The Importance of Baby Steps

Welcome to Just TypiKel. Today’s post underlines the importance of baby steps.

First off, many thanks to recent shout out on the hugely popular Preppy Empty Nester blog. The corresponding uptick in subscribers here has been beyond heartwarming.

Thanks, Katie 😉 You’re the best.

To the folks who are new here: Welcome! Just look at how happy you’ve made our 100-year-old Francine.

How Was Your Valentine’s Day?

It’s rather crazy that another Valentine’s Day has come and gone, no? Seems like we just packed away the Christmas ornaments …

This gorgeous amaryllis was a true Christmas miracle. A gift from my sister-in-law, I held out little hope  when I finally released it from the box in early January. My bad. The stem, paler than limp celery and just as sturdy, already sported a wilted bloom. Horrors. I was about to chuck the poor thing when my daughter implored, “No! Give it a day or two, Mom.”

Yet another lesson about the importance of baby steps. Gently open the soil packet. Soak soil. Plant the bulb. Water. Shower with remorse.

Water and sprinkle with remorse as needed.

The results are in. What a welcome Valentine’s Day treat.

The Importance Of Baby Steps

So, yes, I closed out my latest post by promising to update you on The Book. But first, a quick background refresher.

After flying solo for seven years, my mom Frankie (Francine to “family”) hired me as the summer assistant at her iconic Vancouver Asian antique store, Frankie Robinson Oriental Gallery (FROG). Silly woman. Despite growing up surrounded by it, I knew nothing about the inventory and cared for it even less. However, after a series of painfully embarrassing missteps, I finally got my act together and ended up staying for a decade …

Fast forward a few more decades, and Francine, the author of two books – one on Indigenous myths and the other a deep dive into her family tree – began to nudge me to write a book about our extraordinary FROG adventures. The timing was good as both kids were grown and flown. However, writing a manuscript wasn’t for me. Taking a single online writing course was much more my speed. After reading a few of my homework pieces, my brother, a writer, suggested I submit them to his preferred online newspaper. Bless ’em, they took me on. While I wasn’t paid, the experience was golden. Before I knew it, my pieces were being picked up and published by small community papers across Canada.

Francine Ramps Up The Pressure

Emboldened by my success, Francine tried again.

“You can do it, Kel. I’ll happily give you all my diaries. There’s loads of material in there.”

Pffft. Again, I couldn’t imagine the effort required. However, blogging seemed fun. I enrolled in a basic blogging course and Just TypiKel was born. My initial stories were humorous truths about how my kids survived despite being raised by a quirky single mother who refused to let the untimely death of their exceptional father define their lives. As I gradually moved on to the quirky adventures shared with Francine, readers began asking for more. 

My mother could not be more delighted.

“Come on, Kel. Neither of us is getting any younger. Write the damn book.”

It took two Erma Bombeck Writers Workshops for me to finally consider it.

When Covid hit, I chose to get serious. The days flew by as those diaries tweaked endless memories.  The overseas buying trips. The unique pieces and how we acquired them. The customers. Those we tolerated, those we liked, those we loved, and those who died before their time. How I morphed from a bumbling fool into a valued partner and buyer. Whoa. Francine was right. Our remarkable adventures needed to be shared with the world.

Time to saddle up and plunge on in.

Yes, thanks to a myriad of baby steps, the manuscript is done. All 88,400 words of it. And the gist? A coming-of-age memoir showcasing treasured antics and anecdotes, set against a backdrop of a successful women-led business and sometimes challenging mother/daughter dynamics …

Next Steps

Let’s save next steps for next time, shall we? After all, this is all about the importance of baby steps …

Enough about me and the importance of baby steps (“hello SEO!”). I’m curious about you. Are you a baby stepper or jumbo leaper? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.

Before you dash, do catchup on the wondrous Francine’s 100th and then head on over to the effortlessly entertaining Preppy Empty Nester 

Until next time, please subscribe to Just TypiKel for more and let’s be pals over on Instagram.