Camp NaNoWriMo: Day One

It is probably a good thing that my participation in Camp NaNoWriMo started on a Sunday. Sunday mornings are always “time to myself” in our house. Saturday mornings are for my husband, and he usually sleeps in. Sunday mornings are mine, and I usually grab my cup of coffee and sit in our sunroom at my writing desk.

Even though today predicted temps in the 90s in Chicagoland, at 6:30 am it was comfortable in the three-season sunroom. I did my regular “work” first: blog writing, reading two newsletters from the week that I enjoy, and some social media scouring related to writing.

Another cup of coffee. The 6-year-old informing me that the 10-month-old’s fingernails are too long and she scratched his eyelid (I don’t care — go tell Daddy). The 8-year-old passing through the sunroom but held up his hand saying “I’m pretending you’re not here, Mommy!” Talking to my husband about travel logistics associated with a play date later that afternoon. Somehow, it was suddenly 8:30.

I had errands to run with a store that opened at 10:00, so knew that around 9:30 was my limit. My Camp NaNoWriMo goal is one hour per day. I closed my Surface and pulled out a book, a notebook, and a pen.

The book was Good Poems for Hard Times. I opened to a random page and read four poems, to get myself into the right frame of mind.

I opened my notebook and dated the top. Day 1 of my 30-day commitment. I wanted to write something about my grandmother. She is 98 years old. The last few years have seen a decline in her health, including her memory and several falls. The most recent fall was recently and left her in a lot of pain.

I wrote a short tribute to the magnificent life she’s led, nearly a century in the making.

It was a good Day 1.

You can support my work as a writer by buying me a coffee!