Happy Winter?!
My writing recap, world's future survey & weather woes
It's been over a month since I last wrote, and I apologize for that. But thankfully I'm writing to you now. :)
First, a recap and update on…
My Writing Pursuits
Writing Recap
At the start of last Fall, when I realized I had a Golden Opportunity to pursue my passion for writing while lodged here in the mountains this school year, I started blogging again and took on the NaNoWriMo challenge of writing 50,000 words for my first novel. I also overhauled two of my websites and slightly refined one of them this past week.
It felt good to be doing what I love. And after winning the NaNoWriMo challenge, I took a long break from writing and went back on our homestead to be with my family. (And I greatly appreciated having us all together again under one roof!)
Writing Update
While I've been back in the mountains for the past two weeks, I'm just now picking up where I left off with my novel.
During my writing hiatus, I did a lot of reading. Particularly, I read & began studying Story Genius by Lisa Cron.
This led me to devote my attention, time & energy to further developing my protagonist's back story this week, and it has been a wonderful experience thus far.
In doing this, I've been trying to wrap my mind around what my main character specifically believes about the world’s future.
This prompted me to start surveying friends & family…
What Do You Think?
What do YOU think (or believe) the future holds for: (a) the manmade world we're living in and (b) the natural world put in place by a higher power?
Do you think it’s all going to come to an end? If so, how?
What do you think (or believe) YOUR ROLE is in the playing out of this future?
I'd love to hear your thoughts, truly. Please let me know.
Now, onto an ordinarily non-controversial subject...
The Weather
The snow, ice & extremely cold temperatures in much of the nation these past few weeks has been crazy! Hasn't it?
It took a personal toll on me last week, knowing I needed to get my daughter from the mountains where I am now back to our homestead in the midst of it all.
I couldn't help but recall a traumatic past experience from my mid-late 20's in NJ having to drive to & from work every day in horrible winter conditions week after week after week. It was extremely stressful.
Then, on one of my morning commutes, I skidded on black ice & ran off the road, lodging myself into an embankment of snow, wedged between a telephone pole and a tree stump, and totaled my very first car: a used black Pontiac Sunbird. :( (Thankfully, I walked away without a single injury — I wasn’t going very fast.)
Fast-forward to 2025. My husband just bought a "new-to-me" car last month: a used Mercury Grand Marquis (with a gazillion miles on it), and the thought of experiencing a repeat of that accident terrified me. (Because here, if you run off the road, there's a chance you could die!)
Needless to say, every day my daughter was still here, in need of returning home, was stressful for me.
Thankfully, my husband and I managed to meet in the middle on Friday (in between snowfalls) and got her back safely. Uggh!
I know, I know — What did you expect living in the mountains? (I expected to remain in one spot and not have to drive anywhere until the weather was clear & dry!)
My heart goes out to all those suffering, though, as a result of this highly unusual weather & extreme temperatures.
And then there's the L.A. fires. Oh, my!
[I refuse to insert a picture here to depict this horrific event.]
My heart breaks for those directly affected by all that is going on over there!
Naturally, for me personally, watching this disaster unfold reminds me of the Lahaina fires. And then, naturally having personal suspicions about the whole thing -- not so much over how it happened, but why, has caused me to wonder.
I understand calling out to God, asking why this is all happening because it appears to primarily be "an act of God", but my suspicions, based on historical evidence & known weather manipulation techniques, leads me to believe that evil men had something to do with this.
Then I came across an article earlier this week, which with just a small sip, my particular thirst for knowledge & understanding on the matter was quenched.
For those of you who might be interested, check this out: LA fires clear the way for SmartLA 2028 and 2028 LA Olympics
Without speculating what caused the fires or who’s behind what, I feel pretty certain the Powers That Shouldn’t Be in this world are not going to let a “crisis” go to waste. :(
In the meantime, I'm personally done traumatizing myself over what's taking place out there -- meaning: I've stopped watching all the ongoing news reports and live coverage of it.
And I've redirected my attention, time & energy back to my Golden Opportunity (-- and to another personal pursuit project, which I'll tell you more about next time).
Since I know I personally am unable to control the weather, I'm going to sit tight while I’m snowed in and take what I've come to learn and do something that I hope & believe will be effective in bringing about a positive future in all the worlds I inhabit. <-- That's what I feel my role is.
And there you have it: a glimpse into what's happening in my world these days.
If you’ve read thus far, thank you so much for your time and attention. I sincerely appreciate it.
And please, do let me know what you think about the questions I posed above. I'm sincerely interested in your personal take. Thanks!
What do YOU think (or believe) the future holds for: (a) the manmade world we're living in and (b) the natural world put in place by a higher power?
Do you think it’s all going to come to an end? If so, how?
What do you think (or believe) YOUR ROLE is in the playing out of this future?
Until we meet on the page again, I encourage you to take advantage of every day you get to draw breath. It truly is a blessing to be alive. And know, we each hold the power to do mighty things. Let’s go for it!
Love you guys!
Sincerely,
Carrie (not Kelly)