Words, words, words.....

It's a beautiful day outside!  Sunshine, blue skies and so wonderfully warm.  I had to double check the calendar this morning.  Yes, it is January.  Of course, tomorrow will feel like it again, but today it is Spring and I am loving it!  Loving it, I tell you!

Right now I'm watching Julie and Julia with the doors and windows open.  I love this movie.  It's an inspiration to keep me going in the blogosphere.  However, it makes me long for a "reason" to write - beyond life in general, that is.  I know people who write blogs with actual subjects - food, fashion, etc.  I just write about whatever is on my mind. 

One line early on in the movie resonates with me, when she starts her blog and no one is reading it - except her mother, who doesn't count - and she says "Are you listening....whoever you are?"  Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading this other than the 3 friends I've paid to do so.  BTW, if you haven't received your money yet, the check is in the mail. Just joking!!!  :) 

If you are a blogger, do you ever wonder if anyone reads your blog?  Does it matter to you?  Do you write for yourself?  Do you do a family blog so family and friends can keep up with your life?  Do you want to be a blog success story?  Comment, please and answer these questions.  I really want to know. 

On to another topic.  I have made a commitment to myself to write Monday through Friday for at least 2 hours per morning.  Books, words, have always been a source of great happiness to me.  My first job out of college was as a reporter for our local newspaper.  I absolutely, positively loved that job.  Why did I quit?  Money.  Pure and simple.  It paid pennies and I had to live with my parents just so the ends of my budget could see each other.  Seriously. 

One of my dreams is to be an Author.  You know what I mean.  Author with a capital A which denotes being a Published Author.  I've played with different book ideas over the years.  About 10 years ago I wrote about half of a children's book.  It was a good idea/story.  But, I lost "the muse" and never found it again.  It is packed away in my closet waiting to be pulled it out and completed.  Someday.  Maybe. 

Currently, however, I am excited and working daily on another idea.  Thus far, I've written about 5500 words - or one chapter, plus the beginning of a second.  It's going well.  Hopefully, one day I will be announcing that I'm a published author.  That's my goal.  So, to accomplish being able to write every day, I decided I had to leave the house during those hours.  Let's face it, if I stay home, I'm going to get distracted by the things that need to be done around the house, the tv, the computer, cooking, laundry, the dogs, etc.  If I leave and only have the computer with me (and my phone, of course) my chances of being distracted are significantly less. 

Unless you consider the varied and interesting conversations I hear as I sit at a table, my laptop and a cup of coffee as my only companions.  You would not believe what people will talk about in public! 

So, where do I go for these outings? Various places. Yesterday I sat at Panera for a few hours, editing and writing and editing and drinking coffee and listening to people.  It was fun.  Today I went to a new place called Cafe Cappuccino.  I ordered a bagel and cream cheese.  They buttered and toasted the bagel to perfection.  The fruit cup, ordered on the side was okay.  It would have been better minus the pink grapefruit, which was sour.  The grapes were super sweet and wonderful.  They were so wonderful, I thought about asking for a bowl of just grapes.  Too bad there were only 4 grapes total in my small bowl.  Yes, I counted. 

Oh, the coffee.  Yes, I had coffee.  I ordered their bottomless cup of coffee.  It was delicious!  Just plain coffee and cream.  Yum.  They had a nice selection of cappuccinos and lattes.  Tons of flavored syrups.  Next time, I will try one of those, definitely.  And, yes, there will definitely be a next time.