I am so excited about how my Listen To Your Mother experience keeps on living.
But first, let me share a weensy bit of what I’ve been up to since my last Just TypiKel post (I wrote about the trip to San Francisco with my 94 year-old busier than me mother) and why the blog and book writing took a bit of a hit as a result.
Long story short: I was back down in Oakland for the Magic of Memoir conference, the very next weekend. Yes, Oakland, which sits a mere 20 minute BART ride from where I was days before. Just TypiKel. I didn’t stay down there because the concept of my 94 year-old mother navigating through SFO and then handing the return flight and Canada Customs by herself was rather daunting. So, I flew home with her.
And the conference? Very worthy. It was such a treat to attend a writing conference that was devoted only to memoir writing. I learned a lot about the art of memoir writing and I met some wonderful people.
I was also blessed because my name was called upon to do both a reading and make a pitch to an agent. Both experiences were beyond valuable.
Then, the weekend after Oakland, I shot off to Eastern Canada for the third annual late Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner with my son and some of his college pals. Unfortunately, we encountered a minor hiccup in that department. My son developed nasty “food poisoning” symptoms the night I arrived. Happily, he was much improved by the time I developed similar symptoms on the morning of the dinner. He insisted I had something different. Between you and me, he was wrong. Same symptoms. Whatever the cause, we had to cancel the dinner. I urged him to carry on without me but he said they’d rather not if the “guest of honour” couldn’t be there. So sad. However, it gives me great excuse to do a makeup dinner in the Spring, right?
So, three weekends in a row away from home was good enough, yes? I thought so, too, until I received a wonderful email from one of my Listen To Your Mother Seattle cast mates. Jennifer had booked a two-night stay in an 1880 lighthouse keeper’s house in Hansville, Washington. Would I like to join her for a writer’s retreat? We could each make a dinner for the two of us and then enjoy breakfasts and lunches on our own. Hell, yes. I’d love to do that. To have the opportunity to just sit and write for hours on end? No dog walks, no bunny feeding or cleanup, no guilty feelings about a messy house or ignoring friends and family. Magical.
Better yet, I’d roomed with her at the Erma Bombeck conference in Dayton, last Spring. That was a great success as she had earplugs and we both like getting up early.
How My Listen To Your Mother Experience Keeps On Living
How was our writer’s retreat? Just perfect, thank you.
Point No Point Lighthouse. Built in 1879, it was first lit in 1880.
View from the front porch of the Lighthouse Keeper’s house. Freighters competed with hungry loons, cormorants, gulls and harbour seals.
My self-appointed writing spot at 8:30 AM. If you look carefully through the seawater blotted window, you can spy the lighthouse perched just next door.
I am delighted to report that I wrote for nine hours overall. Am pumped up once again about the book, which thrills me no end.
Finally, here’s how my Listen To Your Mother experience keeps on living. It started with my choice to audition, followed up by the three-hour drive to Seattle for the audition, then back down for the table read, then again for the performance, and a reading with the majority of the cast six months later at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island in Washington. Then in 2016 it led to my first podcast, a roomie at Erma, and now a writer’s retreat at an historic lighthouse keeper’s home where I made heavy inroads into my memoir on the quirky 10 years I worked with my type A Caucasian mother in her Asian antiques and collectibles shop. That’s how it keeps on living! I can’t wait to see what blossoms next.
This post was inspired by the Finish the Sentence prompt of “When it comes to death …” As I’ve covered my late husband’s death a fair bit here recently, I thought I’d tweak it to something more lively.
Check out Kristi at www.findingninee.com to read how others interpreted the same prompt.
Enough about me and how my Listen To Your Mother experience keeps on living. I’m curious about you. How has one choice changed your life? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
34 Responses
So glad you linked up Kelly! And my Listen to Your Mother reading has changed me as well – I’ve made so many new friends, helped new to special needs mamas navigate school… I’m sad that this will be the last year. Love that you went to a writing retreat (I went to two and life changing!!!!). I can’t wait to read your book.
I’m sad this will be the last year for LTYM as well. Be interesting to see if something else pops up in its place. Come to think of it, I think I first learned of it through you! So thank you for that, Kristi.
Aw, loved how you tweaked this to be more lively for the prompt and your Listen to Your Mother experience sounded awesome and so glad you got to be a part of, as well!! 😉
Thank you, Janine. Lovely of you to pop by and have a read. Yes, LTYM was really special. We had a few hiccups and I believe it brought our cast closer in the end.
I haven’t been to Point No Point in years. What a wonderful place to snuggle in and work on your writing. I’m glad you’re working on the book, because I can’t wait to read it! Have a great weekend (at home, I presume?)
Oh, Lana. You should try and make the trip to Point No Point. It was so lovely. It didn’t matter one bit that it was raining almost the entire time. My pal is a birdwatcher and she shot out for several long walks and got some really good sightings. Yes, I’m home now. Isn’t this weather quite something?
Wow, Sis, that stomach bug sounds like a mean one. Glad to hear you got over it fairly quickly and you got some quality time in with your son and buds! That writer’s conference sounds like a dream. What a beautiful place. Glad to hear you didn’t slack off and got 9 hours of writing in. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Oh Sis, that stomach bug was really quite something. I do wish it was “just” food poisoning as it would have given me a miss then. Ah well. We did manage to have a hoot in between bouts. And it really does give me an excuse to go back.
Congratulations Kelly, on making it for Listen to Your Mother. It’s an incredible honor. And I loved reading about your wonderful experience!
Thanks, Allison. It’s sad that this is the last year for LTYM. Ah well. Thank you for popping by and for reading. I do appreciate it.
What a beautiful retreat site. That sound of the ocean as a background while you wrote must have been wonderful. Glad to hear you have had some fun travel time lately.
Hey, Nanette. It was just beautiful. It was the perfect spot to sit and write. I think the fact that it rained most of the time really helped too.
What a lovely view! I’m so glad your LTYM experience has developed into so many friendships and opportunities for you. And nine hours writing? Sounds divine.
It was divine, Dana. Perfect word for it.
It thrilled me to look out of your writing window and to know that you got nine hours in. Loved to hear when writer’s get their mojo back. So what did it mean to you that your roomie had earplugs? That you didn’t have to hear her stuff or she couldn’t hear you? 😉
Thought of you today, Kenya! I went for a long walk this morning in a new pair of rain boots (been miserably soggy here for weeks now) and my bursitis is acting up. Yikes. How’s yours?
As for roomie’s earplugs – she is a VERY light sleeper and I was SO worried that I’d snore. The fact that she has earplugs made me relax and go to sleep.
Sheesh, I really love your take on this prompt! Although I’m sorry about the food poisoning or virus or whatever ick that was!!
The LTYM experience is one I don’t know.. yet.. but quite a handful of my friends do.
Also, nine hours of writing!!!! AAAHHHH!!!
This is the last year for LTYM, Tamara. Sadly they are shutting it down. I hope you are able to audition and that they love you. It’s really quite the experience. And yes, nine hours of writing! Crazy, ‘eh? I have yet to repeat that feat despite the best of intentions.
Wow Kelly, you have been one busy lady ! So sorry to hear about your bug, but so happy to hear about the writers seminar and the amazing weekend at the lighthouse. What an inspiring place to write and so glad it went well ! Can’t wait to read the book !
Hi, Jane! It has been a tad busy of late, however I’ve really enjoyed each and every experience. All very different from each other. And it was really refreshing to learn that I am capable of sitting and writing for hours on end. Wasn’t quite sure if that was possible. Kind of cool. Looking forward to seeing you soon and catching up on the news.
What a wonderful experience to be able to stay in a lighthouse and write your memoirs looking out through the window! I can relate! JT
Can’t wait to talk with you further about it, James. Man, you must have stories.
I am so impressed by 9 hours of writing. You go, girl! The lighthouse looks lovely. Sorry about the food poisoning.
May I request a post about the pitch when the time is right? I’m so curious.
Anxiously awaiting book and my role as one of your book pluggers. 🙂
Thank you so much for your endless support, Katy. As for the pitch, it was a wonderful exercise in winnowing things down to the barest, most important info. I will write about it more.
I guess my choice would be starting a blog. I went from an isolated, depressed, and disabled caregiver to finally finding my own voice. I’ve been to a conference, made some truly wonderful friends, and now I’ve started my very own web design and virtual assistant business. It’s given me a new lease on life.
Oh, Rena. This is just amazing. Look at you. You go girl! I am beyond happy for you and how it has given you a new lease on life.
I’d love to attend a writer’s conference – just ONE! But, look at you! Wow, thanks for the inspiration, Kelly!
Hope you can arrange to get to one and that it’s worthy, Michelle.
Choosing to “live on wheels”, that has been a huge game changer for me. I’ve seen and done so much more then I would have ever been able to do. Hubby and I are starting our 10th year of living full time in a fifth wheel. It has been an amazing experience. I’m not exactly sure what our future holds at this point, if it is time to ‘come off the road’ and settle or if we will keep on ‘rolling’…..I guess time will tell and another life choice will need to be made.
You, my dear girl, are having the time of your life….me thinks! Reading about all your writer’s retreats makes me a bit envious. I have not been on a ‘painting retreat’ in forever and I think you have inspired me to take a hard look at that…..and see just what can be done about it….lOL!
Oh Debbie – that is truly remarkable. I had no idea it has been ten years that you have been living on wheels. Thought it was more like three! Or maybe four. You really must have a wealth of stories. As for my writing retreats, yes, I’ve been lucky. I’ve managed to glean a gem from each of them that I wouldn’t had I not gone. Hope you can manage to swing a painting one in the near future.
So glad you said yes! Yes to LTYM, Yes to being my Erma roommate, Yes to the lighthouse! You are an inspiration. Looking forward to our next catch-up in Fairhaven.
Yes, to all! Imagine. I’d never have tasted chocolate vodka as well …
The Memoir Conference sounds like it was an inspiration, and great success! So sorry the trip to see your son took such a turn. :/
Hi! Thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. And yes – that conference was perfect for me as it was strictly all about memoir writing rather than just the usual mere 40 minutes or so…