a family on a trip of a lifetime," and the tag after is would say:

PRICELESS

Just like the commercial. 

To say that we accomplished and exceeded our goals on our trip would be an understatement. The boys were so engaged, and their age and maturity level was perfect for travel from obscure Caldwell/Gurnsey/Wardrop graveyards in Cross Fork and Adrian to the Holocaust Memorial Museum.  

The pictures of the entire trip are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/52364318@N00/collections/72157631177874138/

But here is a slideshow of the highlights (from my Carol365):




Much of coming back from a trip is preserving the memories, and I have done that very well. It meant I put other things on hold. I had planned on hitting the photos from the past five years pretty hard, but these are part of those photos. So, I am good with that. 

Actually, I don't think I am that far off from all those photos. The heaviest load  of all the backlogged 365's was completed last December/January. Now, I just need to do the extras and the boys albums, and they already picked them out for two of the years. Now, I am waiting to order with a great deal from one of the photo sites. So, that will be my project this weekend.

I made space for all of this by almost completing YEAR TWO of the BBC before I left for our East Coast trip. I did Esther on our trip and came back and completed that. Then I only had Ezra, Nehemiah, and the two prophets associated with them: Haggai and Zechariah. So, I completed it in the first week back.

Now, I could take a break until April 2013, but I will slowly work my way through Acts and also do Romans as I study Romans 5-8 with Rachel and Kim from October to May. That will be very nice. 

Wow. I am really loving writing again. 

And this is where I might do something that I have always dreamed of doing. It may be my destiny to do it: Write an historical fiction novel based on the life of my great grandparents and the town that became a ghost town: Cross Fork. Actually, I want to write a series that chronicles the life and loves of my ancestors. I have uncovered SO much since I returned home from our trip to Pennsylvania, and it is almost as if my heart is still there in some strange way. I want to tell the story of my grandmother who was orphaned at 11. Oh, my head is stirring. A truly Americana novel. I see it in my head, but I think I see it more as a movie or mini-series TV script than anything else. 

First I want to finish the BBC project though. Lord give me the path for doing both!

George is up now, and he is going to the farm to check on some things. I was supposed to meet with Rebekah at 10:30 but asked to postpone so I could go with George. Now I am sick (headache and general yuckiness). I may have to stay home sick. I am not sure what I will do. 


But I will close. I have more to say, and I think that I am going to go back to writing daily again. I love this. 

(Reminder to anyone reading this that a Freewrite is where one writes unhindered by spelling and grammatical errors. The idea is to get everything out on the page and let it flow. Therefore, there will be typos and errors. It is part of the process. I do know the difference between there, their, and they're, but sometimes I freewrite, and it comes out wrong because I am not thinking. So, do not be alarmed!)