Tommia's Tablet

I may not like scraping ice off the windshield at oh-dark-thirty. But looking up at the sky to catch a scene like this might be worth it:

There is something foolish to be said for having a camera at the ready – these four shots were taken while coasting down the road towards home:

Election Day by Tommia Wright

So today was election day and my ballot was put to post (since polling places are few). Tomorrow puts an end to the positively negative campaign ads. Tomorrow puts the pundits on pulpits preparing public pondering of predictions and exit polls in comparison to the votes made known.

This year’s election put me in the ‘it figures’ category: one candidate I felt strongly about in terms of giving Heck to congress – I couldn’t vote for. I don’t live in that district. Another candidate I had hopes for in terms of bringing about change – yep, I’m in the wrong district. In looking at the choices I had for where I lived… Well….It felt like an exercise in ‘the lesser of the evils.’ Sad, when there’s a tinge of guilt based on who to vote for, who will be the best choice to get the job done, to lead the district/county/state/nation.

Going to a celebration tonight to watch the results pour in (I lasted maybe an hour before departing, map colored, stickers/pens/pin collected), it was interesting to see how many elected to join, to observe, to participate. Of course the lateness of the start time to the event might have had something to do with it.

There was a chat I had with a friend who had the firm believe that if you are ___, then obviously, you vote for ____. If your job is __, then the only logical choice is __. I will say right now that while I may fill in the box for a candidate, I will not be forced to ‘fit’ into any given box based on who I am, what I do or what I believe in. That is the wonderful thing about elections -that every eligible person has the right to be heard and not have to justify or be coerced into casting their votes accordingly.

Thank you to the men and women who fight to preserve that freedom that some of us dangerously take for granted.

Time Swings By by Tommia Wright

So today was the day to ‘fall back’ an hour, maybe get another hour of activity in or enjoy another hour of daylight or maybe (in my case) another hour of sleep.

While I did get that hour of rest (off-set by the foolish hour of staying up longer than logic catching up on NaNo), I can’t help but wonder how well time is (and isn’t) used.

How much time is spent reflecting on time? What do we make time for? What do we take time away from?

Before dashing off to a write-in at the library, thought it was time to catch up on my Saturday snapshots – without leaving the house.

Fall Pane 1 by Tommia Wright

Fall Pane 2 by Tommia Wright

Fall Pane 3 by Tommia Wright

Fall Pane 4 by Tommia Wright

Hit a Block by Tommia Wright

Did I get my total word count for today? No. Maybe…200 words, barely a tenth. However, thanks to Sheri’s Breathing Space , I learned of the treasure in Stuart Jefferies’ back yard. It pays to have a large unadulterated property to call home.

Thanks to mac’s I liked photo!, I discovered that both Rita and Stuart have been to the Alps, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mount Rainier and other inspiring peaks.

Thank to Renee, the beauty of sunsets and rainbows is not to be ignored, something Jared takes great joy in – the warm memories of sunrises with his father, sunsets with his mother and the mixed blessings of rainbows on any given day.

Thanks to Belle Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast‘s post, not only did I learn that Stuart’s spent a bit of time in the south, but he is held in awe how some truths will stand as strong as the mighty hickory or walnut tree.

So, did anything get added today? Yes. Now to improve the word count.

NaNo Day 1 by Tommia Wright

So it begins – NaNoWriMo 2012. Or for those in our little region – NaNoRhiMo.

The kick-off celebration at a local cafe kind enough to host our large group (and offering the best homemade ice cream ever to go with devilishly good chocolate cake) began with a bang! About two dozen writers gathering to support one another, raise funds for the Office of Letters and Light and ‘charge’ ahead with this month long (in)sanity sprint/stroll/strive of 50,000 words in 30 days. The average would be 1,667 words daily – or simplicity sake, about 2K.

Day one’s tally wasn’t too bad, with some characters surprising me still (never knew Jared drank wine only during communion, anniversaries and when stressed or that Rita had an inhaler) and details I hadn’t thought about creeping in, charging past the internal critic that dared to mutter ‘delete! delete! rewrite! rewrite!’

Will tomorrow be better? Depends on the discipline (a.k.a. getting up earlier than usual, which would mean getting up earlier than the always missed/often ignored alarm clock for ‘on-time.’).

Strategies were shared for motivation, reckless abandonment and rewards. Dangerously thought of one month-ending/goal-reached reward. What to do about the weekly ones now…

What propels you to go forward with a story? How often do you communicate with other writers and artists – in person, via blog or email or (gasp) traditional phone call or letter?

Some more photos from the walk in the park. Wouldn’t dare trying the same collection given today’s rain.

Random Park Shot 1 by Tommia Wright

Random Park Shot 2 by Tommia Wright

Random Park Shot 3 by Tommia Wright

Random Park Shot 4 by Tommia Wright

Faint Rainbow by Tommia Wright

I thought luck would be on my side in terms of catching a rainbow upon leaving work today (elevation does make a difference).  Alas, by the time I found a place not obstructed by trees, the colors weren’t as vibrant as the fall leaves, but still a nice find on a marvelous Monday.

So, strolling about the park, my lens focused on other finds.

Park Bench Fall 1 by Tommia Wright

Park Bench Fall 2 by Tommia Wright

Park Bench Fall 3 (Flowers for Rose) by Tommia Wright

I should be doing something practical, like finalizing the writing corner for NaNoWriMo (did get the traveling pages bookmarked here) or finishing the overdue books (again). Instead, I had fun playing with some new toys (thrift stores, general stores, spare change and time on my hands can be a dangerous combination).

Leaves Patterned by Tommia Wright

I found two kaleidoscopes – one basic tube with an intricate lens and one classic tin one with beads. Here’s what happens when you put them together against a camera lens.

Kaleidoscope Within Kaleidoscope 1 by Tommia Wright

Kaleidoscope Within Kaleidoscope 2 by Tommia Wright