Happy Monday

Well, Happy Monday.

Yeah, it's Monday.  The first Monday of the New Year.  First Monday after the holidays.  First Monday after company has left and gone back to their normal lives.  First Monday back to school of the New Year. Back to reality Monday. Monday.

I'm ready to take down all this Christmas stuff around me.  Last year I put if off and off...it was past January 8th before I finally got around to packing everything away.  I think I'm ready this year because I enjoyed Christmas more than I did last year.  Last year I really struggled with my "Christmas spirit".  This year, not so much.  I enjoyed shopping, didn't enjoy not getting something I ordered online and had to replace with other gifts...but mostly it was ok.   I didn't worry so much about the cost of things, just got what I thought people would like and bought it.  I knit gifts this year...more gifts than I EVER have.  Three were for Mike and the girls.  That's never happened.  It was exciting to knit so many gifts.  I hope the two other family members who I knit for enjoyed their hats. I also crocheted the cutest snow flakes for my knitting friends.  There were so fun to make.  Justine suggested I make huge ones and hang them all over the house...um, no thanks.  Well, maybe someday.

One of the things I got for Christmas has me super excited...and it's not yarn/knitting related!  (stop it!)  It's a book called 712 (more)Things to Write About. The first one published was 642 Things to Write About, this is the sequel.  Well, kinda.  Anyway, it's full, 712 full, of writing prompts and space to write.  The idea is to do it quick, like blender pulses, and complete the work in 5-10 minutes.  Here's a sampling:

I met him on the stairs.

What is the hardest thing you've ever had to forgive?

When did you last receive an unexpected gift?

Describe to a retailer why you're returning a pair of shoes designed for walking on the Arctic Circle.

A magazine is writing an article about something that happened to you yesterday...What does the headline say?

Fun, huh?  No, maybe not to all of you.  The challenge is going to be to dig deep in a short amount of time.  Find the feelings, articulate them, write (not type on the computer with a convenient back space feature) them in a way that makes sense...in 5-10 minutes?!  A challenge for sure. Good brain work. 

I did one.  What to see?  OK

Write a 12-line poem whose lines begin with words that start with the letters R, V, H, O, K, E.  Use each letter twice.

Winter's Dance

Remember last Winter's

Venues of white with

Hands warm in mittens?

Over the ground a sprinkling of sugar

Keeps reminding me Spring is

Ever at bay.

Rivers frozen in time,

Volumes of fluff at the roadside,

Houses take on a gingerbread persona.

Old Man Winter does a happy dance,

Kicks up his heels at the

End of the day.

                             

I won't share them all with you, but some I will.  This was my first, so a good one to share.  And I like it.  Hope you do too.