What's Up Wednesday- July 30th


 Snorkeling is for Lovers, Wicked Mystics & the Meaning of Life


What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up.  Should you wish to join, check out Jaime's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.

WHAT I'M READING
WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr. I needed a little escapism this week and this definitely fit the bill. A lightweight Summer read that had me turning the pages. A mortal, a Summer King and one bitch of a mother Winter Queen. It was a fun read.

MYSTIC CITY by Theo Lawrence- I'm liking this one so far. It might be a tad predictable, but the premise is interesting and I like how the world is spinning out. And again, pure escapism is one of the rare qualities in books that I adore. Especially when the real world is a mess.

WHAT I'M WRITING

I was being very good. I was budgeting at least an hour every morning to write. But then, instead of working on what I should be working on, I wrote 10 pages of a new magical realism idea that's been haunting me. *facepalm* Shiny new ideas are the bane of my existence.


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Snorkeling at Lover's Key was so much fun. We saw tons of giant starfish, sea horses and a gorgeous little sea turtle. My favorite part was snorkeling across the deeper main channel and having a thousand little silverlings dash about in huge schools of flashing silver and bump into my scuba mask. And of course we did complete the sea grass survey, which was ostensibly why we were out there in the first place. *grin* My Kingdom for a scuba mask that doesn't pull out my hair though. 

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

During the last couple of weeks on the What's Up Wednesday post, I had a very fun exchange with the lovely Kitty Murry regarding the Mary Oliver quote, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" It's a line I've had tacked on my wall for several years now and helped me get closer to the answer to that question than I've ever been. I have a tendency to forget about poetry for long stretches of time. Besides obsessing over song lyrics, I forget to read poetry. But there's something about certain kinds of poetry that distills the essential elements of life down to an elixir so pure and so obvious as to make you rethink your very existence. So I've been devouring poetry again. (Which is funny because reading a book of poetry was also a square on the YAB Summer Reading challenge and also one that I thought I'd skip.) But I found another line, also by Mary Oliver, that turned my bones to glass. (Below: It makes my brain shout "Yes!") 

I want to wake up every morning and live deliberately. Not just with the shallow breath of subsistence, but to every pore. I want to fling myself into the raging tide and make myself swim. Not just to survive, but to thrill in the absolute existence of being. I do not want to die not having fully lived. I hold my own life in the palm of my hand and I am the only one that can see that I make the most of it.








10 comments:

  1. I love reading for escapism - being writers, it can sometimes feel like a job, but it's fun just to lose yourself in a story!

    I'm battling a shiny new idea at the moment, too. :P

    Love the photos and that quote, too! I'll have to check out some of this poetry. :)

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  2. I have the same addiction to shiny new ideas! I have almost four completed rough drafts that I need to EDIT but still I want to start a new one...

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  3. Hi, Kris! Those photos are beautiful. And I love that quote. Good luck keeping those shiny new ideas at bay! Good job writing during your hour, no matter which wip it's for! :)

    Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

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  4. You are so inspiring. I love that picture and that quote. Aren't you glad that SNI are a part of your life??? Have a great week!

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  5. Those quotes are beautiful. Definitely something to live toward. Snorkeling sounds incredible. I've always wanted to go but never had the chance.

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  6. That's a good philosophy to have :)

    Amazing photos! Thanks for sharing ^_^ Always so inspiring.

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  7. I've been reading a fair amount of poetry lately too! I haven't read any Mary Oliver but she is on my TBR list.

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  8. I can get easily distracted by other projects so I feel you on those ten pages you wrote for that magical realism. I did the same thing last week with a new idea for a contemporary. When inspiration like that hits, it's hard to ignore!

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  9. I love your pictures from snorkeling! Seriously, if I took photos like that I'd have them plastered all over my house. Ever thought of publishing a nice coffee table book about your ocean adventures?

    That quote just hits you between the eyes, doesn't it? I think it was Jaime who read it to me recently. What a great reminder! As for reading more poetry, a big yes on that. I need to branch out past the Romantics, but I'm a sucker for the flowery Dead Poet's Society type stuff lol.

    If that SNI has been haunting you then maybe it'll help to get it out of your head and onto the page. Of course, that will probably lead to more and more pages, but I guess that's what inspiration does, right? Have fun wherever your projects take you this week, Kris! :)

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  10. Your top photo is now one of my favorite pics ever! It's insanely beautiful.

    I've been distracted by several (Slightly Tarnished) Shiny New Ideas this week. I pulled out a couple of half-finished manuscripts that were calling to me. They're back in the box for the moment, but always calling to me. Always :)

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