Seams Like a Story

September 23, 2024September 6, 2024

The Writing Studio

A Look Behind the Scenes

After retiring from teaching 6 years ago, I decided I wanted a space to write and sew. Not a room, but a studio…as in “a place where an artist works.” You can see my original post with a detailed description of my space here. Why was creating a space important to me?

In a recent read from Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones, I came across this thought:

“Creating a Writing space is an indication of your increased commitment.”

I’ll admit, that there are days I don’t feel like an artist. Words don’t come or sewing projects require more seam ripping than seam sewing. But having a dedicated space motivates me to continue. Goldberg goes on to say:

“A little apparent disorder is an indication of the fertility of the mind and someone who is actively creating.”

Whew! Oh good, because I usually work in “a little apparent disorder.” According to Goldberg, my clutter is fertilizer for my creative process…apparently. Let’s take a closer look at my “compost.”

a reading corner in my writing studio studio

My favorite reading spot, journal open, shoes kicked off.

The end table…fertile ground? Hmmm…photo of grandchildren, cup of day old tea, cell phone stand , assorted pens and highlighters, dental floss (pitched from my purse after a recent trip to the dentist), random bead, seam ripper and thread, Kleenex, fabric book mark I made years ago (but it’s too thick and I don’t like it as a bookmark… I don’t really know why it’s still on the table….)

My desk. Ergonomically lifted laptop open to current WIP, today’s cup of tea, assorted office supplies, post it notes, a note card containing haiku submissions, my hiking journal, Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act, sharpened #2 pencil (teacher habit).

All this is well and good, but it the end Goldberg says:

“Finally, there is no perfection. If you want to write you have to cut through and write. There is no perfect atmosphere, room, notebook, pen or desk. Train yourself to be flexible.”

So there you have it. If you want to write, cut through and write from your studio, kitchen table, on a notepad while waiting for an appointment… Simple enough. Let’s go! Just imagine what we can create!

two books against the backdrop of a sewing machine

You can find the recent works from my studio here!

Threads of thought: Tell me something about your “studio.” Do you have a special place that you like to read? Write? Create?

September 9, 2024September 6, 2024

The Mouse of Doubt

Changing your inner dialog

a tote bag for Debra VanDeventer Author with a mouse — My new tote bag with logo. (mouse added for effect)

Several weeks ago, I designed a logo for myself. Taking advantage of a Shutterfly special offer, I transferred the image to a mug, a notepad and a tote bag. On the morning of my writer’s forum meeting, I packed my new tote with a few copies of my books, a notebook, assorted pens and pencils and my critique folder. “This will be great!” I thought.

I couldn’t do it. I unpacked my bag and stuffed my gear in my old generic tote bag. Sigh.

In my former life, I never hesitated to say “I’m a teacher.” In fact, I was proud to announce this on several tote bags and mugs, many of them gifts from students or colleagues. But now, even though I’ve published two books, have written articles for magazines, and author a bimonthly blog, I often find it difficult to say “I’m a writer” or “I’m an author.”

Self doubt, imposter syndrome. Common, I think for writers and other creatives. Yet negative thoughts can cause one to stall, want to quit, question…”Why am I doing this?!” What to do?

The Mouse of Doubt

Natalie Goldberg, in her book Writing Down the Bones calls this feeling ‘the mouse of doubt’, and offers this advice: “Avoid getting caught by that small gnawing mouse of doubt. There is nothing helpful there. Instead, have a tenderness and determination toward your writing, a sense of humor, and a deep patience that you are doing the right thing.”

Anne Lamott has a more graphic mouse analogy. In Bird by Bird, she says to picture those nagging inner voices as mice. Pick them up by their tails, drop them into a mason jar, put the lid on tight, and “watch them lunge at the glass trying to get to you.” Then, go on with your writing.

Mice in a mason jar lunging at you. Try putting that image on a mug or tote bag, but hey, it just might work.

So take that, oh Mouse of Doubt! I’m a writer. I’m an author. I am a blogger. And you can’t stop me!

an author's mouse of doubt in a jar on a tote bag

Click here to get your copy of Out of the Crayon Box or Until Italy! (mouse not included) Disclaimer: No mice were harmed in writing this post. The mice portraying The Mouse of Doubt in my photos are Canva images that I superimposed on my original photos. (Creepy, but so fun!. If you haven’t played around with Canva yet, you should!)

Threads of Thought

Your turn….How do you overcome self doubt? What would you say to others experiencing this?

And keep Goldberg’s words in mind, “have a tenderness and determination toward your writing, a sense of humor, and a deep patience that you are doing the right thing.”

Now go out there, make yourself a logo and slap it on a tote bag!

August 26, 2024August 25, 2024

Making Peace With eBooks

an ebook and a papeback book with question marks

There is a great debate among readers. You know what I’m talking about: eBooks or traditional books. Books you load onto a device to read electronically or books printed on paper.

I’ll admit to being in the later class of readers. I fell in love with books as a child browsing through the shelves of the bookmobile that drove through our neighborhood when I was a child. As a Kindergarten teacher, I found the magical power that a great picture book held over a class of wiggly five-year olds, even mastering the art of holding the book towards the class so they could take in the pictures as I read. And there is nothing, nothing in this world that compared to the feeling of having my children, then my grandchildren, snuggle in my lap with a favorite book.

I love browsing through a bookstore or library, choosing a book, and taking it home with me waiting for that moment when I can sink into a cozy chair and turn the first page. Favorites line the bookshelves in my studio, many dogeared and highlighted.

When I published my books, I formatted each into ebook as well as paperback formats,. More and more of my readers are choosing ebooks, but I told myself I would never ever want to read electronically,

But then….on a recent vacation, I packed two library books. After reading through them quickly, I was stuck with nothing to read. Besides that, when I returned home, I couldn’t find one of the books. Weeks went by, then months. My library is a friendly, no-fee library, but the reminders they sent became increasingly desperate. I was nearly ready to admit I’d lost the book and pay for it, when it turned up in an obscure pocket in my suitcase.

That’s when I decided to try, just try reading on line. I practiced with an older tablet a friend lent me. Not too bad. I decided to commit and purchased a Kindle.

It’s not the same as reading paper books. My Kindle is not cuddly, You don’t turn the page, you tap it. All cover at and illustrations are reduced to shades of gray. It’s kind of creepy how it knows my name and tracks my reading. Although it holds a charge for a long, long time, you still need to “feed” it occasionally and wipe it’s face clean with special cloth.

But then again…I don’t HATE my Kindle. It is concerned about my eyesight, offering a choice of soft background lighting and font size. It’s small enough to slip into a tote bag or purse or carry on, and best of all, I have a library at my fingertips wherever I go.

I still prefer “real books”, but I’ve made peace ebooks. I realize the debate doesn’t have to be either/or. I can have both. My paperbacks for home, my ebooks for travel. Best of both worlds.

I’ll be putting the Kindle to a real test soon as I go on an extended trip and I’ll let you know how it goes. I just need to remember not to lose it in that hidden pocket in my suitcase, though I suspect if I do it will send me threatening emails. It knows where I live.

Threads of Thought

Your turn: Ebooks or paperbacks? Weigh in!

And oh, by the way, you can get both of my books in either format here!

August 12, 2024August 12, 2024

Kartchner Caverns

Exploring the world beneath our feet

a picture of a hiking shoe on a desert trail

We limit our world to what can be seen…the ground we stand on, the sky above us, and all that lies in between. Did you ever stop to think about a world we don’t often experience? The world beneath our feet?

Hike #27 on our 52 Hike Challenge takes us to Kartchner Caverns State Park about an hour’s drive from Tucson.

The history of Kartchner Caverns

Imagine walking along the limestone hills of the Whetstone Mountains in Arizona, you come across a sinkhole. Could it be? You squeeze into the narrow slit in the earth and discover what you have been seeking for years…a cave! This is what happened to two University of Arizona students Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts in 1974.

For 14 years they kept the discovery to themselves, mapping and exploring in secret. Realizing that secrecy alone would not protect the cave from vandalism, litter, and theft, they set the wheels in motion for the state to purchase the property from the Kartchner family in order to develop the cave as a state park. Kartchner Caverns State Park was officially opened in 1999.

The sign at Kartchner Caverns State Park

A Visit to Kartchner Caverns

For our visit, we didn’t have to wiggle through a sinkhole; we followed our guide through a set of sealed, stainless-steel doors and walked under misters at the entrance to preserve the 99 percent humidity of the caverns. I have no pictures of the inside of the cave, as visitors may carry nothing inside including phones, food, or water bottles.

Unlike Randy and Gary, we didn’t crawl on our bellies guided by headlamps. Instead, we walked upright along paved pathways with guardrails and amber lighting that our guide controlled. At one point in the tour, he turned off the lights plunging us into total darkness.

“Cave-dark is unlike any darkness you have experienced,” he said. “It is the total absence of light. Your eyes will never adjust, you can never see your hand in font of your face.”

It was unnerving as I lost my sense of sight, and we stood in total silence except for…

“Listen.” our guide continued. “Do you hear it? Water dripping. This is the heartbeat of the cave–how we know it’s alive.”

He turned the light’s back on to reveal one of the cave’s famous residents, a slender, twelve foot long soda straw formation. A droplet of water glistened at its tip, lengthening the straw one miniscule bit at a time.

Our tour culminated in the Throne Room, a breathtaking cavern where a 58-foot high column named Kubla Kahn reigns. We sat on stone benches while soft music played and a light show highlighted one spectacular formation after another.

I was enveloped in a sense of calm and peace, sheltered in this underground sanctuary that was unconcerned with the world above where life flies at us so fast we struggle to keep up or make sense of it all.

Here, in this place, change occurs over eons. Patience in a drip. A heartbeat.

At the end of our 90 minute tour the steel doors closed behind us, sealing the cave once more. We are, after all, above-ground creatures who need sunshine and fresh air.

Yet, the world beneath our feet has much to teach us.

Threads of Thought

In 1969, Neil Armstrong put the first footprints on the moon, exploring the world above us.

In 1974, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts put the first footprints on the mud floor of Kartchner Caverns, exploring the world beneath our feet.

2 Books, Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life...and Until Italy: A traveler's memoir

To get a copy of Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement and Life, or my latest release Until Italy: A Traveler’s Memoir click here!

July 29, 2024July 28, 2024

The 52 Hike Challenge: Halfway There

a man walking down a wooded path — A Walk in the Woods ( June 21, Mt. Lemmon )

We just completed hike #26 ! We are officially halfway through the 52 Hike Challenge we began in January and I thought it might be fun to give you, my faithful followers, an update.

To go along with our challenge, and to prepare for the writing I’m doing in tandem with the hikes, I’ve been reading Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. Though he beat me in publishing (his book was published in 1998 and was made into a movie in 2015,)our stories are very similar… except that Ed and I are not hiking in heavy backpacks, haven’t seen any bears, aren’t on the Appalachian Trail, haven’t hiked in snow or rain, aren’t sleeping outdoors and our longest hike has been 3.3 miles. OK, so not very similar, but here’s our version, to date, of a walk in the woods.

a woman and man hiking in winter clothes — January 6, A cold morning in Bloomington, IN

The idea for the challenge came to me on New Year’s Day. Too much food and late-night celebrations with the family left me tired and melancholy. The last of our kids and grandchildren had returned home, and we would soon be returning to Arizona. I always feel a mix of emotions during this time. Saying goodbye is never easy.

Perhaps that’s why the Facebook ad attracted my attention:

The 52 Hike Challenge

A challenge where you gain physical fitness, mental well-being, make new friends, explore new places and connect with friends, family, and yourself through nature.

This sounded like a fun way to break out of our routine, get some exercise, spend time together, and find new trails, but would Ed go for it? Much to my surprise, he said yes.

So begins our adventure.

Unique Hikes

We began our challenge on January 6 by hiking the B-Line trail while we were in Bloomington Indiana, our holiday hometown, and have done 26 unique hikes–meaning someplace different each time. Since we live in Arizona, most of our hikes are desert terrain. We have enjoyed the opportunity to explore new trails in our area as well as visiting old favorites through new eyes. In addition, our hikes have taken us to the top of Mt. Lemmon, a sandhill crane observatory, state parks, botanical gardens, a zoo, the green hills of Southern Indiana, and the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago.

a woman standing on the shore of Lake Michigan — June 11, Enjoying the Chicago Lakeshore

Physical Fitness

This is one of the main reasons I suggested we start this challenge. Ed and I are in relatively good shape, but were looking for an opportunity to get outdoors and add some novelty to our weekly routine. What I like about this challenge is that you can start at any level. The guidelines simply state that a hike must be at least one mile long and be done outdoors. Most of our hikes have been between one an a half and two and a half miles. We would like to build on that, but are being challenged right now by the brutally hot weather here this summer.

two long shadows on a desert trail — July 7,Long shadows cast on an early morning desert hike.

Friends and Family

Our hikes have included family members visiting our home in the Southwest during February, and friends from my writer’s group. We’ve also met some interesting characters on our adventures, like the spry, silver-haired woman on a strenuous hike up the Tumamoc Hill in Tucson who was channeling her spirit animal ( a wolf) and passed us at a good clip. “Don’t worry hun, it’s not a competition,” she told me. Then there was a “wine-pourer” in Wilcox Arizona (Don’t call me a sommelier, he said). Dare I mention this hike ended at a winery and another one led to a brewery? For the record, I checked the official rules. Nothing forbids it.

Quilting the Hike

If you’ve been following me, you know that I am ‘quilting the hikes to add a creative element to commemorate our year. One triangle earned for each hike. Not sewn together yet, I’m waiting until all 52 are there to see what sort of pattern I’m inspired to make, but here’s a peek at what I have so far:

a patchwork quilt — 26 triangles earned…halfway there!

Halfway there and it’s been fun so far. Will we get creative and find ways to hike in the summer heat? Will we be hiking on our trip to Portugal and Spain this fall? Will we get in 26 more hikes before the year ends and will any future hikes end with wine? (or whines?) Stay tuned…

Threads of thought

What are your favorite walks or hikes?

Make up a chant or cheer to keep us going in the comments below !

Planning a summer trip? Be sure to bring along a good book or two!

Find these titles here