Accomplishing Sunshine

A month or so ago, a writing tip on a blog caught my eye: rather than concentrating on the writing I hadn’t done today, the writer suggested, what if I kept a record of what I had accomplished? Positive thinking at its best, I thought. A revolution in state of mind: Instead of torturing myself about not writing, I could celebrate every word I put down. At the bottom of the blog, the writer directed readers to a facebook group, “Write On Build On.” Members of the group report daily on their achievements and donate a dollar a day to the charity Build On if they did not write. I applied to the group and joined.

The writers in this group report daily on their writing, but also about their life. They are there to give support and comfort to each other and admire each other’s achievements. Belonging to the group gives me structure, a feeling of more accountability, and a sense of community that I did not have before. By following the group’s chatter, I get a better perspective of how other writers work. I guess everyone lives the sinus wave: sometimes writing thousands of words a day, and sometimes editing just eight words.

Yesterday, Crystal Collier, one of the group members, nominated me on her blog for the sunshine award. The idea behind the sunshine award is to pass the love forward to other bloggers who write and inspire me, and it has three rules: 1. Thank the blogger who nominated me. 2. Answer the questions below. 3. Pass the award on to other bloggers. I loved that Crystal thought about me! Writing my blog and putting it out there, in the blogosphere, made me realize how much I want people to read my blog and comment on it. I want people to feel inspired by it, to feel more connected and less alone. Thank you Crystal for nominating me!

The Questions:
Favorite color: Changes all the time. This morning it’s yellow for sunshine and happiness.

Dolphin in Eilat

Favorite animal: I love dolphins. I love how they play in the waves, how slick they are and elegant. I love that Douglas Adams says they’re more intelligent than us. But I also love deer (so graceful! I will never tire of seeing them) and jackrabbit (so unproportional and funny-looking).
Favorite number: 1.
Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Tea with milk. I think I was British in a previous life.
Facebook or Twitter: Facebook. I love connecting with people and reading about what they do. (And Crystal, I also love Goodreads. Such a great idea!)

Anemone from the Galilee

My passions: Writing, reading, the kids, my boyfriend, Hawaii, watching deer, trees, Henry Coe State Park, hiking, climbing.
Getting or giving presents: I love getting presents, but I always feel embarrassed that people went to the trouble (and cost) of getting them for me.
Favorite pattern: The oaks dotting the hillside outside my window
Favorite flower: Israeli anemones.

My nominees for the sunshine award:
Iris Wilnai
Terry Lynn Johnson
Michal Rinkevich
Lisa from ReadBreatheRelax
Beth Trissel

Thanks Crystal for nominating me! This was fun!