It wasn’t until the third day of Christmas Through Lowell this Sunday, that I realized that all my passions met right inside the special exhibit room dedicated to Robert Graham at the Lowell Area Historical Museum.
A customer on the tour pointed the fact out to me: “Not only are you a local author writing for The Lowell Ledger but you are in the old Lowell Library.” Yes, my first passion for writing met my second one for history.
Plus, I will write a special play for The Old Theatre (TOT) in Lowell inspired by four vendors who meet once a year in the old museum building to sell their wares.
This year’s CTL was the best author’s event out of all that I have done so far. I would like to thank everyone who has purchased my books.
I logged in the lowest count of words today in the NaNoWriMo 50k-word challenge. It was only 658 words.
To be continued……
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Today is the second day of Christmas Through Lowell (CTL) which turned out to be my best author’s event of the year with crowds flocking to downtown Lowell.
The event featured 300 stops including businesses and homes decked out for Christmas. Prior to opening my booth at the Lowell Area Historical Museum stop K, I logged in 12015 words in the NaNoWriMo 50k-word challenge in its 18th day.
The beautiful weather played into the success of CTL and my word count. Several interesting people stopped at my booth; first it was the former first executive director of the museum, Judy Straub and an author of science fiction who told me about a writing app Campfire.
I have to check that app out.
I am running on kombuchas and tea, and I had a yogurt and one sandwich today. I know most vendors and volunteers at the museum. We meet once a year for this holiday event with killer timing before Thanksgiving. The timing and the setting has inspired me to write a play, which is one of my many dreams.
We’re going to be at the museum tomorrow Sunday, Nov. 19 from 11 am to 5 pm.
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I am writing this at the Lowell Area Historical Museum during Christmas Through Lowell. It’s been a great day that started early in the morning when I logged in 1,015 words in the NaNoWriMo challenge.
I wasn’t feeling good from the get go as I woke up with a huge headache.
It rained in the morning but then the sun came out and attracted visitors to the museum and downtown in droves.
We had a steady stream of visitors until dinner time.
April Steel of Old Made into NewPictured above from left to right Maxine Shearer, Cammy Thornton, Lisa Reed at TOT, Emily Rose of Custom Tumblers and Bruce Doll of Images of Vision.
I took pictures for The Lowell Ledger at the museum and The Old Theatre. Visit all the stops on the CTL tour through Sunday, Nov. 19
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The holiday season is upon us, as I keep pounding on the keyboard daily. I logged in 2,027 words today for a total of 30, 528 words in the NaNoWriMo 50k-word challenge.
I still managed to live a half-normal life of keeping my doctor’s appointment, and shopping for gifts for the women’s prison ministry at St. Pat’s Church in Parnell. I got the wrong reading glasses, so I had to exchange them on my second trip to town.
In between my trips to Lowell, I walked on the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail, while someone was shooting in his woods. I could see the stand through the bare trees. It’s the firearm hunting season. “That’s it, I am getting an orange hat.” I don’t want to get shot before my work is done.
Keep it up, Wrimos. My doc said the same thing about my yoga and walking routine. I do feel better when I balance mental activity with physical.
I couldn’t find the only independent bookstore Bettie’s Pages far and near in the Greater Lowell Area, that’s how frazzled I am. And I had a set up at the Lowell Area Historical Museum for the 31st annual Christmas Through Lowell Tour starting Friday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 19. The museum is stop K on the Christmas tree signs placed at individual businesses and homes.
My books are also at the Artists Market inside the LowellArts gallery through Dec. 23. Books make awesome gifts. Stop at both locations. We’d love to see you. Artists Market is stop I on the map.
You can definitely catch me this weekend starting tomorrow.
Artists Market inside Lowell Arts located at 223 W. Main Street
Visit the Artist Market During Christmas Through Lowell Christmas Through Lowell: November 17 – 19Artist Market is open through December 23 Weekend Hours: Friday, Nov 17: 9 am to 9 pm Saturday, Nov 18: 9 am to 7 pm Sunday, Nov 19: 11 am to 5 pm The LowellArts Artist Market features giftable fine art and fine craft works by Michigan artists. The gallery space is transformed into a retail setting with unique, one-of-a-kind items available for sale at a range of price points. The annual market is a great place for people to purchase handmade items during the gift-giving season. Gift items include pottery, paintings, photography, jewelry, textiles, glasswork, handbags, woodwork, metalwork, ornaments, soaps, and more.
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Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa oh, livin’ on a prayer Take my hand, we’ll make it, I swear Whoa oh, livin’ on a prayer
Everybody knows this song by Bon Jovi. And I can feel it in my head, body, and soul, and in each word I write. I am keeping a steady pace of writing around 1,700 words a day; the word count doesn’t give me a big cushion, but it doesn’t exhaust me either.
It was a beautiful November day, as we reached almost 60 F.
I got in my daily exercise, and meditation today. I calmed down a bit, but I am still on trail energy mixes, except for this evening. We went to Smyrna Bar to deliver our new peach spirit by Moravian Sons Distillery based in Lowell, MI. So, I ordered Halfway to Cuba, a pulled pork sandwich with pickles and mustard which was delicious. The owners are going completely local. Yes! Way to go.
Today was also the opening day of the firearm hunting season, so I could hear gunshots as soon as the sun came up. The hunting season makes me nervous walking on the trail, especially because I can’t find my orange hat.
Keep it up, Wrimos. We’re halfway there.
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As of yesterday, I crossed the halfway mark with 25,013 words in the 50k-word NaNoWriMo challenge. I feel relieved and motivated to finish the rest.
Some people ask me on my show For the Love of Books Podcast if NaNo gets easier with each year you participate in the challenge. This is my fifth year tackling the challenge; I have three books out of four challenges and four victories.
I say no, even though I have more experience I never know from day to day if I will reach the 1,667 word goal. The key to conquering the challenge is writing daily, and carrying the momentum forward, no matter what.
I have some tips for other Wrimos; keep on pushing through and split the monster daily word count into two sessions.
Good luck, Wrimos. Keep on writing.
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On a sunny afternoon in November, I logged in 1,715 words in the NaNoWriMo challenge for a total of 25,013 words reaching the halfway point in the 50k-word challenge.
In the morning I wrote for our hometown newspaper The Lowell Ledger a story about Christmas Through Lowell that was 1,100 words long.
In between the two sessions, I went for a walk on the trail.
I feel every word in my bones. More tomorrow.
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The sunshine brought new energy and fueled my writing so I could log in 2,015 words and introduce a very cool chapter, even though the whole writing session seemed hopeless at first. I kept repeating to myself, “Keep pushing forward.”
I walked the trail in the November sun and ran into another walker and three women riding their bikes. My parents are now both down with a cold on top of their other illnesses, which worries me.
I even made it to the Sunday mass and enjoyed the gospel reading about the 10 virgins with oil lamps, five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. This one sticks well in my mind and inspires me.
Of course, having no time to cook, we had Sunday dinner at Big Boiler in downtown Lowell decked out for Christmas.
When I saw a spider in the bathtub, I wondered what to do with it, and then I remembered that they bring good luck and money. I scooped it into a paper box from tea and took it outside.
Good luck, Wrimos. Keep pressing forward.
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On this anniversary of the Armistice or Veteran’s Day, the sun was out and I did better moving the story forward by introducing a few more elements.
I broke up my writing for a trip to Big Rapids to see my elderly parents who are waning fast. In their late 80s, they’ve been fine until the last two to three months. My dad, a former math professor at Ferris State University still solved problems and drove back from Venice, FL in late April of 2023. My mom has been suffering from various ailments most of her life, but recently her health got worse.
I worry about them every day but try not to think about it when I am writing. As a true catholic, I feel guilty that I am not with them. We’re all taking it day by day.
I dedicated my Greenwich Meridian Memoir to them. I am so happy that I got it done, and they both read the book and even contributed to it.
We took my brother home to Paris, MI. I love Paris in all seasons except for now and winter. There’s even an Eiffel Tower sitting on a knoll in the park. My brother is a train model builder. Check out his creation. He was the inspiration for one of my stories “Waiting for Snow” in book no.2 “Secrets.”
I logged in 1,558 words in two sessions.
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It was cloudy, cold, and windy but I had to go for a walk on the trail to get my mind and body off writing. I struggled the entire morning, nothing went right. Research slowed down my writing, but overall I couldn’t focus and roll. I suffered from inner discourse, so I couldn’t write as different thoughts kept entering my head rather than the storyline itself.
I logged in 1,704 words a little over the minimum requirement of 1,667 words a day to complete the 50k NaNoWriMo challenge. However, I came across new exciting facts that I didn’t know before, so that means progress.
Did I move the story ahead? I would certainly hope so by introducing the secret element into it and trying to figure out the supporting character Jack.
As of this evening, my total word count is 19,717.
Keep on writing Wrimos. We can do it.
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